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Foreward
by John Wick
I have always wanted to visit Venice. I have read books about the history of the city, seen movies
filmed on its streets, looked at photographs, but that was not enough. I wanted to feel the stones
under my feet, look up at the buildings and get lost in its twisting streets. When I finally got the
opportunity (thanks to my very generous Italian friends), the experience was more than I expected.
My partner Jessica and I did not use any map to explore, but instead, navigated via the Pokémon
Go app on our phones. We had no destination in mind, we just followed the game, spinning
Pokéstops, collecting little critters as we went. We walked through parts of the city we would have
never seen if we followed any tourist map, got lost in the center of the city, then found our way
back using virtual landmarks. It was the perfect way to explore Venice—just following invisible
navigation, discovering the city’s hidden wonders.
Whenever I travel, I love wandering around foreign cities. And yes, traveling around the United
States counts. The cities of my current home—Arizona—are not the same as the cities of Boston,
Texas, California or Utah. Each of them has its own character, its own wonders to discover. But you
have to be willing to wander.
The cities presented in this book are full of wonders. When I first set out to bring it to fruition,
I wanted a different voice for each of them, ensuring they would have their own character. I also
wanted to provide GMs and players a tool to help them make their own cities. And that’s the book
you have in your hands now.
Two of the cities—Vaticine City and Iskandar—are deep dives into two of the most important
cities of faith in Théah. They are the most “traditional” in approach when it comes to presenting
cities in a roleplaying game. But the four others are cut from a different cloth.
Mike Curry was kind enough to provide you (and me) with a City -Building System that presents
a list of choices that help you construct your own cities. After that, we have four cities—from four
different authors—using that system as examples of what you can make using that system. I asked
the writers to “show their work,” to give you a kind of look behind the creative process. So, when you
take a peek at Carleon, Port Cendres, Nieuwehoop and Paix, you’ll see not only four new cities for
you to explore, but also the decisions each writer made when they created their cities.
Use their example and start making your own. Then, go ahead and post your city up on the
Explorer’s Society on DrivethruRPG (link below). Share what you discovered about Théah with
others. I look forward to walking down your city’s streets.
John Wick, September 2, 2020
Explorer’s Society: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/cc/8/Explorers-Society

Foreward 3
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Table of Contents 5
Vaticine City
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Introduction
T
he soaring arches and vibrant
murals that dominate the skyline of
Vaticine City all serve the purpose of
showcasing humanity’s achievements
in pursuing the Riddle of Theus. By fostering
beautiful architecture, the Vaticine Church of the
Prophets encourages the study of mathematics,
engineering and design aesthetic. By creating a
city laid out to be functional, inspirational and
pleasing, the Church creates a home that fosters
amity and neighborliness. The construction of
Vaticine City serves to make a metaphorical
home for Theus to please the Creator, enrich
the mind and deepen the soul of humanity.
They hope to create a functional city that serves
as inspiration to all the other cities of the world.
Ideal designs and practical conditions collide,
of course; while the Church intended for
Vaticine City to be a functional city that
elevates its denizens, the people who occupy
the city follow their own needs and desires. The
city has no shortage of all the vices and flaws
common to human habitation around Théah.
Cathedrals may dominate the skyline, but one
need not walk far beyond the soaring architecture
to reach the coaching inns, docks and warehouses
that host the city’s needs, both licit and illicit.
Vaticine City hosts the most devout and
learned among the Church and also the most
ruthless. True believers fill the pews, and
the scent of power attracts those seeking to
command them with Vaticine authority. The
libraries of the city hold copies of books from
antiquity, stretching back to the Numanari
Empire and beyond and carefully preserved by
the Church’s clerics, but the Inquisition has no
use for such distractions and instead maintains
the dungeons that hold heretics whose souls
will be delivered to Theus by mortification.
Situated as it is upon the edge of Castille,
not far from the rival power of Vodacce that
once housed the Church, Vaticine City is also
a site for diplomats and noble assignations. As
an ostensibly neutral state, political scheming
can take place outside of courts dominated by
various national interests. It is not uncommon
to see visitors from noble families striding
through the streets and gardens, ostensibly
taking in the artistic and cultural sights of the
city but in truth making secret arrangements for
diplomatic or personal reasons.
So why did you come to Vaticine City? You
came here because you need to meet with
the elite of the Vaticine Church. Or perhaps
because it is also the capital of united Castille
and the center of Good King Sandoval’s court.
Maybe you came here following a story about
a powerful relic hidden in the Church’s secret
vaults…or perhaps you seek to work your steel
against fencers of all kinds, so you have come to
put the Church’s most elite guards to the test.
You might be here for a diplomatic conference
between delegates from the Church, from far-off
Iskandar or the Théan colony of Quamontaigne,
working to thread the treacherous tapestry of
conspiracy while each group argues for its vision
of divinity. Perhaps you came here for secret
and forbidden knowledge in a library not far
from the Hierophantic Basilica or to rescue a
comrade from the dungeons of the Inquisition.
All that can be said for certain is that for a city of
the devout, there is more than enough to keep a
Hero busy!
7th Sea | Vaticine City 7
 How to Use This Chapter
This chapter details a set of hooks and characters
to help motivate a Hero in her adventures. You
will find descriptions of some of the places in
and around Vaticine City in here, but the focus
is on what kinds of adventures Heroes have in
this city. To that end, we have provided you with
a selection of important people—both members
of the Church and otherwise—and of the kinds
of power groups and hidden secrets to make
interesting stories. Many of these descriptions
also include information about the places to find
those interesting stories, so you can set the stage
for your Heroes’ adventures within the unique
architecture of Vaticine City.
Introduction
You are here! This section gives you a very quick
overview of the chapter, a small glossary and a
few reasons to use Vaticine City as a destination
in your game.
Section One: Foundations
The roots of any city run deep, and here’s where
we’ll explore the city’s origins.
Section Two:
Influential Personalities
We start with a selection of people that your
Heroes may encounter when visiting Vaticine
City and its environs. Each of these characters
has a selection of Story Hooks to describe how
Heroes might interact with them and to give you
ideas for your own Stories. Each character has
a position that could require the services of the
Heroes or could pit your Heroes against them.
Section Three:
Conspiracies & Cabals
The Vaticine Church has its share of
sub-organizations and heresies, and many of
them have offices that stretch all the way to the
highest halls of power. These groups can give
8 Introduction
you antagonists who work against your Heroes’
goals, or your Heroes might strive to become
members. You could even build an entire story
around Heroes who are all members of one of
these groups, navigating the treacherous waters
of Vaticine City and the orthodox factions that
might oppose them.
Section Four: Relics & Secrets
Vaticine City harbors books, relics and strange
artifacts from earlier ages. Some have religious
significance, while others may come from
Syrneth roots, could be sorcerous devices or
may simply be texts that hold ideas too heretical
to be released to the world but too important
to be destroyed. Any of these items could be a
quest for a Hero to recover, or the Hero might
find herself working for a Vaticine archivist to
bring other items of ill fortune so that they can
be safely held in the vaults below.
Speakers of the Rite
A highly secretive sect within the Vaticine, priests
and devotees who wield the power of Theus
directly, shaping the world to better reflect His
perfect vision. Here you will find information
on the Speakers and their small but powerful
organization, as well as rules on how to play one
of these righteous souls as a Hero in your game.
Section Five:
So You Want a Vaticine Story
If you are still not sure how to run a story that
uses Vaticine City, here are a few helpful ideas
and hooks!
Section Six: Systems
If you want to play a trained Duelist from one
of the Church’s exclusive schools, a bishop with
Church authority or a student of the Church’s
hidden secrets, you will find new game systems
here. These rules help to flesh out Vaticine
characters and provide even more hooks for
religious Heroes who have connections to
Vaticine City.
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Section One
Foundations

I
n antiquity, the Vaticine Church had the city with their devotion. Even after the
its home in Numa. With the fall of Prophet’s eventual death, the Vaticine Church
that empire, the Church remained remained in its new home. In the hundreds of
a sovereign and powerful city-state intervening years, the Church worked hand-
for a thousand years, carefully threading between in-hand with the Castillians to develop the
the interests of the Vodacce families who rose city from a nominal port town into a majestic
to absorb the power vacuum that formed after monument to Theus.
Numa’s collapse. The support of the Church’s When Good King Sandoval unified Castille,
center of power and the Hierophant’s home Vaticine City and its environs became the new
provided a source of considerable pride for the capital city of the country.
people of the Vodacce peninsula, who pointed to
the buildings and gardens of that city-state as an
example of the elevated arts of their people and Adventure in
their special connection to Theus.
a City of Faith
In the thirteenth century, the Third Prophet
For three hundred years after its establishment,
declared Castille the new home of the Vaticine
Vaticine City carefully walked the fine line
Church. This led to the Moonshadow
between being an influential world power and
War, a massive struggle in which the Third
remaining a neutral party that played host to all
Prophet worked to unify the Church under
the nations of Théah but (ostensibly) favored
his leadership and to project his force from
none. This position fractured with the War of
his island of exile. The location of the Third
the Cross starting in 1618 AV. The struggle to
Prophet’s exile proved to be a boon for him,
contain Objectionism forced the Church to wade
as at the time Castille was a badly fractured
more deeply into diplomatic waters. Instead of
country, riven by regional differences. Individual
simply collecting tithes and gifts from assorted
dons vied for the aid and support of the
noble patrons, the War forced the cardinals and
Prophet’s Church, allowing him to cement a
Hierophant to argue for the supremacy of the
wide range of alliances and thus to concentrate
Vaticine Church. Important kings and influential
his efforts abroad, rather than engaging in petty
nobles were invited to the City to receive
wars with each Castillian province.
blessings or warnings in exchange for promises of
Of course, the reconstruction of Vaticine City support against the Objectionist threat.
took decades—building a cathedral was and still
The War of the Cross concluded in a
is a generational undertaking. Still, many of the
stalemate in 1648 AV, leaving the Nation of
offices, gardens, libraries and residences went up
Eisen in ruins and the power of the Church
quickly around the estate while the Hierophantic
seriously challenged. The result was that
Basilica became the central hub of the city.
Vaticine City had to open its doors to a flood
The prosperity of Vaticine City and its of ambassadors, patrons and favor-seekers. The
development as the new international hub of internal struggles between cardinals became
the Vaticine Church deeply wounded Vodacce complicated with a web of external influences.
pride, but the Castillians continued to foster

7th Sea | Vaticine City 9

 In the current day, Vaticine City, a center of
political and religious power, carefully straddles
the demands of the Castillian government in
conjunction with its mandate as a guardian
of moral leadership. While the island upon
which the City is built is still beholden to the
Castillian crown, the Church has broad authority
to exercise its own policing and governance,
especially concerning matters of religion.
Navigating the City
When using Vaticine City for your location
of adventure, there is no need to exhaustively
detail every alley, building and outhouse.
Rather, focus on extraordinary places where
your Heroes will have memorable encounters.
The mundane spaces in between, or the places
you will not visit, are not as important to your
story so you can fill them in with brief notes
of cracked stone streets or old structures and
concentrate your descriptions on the sites
providing the greatest drama.
Unlike many of the cities across Théah,
the heart of Vaticine City is not a sprawling
metropolis filled with craftspeople, markets,
taverns and academies. The city proper,
which lies within a high stone wall, is built as
a reflection of the “ideal city”—a place filled
with meandering gardens, shrines, museums,

So Who’s In Charge, Exactly?

Vaticine City is in a politically complicated situation because it lies entirely within the boundaries
of Castillian territory, and Good King Sandoval’s capital is likewise on the isle. So who is actually in
charge? That all depends on what is at stake.
In theory, the Church and Castille have two separate spheres of influence. The Crown handles
secular affairs such as prosecuting criminals, negotiating treaties and managing land. The Church
deals with moral issues such as heresy, charity and education. The two support each other and
cooperate in dealing with criminals and civic issues.
In practice, the Church often has wide latitude to detain people for nebulous offenses. Nearly anyone
can be accused of heresy or immoral behavior and kept by the Church for “correction.” Depending
upon who is involved, this could be anything from a stern lecture to a session of Inquisitorial torture.
Conversely, Castillian authorities, loath to step on Church toes, very rarely engage in disputes with
the Church when the gendarmes arrest someone—but they will take action against people who
cause problems in the city at large, especially for offenses not under Church jurisdiction, such as
forging official government documents or engaging in unsanctioned public duels.
The real answer, of course, is “Who will give your Heroes more of a hard time?” Even a Hero
innocent of any wrongdoing may find herself arrested if it is convenient to a Villain’s plans and if the
Hero does not have enough political clout to make it a major problem. (A politically savvy Hero with
lots of connections more likely finds himself invited to tea to talk than tossed into a cell.) Similarly,
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a Hero protected from Church prosecution (say, a priest in good standing with patronage of an
archbishop or cardinal) might be arrested by the civil authorities of Castille on false or trumped-up
charges. A Villain can always get the local constables to take action by wielding Church influence and
his position to request their aid. What this means for you, Game Master, is that Heroes can run into
problems from either direction; a Hero who has protection due to position and prestige with Castille
can still be arrested by gendarmes within Church territory for “moral failings,” and a Hero with deep
ties to the Church can be detained by Castillian constables. Even if a Hero is not thrown into jail, just
losing time in an interrogation can be an uncomfortable situation.
And let’s face it—if your Heroes do not spend at least one session running from the police, they
are not getting into enough trouble!

10 Section One: Foundations

art galleries and the private residences of high-
ranking Church officials, as well as guest quarters
for visiting dignitaries or Church officials visiting
from their posts in other Nations. Surrounding
this idyllic center, an elegant city houses the
Church buildings within and further serves as
a major port of call for Castille. Visitors find
access to much of the inner Church-owned
part restricted to those who have an invitation
or business inside, but it is not hard to do such
business—servants come and go to bring food,
clean laundry, see to the upkeep of the gardens
and sometimes provide more salacious services.

AR
Seeing the Sights
A simple way for a Hero to keep track of her
location is with the Hierophantic Basilica, which

TG
towers over the rest of the city. From any place
in the city, its spires are visible. The Plaza of
the First Prophet, outside of the Hierophantic
Basilica, provides a large open space, one of the
few locations therein open to public visitors.
Paths meander through gardens from the plaza
and lead to the various museums and residences
of the city, but visitors are not allowed in the
OE
gardens without an invitation. The Plaza itself
opens to the Avenida de los Santos, a main
SH
thoroughfare through the primary gate in the
outer wall lined with cafés, shops and services ER
that provide for the needs of Vaticine City.
The walled grounds also include a suite of
museums, extensive libraries, three smaller
E
churches, palaces for the Hierophant and visiting
cardinals, offices for the administration of the
city, the Vaticine Bank, a college, a convent,
multiple libraries and, of course, countless
fountains, statues and art pieces. Welcome
visitors likely stay in guest rooms staffed by
servants (or even attended by low-ranking
members of the Church, if the guests are very
important); a Hero sneaking about uninvited
quickly discovers that he must leave the walled
city to find food and lodging, unless he finds his
way into the secret chambers and catacombs
beneath and manages to avoid notice.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 11

 Located as it is on an isle off the coast of
Castille, Vaticine City has changed hands many
times between Numa, Vodacce and Castille.
The Third Prophet, exiled to the island,
converted the city and turned it into a central
location from which the Church could launch
its reforms (and conquests) under his direction.
The style of the City’s buildings thus reflects
a combination of Castillian and Numanari
buildings, with soaring peaks and pillars, rooms
connected by outdoor arcades rather than
interior doors and baroque styles inherited from
Vodacce but incorporating Castillian elements
influenced by the dry climate of southern
Castille. This means paintings and precious
metals line all the tall, angular towers, high
arches and the domes of the churches, but many
of the attached buildings have flat slate roofs
and arched arcades. Architecture of some of
the fountains and guesthouses emulates that of
the Crescent Empire, with a focus on geometric
shapes instead of artistic depictions.
A Hero moving about incognito finds that
she can easily enter the city-within-a-city under
the guise of a local laborer from a Castillian-
controlled area, although some of the servants
are well-known enough that residents might
raise questions if they do not recognize her.
The Castillian buildings tend to have flat roofs
that offer ample opportunities for nighttime
roof-running, and many of the residences and
libraries have secret passages—especially the
ones that lead to the meeting places of heretical
groups or Inquisitors.
In addition to the properties in the walled
portion of Vaticine City, the outer city is part
of the city-state at large and still under Vaticine
authority, even though much of it has the
trappings of normal urban life. A Hero could
be walking the esplanade near Rio de Dios in
what otherwise looks like a southern Castillian
city, only to discover an office emblazoned
with the crest of the Church and guarded by
a pair of Solomons—the elite soldiers and
bodyguards of the Church. The Hero soon
12 Section One: Foundations
discovers the Church uses this office to conduct
business in the outer city or as a private location
for an official who has reasons to work outside
of the shadow of the Hierophantic Basilica.
As the city has grown, areas outside of Church
control have sprung up on the outskirts, creating
a series of nested areas of influence with the
Vaticine Church in the center, the day-to-day
city businesses supporting the Church as a
middle ring and non-Church-owned homes and
businesses beyond that. If your Heroes include a
noble from Castille, he might even own property
next door to one of the Vaticine buildings, which
presents its own set of challenges—he may find
the Church snooping on his business or uncover
a conspiracy on the neighboring land but be
legally unable to challenge it!
How Long Does it Take to Get
There? Where’s My Map?
You do not need a map of Vaticine City. Really,
you do not.
What is important to your Heroes is that
they have adventures in a series of interesting,
interconnected scenes. This means that a
map exhaustively showing every park bench,
apartment and rain barrel fills up your scenes
with trivia that adds little to the game. If the
Heroes get into an altercation in a city street,
it is up to the Game Master to set the scene
and the players to help describe it as it unfolds.
Is one of the Heroes in one of the gardens,
chasing a mysterious messenger? Of course
she jumps over hedges and fights around
fountains and scrambles to avoid trampling an
exotic flowerbed or a memorial marker. On the
streets of the city outside the wall? Naturally,
Heroes find all the same carts, animals, vendors,
beggars, stalls, alleys, balconies and construction
scaffolds that you see anywhere in Théah.
But how long does it take to get from one
end of the Avenida de los Santos to within the
Hierophantic Basilica of the Prophets? Why, it
happens at the speed of plot, of course.

In keeping with the dramatic traditions of
7th Sea, your scenes should not be dictated by
a chart telling you that it is a five-minute walk
from the Hierophantic Basilica to the Secundus
Library, but twenty minutes from the Secundus
Library to the Vaticine Bank. If your Heroes are
not in a hurry, then it does not matter. If they are
in a hurry, then what matters is not whether they
make a die roll to make it somewhere in time, but
rather what happens along the way and how they
react if they cannot get there in time.
So instead of asking yourself, “Can the Heroes
make it there in time?” try asking, “What choice
do they have to make to get there in time?” or
“What will they do if they do not make it?”
Your Heroes race down the streets to get from
outside the outer wall into the plaza and down
into a secret chamber where the Inquisition
tortures an innocent ally…and the Solomons stop
them at the plaza and tell them they cannot enter
the city without a written document. If they fight,
they might win, but it may take so long that they
cannot save their ally. If they try to talk their way
past, they could run into the same time crunch.
Can they find another way in? Can they plead to
a passing official for a temporary pass so that they
can race inside? Do they lie outrageously to get
past the Solomons? How they proceed tells you
about who they are and what they value.
Your Heroes have just learned that a Villain
has planted petards around the Secundus
Library and plans to blow them up in five
minutes! The players ask how long it takes to
get there. Instead of looking on a chart and
saying, “Well, according to the book, you’re
lucky because it only takes three minutes to get
there from the Hierophant’s Palace,” you just
say…“Too long.” Now what do the Heroes do?
See 7th Sea: Second Edition Core
Rulebook, page 186, for information about
setting up a Dramatic Sequence.
Use locations to set up tension and force the
players to react quickly. They will surprise you!
(And if you absolutely must have a map, snag
Vatican City vs. Vaticine City
Vaticine City in 7TH SEA does, of course, have strong
analogues to the real-world Vatican City, but the differences
are significant. Foremost among these is that Vaticine City
is a much more recent city, founded just after 1000 AV and
built in a different environment with a different climate. As
the spiritual heart of Castille as well as the Church, Castillian
architecture and styles are very common, though some
places “borrow” the baroque style of Vodacce. The massive
artistic frescoes and statues of old Numa could not be safely
relocated, so controversy still rages over which art is more
“classical,” but modern artists have committed their work
to Vaticine City—which means that Théah’s equivalents
of the Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgment all exist in this
city rather than in Vodacce. Nevertheless, wealthy Vodacce
patrons still employ painters and sculptors to make great
works of inspirational art for the homes and churches of the
island princes, as if a competition is going on.
Additionally, the division of the state of Vatican City and
the Holy See that exists in our modern world came about as
a result of the Lateran Treaty of 1929. In 7th Sea, Vaticine
City remains a part of Castille, and while the Church has wide
latitude to handle its internal affairs, much of the island upon
which the city is built belongs to Castille and is administered
under Castillian laws and culture. The strong reverence that
Castillians hold for the Church makes this situation tenable,
but uncomfortable political struggles do sometimes happen.
a layout from any southern European city—in
this age of the internet it is not too hard, and it is
more important to make your story dramatically
interesting than to make your vision of Vaticine
City exactly the same as someone else’s vision.
A Few Notable Areas
Here are some spots that your Heroes should
visit while in Vaticine City.
The Hierophantic Basilica of the Prophet is,
of course, the massive heart of the Church. This
soaring structure is over five hundred years old and
decorated with sharp towers, massive domes and
elaborately painted murals throughout the interior.
The intent is to take away the viewer’s breath with
the sheer scope and beauty of the place—visiting
it is, itself, a religious experience. The Church still
holds regular services, though usually only locals
and special invitees can attend since there is not
enough room to house the entire city.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 13
 The Hierophantic Basilica also has stairs that
descend into the necropolis, as well as secret exits in
case an army ever attacks the city and the attending
priests need to evacuate quickly. Heroes visiting for
the first time are likely to be overwhelmed by the
sheer scale and beauty of the Cathedral, and the
faithful sometimes report being moved to visions.
(A religious vision is, of course, a great way to
motivate your Heroes in a cryptic fashion.)
Outside of the Hierophantic Basilica is a large
plaza that once held gardens inside the wall and
buildings outside, but these were demolished a
century ago and slowly replaced with a massive
open space so that visitors can gather and view the
Cathedral, listen to pronouncements and assemble
outside the gate without choking traffic in and
out of the city. The plaza is finished with smooth
stone marked with narrow grooves and a central
obelisk. While the obelisk functions as a sundial,
secondary grooves radiate from the main lines and
create the appearance of grand geometric shapes
hidden in the stone. Rumor holds that viewing the
plaza from exactly the correct angle allows one to
see the lines forming some kind of design, though
nobody could say what its purpose might be.
14 Section One: Foundations
The Secundus Library (sometimes called the
“Soaring Archives” because of its grand, vaulted
bookshelves) is the largest library in Vaticine City.
This library holds copies of every religious text
relevant to the Church, as well as many classical
texts and quite a few that are heretical or from
other faiths. (The latter are kept under lock and
key and only the head librarian and his assistants
can allow access to them.) The Archives also hold
copies of important official documents such as
proclamations by past Hierophants and copies
of treaties, land grants and records of Church
appointments. A visitor should not always expect
to find every book he wants, though—books can
be on loan to scholars and clerics in the city or
abroad, and some very rare books might be found
only in private collections (though the archivists
do, if pressed, pay handsomely for authentic
historical texts relevant to the Church and to
philosophy and learning in general). A Hero
can also win friends and favors by donating or
recovering important books.
The Archives do, of course, contain a significant
set of secret rooms, passages and basements, some
of which hold private reading rooms or special
collections, especially for books about sorcery,
early or pre-Vaticine theology and suppressed or
heretical doctrines. If your Heroes seek forbidden
knowledge, it is probably in here somewhere,
likely protected by lectors and librarians—and,
of course, the Inquisition. See page [$$] for more
information about the Secundus Library.
The Vaticine Bank handles the financial
transactions of the City. This includes both the
mundane business of collecting funds from the
Church’s holdings abroad and the business of
supporting the Hierophant and the cardinals.
The Bank can hold valuables in trust for visitors,
and rumor has it that the Bank still holds certain
documents or treasures left decades or centuries
ago by visitors now deceased. The Bank occupies
a precarious position because it is not supposed
to engage in usury. Furthermore, the Hierophant
is supposed to be a spiritual office, but many
Hierophants have engaged the trappings of
wealth. Thus, the continued existence of the Bank
is a hotly debated topic, and the Church forbids the
Bank from directly funding or interfering in other
Nations’ affairs. Naturally, this means that some
group in the Bank almost certainly does, and your
Heroes could be employed either for or against the
Bank to support or oppose a major financial dealing
such as the purchase of an estate for the Church, an
insurance transaction with the Vendel League or
the payment of a ransom to rescue a Church cleric
from an irreligious Villain.
The Vaticine Necropolis is a series of tunnels
anywhere from 15 to 40 feet below ground,
running through the entire inner city and
extending into parts of the city beyond the wall.
Some of the tunnels and chambers predate the
foundation of the city itself. While many are
well-known and used to inter the mortal remains
of clerics and administrators from Vaticine City,
the necropolis is also filled with narrow passages,
secret byways and occasionally ladders or stairs
that head to even lower levels that are not well
charted. Visitors are not permitted without an
escort, but Vaticine officials looking to conduct
secret meetings sometimes use the Necropolis as
a shortcut to reach other parts of the city unseen.
Rumor holds that the Necropolis has passages
connecting to every other major building, that
various cults within the Church have secret
meetings here and that there may be people
living below. One persistent rumor holds that
the camerlengo (chamberlain) of one of the early
Hierophants (stories differ about whether it is
the First Hierophant, the Second or the most
recent) still lives and resides in the Necropolis as
a shriveled, withered ancient, though nobody can
explain how this could happen or why.
On New Year’s Eve and Legion’s Night, the
ostiarii (gatekeepers) specifically close the
Necropolis and allow no one in without an
exorcist. Nobody goes in and, more importantly,
nobody comes out. Period.
The Shrine of the Mariah is a special shrine
that occupies a garden plot about 300 feet in
diameter. It contains a statue of a rough female
figure holding a swaddled infant; both have
indistinct features. This shrine holds a special
place for some members of the Church, who
hold that the mother of the First Prophet has a
special place in canon because she alone took an
intangible ideal—a messenger bringing the words
of Theus to all of humanity—and birthed that
ideal into physical form in the material world.
Debate still carries on in the Church about
whether the mother of the First Prophet deserves
a role as a more venerated saint than others, or
if the Church still considers her a fallible human
because she is, like all of Theus’ creations, a flawed
vessel for a pure soul. The shrine is maintained by
clerics who favor the former view, and stories tell
that the statue sometimes provides miracles on
behalf of mothers seeking solace.
The Vaticine Vault is a special, secure chamber
constructed to hold particularly important relics,
art objects and dangerous devices that the Church
considers too risky to make available to the public.
The keeper of the Vault is a titled archbishop of
no diocese given a special detachment of senior
Solomons for the protection of the items within.
When the Church manages to collect a powerful
sorcerous item, a Syrneth artifact or a saintly
relic too fragile or important to place on display,
the keeper sequesters it behind the triple-locked
iron doors of the Vault. While there is a publicly
known Vault generally discussed as an “open
secret,” the real Vault hides in the tunnels of the
Necropolis, and only those who know how to find
it can access it. See page [$$] for more information
about the Vault and its contents.
The Avenida de los Santos is the broad
avenue that leads to the main plaza in front of the
Hierophantic Basilica of the Prophet. This avenue
enters through a large gate in the wall that protects
the inner city, although the Church owns and
controls the avenue and much of the city around
it. The avenue boasts three-story buildings with
apartments on top and shops below, including
groceries, sellers of religious icons and books and
even a café (as coffee has only received the blessing
of the Hierophant in the last century). The
avenue is fairly old, dating back to the founding of
7th Sea | Vaticine City 15
 Vaticine City, even though the plaza in front of the
Hierophantic Basilica was reworked and finished
only within the last century.
The apartments along the Avenida are
prestigious and expensive, in spite of their age. The
café is a popular meeting spot for people entering
or leaving the inner city, and servants frequently
purchase fruits and bread from the grocers along
the avenue to bring into the city for their patrons.
Titles
While the political head of Vaticine City is
ostensibly the Hierophant, the City still functions
even with a vacancy in that high office, guided by
cardinals and the camerlengo. A visitor to Vaticine
City should familiarize himself with the various
Church offices and the local authorities so as to
avoid any awkward international incidents.
Abbot/Abbess: An abbot or abbess is the head
of a monastery. Depending upon the monastery
and its rule, this may be a lay abbot (one who is
not a priest). Though tradition expects abbots
and abbesses to live simply like the brothers or
sisters of the monastery, in modern days, some
abbots or abbesses ignore this convention and live
in sumptuous quality with a special exemption
from the Church. This is especially common in
cases where the abbot is a political appointee to
strengthen ties with local landowners.
Acolyte: An acolyte is a minor order concerned
with the preparation of the altar and the sacred
spaces of the Church. Acolytes assist in bringing
forth implements for services. The position of
acolyte does not have Church authority, but it is
often a stepping-stone to the priesthood.
Archbishop: An archbishop manages a large
metropolitan see or a significantly old and
established non-metropolitan see of considerable
historical and political interest. Because their sees
are important to the Church, archbishops often
exercise considerable political clout. Occasionally,
an archbishop may be appointed without oversight
of a particular see, as a political title for someone
who works directly in or for Vaticine City.
16 Section One: Foundations
Bishop: A bishop is an administrator over a
simple territory of the Church, which typically
includes several parishes but not a heavily
populated or historically significant area. Someone
who needs to communicate with a Church
authority above a local parish priest likely goes
up to the bishop or one of his or her assistants.
Bishops can ordain new priests and bishops.
Camerlengo: The camerlengo is the cardinal
assigned to oversee the property and finances
of the Hierophant’s estate and of Vaticine
City during an interregnum, when there is no
Hierophant. This made the position highly
important since 1666, as the college of cardinals
has not been able to appoint a successor.
Cardinal: The cardinals, chosen from among
the ranks of the archbishops by election, ostensibly
have only the special privilege of electing the next
Hierophant. In practice, they collect a great deal
of wealth and influence due to their proximity to
the other cardinals and the Hierophant. Cardinals
tend to be elevated as political appointments to
strengthen the position of the Hierophant or to
encourage alliances with noble families whose
younger sons and daughters have entered the
priesthood. Hierophants also select cardinals as
personal advisors. Because only ten cardinal seats
exist, and the Vodacce control half of them, this is a
hotly contested position.
Deacon: The deacon is a vanishing order of
service now commonly used as a stepping-stone
to priesthood. Deacons traditionally perform
such duties as being a messenger or running a
charitable administration. Most deacons since
1666 AV are assistants to cardinals.
Exorcists: Exorcists are a minor order
concerned with performing specialized rites to
drive out the power of Legion. Often present
at baptisms, they may be called as specialists if
the Church suspects the interference of Legion.
As a minor order, exorcists are not fully vested
priests and do not have Church authority. The
Inquisition takes a special interest in an exorcist
who shows particular devotion in opposing
sorcerers and often recruits him.
 Gendarmes: The gendarmes are essentially
the “city guard” for Vaticine City. Not priests nor
part of any order, they usually do not have any
specialized training. If a Hero finds herself on
the run from the guard, most likely she has to
confront or evade a Brute Squad of gendarmes.
Lector: A lector is a minor order invested with
the authority to read from the texts of the Church.
Since many of the old texts are written in ancient
Théan, a language that predates even the Numanari
tongue, this position requires some degree of
education and is usually reserved for eloquent
speakers who can project. It does not carry religious
authority or the ability to make rulings or perform
rites. Perhaps unusually, lectors are frequently
appointed from those who serve the Church but
have no desire to become priests or deacons.
Legate of the Hierophant: The Legate of the
Hierophant is the Hierophant’s personal messenger.
This position is close to the Hierophant and often
privy to the internal planning of that office, so it has
considerable power in the form of knowledge and
the ability to schedule audiences.
functions, but it is commonly used to exempt
Mirabilis: Literally “teacher,” a member of Ordo certain positions from the more onerous
Doctorem Mirabilis is an ordained priest who restrictions of the service, especially for politically
has also had a University education in liberal arts, important appointees from noble families.
history and language. In addition to studying moral
scripture and theology, a Mirabilis pursues a Nuncio: The nuncio is the Hierophant’s special
broad understanding of art, culture and natural representative for an area. The nuncio typically serves
philosophy. Priests with this title work to bridge as an ambassador to another nation. Thus, there is
the gaps between the secular and theological a nuncio for Church relations to Castille, a nuncio
worlds. Most go on to give lectures and write books, for Vodacce and so on. Smaller areas of special
but some go out into the world to hunt down lost significance may have a nuncio appointed as well.
relics or to put their special knowledge to use. Ostiarius: An ostiarius is the minor order
Monk/Nun: Monks and nuns are not of gatekeepers of the church—the door guard,
ordained, so they do not have authority, but who makes sure that no one enters who is not
instead they have chosen to live by a rule—a set of the Church during ceremonies and sees to
of behavioral codes that often set them apart the opening and closing the various doors of the
from the world. Depending upon the particular church. The ostiarius is often entrusted with
rule, monks or nuns may be isolated, or they may keys and may be armed. This is the lowest minor
serve as diplomats or scholars. Individual monks order, as it requires little commitment and no
or nuns may also take more restrictive vows. religious knowledge. As a minor order, it does
Some monks or nuns receive special dispensation not have Church authority, although Heroes
by the Church to loosen their rule; traditionally who want to enter a particular building discreetly
this allows them leeway in performing their might do so by tricking or bribing an ostiarius.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 17

 Infallibility?
In our world, the doctrine of papal infallibility—
which states that the pope cannot err in matters
of faith and morality when speaking officially as
the head of the Church—was not established until
1870. In 7th Sea, no doctrine of infallibility exists,
although opposing the teachings of the Hierophant
rapidly opens oneself up to charges of heresy.
Primate: The title of primate typically goes to
the bishop of the oldest diocese or archdiocese
in a country or region. The primate exercises
considerable authority over all other dioceses in
the area, so this is a position of political power,
but still answerable to Vaticine City.
Priest: A priest is the ordained spiritual
guide of a local community or parish. A priest
has some degree of spiritual authority, but she
can be overruled by higher authorities in the
Church. The status of priests in secular society
depends greatly upon the region—priests in
Castille and Vodacce often exercise considerable
authority in the community, while priests in
Montaigne are generally out of favor.
Solomon: The Solomon school practices
special bodyguarding techniques and traditional
fighting styles for the defense of important figures
in the city. A Solomon carries out martial duties
on behalf of the Church, though he rarely finds
himself beyond the walls of Vaticine City unless
called upon for a special mission. A Solomon
typically comes from the ranks of the gendarmes,
and the captain of the Solomons only accepts
the most skilled and dedicated apprentices. On
very rare—dare we say “Heroic”—occasions, an
outside duelist of devout faith and good character
may be offered an invitation to join, should
circumstances merit such an unusual recruitment.
Vicar: A vicar is the designated representative
of a bishop. A vicar must also be educated, as
she is often called upon to handle to matters
delegated to her by the bishop. The principal
vicar over an entire diocese is the vicar general.
18 Section One: Foundations
Terms
Diocese: A collection of parishes forms a
diocese, administered by a bishop.
Heathen: A heathen is, in general parlance, a
rustic person who holds supernatural beliefs not
of Church doctrine. The term is used somewhat
interchangeably to indicate a person who lives
so far from civilization that he has no contact
with the Church, and to mean a person who
holds various folk beliefs. Note that a heathen
is usually someone outside of the Church, as
opposed to a heretic (below), someone baptized
into the Church but holding unconventional
(and proscribed) beliefs.
Heresy: An important distinction is that
heresy only applies to a person who has been
baptized, but who refuses the teaching of the
Church. Thus, those who have not been baptized
into the Church, such as Crescents and pagans,
cannot be heretics—the Church uses this term
for those who break with doctrine, such as
members of forbidden orders (see page $$).
Interregnum: The period between the death
(or resignation) of one Hierophant and the
ascension of the next.
Minor Order: The minor orders are
functionaries who assist in Church duties but
have not been ordained as priests. The minor
orders, in order from most to least important, are
acolytes, exorcists, lectors and ostiarii.
Parish: A single area of territory under
Church administration—it is not uncommon
for a single town to be one parish, with a priest
and a few members of minor orders to assist.
Rule: Monks and nuns live by a rule, a behavioral
code for a monastic order that delineates
restrictions on their behavior. Despite living
under a rule, monks and nuns are not priests.
Rather, they conduct specialized functions
such as meditation and prayer, diplomacy and
transcription.
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section Two
Influential Personages
V
aticine City’s many influential
people include Church officials and
foreign nobles, Guild Duelists in
service to the Church, merchants
and investigators and even the criminals who
supply the hidden sordid appetites in the
shadows of the outer city—and sometimes
closer to the Hierophantic Basilica. A Hero
visiting Vaticine City may find himself opposed
by the Inquisition, engaged by the Church or
caught in the middle with other power groups
jockeying for position.
Almost everyone met in the inner parts of
Vaticine City is associated in some important
way with the Church, from the simplest ostiarius
to the Solomon guards and all the way up to the
archbishops and cardinals. Outside of the inner
wall, the rest of the city-state is populated with a
wide range of people, predominantly of Castillian
heritage, conducting business as usual in the
shadow of the Church. Heroes can find tailors,
grocers, swordsmiths, thieves—all the staples of
city life. Of course most of the people in or near
the city profess devout adoration of the Church,
but proximity is no guarantee of fidelity—some
simple shopkeepers may be more pious than
cardinals, after all. Theus has determined that
humanity comes in wondrous variety.
The kinds of people that Heroes generally will
not find in Vaticine City include the following.
• Sorcerers
• Objectionists
• Crescents
• Open heretics
But even these are subject to exceptions.
Visiting noble families sometimes include
sorcerers. Objectionists and Crescents might
visit secretly to ferret out hidden faults of
the clergy or openly to engage in theological
debates. Heretics from various branches of the
Church sometimes hide within the city itself,
seeking out others with like-minded beliefs and
spreading their faith surreptitiously (see page
$$ for some examples of such groups).
The characters presented here represent several
of the kinds of allies and enemies that Heroes
encounter in Vaticine City—whether of the
Church or not. Consider them inspirational
figures to give you ideas of the kinds of people that
Heroes might meet and what they want. Naturally,
even the Church is not unified and has many
competing political agendas; a Hero will have no
shortage of patrons to send her on special tasks, or
foes to face while trying to complete them!
A Reminder About Starting
Stuff in Vaticine City
Heroes who get into combats in Vaticine
City fight at a disadvantage because the city’s
gendarmes receive support from the extremely
well trained Solomons, who know every route
and every alleyway in near-complete detail.
Threatening members of the Church or, worse
still, shedding blood on sacred ground is a great
road to excommunication. An excommunicated
Hero, remember, cannot be aided by anyone
of the faith; he is subject to arrest and possibly
torture, and is an outcast from society. People
who know of the excommunication may refuse
flatly to even speak with the Hero, and the
superstitious believe that there may be dire
supernatural consequences as well.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 19
 High Inquisitor Enrique Cortarini
Enrique Cortarini was born the fifth child to a poor but devout family. Smaller weaker than his
siblings, young Cortarini was often bullied by his older brothers. His elder sister suggested to her
parents that her quiet and thoughtful youngest brother might do well if they give him over to the
Church to work and attend school. With so many mouths to feed, they agreed, and after exchanging
some favors, the Church took over the young boy’s upbringing.
Initially frightened, Enrique soon found strength and solace in the cathedrals and chapels of Vaticine
City and an honest and devout love for Theus. He was educated and like many young men in his
position, commenced down the road of the priesthood. With his new foundation, he also discovered
talents in a new area: politics. Where he was unable to stand physically against his brothers, he now
found words and logic to be all the weapons he needed. Each argument and negotiation was its own
miraculous puzzle to be solved with accord as the prize at the end. As his prowess grew, the Church
sent him abroad to assist elder bishops and cardinals with their own tasks, bringing his mastery of
language to persuade rulers, leaders and merchant princes to favor the Church of the Prophets. During
this time, he came into contact with the rising star of the Inquisition, Esteban Verdugo.
Verdugo’s hard policies initially reminded Cortarini of the unpleasant way his brothers had acted when
he had been a youth, but the Inquisitor’s zeal intrigued him and Verdugo—while not quite as skilled in
the art of debate— was unquestionably fervent in his beliefs. His careful study of canon was impressive,
and the Inquisitor had already showed proof of his beliefs in routing heretics. Cortarini thought long
on his meeting during the journey back to the Vaticine City. On his return, it was as if a veil had been
lifted from his eyes: he saw the hand of Legion in the lax way the Church handled heretical ideas and
beliefs, refusing to consider seriously that saving souls was more important than
answering petty questions. The Church needed a stronger hand to guide it,
and Verdugo was the man to do the job.
In the decades since his personal revelation, Enrique has risen in the
Inquisition becoming one of Verdugo’s most trusted allies. He is the
High Inquisitor trusted with running the Inquisition in Vaticine
City itself. His friendship and alliance with Verdugo has been
strengthened over decades, and he reports directly to Verdugo.

Portraying High Inquisitor Enrique

Cortarini
Cortarini is a shorter man with a stout build rounded in middle
age. His eyesight has begun to fail from years of reading
late into the night. He wears a small set of spectacles
over piercing blue eyes that miss very little. His smile
is kind and open and he has deep laugh lines by his
eyes. His sandy hair thins with a bald spot on the
crown of his head. As a man with years of political
experience, he seems at first glance a warm and
charismatic individual perhaps at odds with
the fearsome reputation of the Inquisition.
He frequently goes out of his way to enable
charity, and even some of the staunchest

20
of the Inquisition’s critics regard him well. A
politician he may be, his devotion to the Church
is sincere and unquestioned even by his most
fervent detractors. His Inquisitors rarely give
him anything but the utmost respect, and his
opponents cannot help but question their
own views a little after speaking with him. His
heartfelt charity and genial nature make him well
liked despite his position in the Inquisition.
Make no mistake, Verdugo has a reason
to trust Enrique with this posting. While
outwardly Cortarini is softness, there is a core
of steel under the velvet glove. He has developed
a calculating intelligence and often keeps a few
steps ahead of his opponents.
High Inquisitor Cortarini is a highly
intelligent, charismatic planner. Words are
his weapons and his arguments are lovingly
crafted swords and siege engines. As the High
Inquisitor for Vaticine City and as an adept
politician, he has a large powerbase. A true
believer, he wishes to see all manner of heresy
routed from his beloved Church; if it takes a bit
of bullying to do that, so be it.
While Cortarini is in a strong position, the
harder the Church oppresses people, the more
they seek to escape. Despite his outwardly
affable persona, he has taken Verdugo’s
directive to rout heresy in all forms to heart and
pursues suspected heretics with cunning and
determination, earning him resentment and
enemies. He has learned to use all weapons at his
disposal, including blackmail, to achieve his goals.
His Inquisitors know he sees any missteps, and
they seek to curry his favor but always look over
their own shoulders. Every Inquisitor knows that
Cortarini is a powerful ally as long as one does
not fall to heresy and become his enemy.
A Hero who seeks out the High Inquisitor,
or who is brought before him, finds herself
ushered into a study in the Hierophant’s
Palace more befitting a kindly professor. He
has a significant personal library of secular and
canon law, carefully curated to exclude heretical
scientific or academic works. He treats the
visitor with care and respect even if she offers
violence or insolence. Indeed, if this is her first
meeting with the High Inquisitor, she likely
finds him an affable and reasonable man even if
he never wavers in his convictions.
The High Inquisitor’s goal is to root all heresy
from Vaticine City and its surroundings, but
most especially within the hallowed walls of
the Church. He wishes to purify the heart
of the Church on Théah, but his methods are
those of consistency, firmness and long-term
planning. This has led to some pragmatism on
his part in who he deals with, in taking on more
underhanded methods and the cultivation of a
fatherly persona to persuade. His pragmatism
extends to thieves and ne’er-do wells, but like a
proper Inquisitor, he cannot countenance sorcery.
Story Hooks
• High Inquisitor Cortarini offers a Hero his personal
support in one of her current tasks, suddenly and
unexpectedly, removing some obstacle through
the force of his political might. He comes across as
genial and affable, in contrast to his organization’s
reputation. Afterward, the Hero finds herself very
closely scrutinized by Inquisition agents, waiting for
any signs of heresy. Is Cortarini running a scheme
here? Is this just the price of his friendship?
• The High Inquisitor is investigating reports of sorcery
in the less savory parts of the city amid the ne’er do
wells. Concerned that the leads may evaporate if
too much attention is drawn, he engages a Hero to
pursue these leads before sending the full force of the
Inquisition. However, discretion is essential and the
Hero may suffer repercussions if he fails to use tact.
• Enrique wishes to acquire a heretical book of
artwork from a noted academic engaged on a
speaking tour in the city, but instead of arresting
the academic, he simply chooses to have a Hero
confiscate the book quietly—arresting the popular
speaker would lead to too much of an outcry. When
the Hero returns the book, she finds that Cortarini
has no intent to destroy it; what does it contain that
is so valuable that even the High Inquisitor willingly
suffers its continued existence in spite of heresy?
7th Sea | Vaticine City 21
 Senior Archivist Ramon Alonzo
Senior Archivist Ramon Alonzo was born in a small Castillian town to a devout family of modest
means where his mother’s status as the daughter of a noble household afforded him and his sister
the ability to receive good schooling. His father was a well-decorated galeno (combat medic) who
saved the lives of his compatriots. While his father served at war, young Ramon dove into books of
science, medicine and alchemy, intending to follow in his father’s footsteps. He discovered a wider
world, grand in its mysteries and designs, each answer posing new questions. It was his father who
suggested Theus gifted Ramon his inquisitive nature and that young Ramon might consider the
Church. With his father’s blessing, and his mother’s relief her son would not join the army, Ramon
entered the Church where he found success within the clergy who maintained the archives and
collected new works and relics.
Archivist Alonzo views all knowledge as part of Theus’ grand puzzle and gift to the world. He
collects new works and ideas with great enthusiasm and little discrimination. With the rise of the
Inquisition’s power, this is not always the wisest or safest course of action, but still Ramon wishes
to learn more. The Inquisition has been suspicious of his work, but thus far he has passed their
notice as he spends most of his time researching and investigating relics rather than preaching or
outwardly supporting new and potentially heretical ideas.
Given that all knowledge is good, this has led Ramon Alonzo into some dangerous territory.
Sorcery is knowledge and part of the Divine Riddle, and therefore should be understood rather
than destroyed. After all, you must understand your enemy to be able to defeat him. This closely
held belief, dangerous though it is, has led the Senior Archivist into forbidden research. He engages
closely with a sorcerer with whom he has leverage. Thus far he has not been discovered.

Portraying Ramon Alonzo

The Senior Archivist is a tall, spare man in his prime. Filled with
energy and enthusiasm, he appears to never entirely sit still. Even
when seated, he taps his fingers or stands suddenly to pace before
sitting down again. He is often seen fiddling with a small wood and
metal inlay box with intricate designs carved in relief on its surfaces.
He has sandy hair, a pale complexion and bright hazel eyes. Despite
his somewhat gangly appearance, he is confident in his movements
and gestures expressively with his hands when he speaks.
His thirst for knowledge is cheerful and genuine, and he
adores nothing more than the exchange of new facts or being
able to convey new things. He is extremely intelligent
and well educated on a vast number of subjects. His
thirst for knowledge has, however, overridden
his common sense. He justifies his dealings
with his captive sorcerer by believing that
ignorance allows evil to thrive in Théah.
If responsible members of the Church
do not understand sorcery, how can
they combat its influence?

22 Section Two: Influential Personages

 His office in the inner city is small and filled
with books, barely having enough room for a
desk and chair. His desk is neat, but there are
inevitably books precariously stacked on the side.
His far wall has a small curio cabinet with some
less-valuable relics and neatly written note cards
detailing the basic information of each item and
where it lives within the collection of the Archives.
Story Hooks
• The box Ramon Alonzo constantly fiddles
with has been stolen and the Senior
Archivist engages the Heroes to retrieve it.
He initially says it is actually a benign relic
of the Church, but the Heroes discover it to
be an object of sorcerous origin, containing
a small demon that might create untold
damage should it be released.
• The Senior Archivist commissions a Hero
to retrieve a relic of the First Prophet
supposedly lost to time but rumored to
have reappeared in private collections of the
nobility. It is to be sold, and this presents
an opportunity to reclaim it. The nature of
the relic relates to the sorcerous Senators of
ancient Numa, and he wishes to avoid panic
should that be revealed to the Inquisition
or to the public at large. He becomes
excited about the prospect, though, and
inadvertently reveals to the Hero that he
has a great deal of knowledge about sorcery,
certainly more than she expected. What
does the Hero do with that knowledge,
especially if someone else—such as the
High Inquisitor—comes to ask her about the
meeting later?
• Alonzo dug too deeply into forbidden
knowledge and now acts in concert with
a demon. His knowledge of relics within
the vaults and archives of Vaticine City and
his senior status gives him and his infernal
compatriot ample access to draw forth more
sorcerous power. A Hero can be sent to brave
the Senior Archivist’s new power and bring
him down, or be engaged by the Archivist to
further his own infernal goals and tempt her
to join him on the darker path.
Esteban de Tierra,
Captive Sorcerer
Don Esteban de Tierra is the second son and
third child of the noble House de Tierra in
Castille. Lacking for nothing and with little
expectations on him beyond marrying well to
further his family’s power and influence, young
Don Esteban enjoyed enviable freedom to do as
he wished. He bedded whom he wished, drank
as much as he liked and spent lavishly. But it was
all quite boring, and because of his careless ways,
he did not have respect within his own family.
Perhaps it was inevitable then that the young
noble found his way into the sorcerous arts.
Finally, Esteban had something which challenged
him and a sense of personal power. He continued to
delve into the mysteries of his ancestors and reveled
in his sorcerous blood. Being skilled at Porté could
have led to some uncomfortable questions about
those ancestors, but Esteban decided to studiously
ignore those. Whenever the subject came up, he
blustered and took offense and manipulated social
situations to shout down such questions, pushing
them into the realm of rumor. His family prospered
as he used his gifts to help create business deals and
opportunities for his sister and brother by acquiring
critical information and secrets and by moving
important messages and contraband. He had power
and respect and lacked only one thing: love.
With his apparent maturity, his sister
introduced him to a woman, Rosa, who became
his wife. Brilliant and forthright, Rosa’s wicked
sense of humor and quick wit enraptured de
Tierra, who fell madly in love. Rosa was also
devout in her faith. Under her influence, Esteban
tempered his use of sorcery, but he could never
fully let go of the thrill, and certainly not of his
success. They were blessed with a son, Benito, and
his life seemed perfect. The perfection ended when
his wife died suddenly in what appeared to be a
suspicious accident. Distraught and angry, Esteban
used his connections track down the responsible
parties to a coaching house outside of Vaticine
City and discovered his power could not help him.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 23

Story Hooks
• A Hero is approached by Don Esteban’s son,
Benito, who has discovered his father’s plight
and wishes for her to assist him in trying to free
his father from his servitude, but he is in over his
head and does not know where to begin. The
Hero has the option to save Don Esteban from
the various powers that chain him or act to end
the life of a sorcerer. How does she handle it,
and can she keep things from going public and
bringing harm to Esteban’s family?
• De Tierra’s son has been placed in harm’s way by
the Archivist as a means of maintaining control.
Don Esteban fears harm to his son more than
discovery and engages a Hero to join him in a rescue
operation. Can he convince Esteban to abstain from
the use of his powers? What is he willing to do to
protect the sorcerer’s identity during the mission?
What happens if Esteban loses control?
• A research experiment went horribly awry when
a demon emerged from the portal Esteban had
been commanded to open. Now possessed by
a Horror, he fights his inner demon, but the
situation spirals out of
control. How can
the Heroes banish
the demon? Can
they acquire the
help of an exorcist
discreetly, or will
they be forced to
kill the magician?
24
The assassination was, in fact, accidental—Rosa
was supposed to be a “guest” of the Church,
carefully swept away by agents of Senior Archivist
Ramon Alonzo. The Archivist had provided a
loyal gendarme with a small relic that provided
protection from de Tierra’s sorcerous skills.
Unfortunately, Rosa had resisted and in the
ensuing struggle died while she tried to flee the
small group sent to abduct her. The gendarme
whisked Benito away to become a hostage, one
who received the finest Church education but
nonetheless within a gilded cage. Alonzo had
never intended Rosa’s demise; he simply sought
to bring de Tierra to negotiations under pressure.
Despite the Archivist’s heartfelt sympathy, though,
he had no intention of giving de Tierra his freedom.
Don Esteban has been trapped in his situation
for the last decade. His son has grown into a fine
man, as clever as his beloved mother and just as
devout. Influenced by his son, de Tierra believes
his wife would have wished for him to have the
sorcery burned away, for him to repent and live as
a pure child of Theus, but he cannot. Should his
heretical ways become known, his family would
suffer; it would be very easy for the Church or
another noble to seize all of their wealth.
Alonzo also proved willing to take a life
to keep Esteban in check, as evidenced by
Rosa’s death. His son is most at risk but other
members of his family could be harmed. He
cannot go to anyone for help because admission
of his sorcerous ways would see him jailed
and perhaps executed by the Inquisition. He
provides information for the Senior Archivist,
subjects himself to Alonzo’s experiments and
research, and remains at the Archivist’s beck
and call on all matters relating to the dark arts.
Portraying Don
Esteban de Tierra
Don Esteban is a tall man in his prime with a
narrow build and a dour face. He has an olive
complexion, luxurious dark hair graying at the
temples and a thin goatee. His dark eyes look
haunted and only brighten when in the presence
of his son. He is formal and refined, the product
of his upbringing. His earlier days as a dandy
and playboy are well behind him, and since his
marriage, he no longer has an interest in dalliances.
He continues to drink excessively but is quite
good at concealing the effects of intoxication.
Since his wife’s death and his servitude, he has
become a coward. The only thing he fears more
than detection is harm coming to his family and
especially to his son. He wonders if his current
situation is not some form of penance for his early
life. His work and research with the Archivist has
made him an experienced and educated sorcerer.
Should he overcome his cowardice he could cause
significant damage.
Esteban will meet with Heroes in his office in
his family home. He has an elaborate two-story
city estate with several rooms only a short distance
outside the inner wall of Vaticine City. His office
is a lavish room as befitting a landed noble with
plush seating, large windows and a small seating
area for more informal visits. Absolutely no sign of
sorcerous activity can be seen in his office—that
happens in a locked cellar he is reluctant to enter.

Ursula Del Rio, Senior Knight of the Rose & Cross

Ursula Del Rio is a Knight of the Rose & Cross, and this fact above all informs who she is and
what she does. All other aspects of her life are secondary to her devotion to Theus and her work
as a Knight. Ursula hails from a devout merchant family, and exposed to the vast variety of
humanity from an early age, learned several languages and the basics of economics and trade. She
also developed a quickness with words that served her well when bartering but drew concerned
frowns from her family as she danced along the line of insult. In an incident where she went too
far, she called into question the honor of a rich and powerful supplier who overcharged her family.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 25


Story Hooks
• A bishop has been found dead. Master Knight
Peter has been taken into custody and the local
chapter house has become aware of this. Evidence
suggests the bishop abused his position, and Ursula
believes the death may have been accidental, but
the Inquisition looks to make a point to the Knights.
She asks the Heroes to help prove her mentor’s
innocence. Peter may indeed be innocent, or he may
have taken their creed too far, and for some reason
he refuses to give any testimony. Were his actions
just? Can the Knight be saved or is justice being done?
• A former rival from Del Rio’s dueling days is
stirring up trouble in the city, provoking woefully
unprepared men and women into deadly fights. Del
Rio learns of this and becomes suspicious. She asks
the Heroes to find out why this rival Duelist has
appeared before he kills again. She fears no one and
does not expect the Heroes to fight for her; she just
wants to learn everything she can about her rival’s
plan before she cuts the man down.
• The Senior Knight has a small problem: someone
wishes to see her dead. Unknown persons stuck
a note on the chapter house door with a bloody
dagger stating that Del Rio will “die for what she
knows.” She is not sure what she knows or who
sent the letter, but she has enjoyed the company of
several influential Benefactors in the last year. The
Order has hired the Heroes to protect Ursula and
find the source of the blackmail, but do not count on
her sitting on her hands and standing by when there
is an injustice.
• Del Rio invites the Heroes to a special dinner
celebration to be held inside of the city proper in
a few days. She tells them that she needs to pass a
secret message to someone on the inside about a
dangerous relic, but in truth someone from her past
has arrived in the city and seeks revenge against
her—by finishing off someone she protected many
years ago. She is wary about sharing this information,
though, because the would-be murderer is one of her
cousins and a deadly Duelist to boot.
Unwilling to accept the situation, Del Rio called
the man out. This resulted in him withdrawing
his business until she apologized publicly. She has
held her commentary better after this. Her father
thought she might have been cured of her sharp
tongue, but instead she learned to withhold it until
she could get away with it.
26 Section Two: Influential Personages
Young Ursula was no stranger to the sword
growing up in Castille, and she became
enamored of dueling. As many Castillians
do, she learned the basics of swordplay so as
to better defend her family and their honor.
Excelling in the art of the duel, she sought a
school that could teach her. She finally settled
upon a Valroux school, as it appealed to her
sense of responsibility—and to her wicked wit,
no less sharp than her blade. She graduated
and wandered for a few years on behalf of
her father’s business, bedding pretty men and
women who took her fancy, leaving just as
readily and engaging in some raucous duels
which became small legends for the ferocity of
banter as much as for the extent of her skill.
The exciting life of a merchant and Duelist
lost its luster as she found a hole in her heart;
the life simply did not fulfill her. This all
changed on the road. While traveling with one
of her family’s trading caravans, she was thrown
into battle against bandits, and only she and an
Eisen knight named Peter survived the ambush.
She was glad to have the sword of the Knight
to help protect her family’s investment, and
the Knight was grateful to the young woman
for protecting the lives of those who could not
protect themselves. They fought a hard battle
and, though injured, she and Peter won the
day. In defending the caravan, Del Rio found
the sense of rightness she had been missing in
her life. On reaching their destination, Peter
suggested she might look into the local chapter
house of the Rose & Cross. She presented
herself and has never looked back.
Because of her faith and dedication to the
Order, Ursula has risen in the ranks to become
a Senior Knight, one of two in the Vaticine City
chapter house. She freely flirts with the other
Senior Knight in the posting, and with his wife,
but they take this with mostly good humor and
amusement. Possessing a large personality and
adept tongue, Ursula is expected to become
the next Master when the incumbent, Master
Roderigo, retires.

Portraying Ursula Del Rio
Del Rio is a tall, athletic woman with an ebony
complexion. She keeps her wiry hair cut close
to her scalp so as not to offer a handhold in
a fight. She has dark brown eyes with laugh
lines. A woman in her prime, she has a quick
smile, faster wit and a devastating grin. A thick
scar slashes across her right shoulder toward
her sternum, a souvenir of the fateful fight to
defend the caravan. A smaller scar from the
same incident slashes across her stomach.
Ursula has the swagger of a master fencer and
a quip for every situation, especially when
things are most dire. She flirts with anyone
and delights in doing so. Should the flirtation
be reciprocated, she takes the time to enjoy
worldly relations, but never stays for long or
makes lasting attachments. This has given her
a reputation among younger Knights as being
something of a serial flirt (and they are not
wrong). However, there is no question of her
sincerity about the Order or her devotion to the
faith, which has only deepened with time.
Above all, Del Rio believes in her cause:
protecting those who cannot protect
themselves, bringing justice to the unjust and
serving the Order and those who wear the Seal.
All play and joking cease when the circumstance
requires decisive action.
She is most likely to be found in the chapter
house of the Knights of the Rose & Cross,
located just a few blocks down Avenida de los
Santos outside of the inner wall. For private
conversations, she has a small office that she
shares with the other Senior Knight. Her
desk is neat and tidy, her collection of books
limited and her fancy runs more toward small
collectible pieces or gifts than to historical
tomes. She can be found in the training yard
giving pointers, helping lower ranked Knights
or practicing her chosen school of swordplay.
Younger Knights joke she is most often to
be found in the bedroom of the prettiest
Benefactor. They are not entirely wrong.
Lucia del Sur, Captain
of the Solomons
Lucia del Sur is a soldier who is the daughter of
soldiers. Her mother served in the Solomons;
her father, a hired guard to merchants. The
eldest of three daughters, she grew up in a
strictly regimented household. Duty, honor and
devotion to Theus were the guiding principles
of her childhood, which she has carried with her
to this day. While her sisters both chose the life
of Castille’s renowned galenos, del Sur dedicated
her studies to the blade. Quiet and reserved, she
seemed to become an almost different person
when she practiced swordwork from the school
of the Solomons, walking in the same path as
her mother. As she fought, she impressed her
peers and masters alike and also the artist who
eventually became her wife.
Lucia and her partner’s first meeting was
unusual, as it happened under fire. On returning
to Vaticine City from a trip, a group of “brigands”
decided to attack the caravan of del Sur’s charge,
Bishop Sigrid. Among her retinue was a
young artist traveling to find new
landscapes for her paintings
and engaged to paint
portraits of the bishop
and the traveling party.
When the brigands
attacked, Lucia’s blade
cut quick and true. When
her commanding officer
fell, as next in the chain of
command, she rose to the
occasion, rallying the
guards to defend
Bishop Sigrid and
everyone else
in the caravan.
The Solomon
guards proved
victorious in
routing the
supposed
27

Story Hooks
• As she is Captain of the Solomons, a Hero wishing to
enter that fighting tradition must seek her approval
for training. What does Lucia demand of him?
• Captain del Sur learns of a threat to the Cardinals
from within her organization and needs someone
unknown to the suspected traitors. The Captain
approaches a Hero to pretend to be a new recruit to
flush out the enemies hiding in her ranks.
• A Hero uncovers sealed documents belonging to
Doña Maria Carvaggio, who died during one of Lucia’s
first assignment as a Solomon. The Captain may be
a resource to finding the Doña Maria’s family and
returning the documents to them. If opened, these
documents detail a land grant to a family of hidalgos—
land currently operated by one of the Grandes.
• Lucia’s wife Angela discovers a black envelope with
a curious seal one day on her doorstep, with a note
inside demanding that the Captain arrange a parade
inspection of her Solomons at a specific time five
days hence. If not, the note threatens, then a terrible
fate will befall Angela. Lucia must engage the help of
a Hero to investigate, especially since he may have
to dig into various members of the clergy to find the
culprit—people whom del Sur is sworn to protect.
Worse still, she cannot tell the Solomons that the
Hero acts on her behalf, or else she gives away her
response to the blackmailer.
brigands, suffering only minimal casualties, and
none of their charges suffered harm. She knew the
attackers were too well armed and trained for this
to have been a case of opportunistic thugs, but del
Sur also did not have enough evidence to point at
which hostile party might have sent the attackers.
Despite a desire to hunt down enemies of the
Church, del Sur had only her hunch and the more
immediate responsibility of keeping her charges
safe and seeing them home. Lucia returned to
Vaticine City to accolades and a promotion within
the Solomons—the first of many to come.
The lovely artist Angela had found herself in
the wrong place at the wrong time. Among the
items lost in the raid were many of her supplies
and much of her personal funds, which had been
in the caravan strongbox. Del Sur invited the
artist into her family home until she could get
28 Section Two: Influential Personages
on her feet. Their relationship blossomed into
a romance which has lasted nearly thirty years.
Together they raised a son and daughter, now
grown with children of their own. She loves her
wife with a devotion rivaled only by her love of
Theus—a point which has in the past caused her
concern. Should she have to choose one over the
other, she does not know how she would act.
Lucia’s duty and devotion saw her rise through
the ranks of her chosen profession and eventually
surpassing her proud mother by becoming
Captain of the whole guard. She has a reputation
for being a good and honest woman. Beloved of
her troops and devoted to her charge, the Captain
of the Solomons is a force to be reckoned with.
Portraying Captain Lucia del Sur
Lucia del Sur is a woman of age and distinction.
Tall and still fit despite her years, she wears her steel
gray hair short to easily fit under her helm and is
most often seen in uniform. Her skin is naturally
tanned, and those unfamiliar with her often read
her blue eyes as cold. Most of the time, she appears
rather dour and serious. Only some of this is due
to her position as Captain of the Solomons. When
conversing with others outside of her troops or
her family, she appears stiff and taciturn, each
word having to be coaxed forth in conversation.
She gives quick and decisive orders, willingly
engages in discussion and shows great depth of
thought. Among her family she is kind, if strict, and
dotes on her somewhat eccentric artist wife.
Lucia is a true believer with a deep devotion to
the faith and to her role within it as protector of
the clergy. She has age and wisdom on her side
when dealing with crises and keeps a cool head.
She has of late begun to wonder if her age is not
catching up with her and if she should retire to
let a younger, trusted lieutenant take command.
Her overriding goal is the safety of all the
faithful in Vaticine City, and most especially the
Hierophant (when there was one), cardinals
and associated high offices of the Church. She
undertakes all her actions with this in mind.
The only divergent point is her deep love for
her wife. She is uncertain what she would do if
her wife were threatened as a blackmail tool and
hopes that she never has to find out.
Lucia del Sur’s office is spare and functional with
windows overlooking the training grounds. She
has a small seating area for when members of the
Clergy visit her to discuss business. As Captain of
the Solomon, she receives the benefit of an office on
the inner grounds of the City and a large training
and mustering hall for overseeing her soldiers.

Angela del Sur, Noted Artist

Angela del Sur is a noted artist in Vaticine City, renowned for her portraiture and mastery of subtle
colors and expression. Though she appears somewhat flighty and mercurial, her attention easily
caught by other matters, her skills as a painter are great, and she always completes her works. She
has been engaged by the Church of the Prophets to create dozens of paintings depicting the lives of
the Prophets and portraits of high-ranking church officials. Nobles from Castille and Vodacce have
come to sit for her. Coming from humble origins in San Gustavo, del Sur trained with local masters
before taking up further schooling abroad. She traveled to Vaticine City to join the studio of one of
the Masters in residence there to paint for the studio’s clients, including the Church. On that fateful
journey, her caravan was beset by bandits and she met the brave woman who became her wife. Or at
least this is the story she wishes people to know. Some of it is even true.
Angela is her real name but in her life she has gone by many, the most infamous of which is
Cecelia the Cat, a thief, scoundrel and sometimes assassin who operated in Five Sails before quietly
disappearing. Born to a peasant family with little to her name, Angela learned to be a thief among
the other street urchins of the city, catching the eye of a master thief who took her in for training.
When his price came due, she found it to be too high for her liking. So she killed him, effectively
graduating and winning her freedom at once.
Angela sold her blade to the highest bidder, and by the time she turned
23, she was wealthy enough to buy a villa in the countryside and retire
if she wished. One does not lead the life of a mercenary without
making enemies, however. One night, when she was not expecting it,
those enemies struck and took everything from her. She managed to
escape with enough funds to get to San Gustavo on a small merchant
ship. Her money ran out but the devout family asked her to stay on
and help where she could to pay off the debt. Angela could have fled
but decided against it, staying with the first people who had shown her
genuine kindness. She worked the merchant ship
for a year, keeping her hand in with petty theft
but decided against selling her blade. Mostly.
A woman approached her with a job, which
seemed interesting—infiltrating and spying on
a crooked moneylender. When the Knights of the
Rose & Cross apprehended the crooked man, she was
surprised, but their coin spent just as well as anyone’s. She
worked for them as a spy and occasionally as additional
muscle for nearly a year before they offered her the job she
had been unknowingly interviewing for, an opportunity to

7th Sea | Vaticine City 29

 atone for her sinful past life and do some real
good. Angela had come to like that aspect of
her work with the Knights and accepted. Her
assignment? Vaticine City.
The Knights had a number of potential covers
for her and tested her abilities against several
stories. She had a surprising knack for art, a
fact that Angela attributed to her keen eye for
detail and misspent youth forging papers. Given
a new identity, she went to train with masters
and hone her skills—by day she learned artistic
skills and by night she trained in spycraft. With
her training complete, she traveled to Vaticine
City to assist the Knights of the Rose & Cross.
From there her story largely matches her public
persona. She did not intend to fall in love with
the woman who eventually became Captain of
the Solomons, but a romantic entanglement with
a sweet, if stern, guard-captain had advantages.
Her love and affection are genuine, and she even
enjoys being an artist, but only the Master of the
Rose & Cross chapter house knows of her true
purpose in moving to the city.
Portraying Angela del Sur
Angela del Sur is a petite, dark-haired woman
with warm, dark eyes and a broad smile. She
presents herself as easily distracted, frivolous
and flighty, concerned with her art and her tasks
for clients. She is smart and cunning and now a
seasoned master of spycraft. Her artistic talents
are genuine and that natural talent has only
improved with time and practice.
In her artist persona, del Sur gestures broadly
with her hands and uses grand words and
dramatic flair to make her points. She is bubbly
and sweet, devout and innocent. The patrons
who sit for her paintings think nothing of letting
their guard slip as they converse with their artist.
In her persona as a Rose & Cross spy, she
is cunning and guarded, wearing a mask of
mild amusement. She reads and understands
several languages, and while not as spry as
30 Section Two: Influential Personages
Story Hooks
• Doña Angela has come across information of a
sensitive nature during a portrait session with
a noble lady—whose husband is embroiled in
a deal which will almost certainly result in his
death. She cannot be revealed as the source of
this information, but the man will die without
intervention.
• A Syrneth relic is to be auctioned off at a gala
hosted by a Castillian noble family to raise funds.
Parties unknown intend to steal the relic. This
would be embarrassing normally, but one of the
Heroes’ regular sources indicates that the relic
could potentially be powerful. Angela almost
certainly has an invitation to the gala. Direct the
Heroes to make contact and see if the noted
artist would be willing to bring a guest or two.
• Doña Angela looks to retire and thus must find a
replacement. The Knights needs the blades and
talents of men and women willing to work in the
shadows. Subtlety is the name of the game. She
acts as both her artistic persona and as that of a
shadowy, nameless employer via proxy, testing
a Hero’s worthiness of becoming an initiate. As
Doña Angela, she gives him odd and eccentric
tasks that require subtlety and clever thinking
to accomplish. Those presented by the shadowy
employer via proxy require more violent skills.
Will the Hero have what it takes?
she once was, she can still handle herself in a
fight making use of short blades and daggers.
Angela gave up running across rooftops or
free-climbing buildings, but she is still adept
as a thief. A careless Hero aware of her other
persona may find an article of his missing—
either in warning to take her seriously, or to
prove a point in conversation.
Her marriage is genuine and has had an
impact on her outlook. She has become
a devout follower and has come to deeply
understand, uphold and respect the Rose
& Cross’ goals. Angela can do things in the
shadows others cannot, and while she accepts
this as the payment for her early life as a
scoundrel and assassin, she prays that one day
she can retire and simply be the painter, wife
and grandmother she appears to be.
 Her personal studio is a loft with many
windows and lots of light. Practices and studies
are neatly stacked around the room. There is
a discarded training dummy which has been
fancifully painted and given a plumed mohawk.
She claims it is for decoration but a close
examination reveals it is still used to practice
knifework. The exits and entrances to the loft are
well guarded against unsanctioned entry to the
room itself is well positioned for a quick escape—
all details subtle and likely to be missed by anyone
other than someone else adept at subterfuge.

Vito, Master Merchant & Foreign Trader

If you need something, Vito the Master Merchant has it. Spices from the Crescent Empire? He has them.
Furs from the far reaches of Ussura? He has those too. Looking for something from the New World? His
inventory likely has those items as well. If you need information or an introduction? Vito is your man.
Hailing from Vodacce, Master Vito is a trader from a long line of traders. He inherited his small
fleet of ships from his father who inherited from his father before him, and so forth, stretching
back seven generations. While his is not the largest or wealthiest merchant fleet, his family has an
extensive network of trade and social ties across the Seven Seas.
Vito is a politician and savvy trader, handling business aspects of his company. His husband
Armando captains their flagship and handles many matters related to sailing, the upkeep of their
fleet and the training, arming and housing of the private marines who keep their ships safe. Together
they are a balanced team.
As a foreigner, the Master Merchant is always being inspected. He finds this to be a minor irritant but
is now well known to the dockmaster and knows which bribes work best on which officials—information
which is also for sale for the right price. While always suspected of smuggling, he has never been caught.
Information is a currency all its own, and in this Master Vito excels. He frequently
comes to port to sell and trade new, exotic goods to the Church for approval. As the
owner of the company, he feels responsible for greasing the proper palms so his goods
can be sold to good, devout people without fear of reprimand.
Vito is money-oriented and while he pays lip service to the Church, he works with
anyone who has the coin. It should be noted his husband is more devout, but no less
willing to work with well-paying clients who are perhaps less than above board. While
Vito might be a resource, his information is for the highest bidder, and should an
Inquisitor come calling, he sells to her as well.

Portraying Master Vito

Master Vito is a tall man with dark skin, narrow features and golden
eyes. His mother was from the Crescent Empire and he favors her
appearance strongly, leading to more inspections than strictly necessary.
Vito counters this negative effect by playing up on his “exotic” origins,
even though he was born in the Vodacce city of Vestini and has not
been further into the Empire than Iskandar. He is a savvy entrepreneur
and always looks well dressed. He plays things very close to the chest
and does not offer information freely—that said, he offers to sell
information if he thinks the audience is receptive.

31
 As he wishes to keep on the Church’s good side,
this also means he wishes to keep within the good
graces of the High Inquisitor. Deals or exchanges
done with the Heroes are not sacrosanct and that
information is as much for sale as any other.
He prefers to do business in a spacious and
well-appointed cabin on his flagship, the Western
Wind, captained by his husband. Armando,
rarely seen belowdecks for negotiations, prefers
his own cabin and handles the details of the ship
and crew. Armando is a tall man with sandy hair
cut short and wears a closely cut beard. Armando
is much more serious than his husband.
The captain’s cabin has a family portrait of
Master Vito and his husband with their seven-
year-old daughter Miranda and five-year-old
son Marco, who lives with their aunts in their
home port of Vestini.
Miranda, the biological daughter of Vito and
an arrangement with a courtesan, surprised her
Story Hooks
• The Heroes must acquire cargo of somewhat
questionable acceptability. Few merchants carry such
items into Vaticine City. Master Merchant Vito may
have what the Heroes are searching for or he might
have information; either way, they should bring coin.
• The Heroes have been engaged to get a sympathetic
heretic out of the city. Leaving under the guise of
legitimate merchandise might just do the trick and
there is no finer merchant on the Seven Seas than
Master Vito—just ask him.
• Vito’s daughter Miranda is touring Vaticine City
on a voyage with her father, and has caught the
attention of a Strega hunter who plans to bring her
back to Vodacce by force, over Vito’s dead body,
if necessary. Vito engages the Heroes to create a
distraction while he deploys his ships to confuse her
escape, but the Heroes find that the Villain wants
Miranda because of something she said at a recent
party—hinting that the Villain may die soon under
terrible circumstances. Do the Heroes trust the
desperate Villain enough to try to barter a truce? Is
Vito willing to risk such a meeting on the word of
the Heroes? And if all else fails, will the Heroes be
able to help conceal Miranda’s escape?
32 Section Two: Influential Personages
family by showing signs of being Sorte Strega,
something unusual in a middle-class family and
raising questions as to the identity of her mother.
Only Vito and Armando know if Marco’s mother
is the same woman, as Marco appeared with
the men as a newborn when Miranda was two.
This information is the sole exception to Vito’s
business, and not for sale at any price.
Thom, King of
the Black Market
The Lord of the Underworld and King of the
Black Market is known as Thom. They say
Thom stands as tall as a Vesten sailor, can best
anyone in a duel of swords or words and has won
over a thousand fights. Thom has a tongue of
silver and the voice of an angel. When he speaks,
men and women throw themselves at his feet.
They say Thom once fought a demon in a battle
of wits, and not only bested the demon, but won
his soul away from Legion in spite of his life of
crime. They say he once fought a duel that lasted
for three days and nights. They say he follows
his own school and is the only practitioner of
his swordplay style—all lesser fencers died
attempting to learn it. They say that King Thom
sold the sound of his footsteps to a witch in
exchange for a night of passion. Some say he can
see lies. Others say he learned to see the strings
of fate from a Sorte Strega, and Fate herself came
to him on a moonless night and asked him to
show her how to read an invisible thread. Death
fears the King and no one knows how old he
might be. Many stories are told of the King, and
some of them are even true.
King Thom is never seen by the rank and
file criminals who live and work in the outer
neighborhoods of Vaticine City, but they feel
his presence. All operations, from petty theft to
assassination, must tithe the King. The King also
enforces a city-wide ban on certain crimes—
trafficking in slaves, any crimes against children
and the use of Porté or sorcerous items—leading
some to believe he has a relationship with Church
officials. Most older, less credulous criminals
believe that the title of King is passed between
holders, but even those who believe that wonder if
the spirit of the King passes with the mantle.
Only the highest members of the Underworld
have seen the King in person and usually they
report him to be dressed in dark clothing, wearing
a mask to hide his identity so he might walk
among his people unknown. The inner circle of
the Underworld’s aristocracy remains surprisingly
loyal—the King provides a balance between
rival groups, generously hands out favors and
remains staunch in his protections. Notably, the
Underworld knows the King for keeping his word.
He brings stability to an unruly world and helps to
launder illicit money for the other noted criminals
in the region. As long as money flows and he
keeps the Church and the Law off of them, they
willingly support his rule.
“King Thom” is, in truth, a title passed from
generation to generation, eldest to eldest, by the
members of a single family for just over a century.
The current King is a woman named Estrella
Domingo. In her public life, Domingo is a
hidalgo, a noble with a title and no land.
Her family supports a number
of small merchant ventures
within Vaticine City, and wise
investments have led to them
having a small but boringly
comfortable lifestyle that
raises no questions. While
some past Kings have
been mere administrators,
Estrella is an
accomplished fighter
and received training
from her father
and trusted peers
in the Underworld
for when she would
assume the throne
from her father,
Gaspar. She has held
the title for ten years
since his death. She slew his murderer, but the hand
behind the assassination remains at large—she
believes the culprit to be “The Duke,” the thief who
would be King, as part of his opening bid to rule the
Underworld and black markets of Vaticine City.
Domingo very rarely reveals herself to
someone outside of her closest allies and
advisors. Even her rival, The Duke, does not
know her true identity. Her husband Hector
has full knowledge and supports her double life,
and he serves as her administrator. Together
they have two children. She is already training
her daughter as her father trained her.
Portraying King Thom
Thom occasionally grants audiences with
important persons and should the Heroes be
brought before him, Estrella Domingo uses one
of her bodyguards or her husband as a decoy.
Masked and dressed in black with Domingo at
his side, he relays information whispered from
the “King” or sits in the shadows and relays her
commands, literally the power behind the throne.
The persona of the King is that of silent
judgment, perhaps mocking with a
hint of amusement. He prefers
to speak via heralds in
uncommon audiences.
Estrella plays her part
as herald or underworld
courtier as a somewhat
easygoing thief—someone easy to
confide in and speak
to, her full face
never shown. She
is generous with her
smiles and in buying
drinks for fellow
rogues, interested
in information,
and plays well the
part of a worldly
farmhand or
a fallen noble
selling her sword.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 33
 Around those who know her to be the King,
Domingo is quiet and businesslike, possessed of
a confident air and a continuous sense of mild
amusement. She is cunning and ruthless with
a fury that burns cold and means death for her
enemies.
The “King’s Reception Hall” is most often
a small backroom with a secondary exit in a
monte de piedad, a Church-sanctioned pawn
shop that engages in charity to offset the sin of
usury. The location is set as needed and chosen at
random. Heavily muscled thugs guard the doors
preventing unwanted visitors from getting in—or
those in trouble with the King from getting out.
Story Hooks
• The King of the Underworld has become aware
that his rival, The Duke, plans a high-profile heist of
Syrneth relics. The King does not really care about
the relics, but wishes to embarrass The Duke. The
Heroes are parties unknown to both the person
auctioning off the relics and to The Duke. The
King is willing to pay handsomely for the Heroes to
acquire the relics for him—he might even be willing
to part with the relics for a reasonable discount
should the embarrassment be sufficiently grand.
• Ten years ago the man who was Thom, King of
the Underworld, was assassinated. His killer was
slain by the current holder of the title, but the man
who sent the assassin still lives. The so-called Duke
of the Underworld has struck again, but the man
killed was Estrella Domingo’s husband, Hector. The
Underworld is now in a full-scale war between the
King and the Duke. What role will the Heroes play,
and whose side do they take?
• Sancha Domingo, daughter of Estrella and Hector
Domingo, has been kidnapped. A hefty bounty has
been placed on the heads of the culprits for daring
to break the King’s Law in His city. The Heroes may
decide to hunt down the girl and her kidnappers.
• The mystery of the generational saga of King Thom
has drawn the attention of Los Vagabundos, who
have started to wonder if Thom is one of their own
gone rogue. One of Los Vagabundos approaches the
Heroes and asks for their help in tracking down King
Thom and brokering a meeting to find out whether
Thom is a renegade or a threat—but the King, of
course, has no desire to reveal his identity.
34 Section Two: Influential Personages
“Duke Juan,” Would-be
King of the Underworld
Vaticine City is a city of great wealth. Beautiful
artwork, treasures from abroad, master-crafted
swords, lovely ballgowns, heaps of coins
destined for Church coffers—the prosperity
of the city is all that a thief could desire; even
the lowliest cat burglar or pickpocket has
many tempting targets. Yet Juan de Cielo, the
self-styled Duke, views the Underworld as his
rightful kingdom, and he refuses to settle for
anything less than his crown. The son of a Jenny
and the previous King, Juan does not know that
his half-sister serves as the current King or even
that the current King is a woman. He would
not care if he knew either fact in any case. He
only knows that someone sits on his throne and
he is determined to take it.
De Cielo is a brash, loud and arrogant man
with a deep wound from not being uplifted by
his father as he feels he should have been. Never
acknowledged by his father, Juan only had his
identity confirmed to him after the man was
killed at the behest of parties unknown. De Cielo
was content to live as he had until the new King’s
people raided one of his operations for smuggling
slaves. The raid nearly destroyed him financially
and was a personal affront. Juan decided then
that the pretender on his throne needed to be
removed so he could run things his way.
Since then, de Cielo has been discreetly
building his support network. Not everyone
approves of the King’s dictates, and Juan has
promised to be much more lax once he has
claimed his rightful place. He has built his forces,
bought his support and maneuvers to confront
the King and start a war for the Underworld.
Portraying Duke Juan de Cielo
Juan de Cielo is a tall, brawny man with a scar
down one side of his face which pulls his lips
into a permanent sneer. His eyes are startlingly
blue in a dark complexion. He is a loud,
arrogant bully, but also charismatic and has the
fighting skills to back up his loud mouth. He He believes everything has a price, and he
engages anyone he feels can help him achieve even willingly works for the Heroes for the
his goal of becoming the undisputed King of right one. This is a dangerous relationship for
the Underworld. Heroes to cultivate, because Juan is a Villain to
He views the prohibition of sorcerous items the bone, and any arrangements they have are
as a sure sign that the King is unfit to rule. This bound to go sour at some point. He attempts
is the Underworld of Vaticine City after all, employing the Heroes to help him accomplish
and what is more forbidden than sorcerous and his plans of Underworld regicide, trading favor
heretical items? He sees a hidden market filled for favor, but willingly going along with that is
with human desires, and he wants to be the a sure path to Corruption. Conversely, should
man to cater to and control the market for those the current King induce the Heroes to oppose
desires. Duke de Cielo, they find that, despite his brash
nature, he is a capable opponent.
Story Hooks Juan, always on the move, meets in any
available seedy bar, tavern or brothel. He prefers
• The Duke has decided to move his to meet in places that serve alcohol (though he is
headquarters—the gendarmes are getting a
smart enough to pretend to be more drunk than
little too close. He engages a Hero as unwitting
muscle to help protect his valuables as he he is) and always sits with his back to the wall in
transports them from one warehouse to the a corner where he can view all angles of attack.
next. When the gendarmes raid the shipment He often places his personal headquarters in a
and arrest the Hero, she is accused of engaging warehouse but moves it from time to time.
in trafficking of sorcerous texts and heretical
artwork! The Hero must clear her name, but
the Duke is also eager to regain his possessions
at any cost, even if it means helping her or
taking her out of the picture permanently.
• While a Hero does business in a den of ill
repute outside the city walls, he crosses paths
with a small gang of criminals who work for
the Duke. An altercation, perhaps prompted
by a failed attempt at picking the Hero’s
pocket, leads to the Duke learning of his
identity and deciding that, as a wild card, he
must be removed or exploited in his war for
control of the Underworld. The Duke sends
a messenger with an offer: work for him, or
face the consequences. Of course, the Hero is
likely to refuse, making him Juan’s target.
• The Duke has acquired a salacious art
object that depicts one of the bishops of
the Church, who employs a Hero to have it
recovered before it causes a scandal. But is
this bishop actually involved in questionable
activities? Is the Duke extorting an innocent
cleric or revealing a corrupt Church official?

7th Sea | Vaticine City 35

 Cardinal Catalina del Mont, the Pacifist
Catalina del Mont has known she would serve the Church of the Prophets since a young child. Her
father was a parish priest in the Avila province, a countryside known for its beautiful orange groves.
Young Catalina was raised to be a humble servant of Theus and learned how to care for the sick and
infirm and minister to the weary. She gave her first sermon at the age of ten. Her father rejoiced in
the gift Theus had given into his care, but knew Catalina was something to be shared. He lobbied
for the monsignor of his parish to hear her speak. Touched by the girl’s sincerity and goodness, the
monsignor recommended she be educated further and encouraged the young woman to consider the
priesthood. Catalina was very happy to hear this news as she could not envision any different life for
herself. Catalina adopted a staunch pacifism not long after this.
Del Mont viewed the recent invasion of her country as a call to arms, but as a pacifist this meant
mobilizing money and goods to fund new hospitals, enabling care for the returning veterans and
ensuring that those without a family still received care at home. This activist pacifism made her very
popular among the people and with the priests, monsignors and bishops under her care.
Now a grown woman in early middle age, she is a well-respected cardinal, having risen through the
ranks of the Church. Her record is flawless, for as a truly virtuous woman, she only wishes to better
serve Theus by better serving His people. Well loved
by those she represents, she makes it a point to use her
position and power for the betterment of the people.
Rumors say she stopped a fight by stepping between two
quarrelling soldiers newly returned from the front lines,
taking the blows that each had meant for the other. The
two, so shocked at striking a priestess of such conviction,
immediately ceased their argument, apologized to her and
to one another and came to an amicable agreement within
moments. In another case, hungry and displaced ex-soldiers
turned to thievery and broke into a field hospital where she
served during the war against Montaigne. While the leader
made demands of money and goods, del Mont calmly
welcomed them to sit and eat at the table and then to have
a warm bath. She offered to wash the feet of every one of
the weary veterans and reminded them that generosity and
compassion are shown to all, not just to those who are kind
in return. Shocked by the kindness even while they had her
at knifepoint, the men and women eventually laid down
their arms and surrendered to the Castillian army, shamed
by their actions.
Her soft words supposedly have the power to calm raging
bulls and stampeding herds, for her devotion is so sincere
that even beasts recognize her commitment to peace. These
stories have grown in the telling and while Catalina herself
laughs and waves a dismissive hand, what is consistent is her
goodness and repeated encouragement of others not to take
up arms, and her refusal to engage in violence herself. While
she does not belittle the suffering of the oppressed, she always

36
hopes and prays for a peaceful solution and does not
fear harm or death in her commitment to peace.
Some look at her as a good candidate for the
next Hierophant if only she had the proper
backing and encouragement—she does not seek
the office herself. Her willingness to live by the
principles of the Church is greatly admired by
the devout and greatly hated by those inclined
to use the Church for political gain.
Portraying Catalina del Mont
Catalina del Mont is a tall, willowy woman
with close-cropped red-golden hair and hazel
eyes. She has an air of serenity about her, which
extends to those in her presence. Catalina is soft
spoken and only raises her voice to spread the
words of the Prophets to those seated in a back
pew—she does not raise her voice in anger or
argue with heated words. Her movements are
languid and gentle like someone accustomed to
settling overly anxious animals. Well-spoken
and well-educated, she involves herself in
matters large and small and encourages those
around her to help the Church and its myriad
systems serve the spiritual needs of the people.
She understands the reality of politics, but she
considers them to be a game she does not wish
to play. Del Mont does not wish for the other
members of the clergy to play those games either,
but unlike the Inquisition, she chooses to live
by example. She renounces killing and embraces
her role as a teacher, counselor and most of all
a servant of the people, especially those most in
need. She directs the Church’s resources to help
the poor and desperate—as she famously stated
at one council, “One cannot solve the Riddle of
Theus on an empty stomach.” While the more
jaded Church officials consider her naïve, her
relentless dedication has drawn many admirers,
which in turn created the wellspring of support
to launch her into the position of a cardinal.
She lives a simple life and her only vice, if it
might be called such, is that she enjoys music
and art. She uses what little wealth she collects
to sponsor artists, but even this she shares, both
by sending artwork to museums for display to
the public, and by commissioning statues, parks
and murals that can be enjoyed by all.
Catalina abhors violence and ceases working
with those who employ violent means. A Hero
who works with her should take care to avoid
violence, for if she discovers his transgression,
she regretfully ends her association with him, as
she believes that good ends cannot come from
wicked means. Faced with someone wishing
to do her harm, her first concern would be to
salve the hurts that drove the person to such an
extreme before ever thinking of saving herself.
Story Hooks
• Catalina’s goodness and unwillingness to play political
games has made her a direct threat to Cardinal Verdugo and
his goal of attaining the position of Hierophant. A Hero is
engaged as a guard by her personal secretary, a concerned
deacon who knows de Mont will not lift a hand to save
herself. He must protect her as she travels to a diocese
under her purview, but she will not tolerate the Hero
initiating violence or failing to solve problems diplomatically.
Can he toe the line between Catalina’s demands and the
need to protect her from Verdugo’s agents?
• An otherwise devout bishop concludes that the best role
for Catalina is as a martyr, using her death to unite the
Church, and he engages a group of assassins to carry out
the dirty deed. A Hero is on hand to thwart the initial
attempt, during one of her public sermons. Catalina is
appalled if the Hero uses violence on her behalf, but a
small coalition of archbishops and bishops hires him to
uncover the person behind the conspiracy before they can
try again. The bishop tries to call the whole thing off, but
the assassins are driven by a higher master—allegiance
to the Novus Ordo Mundi, who intend to kill Catalina and
betray the bishop, inciting the most chaos possible.
• Though del Mont is unmarried and has no romantic
interests, a wild rumor starts that she is destined to be the
mother of the Fourth Prophet. Soon, she collapses one day
and reveals to a doctor that she has not had her natural
cycle for two months. Is she having a secret affair, or is this a
miraculous conception? Or, worse still, has an illness struck
her that may lead to her death? The Heroes must discreetly
find out the truth. This could play out in one of two ways.
If she has had an affair, will the Heroes reveal the truth and
risk damaging her reputation? And if the rumors are true,
can the Heroes save her from Villains who would prevent
the birth of a child who could be the Fourth Prophet—and
what happens in the wake of the child’s birth?
7th Sea | Vaticine City 37
 Section Three
Secret Societies & Conspiracies
F
aith is never simple. Cardinals of
the Vaticine Church shred one
another’s interpretations of each
Prophets’ words and life through
pointed sermons and carefully worded tracts.
Some of these interpretations the Church
accepts as healthy differences in opinion. Others
are heresies that believers profess and discuss
only in the shadows and through innuendo.
The Hierophants determine which beliefs are
acceptable and which are not, but these days,
citizens of Vaticine City are increasingly aware
that the true determination rests upon the
opaque temper of the Inquisition.
Vaticine City is home, not only to several
secret societies, but to a tangle of ideologies and
heresies known as conspiracies. Where secret
societies form around the intersection of beliefs,
goals, people and infrastructure, conspiracies
are tempests of ideas. Conspiracies keep no
membership rolls and have no unified list of
goals for the world. They are a thought gone
intoxicatingly viral. Passion of belief unites
strange bedfellows across other organizations and
societies. Those who believe are in. Those who do
not are out. Conspiracies thread through Vaticine
City like roots through soil, bringing together
unlikely allies and tilting power structures as ideas
pass from orthodoxy to heresy and back.
Secret Societies
Secret societies have operated in Vaticine
City since its founding. Some societies mask
themselves as religious orders while others
operate openly as part of the normal discourse
that comprises the Vaticine faith. The more
powerful a society is, the more openly it may act.
Even the most transparent society may hide a
38 Section Three: Secret Societies & Conspiracies
deeper and, to the Church, heretical secret that
only members know. Maintaining power requires
keeping this deeper secret unknown and safe.
As power shifts and changes in the City, which
societies have influence also changes. When
a society has influence in Vaticine City, it can
shape doctrinal debates and negotiate to fill key
positions with sympathizers.
In 1668 AV, the three Societies with
the strongest sway are the Inquisition, the
Marovarians and the Akathari. While the
Inquisition has the greatest influence over
Church actions, the Marovarians and Akathari
have large followings. The Marovarians have
several strong ties to recognizable people
within, but especially beyond the City, while the
Akathari have greater appeal among the laity.
The Marovarians and Akathari welcome
Heroes to join their ranks, while the Inquisition
is a more secretive, implacable and Villainous
Society that prefers to keep its own counsel.
The Inquisition
“There is nothing to fear if your faith is true. The
Inquisition is nothing more than the bonfire we
must light to keep the wolves of Legion at bay, and
we will fuel that fire with our righteousness.”
—Cardinal Esteban Verdugo
Stories of the Inquisition stalk the halls of the
universities and taint the faithful’s nightmares
with the stench of smoke from burning books
curling up around hanging bodies. Anyone
could be a member of the Inquisition or an
informant. Until she dons the fire-red robes of
her office or otherwise announces herself, she
is indistinguishable from any other member of
the clergy. Terror is not the only emotion the
Inquisition conjures, however; for some the
Society symbolizes hope. The Inquisition and
its supporters believe in the Fourth Prophet’s
imminent arrival and that the time to puzzle
out Theus’ Riddle has passed. Now is the time
to purify.
Created by the Third Prophet to root out
sorcery, the Inquisition has expanded its charge to
include any who complicate the clarity imposed
by the Third Prophet or who argue that the Last
Prophet’s age is still in the distant future. Scholars,
dissenters and even fellow clergy fear finding
themselves at the end of the Inquisition’s rope.
The Inquisition has historically been only
answerable to the Hierophant, who wielded
the Inquisition carefully as a flaming sword
of reason against the heresy of sorcery. In the
absence of a Hierophant, Cardinal Verdugo has
seized the weapon for himself. The Inquisition’s
ranks grow unchecked, and their methods
have become unquestionably brutal. Rumors
spread that the Inquisition embraces the Third
Prophet’s iconography more tightly than ever
before and that, in some places, those judged
guilty are not hanged, but burnt alive.
The Charge of the Inquisition
The Inquisition pursues two major tasks. First,
they locate and judge heretics. Second, they
seek out dangerous texts and artifacts that
may lead others astray. The Inquisition gathers
evidence quietly, using many loyal informants
to help them better monitor what happens
within Vaticine City and across the rest of
Théah. Once the Inquisition has its evidence,
they act as suddenly as a lightning strike. The
Inquisition arrests the accused and prosecutes
him within the same hour. These trials all lead
to the same outcome—a death sentence.
The Inquisition maintains a list of items
too tempting and dangerous to exist. The list
includes the complete writings of Mattias
Lieber, all tomes of sorcery (including an
amusing novel about a Porté sorcerer who
solves mysteries), all Syrneth artifacts and most
recent inventions. The Inquisition requires a
scholar submit her inventions for review and
judgment. Anything that does not undergo this
process is immediately added to the list. Some
Inquisitors travel around Théah tracking down
the listed items and destroying them in bonfires.
The Heresy of the Inquisition
The Inquisition has two heresies that separate
them from mainstream Vaticine beliefs. The
first is their conception of Oblivion. The second
centers on a prophecy. First, most of the Vaticine
Church believes souls experience one of two
outcomes after death. Either they ascend to
Theus’ side or they cease to exist. This ending of
existence is known as Oblivion or the final and
complete separation. The Inquisition, however,
teaches that annihilation of the soul does not
occur. Instead, Oblivion is a spiritual realm of
torture with flames as from the Third Prophet’s
sword and extreme, marrow-freezing cold.
The second heresy is a prophecy that only the
Inquisition has verified. The Inquisitors believe
the prophecy accurately predicts when the Last
Prophet comes. According to the Inquisition, the
Third Prophet, in the last of his many journals,
wrote that the most righteous being shall rise
above the chaos of the world to regain a hand
upon the Church and pave the way for the
Last Prophet. The Inquisitors believe that this
means that once Cardinal Verdugo becomes the
Hierophant, the Last Prophet will arrive.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 39
 Heroes & the Inquisition
Heroes cannot join the Inquisition. Cardinal
Verdugo chooses each new member carefully,
making certain to select only those loyal to
him. The Inquisition judges harshly, quickly
and mercilessly. Many innocent people have
swung from an Inquisitor’s rope. Joining the
Inquisition requires the same level of ruthless
disregard. No one could cultivate that mindset
and remain Heroic.
The Marovarians
“Blessed is the line of Seraphine. May her blood be
our shield.”
—Marovarian greeting
In the annals of the life of the first Prophet, whole
sections are missing. Some groups within Théah
believe they may be able to account for these
missing years. One such group is the Marovarians.
A powerful Society with ties to royalty outside
of Castille, the Marovarians believe in the union
of the First Prophet and one of his most trusted
companions: Maria of Acraga.
The Accounting of Maria of Acraga shares
the story of a willful woman who used every
advantage she had to thrive. When others
around the Prophet suggested that Maria,
a Jenny by trade, should keep her distance,
the Prophet invited her to his table and
complimented her determination. According to
the Accounting, this dinner sparked a series of
conversations between the Prophet and Maria
about epistemology, salvation and the nature
of humanity. Maria argued that people should
embrace experiences and learn from them.
During one of these arguments, the Prophet
asked her to be his wife and Maria agreed.
While the Church debates the veracity of the
Accounting, many sources say that, after the
Prophet’s death, Maria collected his ashes and
risked great peril to ensure he received a proper
burial.
40 Section Three: Secret Societies & Conspiracies
Marovarians in Vaticine City
The Marovarians are a powerful sect in
Vaticine City with enough external ties that the
Inquisition cannot attack them openly. While the
Marovarians profess the same beliefs as the rest
of the Church, they do differ in three ways. First,
the Marovarians support experiential learning
and believe that people best understand reason
and senselessness, goodness and wickedness
through direct experience. This has led some
critics to dismissing the Marovarians as libertines
willing to test any sin once.
Second, the Marovarians argue that romantic
love not only exists, but should be sought and
celebrated. The Marovarians believe that every
person has at least one other with whom he
shares a soul. While not everyone may be lucky
enough to find a soulmate, the Marovarians
teach that even just the pursuit of love expands
the seeker’s empathy and opens her to a deeper
understanding of Theus’ Riddle.
Third, the Marovarians offer the Ritual of
Unity. The Ritual of Marriage is a commitment
to the Church and is primarily used in
preparation of raising children. The Ritual of
Unity recognizes the mingling of souls and
the entangling of lives without concern for the
number of people being united or their gender.
It celebrates love, rather than a contract or
commitment. The Marovarians believe that
the Ritual of Unity cannot be undone without
great danger to those united. They thus require
those seeking union to engage in a two-year
preparation process based on the two years of
conversations the First Prophet shared with
Maria before asking her to share his life.
The Heresy of the Marovarians
Marovarians believe that Maria discovered she
was pregnant shortly after the Prophet’s death.
According to the Letters of Tobias, Maria gave
birth to the Prophet’s child while she journeyed
with Tobias the Meek (another of the Prophet’s
companions and author of the letters in
question). Many refused to receive them, forcing
Maria to give birth in a barren summer field in
Montaigne, with Tobias as her only comfort. At
the time of the birth, Maria wept for the pain
and when she begged Theus for water, a spring
fountain sprung up to her right. When she
begged Theus for something sweet to remind
her of her beloved’s light as she labored, a great
apple tree (or a fig tree, in some accounts)
sprung up to her left. When the child finally
made her way into the world, Maria named her
Seraphine. A warm golden light descended over
the child, and a voice whispered the holiest of
greetings: Blessed is the line of Seraphine. May
her heart be as pure as the springs, and her line as
fruitful as the most righteous land.
When Seraphine was ten years old, she
woke her mother in the middle of the night
and said that her father had come to her in a
dream. In her dream, he told her that one of
her line would be the Great Intercessor who
stood against the ruthless judgment of the Last
Prophet and extended mercy to the lost. In
the morning, Maria entrusted her daughter to
Tobias and asked him to keep her safe and far
from any who might try to stop her line from
ever forming. Tobias took Seraphine to Numa.
There she grew to become a healer whose
kindness was so renowned, she married high
above her station to a Numanari King. And so,
began the line of Seraphine.
Over the ages, Seraphine’s descendants have
become leaders and sages, great poets and
priests. According to legend, one even gave up
a Kingdom in favor of joining an ascetic order.
Marovarians, beginning with Tobias, have
tried to keep careful track of Seraphine’s line
so that they could find and protect the Great
Intercessor when the time of the Last Prophet
comes. Despite their best efforts, the bloodline
was eventually lost.
Secretly, the Marovarians continue searching
all of Théah for Seraphine’s line and guard
zealously any who seem likely. Recently, the
Society has found a child whom they believe
descended from Seraphine. An orphan named
7th Sea | Vaticine City 41
 Elon of the Springs was found living on her
own in a Castillian forest, her family seemingly
slaughtered. The forest seemed to instinctively
care for her, which was miraculous enough, but
she also bore the same identifying birthmark
on the inside of her arm as many of those born
to Seraphine: a slightly darker patch of skin
resembling the sun’s rays.
Favor with the Marovarians
Marovarians are genuinely helpful people
who desire believers in Seraphine’s line to
be protected from the wrath of the Fourth
Prophet. If a Hero does something to aid their
cause, he may be rewarded.
• Saving a child of Seraphine from harm,
or discovering a descendent of Seraphine
garners you 10 Favor.
• Bringing together divided souls so that they
may, through love, find unity garners you 5
Favor.
A Hero may use that Favor to:
• Gaining access to an obscure genealogical
history costs 1 Favor.
• Finding succor at a Marovarian’s home
whether it be a hovel or estate costs 2
Favor, or 4 Favor if this offer of aid places
the Marovarian or her allies in immediate
danger (such as if you want to hide from
local authorities or if everyone knows a
powerful noble wants your head).
The Akathari
“If the Riddle is of Theus, then it follows that, like
Theus, it is not of the material realm. Only those
unburdened by life, pure and weightless, may draw
close enough to the Riddle’s truths.”
—from The Book of Weight
The Akathari admit the weight of the world.
Relationships, obligations, possessions—these
all drag believers down like anchors. Anchors
keep a person present and engaged in the world
around her, but they also prevent her from rising
42 Section Three: Secret Societies & Conspiracies
above the material plane to seek out the solution
to Theus’ Riddle. The Akathari believe that a
person should cut loose his anchors, shrug off all
ties and rise weightless. Only the weightless and
pure can approach Theus’ Riddle.
A truly weightless life is untenable, however,
and so the Akathari formed. The Akathari are
not only those who achieve weightlessness,
but the aspirant and anchored community
that supports them so that they may cast off
everything, study the Riddle and share their
insights into the spiritual world. Those who
study the Riddle may choose to share insights,
such as revelations about the past or future or
guidance for how events fit within the Riddle.
They believe that studying the Riddle reveals
truths about both the spiritual and material
worlds. The emphasis on the Weightless as the
arbiters of truth has formed a deep rift between
the Akathari and the rest of the Church. The
sect would be outcast entirely if not for the
good, church-going believers who take pride in
the Weightless without turning against the rest
of the Church.
The Akathari Society has three parts: the
Aspirants, the Weightless or the Pure, and the
Tethered. The Aspirants have joined the Society
to support the Weightless and perhaps one day
join them. Most of the Akathari are Aspirants.
The Weightless have undergone the Ritual of
Purity and practice extreme asceticism as they
privately contemplate Theus’ Riddle. Some
Weightless remain in quiet cells alone, while
others travel as though blown by the wind. The
Tethered were once Weightless, but chose to
resume the world’s weight. The Tethered lead
the Akathari and form the smallest portion of
the sect since they believe an individual may
only cast off all her weights and impurities
once. One who chooses to re-engage with the
world does so with the belief that she can never
ascend to a purely spiritual form at Theus’ side,
but instead faces only Oblivion. She chooses
to assume the weight until both she and the
weight no longer exist.
Akathari in Vaticine City
The Akathari have one of the strongest voices
for free will in the city. They argue that the
duality of the world demands that each person
possesses the same capability of goodness
as wickedness, and that difference between
action and abstention is choice. Only someone
completely perfect living in a completely perfect
world could be said to have no free will as
no choices would exist. Since this world is so
clearly not perfect, free will must exist.
The emphasis on free will and the belief
that anyone may become Weightless and
discover great Truths about the world has
made the Akathari popular, especially among
those tempted by Objectionism. Though the
Society wields little influence over the city, this
popularity prevents the Church from stamping
them out entirely…for now, at least.
The Akathari know their time is limited and
many within the Society have started making
contingency plans.
body or possessions again, the weight of the
The Ritual of Purity world settles back over him and he becomes
The Akathari tome, The Book of Weight, Tethered; he cannot be purified again. The
describes how to remove the spiritual ties that Tethered believe that, when the world ends,
a person’s life has formed. While leaving home, they end with it.
divorcing a spouse and giving up wealth removes
the material ties of family and wealth, only the The Heresy of the Akathari
Ritual of Purity can remove the attachment The current Tethered leaders of the Akathari
between the trappings of material life and the believe that the Church leadership is misguided
spirit. The Akathari believe that a person may and more prone to weighing down believers
only receive the Ritual of Purity once in his than lifting them up. A group of the Tethered
lifetime. Therefore, they tend to perform it in and Aspirants have formed their own
one of two cases. In the first, the recipient is Inquisition with the charge of investigating the
dying and has requested purification. While this Church and uncover evidence of excess, greed
purification is unnecessary, the Akathari believe and betrayal toward Theus and the people.
it eases the passage from life to death. The Akathari teach privately that the Prophets
In the second, the recipient wishes to try the were no more pure or perfect than any other
Riddle and is ready to commit to a strict, ascetic person and that the Prophets’ lives demonstrate
life. The Weightless must have no emotional their weight and lack of true spiritual purity.
connections to any person, place, beast or object. While the Akathari admit the Prophets’ wisdom,
For most this translates to a celibate life of extreme they also teach that focusing overly much on
poverty. Should he abandon this lifestyle and the Prophets distracts from humanity’s true
form ties of affection or come to care about his purpose—unraveling Theus’ Riddle.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 43

 An Akathari may:
• Be willing to sacrifice himself to expose
Church hypocrisy.
• Be a Hero who plans on one day becoming
Weightless and unraveling the Riddle.
• Be a Hero who received the Ritual of Purity
as a child on her deathbed, but instead
survived and is now Tethered.
• Seek to destroy a cardinal who covets
material goods while his flock begs for help.
• Expose a seemingly pious individual to her
community at risk of death.
• Have memorized secret knowledge of the
Church or of hidden misdeeds by a ranking
authority, and be willing to pass that
knowledge on to the righteous.
Favor with the Akathari
The Akathari value the spiritual over the material
and the difficult truth over easy deception. A
Hero earns Favor with the Akathari, not through
bold deeds or brash proclamations, but by
supporting the Weightless, using her free will to
choose goodness over wickedness and exposing
hypocrisy.
• Helping the Akathari uncover a religious
leader’s hypocrisy earns 5 Favor. If the
religious leader is a cardinal or higher, the
action earns 10 Favor.
• Providing food, clothing or transport for
one of the Weightless earns you 5 Favor.
A Hero May use that Favor for:
• Examining the evidence gathered by the
Akathari’s secret Inquisition and learning of
Church leaders’ misdeeds costs 2 to 4 Favor,
depending on how difficult the evidence
was to acquire.
• Asking a Weightless for insight into Theus’
Riddle costs 2 Favor. This may include
advice on which path is the best to take or a
minor revelation about the past or future.
44 Section Three: Secret Societies & Conspiracies
Conspiracies
Disagreements over Church history and
doctrine grow and fester into conspiracies. A
conspiracy is a loose affiliation of people who
all share a single, often heretical belief. The
strength of this belief creates a tribal us-versus-
them mentality without also forming a full
secret society or infrastructure of complimentary
beliefs. Those who share in a conspiracy may
disagree in every other aspect of their lives, but
on this one belief they are family. For every
Conspiracy, agreeing with or backing up the
conspirators earns you 3 Favor. Here are just a
few of the Conspiracies found in Vaticine City.
The New Knights
of Casuga Rosa
Many songs and stories speak of the Knights
of Casuga Rosa, the proud order of men and
women who risked their lives to protect the
Church. To most, the Knights are only legends,
more myth than history. To the conspirators,
the Knights were not only fact, but were far
more vital than anyone realized. The Knights
guarded Théah against the terrifying power of
the Door, a strange Syrneth doorway. Through
stories cobbled together from family legends,
old diaries and supposition, the New Knights
believe that they must find and recreate the lost
rituals of the Knights and locate the Door so
that they may ensure it remains closed.
The New Knights operate in secret and hold
elaborate rituals they believe might be key in
keeping the Door closed. Their belief in the
Door and the implication of where it may open
keep the New Knights in the shadows. The
Church does not condone belief in worlds other
than the one created by Theus.
• Gain 6 Favor by sharing an artifact from
the legendary Knights.
• Spend 4 Favor to take shelter in one of the
New Knights’ many secret ritual spaces.
The Children of Lora
The Children of Lora argue that Lora of the
Vale gave birth to the First Prophet, not Mariah.
Lora was a widow with two children already.
According to the Children, Lora conceived the
First Prophet in a beam of light a year after her
husband’s death. The First Prophet grew up a
normal child in a happy household with two
older siblings who later encouraged his ministry.
Once the Prophet died, Lora and his companions
disagreed over the fate of his ashes and Lora was
subsequently written out of history.
The Children of Lora, all excellent and
inquisitive historians, have found several pieces of
evidence to support their point of view. Given the
many forgeries that exist throughout the city, the
Children are well practiced at identifying which
texts are real and which are not. They cite this
skill as further reason why others should believe
them about Lora. Their detractors point out the
problems of vague references and confirmation
bias. Besides their denial of Mariah, the Children
are also deemed heretical because they question
the entirety of the Book of the Prophets. If
an error as large as Lora can exist in the holy
tome, many other errors, deliberate changes or
problematic translations may yet lurk.
• Gain 4 Favor by bringing alternative
translations of the Book of the Prophets
or copies of accountings from others who
followed the First Prophet during his
ministry.
• Spend 3 Favor to ask the Children of Lora
to verify a historical text.
The False Riddle, to and trusting the Church. The Church also
or Rejectionism
Rejectionists believe that Theus’ Riddle is both
impossible to solve and not meant to be solved.
In fact, Legion uses the Riddle to trick humans
and distract them from their true purpose:
finding the Riddle’s material match. These
conspirators believe the Riddle is not actually
a riddle, but rather an exemplar of perfection.
Once humanity can provide a material match to
the spiritual exemplar, Theus shall return.
Some of those within this Conspiracy include
Makers who believe humanity’s purpose is
creating the material exemplar. Others within the
conspirators are Seekers who believe Theus has
hidden the material match on Théah for humanity
to find. Both Makers and Seekers are endlessly
curious and inventive, however. In the current
political climate, focusing so extensively on the
Riddle and pursuing curiosity and questions so
relentlessly are both suspicious to the Inquisition.
Rejectionists have thus learned subtlety.
• Gain 2 Favor by stumping a Rejectionist
with a puzzle, riddle or question.
• Spend 4 Favor by asking a Rejectionist for
help creating or solving a puzzle or riddle.
The Common Prophets
The Common Prophets believe that the Book
of Common Prayer contains many encoded
prophecies. According to the Common Prophets,
the Book of Common Prayer predicted the War
of the Cross and Queen Elaine’s return from the
Sidhe. The codes rely on complex numerology
and symbolism. For example, the prophecy of
Queen Elaine’s return begins with a hymn that
mentions an apple tree. Common Prophets
usually keep their books with them, with pages
full of circled references, marginalia and drawn
connections between passages.
The Church has deemed the Common
Prophets heretical because they seek truth
through arcane examination of one of the two
primary tomes, rather than simply listening
condemns the Common Prophets for the
implication that anyone can divine the truth of
the world on their own.
• Gain 2 Favor by allowing a Common
Prophet to walk you through his favorite
prophecy or divine your future.
• Spend 3 Favor by asking the Common
Prophets to crack an encrypted message for you.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 45
 Forbidden Knowledge
Vaticine City is home to a network of libraries.
Each of the city’s libraries contains vast stores
of knowledge, both public and secret, nearly
impossible to find anywhere else in the world.
Because of this, Heroes from across Théah engage
in pilgrimages every year to find books that contain
secrets long since lost from recorded history.
Most of the libraries in Vaticine City are
considered adjunct libraries. They number about
a half-dozen throughout the city. Although
these libraries do contain rare or hard-to-find
information, none of these works are especially
disruptive to society or dangerous in the hands
of the general public. The Church assigns monks
as caretakers to these adjunct libraries, and
while not officially priests, they are individuals
raised and trained since childhood to study and
illuminate manuscripts and texts. While there
are monks in monasteries across Théah, those
assigned to the Vaticine City libraries are among
the best at what they do, or simply the most
politically well connected within the Church.
46
Secundus Library
The Secundus Library is a grand structure at
the heart of Vaticine City, standing three stories
tall and taking up an entire city block. Atop the
center of the library is a soaring bell tower.
Like the adjunct libraries throughout Vaticine
City, the Secundus Library has a vast number of
public stacks. The public stacks contain copies
of governmental records from across Théah,
educational treatises, atlases, books of poetry,
religious texts for public consumption and other
works that the Vaticine Church does not find
threatening.
On the third floor, accessible only to those
who have Church approval, are the Secundus
private stacks. These stacks house works dealing
with forbidden knowledge—information too
dangerous or easily misunderstood to allow
access to the general public. Twenty armed
guards, continuously stationed at the entrances
and exits to the private stacks, prevent anyone
not authorized to enter the stacks from
sneaking in.
The books found in the private stacks
themselves contain a wide variety of secret
information. Is a Hero trying to investigate the
origins of die Kreuzritter? Then the Secundus
private stacks are the place to look. Or perhaps
he is attempting to find the birth records
and true identity of a 300-year-old vampire?
Others may seek to answer the question of
what happened to the sword of the Prophets.
All these questions, and more, very likely have
answers in the private stacks of the Secundus
library.
The administrator of the Secundus library
is granted the title of archbishop, although he
or she does not oversee an archdiocese. The
archbishop and assistants have control over
who can borrow books and who can visit the
restricted stacks, but this can be overruled
by a cardinal or by the Hierophant or the
camerlengo.
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section Four
Secrets & Relics
T
he Vaticine Church keeps its
greatest secrets locked away in the
Vault. The Vault is an enormous
repository of relics and wealth
kept in subterranean catacombs of Vaticine
City. The location of the Vault, a secret from
the general public, is accessed through long and
snaking tunnels that lead to apparent hovels
throughout the city. A Vault guard—almost
exclusively recruited from senior members of
the Solomons—enters these access points in
disguise and dons her arms once inside. The
guard, sworn to secrecy, keeps her identity
hidden at all costs. If a guard’s identity is
discovered, she reports this breach to the
Vaticine security force and gets reassigned.[$$]
A Hero or Villain attempting to infiltrate the
Vault must therefore find out the identity of a
current or former guard willing to talk. Once
inside the subterranean passages, he must be
able to find his way through the labyrinthine
catacombs and safely to the Vault. Any wrong
turn could lead him to hazards such as sewer
monsters or secret bands of brigands. But this is
only part of the challenge.
Once inside the Vault, Heroes face plenty of
locks and traps to bypass. The main entry to the
Vault itself is behind a set of three large steel
doors, each with a complex combination lock
that changes every few months. The Vault door
itself is constructed to not only keep raiders out,
but to contain those who have been successful
at entering the Vault. In such an instance, the
guards seek reinforcements before entering and
slowly try to root out the invaders. If a Hero
finds herself trapped within the Vault, there
are few means of escaping aside from the main
Vault door.
The guards speak of rumors that, given the
Vault’s construction on ancient foundations,
secret passages in and out of it exist, just
waiting to be discovered. A desperate Hero
trapped inside the Vault may try to find one of
these passages so that she can still sneak out
with her loot in tow, rather than having to fight
her way through a mass of guards.
Another rumor persists that secret passages
were built into the Vault in the form of Porté
pockets—a construction in clear contravention
of Church doctrine. However, doctrinal purity
often gives way to pragmatic thinking, and not
all cardinals place morality over practicality.
Perhaps a trapped Hero can find and utilize
such a pocket. But jumping in could land her in
even greater peril and danger—for who knows
where it emerges?
The Vault Guardians
Miguel Correa: Miguel is Captain of the Vault
guard. A man in his late 50s, he has been one
of the Vault guards since he was a young man.
Orphaned at a young age, Miguel was raised
in a Vaticine orphanage training many of the
young boys and girls to become priests. A few
of the harder, sharper children, such as Miguel,
ended up being recruited into the city guard.
Once a part of the guard, Miguel distinguished
himself by being alert and quick on his feet.
In time, the Church recruited him for the
prestigious duty of guarding the secret Vault.
Over the years, he rose through the ranks,
coming to be the head of security for the Vault,
as well as all the other lesser secret caches and
libraries located throughout Vaticine City—at
least, those that are not the private secrets of
other conspirators such as Cardinal Verdugo.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 47
 Miguel counts his blessings each day. He
realizes that his life’s trajectory could have
gone in a completely different direction had
the Church not taken him in as a child. This
makes him utterly incorruptible regarding the
Church and its secret treasures. Indeed, Miguel
has turned down many a lucrative offer for
information on the Vault, and instead arrested
AR

the would-be briber. Because of this, Miguel has

made many friends within the leadership of the
Church, including Cardinal Verdugo.
TG ET

Miguel rapidly approaches the time in his life

(M

to focus on succession and ensuring his legacy.

Although very happy with Renata duVal’s
performance as his second-in-command, he
does not think she is ready yet to assume his
A

OE

duties. He cannot exactly articulate why and

YB

simply suspects he himself is not yet ready

to retire to the countryside, but he long ago
learned to trust his gut feelings in these matters.
SH

Renata duVal: Renata is Miguel’s second-in-

command and his closest confidante. DuVal is
a Castillian woman in her late 30s. She oversees
the day-to-day operations of the Vault guards
ER

including staffing, providing training and arms

HE

and upgrading the Vault’s security measures.

Renata has one great secret though: she has
E

been thoroughly compromised by a local thief.

Years ago, she and her husband became involved
VA

in an affair with a noble. For months, her lovers

plied her with requests to see the inside of the
Vault. She resisted at first, laughing off their
UL

curiosities and insistences—but her lovers grew

increasingly curious about her work and the
nature of the Vault. Eventually, Renata relented
T

one dark night. She had her lovers disguise

themselves as guards, and they plunged into the
?

Vault by torchlight. Her lovers marveled at the

)

relics and treasures found in the Vault.

DuVal swore the two to secrecy, requesting
that they never reveal her indiscretions.
Although they swore upon the First, Second
and Third Prophets, they were unable to
maintain their silence. While at a salon, the
couple related the story to an acquaintance of

48 Section Four: Secrets & Relics

theirs. This acquaintance proved to secretly be
the thief Diego de Leon. Immediately, Diego
realized that this knowledge could prove to be
incredibly valuable leverage over Renata. Later
that eve, he killed her lovers at their home,
staging the home to look like a robbery gone
awry. While there, he rummaged around and
found the husband’s journal, which contained
a detailed accounting of the night in the Vault.
At first, de Leon considered turning over this
information to Juan de Cielo (the Duke); this
kind of leverage could be very lucrative for
Diego, and the kind of information that could
catapult Juan to prominence over his rival, King
Thom. Eventually, though, de Leon decided to
keep it for his own use, reasoning that should
the need arise, he could always sell it to one or
the other underworld bosses in order to secure
a spot for himself in the retinue of whoever
came out on top of that thieves’ war.
With his leverage maintained, he approached
Renata, revealing all he knew. He presented her
with one simple demand: on occasion provide
him with access to the Vault and its treasures,
or have her indiscretions made public and her
career destroyed. DuVal was caught. She could
not see everything she worked for destroyed.
Reluctantly, she relented. In the three years
since, Renata has rarely been called upon to
honor her side of the bargain. Still, she regrets
having to keep this secret from Miguel. He
has been like a father to her, and every day
that she does not come clean to him, she feels
like she drives a knife deeper into his back.
DuVal is sure that one day she will be called
upon to provide a favor too great, or that her
transgression shall become known to Miguel.
When will that day arrive? How great will the
fallout be?
Nico Chevalier: Originally a Montaigne who
immigrated to Castille and Vaticine City,
Nico is a homeless drunkard, and is Miguel
Correa’s “eyes on the streets.” He keeps his ears
open for rumblings of any plots and plans to
sack the Church’s Vault and reports what he
learns directly to Miguel. In exchange, Correa
pays him handsomely in money promptly
spent on drinking and gambling. This ongoing
arrangement with Chevalier has led to the
successful apprehension of dozens of would-be
thieves and raiders in the Vaticine Vault.
Nico has recently learned a fact which he has
no clue how to deal with—that Renata duVal
has been compromised by a thief named Diego
de Leon. He learned this after overhearing
the drunken thief bragging about how he had
been given access to the Vault due to Renata’s
indiscretions. After this discovery, Chevalier kept
quiet and decided to be coy about the matter.
He feigned ignorance around duVal, and even
followed her around Vaticine City during her
off-hours. Over the course of a few months, he
witnessed her meeting Diego a half-dozen times.
This confirmed the suspicions in his mind.
Nico now is unsure of what to do with this
information. He wants to tell Miguel, but he
does not know whether duVal acts at Miguel’s
behest, maintaining a ruse to later apprehend
Diego. Chevalier also knows that, if Renata
denied the accusations, he would likely lose
favor with the Captain and, as a result, lose
his only regular means of work. Nico now
torments himself, knowing full well Renata’s
secret, but feeling paralyzed and unable to act
upon it. On the nights he worries too much
about the matter, he ends up drinking himself
into a stupor. How much longer can Chevalier
carry this burden? Will he find some way
of preserving his lucrative relationship with
Miguel, while still salving his conscience? Could
someone help him in the matter?
7th Sea | Vaticine City 49
 Relics
The Vaticine Vault houses a great many
relics and artifacts that have been recovered
by faithful members of the Church over the
centuries. Each is catalogued and locked away,
and only the most senior members of the
Church and the Inquisition are allowed free
access to them. This makes the artifacts quite
valuable and sought-after by Villains looking
to make a quick doubloon, or Heroes hoping
to liberate a relic that rightfully belongs to the
public or in a museum.
What follows are just a handful of the
hundreds of treasures locked away and
safeguarded in the Vault below Vaticine
City. Each item is storied with its own lore,
background and uses. Certainly an enterprising
Hero would be lucky to obtain any of them.
Each relic has a legendary miraculous ability
ascribed to it—not always a blessing—but
depending on the needs of your story this may
or may not be true. You should not assume that
a relic performs in a particular way just because
one possible blessing or curse is described for
it! And some relics might only awaken their
blessings for the truly faithful.
But Before We Begin…
A true Hero knows that a relic borrows the
mantle of Theus in order to help along the
Divine Plan. Heroes who seek out these relics
should do so humbly, sparingly and always
with the knowledge that someday a relic of the
Church must pass on to the needy once it has
served its purpose in the hands of a Hero.
Relics imbued with something other than
holy power are even more dangerous—they
tempt Heroes to cling to supernatural power in
order to change the material world. Legion loves
this kind of temptation, and the Inquisition—
and even less zealous members of the Church—
work hard to keep the world safe from someone
who lets loose such an item!
50 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
So when your players start asking you, “How
can I get my hands on that relic that gives me
a bonus to…,” just remember: a Hero uses a
holy relic to do the right thing, which she was
going to do anyway. Someone who approaches
the divine with greed or envy at heart and a
hope for personal power…that is a Villain. And
while Theus may rarely intervene in worldly
affairs, the misuse of a mighty relic for profane
purposes generally does not end well for the
overly ambitious. After all, just remember what
happened at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark…
What Exactly Do
You Mean by Traps?
Many of the relics in the Vault are guarded by
“many traps.” Of course, the Vault is not just
some dungeon filled with guards and pressure
plates. The traps in the Vault usually serve one of
three purposes: to test, to immobilize or to kill.
The first kind, a trap to test, is bypassed by
having an appropriate key or the right piece of
knowledge. This could be a special lock that
can only be unlocked with an amulet usually
worn by a specific archbishop, or it could be a
room with several crests on the walls, where the
correct historical crest of a specific Hierophant
must be found and pressed to unlock the exit.
A test of this sort may require use of Notice or
Scholarship, or possession of the proper key or
tool. Some tests might be very obscure and rely
on an unusual skill, such as a test of Performance
that requires a Hero to play a melody on an
organ. In mechanical terms, these tests require
a certain number of Raises to bypass (most
common appropriate Approaches include
Scholarship to test theological knowledge or
Church history, or Notice to uncover hidden
levers or buttons in order to open a secret door).
The second kind, a trap to immobilize,
keeps an intruder stuck so that the guards
can intercept him. This could mean isolating
a hallway with portcullises that slam down,
locking doors after everyone enters a room or
deploying nets or bars to grab people. A Hero
usually needs to rely on Athletics or Theft to
bypass these traps.
The third kind, a trap to kill, is used only to
guard the most dangerous and important of
relics. This could take the form of poisoned
darts, a chute that drops the intruders into a
chamber that fills with water or an even more
unconventional mechanism. A Hero defeats
these traps by using his appropriate Skill to
contest the Game Master’s roll for the trap; like
an enemy, a trap that scores more Raises than
a Hero causes Wounds. Lethal traps always
have some mechanism that can be bypassed by
the knowledgeable, which may be discovered
by recognizing the device (with Theft), by
knowing the appropriate Scriptural references
(with Scholarship) or by some other, more
unusual means. The Game Master decides how
dangerous a trap is and thus how many dice to
roll for it, but traps found in the Vault never roll
fewer than 8 Dice.
These three types of traps are almost always
used together to create a single, multi-faceted
trial. Having the right key, talisman or passcode
allows a petitioner to bypass one or more steps
of the trial, but rarely all—such a “master key”
would create a security nightmare for the Vault
and its treasures.
When an item is stolen or a new item is
placed in a chamber in the Vault, the Vault
guards typically have new traps installed. This
means that maps and plans of the traps quickly
become outdated, but the Vault guards must
often contract an outside specialist to help
construct the traps, which can be a point of
vulnerability for clever Heroes.
Designing Traps
Traps should generally have three characteristics: what it
does, how the Hero finds it and how the Hero overcomes it.
What it does is an if-then statement hidden from the
Heroes until triggered or discovered. If a Hero tries to open
the door without answering the riddle, then a hail of arrows
fires from holes in the wall and she takes 3 Wounds. If a
Hero does not have the key, then the portcullis drops and
he becomes trapped. If a Hero presses the wrong sequence
of runes, then the room begins to fill with poisonous gas
that, when breathed, renders her Helpless. When a Hero
takes an Action that satisfies the trap’s trigger, it goes off,
immediately creating a new Consequence in the Scene
that he must overcome or suffer. Remember that traps in
this sense provide a test to make sure that the Heroes are
supposed to be here. A trap that triggers when anyone
enters the room and immediately kills her does not fulfill
this purpose. Such a trap would have claimed a lot of
Vaticine interns over the years.
Some traps, as noted previously, allow the GM to assemble
a dice pool and roll to generate Raises and cause Wounds,
almost like a Villain does. These should be reserved for the
most powerful artifacts and central chambers of the Vault.
How the Hero finds it is most often a simple Opportunity.
This Opportunity should most commonly use Skills such as
Notice or Theft, but do not be afraid to think outside of the
box a bit. A trap could be a changed line within scripture
passage painted onto the wall (Scholarship), footprints
painted onto the floor in a strange, twirling pattern that
mimics a Castillian dance (Perform) or a tapestry of an
ancient battle depicting the wrong side as victorious
(Warfare). These things clue the Hero into realizing
that something is not as it seems, and that he should
investigate more closely. While the players know that
there is such an Opportunity (and which Skill’s Approach is
most appropriate to activate it), the Heroes do not. Only
when the Opportunity is activated does the Hero notice
something strange and discover the presence of a trap.
How the Hero overcomes it is the most variable element
here. In this case, this means how the Hero bypasses the
trap without suffering its Consequence. Possessing a key,
a magical talisman, speaking the correct password out
loud or knowing the appropriate sequence to a historical
or theological story (and arranging figurines on a table
in order to tell the correct story) disarms the trap and
renders it harmless, allowing the Hero to pass.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 51
 Saint Phideas’ Knucklebone
This item is a reliquary—a holy artifact
that contains the physical remains of one of
the Vaticine Church’s saints. That saint in
question was Saint Phideas, a pious Avalonian
priest who eschewed the path of prestige and
comfort. Phideas always dedicated himself to
providing comfort and aid to the poor and the
downtrodden.
In particular, Phideas established a leper
colony to provide care to the most disabled and
disadvantaged members of Théan society. After
seeing how lepers had been driven to the fringes
of the wilds by frightened villagers and forced
to scrounge and scavenge just to get by, Phideas
felt that his faith compelled him to right this
wrong. He set about organizing the lepers and
guiding them in the construction of a colony.
This did not sit well with the Avalonian
peasantry, who petitioned their King and Queen
to intervene and put an end to Phideas’ activities.
The royals saw the great consternation amongst
the peasants and feared revolt. They saw how many
willingly went on pilgrimage to leave their farms
and seek the aid of the Royal Court, that it seemed
armed rebellion would not be too far off should
their pleas be ignored. That settled the matter.
The royals ordered an armed envoy to ride
at once to find Phideas and order him to cease
his activities at once. As the envoy rode up, they
found the priest hard at work erecting a house,
sweat beading on his brow. The envoy called
him out, produced the royal proclamation and
told him to cease and desist his work on behalf
of the lepers at once.
Phideas wiped the sweat from his brow. A
thin smile spread across his face and his eyes
crinkled as he locked gaze with the leader of
the envoy. He thanked the men and women
for their service to the crown, and for going
out of their way to communicate the royalty’s
wishes, but unfortunately he answered to a
higher authority—Theus Himself. With those
few simple words, Phideas excused himself and
52 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
turned back to his work. The soldiers began to
approach him, ready to use force to get him to
stop. But immediately, lepers of all stripes—
young, old, male, female, moved to block their
path. They made it clear that if the soldiers
wished to harm Phideas, they must first wade
through the lepers. The soldiers did not want to
chance exposure to leprosy, and chastened, rode
back to inform the royalty of what happened
that day. And so began the cold war between
Phideas and the royalty.
In response to the events of that day, the
royalty tried to do everything they could to
get Phideas to abandon his endeavor. They
imposed greater taxes on the region his colony
was in, they suspended trade in and out of the
region, they tried to rile up the local peasantry
and get them to do the dirty work of destroying
the colony for them. Still, Phideas persisted.
In time, other matters of state drew the royals’
attention, and Phideas and his leper colony
remained. Tales of his exploits reached the
greater Vaticine Church. His defiance toward
the crown in the name of religion became a
source of celebration. Eventually, though, as
all people must, Phideas passed away. At the
time of his death, people already believed him a
candidate for canonization as a saint.
His remains were interred in Church
crypts, and once the Hierophant had granted
him sainthood and the body had properly
decomposed, the Church incorporated parts of
his remains into reliquaries. Although many of
Saint Phideas’ reliquaries have been lost to the
ravages of time, one in particular is still well-
known and safely guarded in the Vaticine Vault.
The Relic
This reliquary is Saint Phideas’ Knucklebone.
The knucklebone itself is wrapped in a leather
thong that is decorated simply. It can be hung
around the neck of its wearer, making it easy
to conceal and travel with. The Knucklebone
imparts to its wielder a tiny portion of Phideas’
abilities to heal and safeguard the sick and
wounded. The wielder of the Knucklebone
can, on her Action, spend a Hero Point and
one Raise to immediately heal two Dramatic
Wounds in another person. In exchange, the
wielder of the Knucklebone takes on those
two Dramatic Wounds herself. Unlike normal
Dramatic Wounds, which heal at the end of the
Episode, these two Dramatic Wounds can be
healed if you spend an hour in complete rest.
Esperanto’s Sliver
Joaquim Esperanto was a noble and virtuous
Castillian knight. Famous among the commoners
and royalty alike for his piety to the Vaticine
Church, he had remarkable skills as a jouster. At
an early age, Joaquim had been squired to an older
knight who recognized the young man’s skill and
potential. He worked hard and diligently to train
as a knight, and eventually his hard work paid off.
He quickly rose to prominence among the
jousting tourneys. Prior to wielding his lance and
getting on his horse, Esperanto always got down
on one knee, clasped his hands and uttered a
prayer to Theus. The assembled crowd joined him
in this prayer and cheered all the more vigorously
once he took the field. Men and women were
all-too-eager to lend Joaquim their favors at
tourneys, and people surrounded him eager to
soak up his tales of travel and knightly life.
But youth and virtue cannot guard against
preordained destiny, and it was not Joaquim’s
destiny to live a long and fruitful life. One
day while at tourney, he jousted against a
large and ferocious opponent—stories vary
about whether it was an Eisen knight with a
dracheneisen shield, a pagan Vesten of immense
stature with a bristling beard and only tattoos
for armor or a glamoured Avalonian færie
knight with legendary strength sufficient to
hurl boulders. On the first pass of the joust,
Joaquim’s lance struck the point against his foe’s
shield. He looked on course to win the day.
The second pass of the joust happened, and
this time Joaquim’s foe scored the point. Then
came the third and final pass to determine just
who carried the tourney that day. On this pass,
Esperanto scored the point—but at great cost.
When his lance came into contact with his
opponent’s shield, the blow shivered his lance.
One of the shards from the lance lodged itself
between Joaquim’s breastplate and his pauldron,
piercing his chest right by his heart. The squires
ran to the field and carried him away as he
writhed in pain. Onlookers saw the horrible
event as a tragedy…but Theus, as the Church
claims, always has a plan.
Esperanto was carried to the cottage of a local
healer and herbalist. The healer set about to
treating his wounds, staunching the bleeding
and creating a poultice to try to neutralize any
infection before it took root in the wound.
Joaquim lay in that bed, feverishly mumbling
heartfelt prayers to Theus, begging and seeking
His favor to make it through this critical time.
Fellow knights and the nobles they served came
to kneel by his side, take his hand, join him in
prayer and provide comfort.
But despite the knight’s piety, and the healer’s
heroic efforts, Joaquim’s brief and virtuous life
came to an end. After ten days and ten nights
of having his wound treated and being visited
by friends and admirers, the healer awoke one
morning to find that Esperanto had finally given
in to his wounds. In death, the knight’s face
bore a look of peace and acceptance that he had
not experienced for the previous ten days. All of
Castille went into mourning over the death of
one so noble.
Given Joaquim’s fame though, it was only
inevitable that less scrupulous individuals
sought to profit from his death. When all eyes
were on Esperanto during his convalescence,
one of the squires had secreted away the lance
shard that dealt the mortal blow. He hoped to
sell it to the highest bidder, a grim memento
mori of the life of Joaquim Esperanto. It is
unclear exactly who bought the lance shard—
later known as Esperanto’s Sliver—but in time,
the Vaticine Church acquired and stored it in
its Vault as a means of honoring a fallen Hero.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 53
 Once in Church custody, the bloodstained
Sliver received close examination. The Vault
custodians made a miraculous discovery—the
Sliver contained great and magnificent
properties that aided its wielder in combat.
Some who studied the Sliver swore that it
must have acquired Joaquim’s virtue as a result
of being bathed in his blood. Other, more
pragmatic-minded individuals argued that it
must have been his lance that contained these
properties and caused the knight’s acclaim
and success. They say that it is only natural
that the Sliver should contain some residual
magnificence. Others counter that, if the lance
was so enchanted to begin with, why did it
shatter upon striking the shield of Joaquim’s
opponent? The truth is unknown, but the
Sliver symbolizes how, when one of Theus’
soldiers falls, another may pick up the mantle to
continue the quest to defend the Church.
The Relic
One who wields Esperanto’s Sliver as a
makeshift dagger is imparted with great morale
and martial ability. During her Action on a
successful roll, she gains one additional free
Raise to spend as she sees fit. The Sliver is,
however, an awkward weapon, and attempting
to embed it on a haft or hilt risks damaging
it irrevocably. The Sliver is not meant to lead
one person to victory forever; it is destined to
change hands, and a warrior who relies on its
power for too long eventually faces a dramatic
turn that brings the Sliver to a new champion.
(Game Masters, this means that if one of your
Heroes acquires the Sliver, it eventually seeks to
pass on to the next generation of Heroes, and if
not relinquished after a time, it works through
Theus’ plan to find its way to a new bearer.)
54 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
Plaque of Hearth and Home
Jacqueline d’Canne was a famous Montaigne
artist. Part of her acclaim came from the fact
that she was incredibly talented at working in
multiple media—from poetry, to portraiture, to
sculptures. Jacqueline’s early talents and range of
abilities quickly set her apart from many other
of Théah’s artists. Her works all focused on
pastoral imagery, emphasizing themes of family,
joy, faith and solidarity.
It surprised very few when d’Canne received
an offer of patronage from the Vaticine Church.
Immediately, Jacqueline’s life changed as she gained
what all artists seek and aspire to—stability, fame
and full-time employment. She moved from her
home in Montaigne to Vaticine City, to work
closely with the Church. The Church officials
believed that, with their guidance and support,
Jacqueline could produce works of profound
spiritual magnitude which could spread Theus’
message in subtle ways across all of Théah, from
the commoners to the nobility alike.
D’Canne quickly set to work, producing many
paintings and sculptures, all continuing her
themes of family, piety and devotion. Her more
masterful works quickly became sought after
by Théan nobility, and owning a d’Canne work
quickly became an enviable status symbol.
Even as Jacqueline continued to produce
comforting works of art, she also gained
unofficial power within the Church to help shape
its patronage program for future artists. She
traveled far and wide to select the next generation
to benefit as she had. She became known for her
generosity and her desire to continue the Vaticine
mission of using art to reach the souls of Théans.
Eventually, d’Canne died peacefully of old
age. Her funeral was practically a state affair,
with nobility coming from as far as Ussura to
pay their respects to this legendary artist. After
her passing, the Vaticine program for providing
patronage to the arts grew into the Church’s
well-known support for the sciences and
progress of knowledge.
 Jacqueline left behind many amazing pieces of Robe of the Wanderer
art spread across Théah. Some are in museums;
most lie in private collections of Théan nobility. Little is known of the Wanderer. Some believe
As with most artists, her star only continues she was an Inish woman with profound powers
to grow in death. Much of her artwork can of sorcery, others believe she was a staunch ally
still be found in Vaticine City, with her most of the Second Prophet. Still others believe that
breathtaking and moving pieces of work being she was a living incarnation of Legion itself. The
kept in the Vaticine Vault. actual truth of the Wanderer’s nature has been
lost to antiquity. Despite this uncertainty, sources
One such work is called the Plaque of Hearth from across Théah agree that a traveling woman
and Home. As the name suggests, this work is a continuously moved across the continent, always
wall-hanging sculptural plaque, two feet tall by appearing during times of great upheaval.
three feet wide. It conveys a simple Montaigne
family eating dinner at their family table. The This woman, known only as “the Wanderer,”
children laugh and feed the family dog scraps always came in the company of chaos. Scholars
beneath the table, and the husband and wife are unsure whether she was the cause of such
lean in close whispering to one another. In the great troubles, or merely attracted to them ahead
background, a fire burns in the hearth, providing of time. Whether the cause or the cure, whenever
a warm and gentle light for the entire family. the Wanderer showed up, wise men and women
quickly disappeared. They either fled to the nearby
The Relic wilderness or stayed with a relative two villages over.
If hung in a small home, the plaque itself Those who remained behind at the Wanderer’s
conveys great blessings upon all who sleep in destination came to quickly regret their choice.
the dwelling. All occupants of such a building
receive a bonus Hero Point the next day. The
Plaque reflects the camaraderie of a loving
family—while it brings peaceful dreams
to those who sleep in a building where it
is housed, it forfeits its blessing if enmity
develops between family members within an
estate. Should relatives up to three generations
removed be at odds, the relic can give no benefit
and instead haunts the family with half-
remembered dreams of filial piety and unity.
Only if they reconcile or separate to find their
own fortunes can the family members once
again come under the blessing of the plaque.
Anyone who has slain a family member can
never have easy rest in a home where the Plaque
resides; such a person never regains Hero
Points while sleeping in that domicile.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 55

 One day, the Wanderer waded into a great
battlefield. Stories say she hummed and sang,
even as arrows whizzed through the air, and
soldiers clashed swords against shields around
her. The effect so unnerved everyone that nearby
combatants broke their ranks and moved out of
her way, as she continued to simply walk through
the mass of combat. Eventually, those at the
battlefield lost track of the Wanderer.
That was the last day she was seen on Théah.
Some believe that she died that day in the
battle. Others argue that none of the survivors
managed to locate her body among the corpses.
Some think she went to rejoin her friend, the
Second Prophet in the afterlife. Others claim
that, as Legion, she had greater forms of evil
to perpetuate elsewhere. As with all stories
surrounding the Wanderer, mystery and
uncertainty prevail over knowledge and fact.
The only trace that the Wanderer was even on
the battlefield that day was her cloak, left behind
seemingly unstained despite all the mud and blood
that covered the field. The general of the winning
army claimed that robe, dubbing it “the Robe of
the Wanderer.” He thought that the Robe would
be a curious conversational piece, something to
take from the battlefield and show off to his lord
and friend alike. Such was not to be.
Five days after the battle, the general, with the
Robe stuffed into his saddlebags, was riding his
horse. The horse came across a venomous snake
and suddenly reared up to avoid being bitten.
It bucked the general from its back, who struck
his head against a large rock as he fell. The blow
killed him instantly.
His captain gathered all belongings from the
general’s saddlebags—including the Robe—and
continued onward toward her home in Eisen.
A month later, when she arrived, she caught her
husband in the act of an affair with his mistress.
Enraged, the captain drew her sword and
instantly slew both her husband and his lover
alike. She was immediately arrested by the town
guard and later sentenced to death for this crime
56 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
of passion. The city government confiscated
her belongings. The Robe of the Wanderer
numbered among these belongings. Eventually,
the Robe and many other goods were stolen
from the city town hall, which was set on fire and
burned to the ground by the thieves.
And so it went—wherever the Robe went,
chaos and destruction followed. It never stayed
in one person’s possession for too long before
theft, death or accident liberated it again,
causing it to move farther through Théah. This
pattern persisted for hundreds of years.
All that changed when a particularly scholarly
Inquisitor named Ramirez stumbled upon it
while investigating claims of demonic possession.
He saw the Robe hanging from a coat hanger in
the home he visited. Ramirez asked the owner
how he came to own the Robe. The owner
related the story about a traveler who rode
hard into town one rainy night, claiming that
his group of friends had been ambushed by
bandits. That rider collapsed and later developed
pneumonia, dying from the exertion.
Ramirez instantly recalled the tales he had
read of the Robe of the Wanderer, and its
ability to bring chaos wherever it went. He
sought Theus’ blessings to contain the powers of
the Robe and took it with him to Vaticine City.
Along the way, Ramirez broke his arm after
stumbling down a path, but he arrived at his
destination otherwise safe and sound.
The archbishop of the Vault secured the Robe
and bound its powers—the official record states
that the archbishop accomplished this by a powerful
exorcism, but rumors whisper that sorcery may
have been involved. To this day, the Robe rests
behind many traps and ward in the Vaticine Vault.
The Church hopes that it can protect Théah
against this cursed object indefinitely. But is it only
a matter of time before the Robe somehow escapes
the confines of the Vault? After all, if the power
that contains it ever falters, it will bring disaster
upon the Vault itself. If so, what will happen when
it is once more unleashed upon Théah?
The Relic
Anyone in the same Scene and location with
the Robe automatically loses one Raise from all
actions, regardless of whether he is in contact
with the Robe, wearing it or fighting against its
bearer. The Robe is indiscriminate in its curse.
Libram de Theus
Although there are only two official holy
books in the Vaticine Church—The Book
of Common Prayer and The Book of the
Prophets—there are many books of theological
commentary. These books help guide
priests and common folk alike in furthering
their understandings of the Creed and the
Holy Books. However, some theological
commentaries are so esoteric and so easily
misunderstood (despite their brilliance) that
it is inadvisable to allow the general public
to access them. After all, it would not do for
the Church to accidentally unleash another
Objectionist heresy, would it?
Of these brilliant but dangerous texts, the
Libram de Theus is the most well-known and
respected throughout the corridors of Vaticine
City. The Libram was written many centuries
ago by a monk named Giuseppe Carubba. He
spent his entire life researching and writing
the Libram de Theus. He only finalized his
manuscript and published it a few months
before he died, aged and gray. After his funeral
and reading the text, his brothers and sisters in
the monastery immediately knew that he had
produced a work of both staggering genius, and
great and profound danger.
In the Libram de Theus, Carubba went at
great length to engage in a textual exegesis on
the very essential nature of Theus and the wider
world. Throughout the Libram, Giuseppe used
extended analogies and anecdotal discussions
to argue a greater understanding of how
Theus was structured and worked. As a deep
and powerful logical thinker, he knew that all
of his observations and speculations about
Theus had to be firmly rooted in passages and
quotations from the Creed and the Holy Books.
The monk was firmly aware that any misstep
and lack of reverence for traditional Church
doctrine—real or perceived—could result in
the Inquisition showing up and taking him
away to the dungeons. In this way, the writing
and publication of the Libram represented every
bit as brilliant a political as a theological move.
Once delivered to the headquarters of the
Church in Vaticine City, the book was rapidly
read by members of the Inquisition and the
Church’s theological committees. Numerous
members of the diocese were outraged—they
perceived in the Libram all the dangers that
Carubba’s thinking represented to the Church.
These individuals argued that the Libram
should be burned, and Giuseppe posthumously
excommunicated from the Church. But many
others saw sublime beauty and truth behind his
text. They believed that there was much to learn
from the book, much that could help develop
Théah’s finest Vaticine minds. Arguments raged
for months over the proper course of action
to take regarding the Libram. One faction
even contemplated absconding with the book
altogether as the only means of destroying it.
Eventually, however, those voices who wished to
preserve the Libram prevailed in their argument.
Such a rigorous theological discussion had
occurred that even those who feared its danger
could no longer disclaim its value altogether.
The ensuing agreement was one of compromise:
preserve the Libram de Theus, but as a secret
manuscript locked away in the Church’s Vault.
Only the most devout and well-educated members
of the Church were to be allowed access to it, and
even then only for limited periods of time. All
agreed that it was imperative to keep the Libram
out of the hands of an uninformed populace who
lacked the sophistication to truly understand the
book’s contents. As such, much like the Robe
of the Wanderer, the Libram de Theus now sits
locked away in one of the safest, most secure
areas of the Vaticine Vault. Many traps line the
7th Sea | Vaticine City 57
 passageways that lead to the pedestal it rests upon.
Despite being accessible to the highest levels
of the clergy, it has rarely been read since its
original publication.
As for the contents of the Libram itself, the
discussions of Giuseppe Carubba were deceptively
simple in nature. The book speaks of how the idea
of Theus as a person in the sky is at best merely a
construct to allow mortals, in their limitations, to
better understand the nature of Theus. Carubba
argued that Theus is in everything and everyone,
that even the smallest blade of grass is, itself, but
a small extension of the much grander being that
is Theus. Giuseppe observed that a blade of grass
differs from a fire, differs from a human being, so
even as Theus took different forms, there must be
some unifying nature. Carubba believed that the
essence of Theus was the emotion that we call love,
and that each being was simply a part of Theus
waking up to its own divinity—a process that
could be expedited by constantly staying in a state
of love—known as agape. In this state of agape,
Carubba argued, the need for laws, restrictions,
fear and governments all fall by the wayside, and all
could transcend to be with Theus and the Prophets.
Bits and pieces of Carubba’s work have appeared
in Rilasciare tracts and among the ideals of some
of the Secret Societies of the Church (see page
$$). Part of Carubba’s brilliance is in casting the
nature of Theus as an intangible ideal that can
never be perfectly understood, but that cannot
be refuted without undercutting the Church’s
essential message of compassion. Particularly
esoteric scholars claim that Giuseppe’s writing
is also allegorical and that it holds truths about
the nature of the invisible world—that is, about
sorcery—and that a proper understanding of it
might allow one to understand how to connect
sorcery to Theus’ Riddle and thereby sidestep the
theological problem of sorcery as a tool of Legion.
Even Legion must be a creation of Theus, and
thus a sorcerer who could puzzle out the riddle of
how to practice the magical arts out of Theus’ love
for humanity and selflessness could enter the state
of the beatus magi, the “blessed magician.”
58 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
The Relic
Reading the Libram of Theus, and absorbing
its theological lessons provides a great boon
of information and knowledge to the reader.
Digesting this information requires that
the Hero already have at least one Rank in
Scholarship (to be able to understand some
of the arguments) and requires six months of
reading and contemplation, minus a number
of months equal to his Wits (to a minimum of
one month). Completion of this task grants the
reader a permanent bonus Rank in Scholarship.
Treat this in all ways as an extra Rank, except
that it is not counted when calculating the cost
to improve the character’s Scholarship, and it
can exceed the usual maximum for a Skill.
Knight-Errant Gustavo’s
Mummified Head
Knight-Errant Gustavo of La Manzanita was a
jolly and joyous man who always reveled in life. At
an early age, Gustavo lost what meager holdings he
had to gambling and was cast out from the service
of his noble lady. Nevertheless, Gustavo shrugged,
smiled and with a twinkle in his eye, said that his
life’s calling had only just begun.
Wherever he rode his trusty steed Papi,
Gustavo could be recognized by the hearty
laugh that originated deep in his belly. At all
times, Gustavo carried a lute with him wherever
he traveled and expertly plucked its strings
and sung a song. The beauty of his voice and
his musical talent were matched only by his
commitment to help the oppressed peasantry of
the Théan countryside.
Gustavo righted wrongs and helped the
downtrodden with a vigor and zeal that was
unparalleled. When asked why, in the face of
his own misfortune and reduced circumstances,
he worked so tirelessly on behalf of others,
Gustavo flashed a grin and simply said, “A
better question is how could I not?” He claimed
that having experienced loss and frustration
firsthand made him even more understanding
of the common person and more committed to
embodying the knightly virtues of olden tales.
Gustavo regularly intervened in matters too
attenuated or too minor for the local constable
or sheriff. A chicken had been stolen? Fear not!
Gustavo would find the foul fowlnapper! A
grandmother’s antique necklace was missing from
the house? No worry—with Gustavo at the ready,
the heirloom was already as good as returned.
But were the matters always so trivial, Gustavo
would have easily faded into obscurity. Along with
missing livestock and misplaced charms, Gustavo
also tracked down violent robbers who sacked
and stole from traveling millers. He returned a
kidnapped person to his betrothed. He exposed
the abusive and extortionate practices of a
corrupt magistrate. These acts demonstrated
Gustavo’s true heroism: a willingness to fight
corruption and Villainy, even when found
among the established Théan institutions. Since
Gustavo himself had lost all title and legitimacy
within knightly and noble circles, he did not fear
reprisals as a result of making the wrong enemies.
Without any social status to lose, this was an an arrow, they snuffed out the life of faithful Papi.
area where Gustavo possessed immunity to any Then, as Gustavo waded through the battle on
actions taken against him. foot, he was slashed and stabbed by the brigands.
All this came to an end one day, as these Gustavo persisted, nevertheless, right up until
stories sadly must, when Knight-Errant the moment that one of the brigands swung true
Gustavo met his match. Gustavo had made and struck Gustavo’s head from his shoulders.
enemies of a minor Eisen noble. The noble had It was a sad day indeed, but even so, some
been brutally taxing his subjects and reacting goodness came of it. Gustavo had fought so
violently when they could not pay. In order fiercely, that the remaining brigands were unable
to maintain the barest illusion that he was to survive long after having been wounded by
unconnected to the attacks, this noble hired the noble knight. They, too, expired from their
a band of brigands to do his violent and dirty wounds. Gustavo had saved the town.
work. But Gustavo would have none of it. The townsfolk were grateful to him. They
As the brigands rioted and destroyed the entombed the Knight-Errant’s remains in their
square of a small Eisen hamlet, Gustavo burst town crypt. They erected a shrine to him at
over the fence, charging atop the back of his the crypt and hung his favorite lute above the
ever-loyal Papi! Peasants swore that Gustavo’s entrance of the town church. For many years,
sword flashed, striking the bandits, even as he villagers paid their respects to Gustavo, seeking
played his lute and sang merrily (how exactly he blessings in business and fertility at Gustavo’s
could do both at once…well, the peasants did not shrine. Villagers who petitioned Gustavo’s
dwell on the matter too long). But the brigands remains swore that he answered their prayers.
were many, and Gustavo was but one. First, with They came to refer to him as the village saint.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 59

 Unfortunately, many years later, unknown
assailants vandalized and robbed the town
crypt. One of the items that had been stolen
included Gustavo’s mummified head itself.
Somehow, many years later, Knight-Errant
Gustavo’s mummified head was recovered by
the Vaticine Church and stored in its Vault.
There, it resides to this very day.
The Relic
Anyone petitioning Gustavo’s head may, once
per year, ask it for a boon to a single determined
action. If that person is good of heart and Heroic
of nature, Gustavo’s head provides the boon. The
recipient of that boon gains two free Raises to
spend on a single action of her choice. This boon
lasts for up to a year, and the recipient cannot
ask Gustavo’s head for another boon until a full
year has passed after using the Raises from the
previous boon. Gustavo’s head only provides
this boon for undertakings of a just, generous
and Heroic cause; even coerced, a Hero cannot
benefit from this boon to perform a wicked act.
The Hierophant’s Necklace
As the name suggests, the Hierophant’s
Necklace is a beautiful jeweled necklace
typically worn by the Hierophant for high
ceremonies and holidays. The necklace is
nearly 1.000 years old and is among the most
treasured of ceremonial artifacts of the Vaticine
Church.
The Hierophant’s necklace represents efforts
spanning all across Théah. The gold was from
Castillian gold mines, its prized jewels were
found, shaped and polished in Avalon, and
the dracheneisen clasp was specially fashioned
in Eisen. All of these materials came together
per the instruction and design of a Montaigne
jeweler extraordinaire, Remy Ludeaux. Remy
had been commissioned by the Church to create
a piece of jewelry exemplifying the splendor and
glory of the Hierophant.
The fact that Remy’s brother was one of the
most eminent cardinals in the Church at the
60 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
time had little to do with him being awarded
this prestigious job. Remy himself traveled far
and wide to inspect, negotiate and purchase
all the materials that went into the creation
of the Hierophant’s Necklace. Ludeaux was a
driven man in the creation of the Necklace. He
saw this not only as a job to bring glory to the
Church, but also as a means of bringing his
services to the notice of a wider clientele.
Such was not to be, however, for among the
most precious of materials included in the
Hierophant’s Necklace was Remy’s heartsblood.
Late one night in his workshop, Ludeaux fell
asleep at his desk. He awoke to the sounds of
movement within the workshop. He roused
himself and found a burglar in the midst of
looting all his work. At that very moment,
clutched in the burglar’s hands, was the
Hierophant’s Necklace itself!
Normally a timid man, Remy leapt at the
burglar and a struggle ensued. The burglar drew
a dagger and thrust. Unfortunately, Ludeaux,
too close to dodge or parry the weapon, was
nicked in an artery. Even as he bled, though,
Remy wrestled the dagger away from the
burglar and turned the tide, vanquishing the
burglar before succumbing to his own wounds.
As the two men’s bodies lay collapsed against
one another, their mingled blood added the final
ingredient to the Hierophant’s Necklace.
Remy’s brother, the Cardinal Ludeaux, was
devastated by the loss of his younger sibling.
He convinced the Hierophant to honor Remy,
whose faith guided him to protect the Church’s
property even to the point of his own death,
by erecting a statue of the jeweler in their
Montaigne hometown. To this day, the statue
of Remy stands. It depicts the man as standing
tall, holding his hand out for a nesting dove. At
the base of the statue reads a plaque that says,
“Faith and Virtue Unto Death.”
After its creation, the Hierophant’s Necklace
continued to be a prized possession of the
Vaticine Church for years. It was stored in
the Vault and worn by Hierophants for high
holidays and matters of state. Despite this
relative scarcity of use, many famous portraits
of Hierophants have included the Necklace in
their imagery. Apparently, these artists have
found the glory and glamour of the Necklace so
visually compelling, that they prefer to depict
the Hierophant as always wearing it.
Since the death of the last Hierophant, the
Necklace has sat unworn in the Vault. Some of
the Vaticine Cardinals have suggested changing
the name, so as to allow them to don the item
for affairs of state. The Necklace, they argue,
was more synonymous with Vaticine power
than it ever truly was with the station of the
Hierophant—after all, why else would artists
make such liberal use of its imagery? They believe
that, the sight of the familiar object, will do
much to restore faith and fidelity to the Church
amongst wandering souls who have fallen sway
to the Objectionists, or worse, to Legion’s magic.
So far, these are the minority of cardinals, and
the camerlengo has refused these requests.
The Relic
As the Necklace continues to sit and gather
dust in Vault storage, it becomes an increasingly
desirable target for thieves and raiders
who would love the opportunity to sell the
Hierophant’s Necklace to the highest bidder.
The Necklace, if worn, dazzles and astonishes
those who look at the wearer. While wearing the
Necklace, the wearer gains +1 to her Panache.
Of course, anyone wearing it who is not the
Hierophant has a lot of explaining to do!
The Vaticine beneath the city. Just as Mads thought his luck
Recovery Team
The Vaticine Church employs a “recovery team”
to track down relics and artifacts to be stored
in the Vault. Since the church believes all such
items belong to it by divine grace, they are
not stealing said items, merely recovering lost
property. The recovery team is technically an
extension of the Inquisition, and as an arm of
that group it employs all tactics in pursuit of
its goals. Because of this, it enjoys wide latitude
to employ extreme techniques and methods in
recovering items that have been stolen from the
Vault. The team is kept a complete secret from
most of the Church and the rest of Théah, and
is led by a Vesten man named Mads Larson.
Mads, a middle-aged Vestenmennavenjar
man, leads the Church’s recovery team. In his
younger years, he was a warrior and a Vendel
trader. For side work, and for the thrill, he
earned extra money performing assassinations
under the cover of night. Between his work as
a trader and an assassin, he had no shortage
of funds. He dreamt that he might someday
become the next Mjötuðr, filling the 200-year-
absence in Vesten culture.
However, Larson’s ambitions came to naught.
One night, drunk on honeymeade, he sought to
seduce the son of the local jarl atop a balcony. The
jarl’s son spurned his advances, but Mads, drunk
and embarrassed, did not take the rejection well.
His quarrel with the jarl’s son caused the young
man to fall from the balcony and plunge to his
death. Immediately, Mads’ fortunes reversed.
The jarl called for his arrest and prosecution.
Larson saw little choice but to flee
Vestenmennavenjar. He stowed away under
cover of night and made his way deeper into
mainland Théah. There, he survived by wits
and through the use of his lethal skills. He
traveled throughout Théah for over a year, until
finally captured by Solomons after committing
a murder in the heart of Vaticine City. He
was immediately thrown into the dungeons
had finally run out, he was approached by none
other than High Inquisitor Verdugo himself.
Verdugo entered that damp and dark cell. He
kneeled by the chained and shackled Vesten
and told him that the Inquisition had need of
the rare skills Mads possessed. All he had to do
was convert to the Vaticine Faith and swear a
lifetime of allegiance to the Church in exchange
for his freedom, funding and an outlet for his
7th Sea | Vaticine City 61
 bloodlust. Larson wasted no time in accepting
Verdugo’s offer. Immediately freed, fed, clothed,
boarded and given access to funds, he began the
Church’s recovery team.
In the years since then, life has again been
quite good to Mads. Although his conversion
to the Vaticine faith was, at first, a matter of
simple practicality, over time he has come to
believe in the messages of the Prophets and has
taken on his own kind of piety. He has recruited
a team of four other Villains who does whatever
it takes to gain items that belong in the Vault.
His second-in-command is a woman named
Noura al-Abadi—originally a pirate from the
Crescent Empire. Like Mads, she accepted service
in the Church as a means of escaping execution for
her piracy. She is incredibly knowledgeable about
all of Théah’s cultures and customs, especially
concerning its black markets—the most likely
place to find artifacts and relics.
62
On Larson’s team are also the identical Eisen
twin brothers Dolf and Rolf Schmidt. The twins
are classically trained acrobats and are most often
responsible for reconnaissance and acrobatic
incursions into strongholds. Both twins also
know pugilistic arts and even without a weapon
are a force to be reckoned with in a skirmish.
Rounding out Mads’ strike force is Estella
Rodriguez, a noble Castillian woman of deep
and abiding Vaticine faith. Estella is a highly
trained diplomat, politician and poisoner. She
acts as the public face of the team, often gaining
the crew access to countries and locations that
would be otherwise impossible. Once there, the
recovery team lies low as Rodriguez scours the
political landscape, learning of the major issues,
latest gossip and clandestine rumors that could
lead the crew to items the Inquisition believes
are better off secreted away from the public.
After Estella does her work evaluating out
the landscape, Mads moves in, planning and
directing the team in the recovery. Larson,
along with Dolf, Rolf and Noura move quickly
to secure the treasures. Along the way, all four
prefer to use lethal force, leaving behind no
witnesses to their clandestine affairs. Once a
job is complete, Rodriquez reconnects with the
contacts she originally made in the location
to determine if any reports of the recovery
surfaced. If a contact seems suspicious of Estella
and her entourage, she uses poison to silence
him forever. Once Mads is satisfied that the
crew’s trail has been sufficiently covered, they
move on to their next mission or return to
Vaticine City.
Lately, Rodriguez has grown angry with
Larson for favoring al-Abadi. Estella argues
that she, not Noura, should be Mads’ second-
in-command. She feels that her role as the
public-facing liaison between the team and
their surroundings puts her at greater risk and
requires greater skill to conducting the higher-
level reconnaissance. While Larson appreciates
Rodriguez’s contributions, he is concerned
that Estella does not have the tactical mindset
to orchestrate a successful operation. Should
anything happen to him, he believes that
al-Abadi is the only member of the team who
could immediately fill his shoes.
Any of these characters might try to employ
a Hero to help resolve their conflict. Yet how
will this conflict resolve itself? Will Estella
make a play for power? Will she target Noura or
Mads himself? How successful will it be? Will she
involve the unwitting group of Heroes in her plan?
Using the Recovery Team
Though Mads is an extremely dangerous Villain,
the Vaticine Recovery Team is unlikely to cross
swords with a Hero directly unless she has a relic
that Verdugo wants. A more likely scenario is
that the Hero may stumble across the team in the
midst of a mission and decide to stop them after
witnessing their use of bloody force and murder
to achieve its goals, or she may come across the
grisly scene of the team’s latest job.
As a base, treat Larson as a Rank 8 Beast
Villain—driven by Rage to kill—with Strength
6 and Influence 2. Cardinal Verdugo gives him
enough leeway to craft some of his own plans,
but Mads is not usually interested in intricate
conspiracies and set-ups. His subordinates
are Lesser Villains; Noura has Strength 5 and
the other members of the cadre are Strength
4. (This means if a Hero encounters them as
a group, she faces a potentially very dangerous
encounter if they gang up on her.) If Estella
sees an opportunity to gain more Strength, she
attempts to break away from Mads and gain
Influence of her own and set herself up as an
independent Villain and rival—and she may
seek Verdugo’s favor. (See Heroes & Villains,
page 109, for the specifics about Lesser Villains
and how they can become independent.)
Finally, should anyone actually penetrate the
Vault and escape with any of its contents, Mads
and his team will focus all their ire on the
thieves, whoever they may be.
Speaker of the Rites
Within the Vaticine Church a number of
groups and societies exist. Many of these
are known to the outside world or at least
whispered of among members of the Church.
There is, however, one group of Heroes not
widely known. In fact, according to the Church,
the group does not exist. To the vast majority
of the Church not even hushed rumors exist
regarding these Heroes. There is no record of
their actions, no list of members and no paper
trail to follow. The Speakers of the Rite exist
in secret and channel one of the most potent
powers in Théah: the might of Theus Himself.
In its earliest incarnation, the group known
today as the Speakers of the Rites were
demonologists. They acted as an elite, but no
less secretive, group dedicated to exorcising
the demons and monsters that plagued Theus’
faithful. Stories tell of robed men and women
arriving in a village late in the night to do
spiritual battle with the beings of Legion. The
priest exorcised the monster from the afflicted,
at times taking it within herself and counting on
her force of will to win out against the darkness.
Many succeeded, but some failed. In their last
moments of clarity, knowing that they would
not be strong enough to triumph, these Heroes
drove their ritual knives into their hearts, killing
themselves and defeating Legion at the cost of
their lives.
Since those days the order has evolved. And
while a Speaker of the Rites still maintains
the Rites to perform exorcisms, he has grown
beyond that role. As time passed and they
discovered more Rites, the Speakers pushed
themselves further into obscurity to ensure that
only the most devout can call upon the power of
Theus. And while the modern Vaticine Church
employs a number of exorcists, no Speaker
counts himself amongst this group. An official
Church exorcist is well-known and does not
possess any form of supernatural power with
which she battles evil spirits. In truth, Speakers
7th Sea | Vaticine City 63
 intercept any true risks of Legion and send out
members to deal with true threats before the
exorcists even know it exists.
It is important to note that a Speaker does
not consider what she does to be a sorcery.
While a Speaker is at times less conservative
than many other members of the Vaticine
Church, there still exists a stigma against
sorcerers. Instead, a Speaker believes that she
channels Theus himself and that a sliver of the
divine exists within her to power her Rites. The
truth of this is unknown; it is certainly possible
that Rites are Sorcery just as much as Glamour
or Sanderis.
As a small and secretive order, recruitment
to become a Speaker of the Rites is a quiet
affair. Many members scout out and groom
their potential apprentice years before true
training begins. Members search out only the
most faithful, but make efforts to avoid fanatics.
Humility is another highly valued factor; a
Speaker cannot take credit for his actions and
any potential apprentice seeking personal glory
is automatically taken out of consideration.
Once a proper apprentice has been selected,
training can begin. Training is slow and difficult
as there is no mundane example of how an
apprentice feels and interacts with Theus’ glory
within her. Mastering the first Rite is by far
the most difficult step of the journey. In order
to make room for Theus to place a portion
of His grace within a new Speaker, she must
first remove any shred of evil within her soul.
Methods vary, but include fasting, solitude
and long hours studying the Book of Common
Prayer and the Book of the Prophets. Once an
apprentice is sufficiently cleansed and prepared
by her master to understand how this power
works, she is brought before three Speakers
who anoint her body with oils and fill the
room with prayers while the master takes her
apprentice through her first Rite. This can be
a grueling process, lasting longer than a day at
times, but if successful the apprentice learns
the Rite and is forever touched by the might of
64 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
Theus. Forevermore, there is always a spark of
light within her very soul that powers her Rites.
At the end of this process, if successful, the
apprentice becomes a full Speaker.
If the apprentice fails one of two events
occurs: if the master believes that he may still be
strong enough then the apprentice may be kept
on and receive additional training, or the master
may swear him to secrecy and return him to
his former role. This risky option is part of why
the selection process is so strict. In reality, very
few apprentices fail the initiation, but this fact
ensures that selection of apprentices remains
demanding.
At the end of her training, a Speaker of
the Rite takes a solemn vow to avoid fame
to ensure that knowledge of her power does
not get out. As a secret organization within
the Vaticine Church, it would be disastrous
if news of the Speakers’ existence reached the
world, and because of this, a Speaker takes this
oath as seriously, if not more so, as any other.
By channeling the might and grace of Theus
through her Rites, a Speaker is capable of
incredible feats of power. Because of this, she
often attempts to hide her powers. If another
Hero has fallen to the blade of a Villain and a
Speaker wishes to return her comrade to life,
she would not simply lay her hands upon the
corpse and channel her power. She would send
for a healer or have another ally administer aid.
At that point the Speaker would enact her Rite,
and the fallen Hero would have a “miraculous”
recovery.
Contrary to the secrecy valued by the
Speakers of the Rites, at times a Speaker may
entrust his allies with the truth of his power
as long as those allies vow to keep the secret
as well. This can be beneficial to the Speaker
as allies can directly assist with obfuscating
the truth when he performs a Rite and allow a
Speaker to more easily cover his tracks.
There are less than 50 Speakers of the Rite
at any time, and they are mostly solitary unless
training an apprentice. Outside of taking
an apprentice through the first Rite, it is
exceptionally rare for a Speaker to interact with
another member of her order, and no Speaker
even has knowledge of the identity of more than
five of her brethren. Only the leader of the order,
one simply referred to as The Lector,[$change
name] has knowledge of each member. But The
Lector keeps her identity a mystery; any member
could potentially be The Lector and no one else
in the order would be aware. When The Lector
retires, the individual elects to pass the role,
along with a list of members and any relevant
knowledge, to the replacement. And The Lector
also maintains a contingency plan if killed before
selecting a replacement. In this case, another
member of the order awakens to find that she
has been chosen, but with no mentor to guide
her into leading. This has only occurred twice in
the history of the Speakers of the Rite, but each
occasion nearly destroyed the order.
In order to recognize a Speaker of the Rites,
one must first know that the group exists, and
according to the Vaticine Church they do not.
However, if a person can learn the truth of this
order, he can identify a Speaker by her deep
violet robes and black leather bag upon which
the First Prophet’s words are written: “We are
no one, But we will bear the burden for us all.”

The Inquisition
While the Speakers of the Rite are a secretive order within the Vaticine Church, the
Inquisition (specifically High Inquisitor Verdugo and his inner circle) is aware that the
Speakers exist. The Speakers may abhor the Inquisition’s methods and practices, but the
simple fact is that they number too few to bring about any serious change within the Church.
This has led to an uneasy truce between the two groups: the Inquisition is too large and
powerful for the Speakers to overpower, while individual Speakers possess an undeniably
great power the Inquisition does not want to antagonize.
While a Speaker does what he can to oppose the power of the Inquisition, his true purpose
is to enact Theus’ will throughout Théah. An individual member may take solace in the small
victories he can levy against the Inquisition, but the leaders of the Speakers have made
the choice to focus on improving Théah as a whole rather than directly confronting the
Inquisition, as that is a fight they will almost certainly lose.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 65

 How it Works
As a Speaker of the Rite, you have been trained
in ancient rituals passed down through your
order since the earliest days of the Vaticine
Church. When you acquire the Sorcery
Advantage, your Hero gains two Minor Rites
and one Major Rite. In order to gain a Major
Rite, you must first learn the corresponding
Minor Rite. For example, if your Hero learns
the Minor Rites of Devotion and Peace the
first time you acquire the Sorcery Advantage,
you are only able to choose the Major Rite of
Devotion or Peace. You would not be able to
choose the Major Rite of Wrath until you have
first acquired the Minor Rite of Wrath.
Each time you purchase the Sorcery Advantage
after the first, you gain one additional Minor Rite
and its corresponding Major Rite.
When a Speaker enacts a Rite, there is no
obvious outward sign of the power. There is no
prayer, no lighting of candles and no flash of light
when using a Rite. The power provided by Rites
are not flashy; while the usage of other magics
(specifically Porté) can be obvious, a Speaker’s
Rite is more subtle and is played off by a Speaker
as a “miracle” or simple luck. In a perfect world,
no one besides the Speaker would even know
that he used his powers. A person unknowingly
affected by the powers of a Speaker usually
Villainous Speaker of the Rites?
In this section you will notice that several powers
only empower Heroes or only hinder Villains. This is
intentional. Theus only provides His power to those
who follow His light. If, at any point, a Heroic Speaker
of the Rite falls to her baser instincts and becomes a
Villain, she immediately loses her Sorcery and the ability
to perform all Rites. A Hero who obtains Corruption
retains her Sorcery; a crisis of faith can happen and
often leaves a Speaker more dedicated than before.
But Villains may never call on this power. If you meet a
Speaker of the Rites in Théah, you can be assured that
he is a Hero. While he may not agree with you, and
you may not agree with him, you can know that in the
grand scheme, you are on the same side.
66 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
reports feeling a great power within her, but with
no idea of the source. She often plays off the
effects of a Rite as adrenaline, heightened skill
or some other internal reservoir of power which
answered her call in a dire circumstance.
Rites
Using a Rite during an Action Sequence must take
place during your Action (unless otherwise noted)
and costs 1 Raise in addition to any other cost
(such as Hero Points). A Speaker of the Rites may
never be affected by her own Rite, although the
Rite of another Speaker affects her as normal.
There is no limit on the usage of Minor
Rites (unless otherwise noted within the Rite).
A Speaker may use each Major Rite that she
knows once per Scene.
The Rite of Devotion
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned
Piaculum Amoris (the Rite of Devotion)
dedicates herself to helping others. If you count
a Speaker with this Rite as an ally, know that
she will never betray you. As a part of learning
this Rite, a Speaker vows to support her allies,
as long as the cause is righteous, even if she does
not believe that the plan of action is best.
Minor
Spend a Hero Point when you create an
Opportunity in a Sequence. Select a Hero;
that Hero immediately takes advantage of the
Opportunity without spending a Raise.
Major
Spend a Hero Point and select a character
who has been killed in the current Scene.
That character’s soul returns to his body and
he is brought back to life. If the character’s
body is not capable of life (beheading, severe
evisceration, etc.) this Rite has no effect. A
Speaker may only maintain a single resurrection
in this manner; the Speaker may not perform
this Rite upon another character while the
previous recipient still lives.
The Rite of Mercy are impossible to rile, and while they do not
automatically follow a given instruction, they are
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned
more likely to comply with reasonable requests.
Piaculum Clementis (the Rite of Mercy)
concerns himself with easing the suffering of Major
the innocents around him. This Hero, often a
Spend a Hero Point. Apply Pressure to each
gentle soul, provides what comfort he can to
character in the current Scene; in order to
any in need. As a part of learning this Rite, a
perform an Action that inflicts Wounds, the
Speaker vows to provide his true forgiveness
character must spend 2 Raises. This Pressure
when requested, regardless of the offense.
remains for the remainder of the Scene.
Minor
The Rite of Purity
Spend a Hero Point. For the remainder of the
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned Piaculum
current day, each character in your presence has her
sum Purgatus (the Rite of Purity) attempts to
hunger and thirst sated by any amount of food and
uphold Theus’ perfect original form of humanity.
drink. A sip of water and a bite of bread provides
This Rite is the oldest known and its origins can
the sustenance of three full meals. Additionally, all
be traced back to the Speakers’ original role as
affected Heroes gain the Quirk “Gain a Hero Point
exorcists within the Vaticine Church. As a part
when you offer aid to the wounded, food to the
of learning this Rite, a Speaker vows to avoid
hungry, water to the thirsty or charity to the needy”
substances which harm his body and potentially
until the end of the day. A character may not be
damage his connection with Theus.
affected by this Rite on two subsequent days.
Minor
Major
Spend a Hero Point and select a character.
Spend a Hero Point after a Hero receives her
Remove any toxins, poisons or harmful
fourth Dramatic Wound. Cancel that Wound,
substances from that character. This includes
and that Hero may not have Wounds inflicted
the effects of drugs and alcohol. This Rite does
on her for the remainder of the Round.
not undo any negative effects that the substances
The Rite of Peace (such as Wounds inflicted by a poison) have had
on the character, but no further effects occur.
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned Piaculum
Pacis (the Rite of Peace) dedicates herself to ending Major
strife. These Speakers are often pacifists and are
Spend a Hero Point to select a character under
found in the most dangerous conflicts in Théah
the effect of possession (whether due to a
with the goal of stopping unnecessary violence. As
Monster or another Sorcery). The possession
a part of learning this Rite, a Speaker vows to never
immediately ends on the selected character. If
raise a fist in anger and to only strike back at her
the character is possessed by a Monster, it may
transgressors when all other options have failed.
either appear within the Scene or, if the Monster
Minor requires a host, seek out another potential host.
This Rite applies Pressure to the Monster: in
Spend a Hero Point. Every creature in your
order to choose a host aside from the Speaker,
presence becomes calm and docile, even if
the Monster must spend 2 Raises. Whatever
previously in a frenzy (such as a panicked crowd
being caused the possession is aware that the
attempting to flee from a burning building) until
effect has ended after this Rite is performed, but
the end of the Scene. A Hero may spend 1 Hero
does not know the circumstances unless that
Point or a Villain may spend 1 Danger Point
being has a means to learn what occurred.
to negate this effect on himself. Those affected

7th Sea | Vaticine City 67

 The Rite of Sacrifice
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned
Piaculum Purum (the Rite of Sacrifice) believes
that her duty is to bear the pain of others. This
Speaker suffers in silence, hoping that others do
not realize the pain she endures, and often lives
as an ascetic. As a part of learning this Rite, a
Speaker vows to provide aid when requested
regardless of the cost to herself.
Minor
Spend a Hero Point when a character is dealt
Wounds. You may reduce any amount of
Wounds dealt to that character and inflict that
number of Wounds to yourself. There is no
outward sign of these Wounds; all damage dealt
is internal.
Major
Spend a Hero Point and any number of Raises
(keep in mind activating this ability costs 1
Raise which is NOT included in this total) and
select a Villain involved in the Scene. Every 2
Raises on this Rite spent removes 1 Raise from
that Villain’s pool.
The Rite of Truth
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned
Piaculum Vēritāte (the Rite of Truth) always
seeks out the truth, no matter how painful it
may be. There is no lie so strong that Theus
cannot show the truth. As a part of learning this
Rite, a Speaker vows to never speak a falsehood
or intentionally mislead others.
68 Section Four: Secrets & Relics
Minor
Spend a Hero Point to increase visibility in
your immediate surroundings until the end of
the Scene. When you perform this Rite, fog
dissipates, ambient light (such as from a candle
or the moon) increases and any other limit on
visibility is removed. Physical barriers such as
walls still hinder vision. This Rite overcomes any
Consequence related to visibility in your immediate
vicinity. This effect may remove mundane as well as
supernatural limits on visibility.
Major
Spend a Hero Point when a question is asked in
your presence. You know if the answer to that
question is false. This Rite allows you to know
the actual truth; if a character tells you that
her father is dead, you know if that is a lie. If
the character believes her father to be dead and
states such, but he is actually alive, you know
that what she says is not true.
The Rite of Wrath
A Speaker of the Rites who has learned
Piaculum Irae (the Rite of Wrath) embodies
Theus’ vengeful nature. These Speakers
empower the blades of others to strike down
the wicked and are the most aggressive of all
the Speakers. As a part of learning this Rite, a
Speaker vows to oppose the wicked and not sit
idly by while evil goes unpunished.
Minor
Spend a Hero Point and select a Hero. The
next time that Hero inflicts Wounds upon a
Villain or Brute Squad this Round, increase the
number of Wounds dealt by an amount equal
to your Resolve.
Major
Spend a Hero Point after a Hero inflicts
Wounds upon a Villain or Brute Squad. That
Hero may immediately take an additional
Action as if she has spent 1, and only 1, Raise.
This Action must result in Wounds being
inflicted on a Villain or Brute Squad.
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section Five
So You Want a Vaticine Story
A Hero is called to Vaticine City by one of the
cardinals...
• …who wants her to undertake a service on
his behalf.
• …who has secretly been contacted by one
of her Villains and asked to create problems
for the Hero with Church authority and
investigations.
• …who demands that the Hero turn over a
prized possession to him.
• …who asks the Hero to use her influence
on behalf of the Church to intercede with
one of her allies.
The Hero follows an enemy to Vaticine City…
• …where the enemy seeks sanctuary with a
relative who is a member of the priesthood
serving in the city.
• …where he attempts to convince the
Inquisition that the Hero must be captured
and stopped.
• …where the enemy barters a relic or artifact
for protection with one of the scholars of
the Church.
• …and he taunts the Hero openly in an
attempt to get her to cause bloodshed in
a public space in front of gendarmes and
Solomons.
• …and discovers that the enemy is trying
to frame her for a horrible crime there, like
murder of an archbishop or theft of a piece
of priceless art.
The Heroes are tasked with going to Vaticine City on
behalf of an influential ally…
• …and asked to carry a letter secretly to one of the
Church authorities.
• …and asked to negotiate for special dispensation on
behalf of another ally in poor standing with the Church.
• …and are asked to carry a relic that other people
want to steal.
• …who is a sorcerer seeking to establish communication
with another sorcerer working in Vaticine City.
A patron asks the Hero to sneak into Vaticine City to
steal a hidden relic…
• …because it is actually dangerous, but the curators
in Vaticine City do not know it.
• …because it can save the life of someone important,
but the Church is loathe to allow it out of the city.
• …because its power can help to defeat a Villain, but
it costs the life of the user, and the Church would
never agree to such a plan.
• …because it is a fake, but the curators do not
believe it and the Hero needs to steal it to force the
counterfeiter into the open.
• …because the patron tells the Hero one of the above
reasons, but is actually tricking her in order to use,
sell or keep the relic for himself.
The Hero is invited to a special event…
• …a wedding for a pair of nobles, to be conducted by
a high-ranking Church official such as an archbishop,
and of course others wish to disrupt the ceremony.
• …a funeral for a friend or ally receiving a special service
in recognition of her accomplishments from the Church
and a place in the catacombs of Vaticine City, but someone
wants to steal something from the body—or the Hero
discovers the body is not his ally, but someone else entirely!
7th Sea | Vaticine City 69

• …a baptism for the young child of a noble family,
religious centers: Iskandar and Quamontaigne…
but of course this event becomes a whisper
campaign of treachery and favor-currying,
especially when the child falls mysteriously ill, and
the parents, citing fears that they refuse to elaborate
upon, demand that the Church call in an exorcist.
• …the graduation of a new set of recruits among the
Solomons, but the recruits start dying one by one
under mysterious circumstances that seem to point
toward the Hero.
• …ostensibly a theological conference and a
discussion of doctrine, but in reality the Inquisition
hosts the show to look for people who might be
scholars or sympathizers with the Invisible College
so that they can be targeted for elimination.
An employer offers the Hero a favor and a sum of
money if she performs a service…
• …that involves smuggling contraband into Vaticine
City for a member of the administration who is
secretly corrupt (which, of course, ideally makes a new
Villain for the Hero).
• …performing a dead drop in the Hierophantic
Basilica of the Prophet with a message to be picked
up by a contact, but something goes wrong and
the contact comes to her directly, badly wounded,
and asks the Hero to help with another task (pick
anything else from this list).
• …of entering the city to make contact with someone
who has been targeted for assassination and has
been hiding in Vaticine City for safety, but now must
get out without the assassins catching her.
• …of getting the blessing of every cardinal in the city
on a sacred item and bringing it back.
• …of carrying a part of an artifact and matching it
to the other half, stored secretly somewhere in the
city—the results of which are unknown.
70 Section Five: So You Want a Vaticine Story
Ambassadors arrive from the other great
• …attending a conference to discuss
theological matters, but this serves as a
backdrop for cultural tensions as political
members of the Vaticine Church work
quietly to discredit their counterparts.
• …and the Hero stumbles across a plot by
one of the delegations to assassinate a high-
ranking member of the Church and frame
another Church member for it.
• …and the Hero steps in when one of the
ambassadors becomes very ill and cannot
attend a lavish ball held in honor of the
meeting, so he must attend with a list of
people of importance and pertinent topics
that the ambassador was supposed to address.
• …bearing a gift that they wish to give to the
Church in the spirit of cooperation, but one
which is dangerous and must be stored in
the Vault. Before it can be stored, though, a
thief steals it, and the Hero is the only one
to catch sight of a clue to her identity.
• …and the Hero finds himself drawn into
a secret conference as the ambassadors
reveal that the three sacred cities (Vaticine
City, Quamontaigne and Iskandar) sit
atop Syrneth—or older!—ruins harboring
some kind of supernatural power, perhaps
a network of magical energies made as
an ancient prison, and only by working
together can the authorities of all three
cities maintain the trap now while someone
tries to free the beings contained within…
which, according to the documents held by
the archivists of Vaticine City, may well be
Legion itself!
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section Six
Systems
Detailed below are several new systems to use
for the enhancement of your campaign.
Faith in Théah
Although knowledge brings one closer to
understanding the Creator in the Vaticine
Church, it takes an act of faith to believe in the
Creator and the words of the Prophets to begin
with. Many raised in the Church and working in
the inner parts of Vaticine City follow its rituals
and tenets as little more than habit. Others
pay mere lip service to the Church’s credos,
and still others only use the Church and its
resources to further their ends. Certainly, they
believe in Theus and the Prophets and would be
offended to be asked such a question! But faith
goes beyond mere passive belief—it is an active
commitment, is a constant conversation with
Theus and can be challenged in times of hardship
and sorrow. Unshakable faith in the Creator is
difficult to find and more difficult to preserve.
But it does exist and is the stuff of miracles.
There are many reasons to serve the Vaticine
Church, and faith does not have to be one of
them. Ask a Hero that is part of the Church
about what he believes and the strength of
his faith in the Creator. Does Theus literally
intercede through the devout to heal the sick
and grant visions of the future? Would he ask
for divine intervention in the face of certain
death and truly believe the Creator would
protect him? (Given some within the Church
literally use their faith as both shield and
weapon against Legion, it is a fair question.) A
Hero who has chosen a life with the Church for
reasons other than religious fervor should still
consider these questions, as her faith (or lack
thereof ) helps to define her amongst those she
lives and works with, for better or for worse.
A Hero’s faith in and relationship with the
Creator is unique and also affects how he interacts
with the world around him and his work within
the Church. Belief shapes the way one sees reality,
so a faithful Hero’s view of the Creator—loving,
stern, vengeful—shapes his decisions and goals.
He proceeds as he believes Theus intends. This is
how faith does not always mean someone doing
the “right thing”—history is full of horrors done
by people of deep devotion, for what they truly
believed were the right reasons. For every Catalina
del Mont, there is an Enrique Cortarini.
Even amongst the most devout, faith will be
challenged. Reason and knowledge can bring
doubt that the great Riddle of the universe can
ever be solved, that there even is an answer.
Tragedy can shake the strongest of faith, when the
Creator’s plan is impossible to see through sadness
and grief. And adventuring far from Théah,
in strange lands with very different customs,
a Vaticine may feel very far from even Theus’
all-encompassing gaze. A Hero suffering a crisis
of faith in difficult times may need a sign from
above to help restore it. Something as simple as
a ray of sunshine breaking through dark clouds,
a previously locked door swinging open, long-
awaited good news coming at the perfect moment
or just a deep and abiding sense of calm and peace
shows she has not been forgotten by Theus.
Visions
The faithful have been blessed with prophetic
dreams and hallucinations from the earliest
days of the Church, illuminating Theus’ will
and warning the righteous of dangers both
physical and spiritual. Though often enigmatic
and difficult to understand, these visions hold
important truths for those who receive them—a
direct message from the Creator himself.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 71
 A devout Hero is always an excellent
candidate for a well-timed vision to start a plot,
move one along or give her the hint she needs to
resolve a complex situation. It is not necessary
for the Game Master to require points or
a die roll from a Hero if he feels a vision is
dramatically and narratively appropriate.
Visions can manifest in times of great stress or
danger, in moments of quiet contemplation and
serenity or in an altered state brought on by
drugs or alcohol—though entheogen use is not
encouraged in the Vaticine faith. The sleeping
mind is also more open to prophetic dreams
and messages from the Creator.
Visions are often as unique as the beneficiary.
Some see simple signs or symbols with a
significance immediately apparent to the receiver.
Others receive a visit from a messenger of Theus,
while tales of strange and bewildering waking
visions and dreams are common amongst the
devout, if downplayed by the Church to be little
more than historical curiosities.
72
Blessings
When the power of the Creator is made
manifest on Terra, it can do amazing, terrifying
things. The hand of Theus very rarely reaches
out to directly touch mortal events, and when
it does, it is almost always to intervene in at the
behest of one of the faithful.
Unlike sorcery, the ability to call upon Theus
for blessings or miraculous acts cannot be taught.
There is no ritual or prayer that works every time
or for every penitent. There is no guarantee that
even the saintliest of followers will be successful
in her prayers. A Hero must petition Theus in
the form that fits him best, whether that be at
High Mass or at a simple shrine in the forest. (In
times of mortal danger, the Creator understands
if one must dispense with such formalities.)
Blessings can imbue an object or a being with
Theus’ favor. Mothers often ask for a blessing
on their children, but a warrior can also ask for
the Creator’s aid in surviving a great battle. A
necklace might be blessed to protect the wearer,
a sword blessed to strike true when fighting
an evil foe. Heroes can bless an object to grant
a bonus to an appropriate Skill equal to the
number of Hero Points spent for the length of
an Episode. For example, a sword blessed with
1 Hero Point grants a Bonus Die to the bearer’s
Weaponry; a locket blessed with 3 Hero Points
grants 3 Bonus Dice to the wearer’s Convince.
Though blessings are powerful, they come at the
discretion of Theus and therefore that of the Game
Master. A devout Hero with a strong relationship
with the Creator may be able to bless with relative
ease on occasion, as long as her aims are pure and
her faith is true. Frivolous requests may strain a
Hero’s relationship with Theus. A blessing made
in passing may grant the Creator’s power without
intent or effort on the Hero’s part—Theus works
in mysterious ways. The faithful can only ask for
divine favor and hope to be heard.
Know that these blessings come at a cost,
however, and Theus does not tolerate the wicked
to bear His blessings. Any act that results in the
Hero gaining Corruption through any means
(a Sorcery power, an evil act, activation of an
Advantage—any means) immediately ends any
blessings present on that Hero or any of her
equipment. A Hero who already has Corruption
may still call out to Theus for a blessing, but the
Creator is understandably skeptical. A Hero
must pay additional Hero Points equal to his
Corruption to call upon a blessing and, like all
other blessings, an answer from Theus is far from
guaranteed.
Miracles
Miracles are rare, and rarely more than small
wonders like the ink tears of Angelica DeSanctis.
The Creator is constantly called on to heal the
sick, to save the unfortunate, to provide salvation
in the darkest of moments, and these prayers are
seldom answered. The only thing that sets the
Hero apart is the strength of her faith and her
relationship with Theus—and even faith is not
enough to ensure a miracle.
To call the hand of Theus down to intervene
on his behalf, a Hero must sacrifice all
accumulated Hero Points to gain the attention
of the Creator. The request must be stated in a
sentence and can be discussed with the Game
Master to ensure the intent is understood. Even
so, the Game Master reserves the right to grant
the miracle in the way Theus sees most fitting—
including not at all. The Creator may “Destroy
the spirits of Legion” more enthusiastically than
intended, “Bring my friend back to life” and do
so fully healed if her death was righteous, “Find
me a way out” by opening a long-forgotten
secret passage to freedom or “Fill our sails” to
flee deadly enemies on an otherwise windless
day. Theus is not likely to “Make me rich” or
“Appoint me Hierophant” unless there is an
excellent reason.
If a Hero is in a desperate situation and
cannot think of what might help her specifically,
she has the option of calling on the Creator
for any aid Theus may see fit to grant. As with
most of the Creator’s powers, “Aid me Theus!”
or a similar prayer can provide miraculous
help of the Game Master’s choosing. A Hero
may heal Wounds, gain more Raises, have all
negative Consequences in a Scene eliminated,
have a friendly NPC arrive in the nick of time
or have the Danger Pool cleared. The type of
miraculous aid cannot be requested, only the
aid itself.
The results of requesting a miracle are
non-negotiable. The Hero pays the price and
asks for aid, and Theus chooses whether or not
to answer. Silence on behalf of the Creator does
not refund the paid cost.
A Hero that performs a number of blessings
or miracles may gain fame and notoriety
amongst the faithful if he does not take care
to be circumspect. The higher ups in Vaticine
City—and perhaps even the Inquisition—also
take a keen interest in anyone wielding power in
the name of the Creator, no matter how quietly
and humbly.
7th Sea | Vaticine City 73
 I Tre Soldati
During the War of the Cross, three Vaticine
knights set out to protect the innocent from the
ravages of war. Seeing the towns and villages
unprepared for an attack, they moved from place
to place, mending the wounded and teaching all
to defend themselves in the midst of the chaos
of war. The knights plainly and openly wore the
colors of the Vaticine, but otherwise avoided
identifying themselves; no one ever knew their
names, and so the trio eventually became known
only as I Tre Soldati (the three soldiers). When
asked why they would not name themselves, they
answered that they helped anyone regardless of
affiliation who needed the aid and protection of
Theus. These three nameless, anonymous Heroes
saved countless villages from destruction with
the aid and training they provided.
I Tre Soldati provided townsfolk with
weapon and shield and the training to use them.
The shield of the Soldati style not only protects
the bearer and his allies, but to also forces his
opponents away and off balance. The Soldati
style focuses on unbalancing an opponent
rather than wounding her, presenting a strong
front to dissuade an attacker from continuing
her assault and, thus, ending the conflict.
Though there were only three original teachers
of the Soldati style, many modern Duelists have
sought out promising practitioners and turned
the defensive technique into a “real” Dueling
Style. In modern years, Soldati Duelists have
begun to win tournaments, and a few formal
schools have been opened. The most notable of
these schools is, of course, located in Vaticine
City, though countless smaller countryside
schools teach locals the methods of the Soldati.
Style Bonus: Soldati’s Aegis
When using a shield in one hand and any
weapon in the other, Soldati’s Aegis replaces
your Bash maneuver. Soldati’s Aegis forces
your opponent off balance with your shield,
74 Section Six: Systems
concentrating on limiting her footwork and
striking arm to make an effective attack all but
impossible. When you perform Soldati’s Aegis,
deal one Wound and select the Slash, Feint
or Lunge Maneuver. Your opponent cannot
perform that Maneuver on her next Action.
New Advantages
1 Point
Devout
Spend a Hero Point to flawlessly recite a
verse from the Book of the Prophets, speak
an appropriate prayer, or conduct a Vaticine
religious ritual.
2 Points
Favored by the Church
A Hero must have either the Ordained or
Patron (Vaticine Church) Advantage in order
to purchase this Advantage. If you have the
Ordained Advantage, you can expect to gain
access to any Church library unless explicitly
forbidden (such as by the Inquisition), and the
Bonus Die for social Risks against characters
who adhere to your faith increases to 3. If you
have the Patron (Vaticine Church) Advantage,
the Wealth you receive from your Patron at the
beginning of each game session increases by 1,
and the first favor you request from your Patron
each game session does not cost you a Hero
Point (although subsequent favors still do).
4 Points
Seminary
You attended a Vaticine seminary school, where
you studied various topics including theology,
church history and oration. When you make a
Risk using Convince, Scholarship or Perform,
all of your dice gain +1 to their value.
Appendix: Inspirational Sources
Some players just skip the inspirational sources sections of game books. Do not be one of them! These
examples of media offer you inspiration stories in your game. Take the plunge and see how these can help
you craft your own swashbuckling adventures.
Black Robe: This movie about Jesuit missionaries arriving in the New World to convert the native Algonquins
is a grim reminder that the Church is highly academic, very persuasive and often willfully blind to how its
dogma can trample people who do not want to be part of it. This is a slow burn interpersonal drama, but it
fits the period and has some interesting insights into the hurdles that missionaries face (and a rather bleak
outcome). While not a heroic adventure per se, this could inspire the drama of Heroes facing off against
Church missionaries in lands on the edge of Théah, using rhetoric and derring-do to either protect or
convert foreign people.
Brother Cadfael: Again, the time period of this series is too early for swashbuckling, but it is still a TV and
book series about a retired-soldier-turned-monk who gets caught up in investigations of murders and other
problems. He is often hampered by having to follow the Rule of his monastery, by the political machinations
over who will be in charge and of course the insistence that he should spend less time investigating and
more time praying. Cadfael is a wonderful example of how a Hero could be a member of the Church, older,
dignified, knowledgeable and still a man of action who becomes embroiled in adventures. At one point
Cadfael earns a special exemption from his duties, exactly how a Heroic monk in a 7TH SEA game could
become part of a traveling group of Heroes.
The Da Vinci Code: The story of this novel and film is a potboiler adventure that offers inspiration in the
realm of strange puzzles, conspiracies and obscure bits of Church lore and trivia. Rather than copying the
book, consider it a starting point for creating your own world-spanning Church adventures, which (of
course) end in Vaticine City and threaten the status quo of the Church with hidden knowledge brought to
light by the Heroes.
Day of Wrath: A black-and-white film about witch hunts; it’s also Dutch allegory for the Nazi occupation.
It probably inspired the more widely known story The Crucible. This film will give you goose bumps while
inspiring your Inquisition Villains.
Mother Joan of the Angels: This probably qualifies as a horror movie, though it was made as a dramatic
film about the Loudon possessions at a French convent. Nuns are being possessed, and a priest arrives to
investigate. Great inspiration for an exorcist character, or possibly for a story set in a convent, perhaps
where an angry spirit seeks to vent its wrath against the women who escaped its abuses in life.
The Name of the Rose: This story is set in the medieval period (AD 1327), but remains an excellent resource.
Someone kills people at a monastery that houses Catharist survivors of the Albigensian Crusade, while a
pair of visiting monks try to find the killer amidst a conference about the important theological question of
whether Christ owned his own clothes (reflecting the doctrinal conflict between the wealthy Church and
the poor Catharists). The revelation that the murders center around a book considered heretical is excellent
inspiration for Heroes traipsing through the libraries and catacombs of Vaticine City, hoping to save an
ancient manuscript from the mad monk.
The Three Musketeers: This is one of the signature books of 7TH SEA inspiration, but it is relevant to call out
again here because the Villain is a Cardinal maneuvering for political power, and he has his own personal
ecclesiastical guard. The central plot of the story is that the Musketeers must save France from falling under
the Cardinal’s sway by protecting the Queen’s infidelity with an English Duke so that the King of France
continues to favor her as a counterbalance to the Cardinal’s influence. Not only is the Cardinal a Villain, but
the Heroes are protecting some decidedly sinful behavior! But this is a time of romance when love justifies
many things. Would your Heroes do the same? And like Aramis, the Musketeer-turned-priest, would they
face a crisis of conscience?
Witchfinder General (a.k.a. The Conqueror Worm): Vincent Price as an Inquisitor! Though campy and only
loosely based on any kind of history, it is a tense, scenery-chewing look at how to present an Inquisitor who
rampages across the countryside. Be warned: This is a gruesome film with a great deal of rough content
that may be difficult for people who are disinclined toward violence and violation.

7th Sea | Vaticine City 75

 Iskandar

THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART WE CANNOT USE

 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Introduction
T
he first sound the righteous hear
in Iskandar is the call to the dawn’s
prayer, the ululation from the
mosques’ minarets summoning
faithful Dīnists. For the unrighteous or the
adventurous, the city never sleeps.
The gateway to the 8th Sea and the Crescent
Empire, Iskandar has been a transitory port for
every culture in the world, connecting East and
West through the Pilgrim’s Scarf. The sultana’s
imperial palace looms great and golden above
the city’s multi-layered mess of a thousand
different cultures. Opportunity dwells on half
the corners; danger lurks behind every other
one. Get in good with the Odiseans and you
will have friends in every port. Rise high in
academic standing and no univer- sity in Théah
or Ifri will turn you away.
The desert beckons, yes, but that desert
was not always Anatoli. Iskandar has been
Numanari, Persic and Khazar. Even today,
Ifrians, Ussurans, Agnivarsans, Vodacce,
Odiseans and Shenese wander the streets. The
imperial government on the hill over the city
interacts with the teeming, common masses
through the embassies. The city’s secrets do
not stop with the diplomatic: sorcerers possess
the thousands of cats stalking the streets, while
jinn and other intelligent monsters hide among
humans. Everyone is looking to take control.
Why did you set foot upon Iskandar’s docks?
To enter the palace, greeting the Crescent
Empire’s greatest nobles and diplomats? Are
you an ambas- sador on a politically complcated
mission from Montaigne, or a religiously
complicated one from Vaticine City? Or maybe
the docks themselves called you here, with cargo
from a thousand ports, crates ten thousand full
of spices and rarities. You could desire to cross
blades with the Janissaries, or the Jaziran Guard,
Anatol Ayh’s fiercest warriors. Perhaps you came
to research a tome within the Illustrious Houses
of Many Sciences…or perhaps you came to learn
there as a student, from the finest teachers in all
the Crescent Empire. You might also sharpen
your magic and theological insights in the city’s
madrasas—or maybe someone else’s learn- ing is
most needed, as you have a rare disease or wound
only the best doctors can cure. You would not be
alone if you came to see the Ayaecclesia’s golden
dome blazing over the city—will you enjoy
the ancient church’s current glories or covertly
restore those of the recent past? The gateway to
the Crescent Empire beckons. It is all too easy to
live— or end—a Hero’s life here.
How to Use This Chapter
Welcome to Iskandar, capital of Anatol Ayh
and the Crescent Empire, grand prize in many a
historical conflict, one of Terra’s most politically
important (and complicated) metropoleis. We
hope the people, places and things on display set
your and your players’ imaginations ablaze like
a Temple of Hymn’s hearthfire. On a practical
level, this chapter expands your options for
running and playing 7th Sea while cutting
down on the time, energy and risk the Game
Master needs to prepare for the game. Iskandar
is a sandbox full of unstable situations which
will rapidly worsen unless Heroes get involved:
powerful people in dire need, buildings and
neighborhoods pregnant with strife, factions
nursing grudges ancient and modern. Instead
of pre-planning a complex plotline your players
will ignore, you can rely on your understanding
of these entities and their motivations to react to
unexpected situations the Heroes throw at you
while you draw them into action and drama.
7th Sea | Iskandar 77
 Section One: Foundations
Ancient history is never ancient history in
Iskandar. Populations here have long but
not particularly accurate memories, keeping
conflicts which should have been over centuries
ago at the forefront of modern politics. This
section tells you why.
Section Two: details Empress Safiye’s palace, but many of
Influential Personages
In light of recent political upheaval, Iskandar’s
movers and shakers know their long-held
positions have grown tenuous. Even centuries-
old Eylül al-Nur needs fresh-faced Heroes to do
their dirty work.
Even a pawn can take a shah.
78 Introduction
Section Three: City Regions
Inspired by real-world, 17th-century
Ķosţanţīnīye (Constantinople), Iskandar
contains multitudes, more than we could
fit in a whole line of source- books. The
locations we have chosen to showcase here
figure prominently in the city’s Heroic life and
political conflict. 7th Sea: the Crescent Empire
Iskandar’s major conflicts involve her only
tangentially.
Section Four: So You
Want an Iskandari Story
Did you forget you promised to run a game of
7th Sea today? Did your players take one look
at your meticulously crafted Montaigne plotline,
shrug and announce that they’ve heard Iskandar
is lovely this time of year? Avail yourself of
these ready-made story seeds for these or any
number of less desperate reasons.
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section One
Foundations
T
he Anatoli style themselves
modern and civilized, but they
have long memories. The city
trembles between ancient and
contemporary, at once focused on the future
and mired in the past, a remnant of its
Numanari heritage. All around the city, signs
of the past are evident, from the curve of a
Numanari column arch covered in Persic art to
a stable that has been in use since the Khazari
ruled the city. Iskandar grows by the day, but
those who do not appreciate the weight of
history are doomed to be crushed beneath it. It
matters little: Iskandar, the city of two worlds,
will remain a jewel shining in the gloaming as
the sun sets over the seas. The city has been
besieged, sacked, destroyed and re-created as a
capital again and again. It will endure.
Scandalous as it may be to mention them, let
us begin with the Numanari and Persics who
ruled the city of old. Iskandar began as the
House of Chaghri’s capital city after Iskander
the Great overthrew the Haxāmanišiya dynasty.
Perhaps an ancient Katabic city once stood on
the spot, perhaps not. Structures graven with
Katabic writing have long been uncovered
within the city, but whether they are evidence
of past habitation or simply of the Chaghrian
urge to quarry stone from readily available
sources and ruins, few can say. A significant
strain of historical thought, loudly argued
beneath the statue of Iskander the Great that
still stands in the university, holds that the city
was a properous Numanari port purged by the
House of Chaghri and their ghazi. While it is
reiforced by the heavy foundations of Numanari
architecture and the subtle strains of Numanari
philosophy in the people’s character, of all the
theories, this one is both the most likely and the
one least accepted by the populace. They prefer
to believe anything Numanari within them
comes from Iskander the Great’s influence, a
pure heritage cleansed of any decadence.
Iskandar was prosperous and cosmopoltan,
known for centuries as the Jewel of the
Numanari Approach, until Khitai Khan broke
the city’s upward climb. The Iron Khan cast a
long shadow over Iskandar, but ruled the city
fairly. Despite the hardships he visited upon the
city, including shattering the great university, it
was he who first wove the great path of Dīnist
pilgrims, linking a thousand trade routes into a
mighty road for the faithful to follow. The Iron
Khan’s riders broke the gates of a dozen cities
and slaughtered leaders, but they also cut deals
with their successors and founded schools of
learning—for the Khan needed a bureaucracy
to run his empire. The Iron Khan favored trade,
so the lands under his rule brought disparate
routes together and ran caravans of silk and
iron and leather across the 8th Sea. The Khan
expected the most prominent travelers to be
traders, caravaneers and merchant princes,
but never expected mudarris and scholars. A
Dīnist pilgrim could walk thousands of miles
into Shenzhou and Agnivarsa to spread the
word of the Second Prophet without an errant
bandit silencing him even once, and the great
road became known by the dress of those who
walked it—Tariq al-Chafiye, more commonly
known as the Road of the Scarf, or the Pilgrim’s
Scarf. Traders from Numa and the Seven Seas
also traveled the road, calling it Via Peregrnatur,
but with the sul- tana’s rule re-opening trade
routes, many younger travelers have taken to
calling it Tariq Shafiye.
7th Sea | Iskandar 79

The Jaziran Guard
The Jaziran Guard formed long before the Moonshadow
War, the result of a particularly large influx of exiled
Vesten warriors. A treaty between the Iskandari sultan
and the Ussuran czar obliged the latter to provide
a certain number of warriors to serve the sultan;
instead of using his own, he dragged captured Vesten
raiders from the Molhynian border. Clad in fur and
mail, sweating and solemn in the heat of the city, the
Vestens cut striking figures wher- ever they went. Their
prowess so delighted the sultan that he made them his
personal bodyguards, bound to him and his sufferance
rather than the factions of the city and the Crescent
Empire. Today, as part of the Palace Guard, the Jaziran
Guard escorts the Sultana when she’s in transit or on
the road. They still accept Vesten warriors of the old
way, but has become more cosmopolitan: blonde eyes
and blue hair are as common in the Guard as Crescent
natives’ dark complexion and dusky eyes. They still
dress in Vesten-derived fashions, but with concessions
to Iskandar’s clime. All train in the Guard’s ancient arts,
however, reciting Vesten battle-poetry while taunting
opponents with the clanging of axe on shield.
Treat the Jaziran Guard’s battle-arts as Quetzuo (see
7th Sea: The New World), though they recite Vesten
skálds’ works instead of traditional Nahuacan invective.
Younger Guardsmen sometimes recite stanzas from
kavitas or other mathnawi—Khata’i’s works are
especially popular—but this break from tradition is
considered a posturing affectation of youth.
A second Scarf arose, though no pilgrims walked
it: a great linking of ships and ports, carrying
ginger and cinnamon and cardamom from shore
to shore. The Nations of Théah wanted food as
spiced as their passions, and Iskandar became a
nexus for trade over land and sea, the markets full to
bursting with the fruits of lands warmed by faraway
suns. The Iskandari merchant fleet grew rich and
powerful, their chests swelling under jewels and
medals signifying little except successful voyages.
Even then, their navigational talents were prized,
and all admirals were expected to be accomplished
mapmakers and sailors.
The Illustrious Houses of Many Sciences
records and recounts every tyrant and tragedy,
triumph and heartbreak over the centuries. A
learned city-dweller can rattle off any number of
80 Section One: Foundations
historical events. Such words, even far-fetched,
are generally accepted as fact, for the city has
seen a somewhat-unbelievable number of
unbelievable events. But it is fire that scars the
bones of Iskandar, and fire that the citizenry
truly remembers.
The Great Fire
“How should I relate the things dared by
those murderous villains?” writes an Iskandar
chronicler’s shaky hand. Perhaps the greatest
foreign blow to the Crescent Empire came in
the 13th century, when Castillian nobles who
joined the Third Prophet’s Blazing Blade early in
his advance besieged Iskandar. That time’s most
powerful monarchs, preoccupied with their own
internal conflicts, largely ignored the Prophet’s
call; but Crescent occupation of their homelands
enraged those who heeded him. These hungry
young nobles pooled their resources and joined the
Moonshadow for a chance at revenge and glory
against the Empire. The famous blind Vesten
merchant Enrik Svartrserk, who perceived an
opportunity to revenge himself against some of
the Jaziran Guard who had previously made off
with some of his gains, offered to fund the voyage.
A vicious mob driven more by avarice than
holiness, the invaders stripped homes of all
wealth, took up quarters and forced out the
owners. Those owners marched from the city as
refugees, rich and poor alike mixing for the first
time, while those who remained suffered under
foreign rule. The occupa- tion, called la Ilegada
in Castille, remains an outsized presence in
both Castillian and Iskandari sentiment. Many
priceless mosaics shattered under hammer-
blows, while khatt al-Dīni were broken and
defaced. The pale flags of the Third Prophet’s
iconoclast followers fluttered from the tall towers
of Iskandar for the better part of a decade.
A puppet king, wrung from ancient Castillian
nobility and doomed to be an impotent,
squabbling failure, ruled the Moonshadow
State. The State crumpled over a few short
years. Its greed and tariffs alienated traders
along the Pilgrim’s Scarf (previously, taxation
had been restricted to tolls, to foster trade),
while its distaste for Dīnist iconography led
it to destroy the Second Prophet’s symbols
around the city. Destroying Iskandari traditions
and replacing them with bloodsport in the city’s
coliseums made for a poor occupation. These
grave robbers squatting on the great Nation’s
sickened heart drained most of the city’s wealth.
More than any other event, Iskandar’s
occupation shocked Crescent consciousness
out of confusion, replacing imperial fear of
the Iron Khan and religious fear of the Third
Prophet with the temporal and spiritual clarity
to reconquer what they had lost. The Iskandari
naval tradition, largely a cere- monial merchant
post grown heavy with pompous titles, remade
itself in defiance of cultural annihi- lation.
Admirals departed the city under the cover of
darkness, sailing the pepper routes to recruit
a fleet from the Shenese. It took them years
to build their armies, ally with Khazaria’s and
the 8th Sea’s horse-lords and tribes, and raise
enough capital to buy a fleet from the world’s
greatest Empire. While Iskandar suffered a
terrifying, deadly plague, interpreted by many
to be a judgment on the Third Prophet’s false
rule, the reis—Iskandar’s admirals—made their
move. They slipped from foreign ports while
corpses rotted in the city’s wide avenues, flanked
by immortal statues of heroes.
Sailing foreign junks on loan, the reis
blockaded the city, destroyed the defenses and
opened the gates while Crescent tribes and the
twin horselord traditions of the Khanate and
the House of Chaghri rode in to put Castillian
nobles to the sword. Blood ran thick in the
streets. Castillian corpses bobbed like ripe
apples in the bay. A fire broke out; popular
legend sources it from the invaders’ decadent
coliseum, though modern sources cite the fire
ships employed by the reis. The invaders had
checked the power of the city’s fire brigades, so
A Moveable Fleet
“How are your seats, students? Worn stumps make for a
comfortable cushion, eh? Even after all these years, we
have not replanted the famed olive trees of Iskandar. For
centuries, we sold them—you can see the fruit in centuries-
old art. Yes, olives are a fruit. Do not disrespect me with
your skeptical looks.
“Yes, that horrible plague weakened them. Half of them
lay rotting in the streets. Yet they proved fierce opponents
for all that. The Moonshadow invaders stretched a mighty
chain across the harbor, heavy links pulled taut. Ah, but
even this was not enough to stop the city; in a fit of
inspiration, one reis ordered his ships beached and dragged
across land to one of the city’s small waterways, bypassing
the chain around the bay and the heavy Castillian fleet,
allowing the reis to attack the city directly from both sides.
But, you see, they needed the trees and the oil—the former
to provide rollers, the latter to provide the grease! You may
have stumbled at the grandness of the city when you first
came here, no? Or you may have tripped over the grooves
the boats carved in the stone, for they are still there.
“We broke the invaders there, and I understand they
take the name reis sometimes as an auspicious sign of
dominance at sea, giving it to boy and girl children alike
without understand- ing the name’s origin as a title. Strange
how the enemies of yesteryear become charming appel-
lations for our children, no? Enjoy the sunlight, students. It
shall be a long time before these trees show shade.”
the flames spread unchecked, ripping through
tenements and marketplaces. It cleansed the
corpses rotting in the streets and burned the
plague from the city, along with many of the
houses of the poor; scorch marks still scar
Iskandar’s oldest buildings. The new sultan
replaced burnt wood with stone and wide
avenues. The city was broken down, but made
way for quarried glory and a firmer presence.
Today, Dīnist mystics and historians declare
the fire another sign of the Third Prophet’s
perfidy.
7th Sea | Iskandar 81
 They say, when his wicked followers were
in need, he did not save them, but cannily
gave their vacated lands to his other followers,
birthing an entirely new nobility in his service
in Castille. Distrust for Castille runs deep in
Iskandar. Those few families who made it back
to Castille nurse the desire to reclaim the city
for the Third Prophet. Every few generations,
a deeply misguided Hero or cruel Villain gets
enough wealth to make the attempt.
The Span of Years
As long as Anatoli memories are, a decade is
all it takes for any Nation to grow comfortable
with tyranny. When Istani succeeded Shareef
after the costly loss of the Empire’s territories
in Numa (including some in Iskander the
Great’s own homeland), many supported
Istani’s revanchist fervor, a nationalist
sentiment that grew among the patriotic and
Mountains & Minorities
The mountain range near Iskandar has long
hosted a great number of minority communities.
From Anashid villages sending child recruits and
crops on the long journey to their impregnable
fortress, to the descendants of Iskandari nobles
exiled from the Moonshadow State, to the
descendants of the Castillian invaders who hold to
a heritage long forgotten, thousands live in these
mountains, eking out a living and periodically
revisiting the city to be absorbed. Religious
diversity flourishes here, including some follow-
ers of the First Prophet whose faith grew par- allel
to, but separate from, Orthodox tradition, existing
alongside thriving Yachidi townships.
These communities retreated here when the
Numanari came for their forebears and simply never
left. Interactions with their long-lost cousins run
the gamut from hostile distrust and apostasy to a
welcome with open arms.
Iskandar’s history is written upon the hills and the
mountains. When the city is wracked by sorrow
and pain, entire populations line the hills like
arabesques, their stories recounting ancient tales
of woe.
82 Section One: Foundations
under-educated. Scholars took a longer view,
having seen Iskandar rise and fall, though a
few panicked and fled into the mountains
with wagons of scrolls and relics in tow.
Those who stayed were sorely disappointed,
however; Istani’s consolidation of his own
power periodically involved burning heretical
or troublesome literature (and occasionally the
literati themselves). Laws became steadily more
draconian. Whereas before, a thief who stole
a loaf of bread was imprisoned and fed during
his durance, he now lost a hand and was left to
bleed in the street. Sex workers accustomed to
poems written to their grace and beauty went
unpaid for the lusts of the sultan’s sycophants.
The Magician’s Registry forced mages
underground, while Istani’s devil-sorceries were
an open secret. Mocking laughter and strange
lights emanated from the palace at night, while
ports lay empty and the Tariq al-Chafiye slowly
choked under a tightened scarf.
Those who grew up under Istani’s rule
knew Iskandar as a place of sadness, of dust
marring and staining once-fine tapestry.
Fountains ceased to flow as cisterns clogged.
Even kaffeehouses closed down, the victim of
the sultan’s dubious moralizing or his political
acumen, for they fomented sedition with some
regularity. The wicked walked by day and
the righteous trembled at night, until Safiye
returned from her sojourn. Yet five years of
wise rule cannot undo thrice that of cruelty.
Istani’s flight into the 8th Sea caused few of
his followers to despair; even as the sultana’s
throne dispenses justice and opens trade to the
world, a thousand enemies surround her, men
and women of privilege who learned to enjoy
the cruelty and selfishness that long pervaded
Iskandar.
Navigating the City
We have purposefully left many individuals’
and sites’ actual positions within the city fairly
general: Sulan Metehan Camii Mosque is in
the city center, the 8th Sea tribes hang out by
the east gate, and the harbor is probably on
the water, right? As with other locations in
this book, you can shuffle elements around to
suit your story, but there is some science to the
shuffle.
Aboveground the streets are miserably
crowded, but once the Heroes find out about
the Ruined City, they can cover a lot of ground
swiftly, if dangerously. Geography probably will
not keep the Heroes from confronting your big
bad in session two of the game, if that is what
they really want to do. Plan accordingly—and
please do not punish players for chasing down
those climactic scenes! This is 7th Sea. That is
their job.
Instead, you might consider placing elements
relative to one another based on the kind of
conflicts you want to bake into the city. For
example, suppose the Orthodox community has
a beef with the Secret Police. If you situate the
Ayaecclesia and the Secret Police Headquaters
on opposite sides of the city, you diffuse
the conflict between them. Their influence
will expand through their neighborhoods
unchecked, until they run into other hostile
factions. The war is cold. But if you make them
next-door neighbors, the conflict will run hot,
fast and probably obvious. They will find out
each other’s secrets quickly. Slights or attacks
will invite near-immediate retribution.
Garden Variety
As you may remember from The Crescent
Empire, the Palace Guard and the sultana’s
personal bodyguard call themselves the
bostanci, Anatoli for “gardeners.” Before Safiye’s
accession, that single powerful organization
headquartered in the Imperial palace defended
the sovereign’s person, the palace and its
grounds, and the city streets, in addition to
functioning as the sultan’s secret police…and,
of course, tending to flowerbeds and suchlike.
Over the past ten years or so, political divisions
have fragmented that organization into several
factions, each of which still calls itself “bostanci.”
There is the sultana’s personal bodyguard, also
known as the Palace Guard; the City Watch;
the Secret Police; and the Sphinx Moths. We
will refer to them in this text by those titles; but
if you meet them in-character, be advised that
each prefers to be called “bostanci” (and thinks
the other factions undeserving pretenders to
that title).
7th Sea | Iskandar 83
 Section Two
Influential Personages
E
mpress Safiye may be Iskandar’s
most powerful individual, but her
control over the Crescent Empire
as a whole far exceeds her influence
in the city right under her nose. While she
reigns from behind palace walls, the humans
and stranger things who really run Iskandar are
out in the streets. The Heroes cannot help but
run into them.
Ibn Guran, the Silent Song
On first sight of the White Tower, the newly
minted diplomat from Castille clenched her eyes
shut. She fell to her knees and clasped her ears
until they were red and twisted. She cried that
something was crawling inside her head. Her hair
fell to her shoulders as she pulled from it a metal
hairpin studded with rubies and slapped it in my
hands. She wanted me to get it out.
—from the diary of Mehmet Kisim, first
mate on the Emerald Stork
Not many see al-Dīn’s spiritual center, but all
hear him. Those who happen to glance through
the White Tower’s windows will see a long
white beard and high packed turban of an old
orthodoxy. Those few graced to enter see an
old and tired man who speaks with conviction
and authority that can only come from God. To
question ibn Guran’s word is to question the
holy voice, the voice that sings the silent song.
In the subtle struggle for civil authority
between palace and mosque within the city
walls, ibn Guran represents the side of God.
Al-Musawwir granted him the power to speak
to and listen to any faithful from a distance,
a gift he uses both for nightly prayer and to
gather intelligence on the Palace’s most recent
moves. He diligently tracks where police patrols
84 Section Two: Influential Personages
are on the rise and what tariff policies are being
enacted or enforced. The mere implication of
chastisement from the mouth of the Silent
Song is enough to put any civil official on guard.
His song, when it reaches the ears of those
he judges unfaithful, is less welcome, causing
distress in equal measure to how lacking he
finds their devotion to God.
Ibn Guran’s faithful servants come from all
walks. He has formed a winding network of
eyes and ears throughout the city. People he has
singled out due to their piety may hear from
the Silent Song at any time. Sometimes it is
a request for information or a minor errand.
Sometimes it is to organize and rally resistance.
When the manticore erupted from the Ruined
City and dozens took the street, ibn Guran’s
voice led the evacuation while the City Watch
took back the streets.
The story of how the strongest religious
authority became trapped in a narrow white
tower in the harbor is the consequence of
one of the boldest moves ever made between
mosque and palace. The order came directly
from Emperor Shareef for the “protection” of
the Silent Song. Fearing his influence over the
city, the emperor made a public declaration. He
declared he had heard the voice of God in his
dreams, that a venomous asp would end the
grand priest’s life. Within the year, he promised,
he would provide ibn Guran a safe, permanent
home on a lone island in the harbor where no
snake could reach him.
Unable to decry the emperor’s faith, ibn
Guran had no choice but to acquiesce. His
tower is his prison, but from within it he holds
a firm grip over the pious of the city. They hang
on his every word, and from it, he holds the
power to bring the city buckling to its knees.
Playing ibn Guran
Visionary, zealous, self-absorbed. If the Heroes
include a faithful character of any denomintion,
their stay in Iskandar would certainly not be
complete without hearing ibn Guran’s voice. He
will invariably be at odds with the City Watch,
especially if they impose on the Guild of Brass’
purview. Now that Safiye rules Iskandar, ibn
Guran could leave his tower, but chooses not
to; it is crucial to how he works. In person, his
voice creaks in a way his projected voice does
not; there, he is flesh, and frail. He has Heroic
ideals, but his one-man surveillance state suited
Istani’s regime better than the present one.
Perhaps a faithful Hero could remind him that
dogma ill suits al-Dīn.
The Forbidden Cleaver
“Pride,” the grand-priest sighs. “The ruiner of the First
City and that which brings us all a step further from
God’s grace. It is that shroud in which we try to hide.
But in reality we stand naked and scared. Cast off your
pride in the mortal fold least you drive God away. That
is the story of that cleaver hanging from the wall. I
yearn one day to find one I might trust with it, who can
prove power does not always beget pride.”
—ibn Guran, the Silent Song
The simple cleaver hanging from ibn Guran’s
wall once belonged to the al-Matzghee family,
once-famed butchers who served the royal
palace for centuries. Passed down through five
generations, it was the secret to their success
and the root of their downfall.
7th Sea | Iskandaf 85
 Once upon a time, a demon approached these
proud masters of their craft. They would be
granted a blessed cleaver that could cut through
any meat and bone, but at a cost. Should they
ever strike false, their souls would be forfeit.
The family had not earned their reputation on
false claims. They took the demon’s wager and
for decades, they excelled.
Their name grew in prestige while the secret
of the cleaver remained hidden.
Eventually, the Silent Song heard about their
deal and vowed to show them the fruits of their
ruinous pride. He whispered in the butcher’s
ear every night from the White Tower. He sang
for him a holy song of pride and wrath. He sang
so the butcher could not sleep. After a month,
the butcher’s body could not take it. Bleary-
eyed and exhausted, he missed his strike.
Upon hitting the block, the butcher knew his
days were through. He rushed to ibn Guran
and repented. He gave over the cleaver, bared
his soul and begged for forgiveness. God
convinced the Silent Song to show mercy, and
the butcher’s soul was spared. To this day, the
cleaver hangs in the Tower, though ibn Guran
would like nothing more than to find a soul
worthy of wielding it: a testament to power
without pride and a triumph ofthe faithful.
86 Section Two: Influential Personages
Ali ben Izar,
the Thieves’ Guildmaster
Ali ben Izar serves as the Guildmaster of the
Thieves’ Guild. In his late twenties, he typically
wears a white turban that covers his jet-black
hair, though just as often he wraps the fabric
around his forehead to keep his long hair out of
his eyes. New recruits are sometimes stunned to
see the fabled guildmaster’s brown eyes radiate
compassion for whoever may speak to him.
Of slight stature, he speaks softly, encouraging
listeners to lean closer, which helps him slip his
hand into pouches and pockets.
Most guild members recognize him by his
embroidered red robe, which he wears to practice
his trade among a higher class of target. It is a
poorly guarded secret that he also welcomes
fellow thieves to try to pick his pouches. He will
usually allow members and recruits to do so,
then critique their approach as he steals it back.
Rumor has it that only one thief has succesfully
stolen from him without his noticing.
Traders picked up ben Izar, an orphan from
Théah, and shipped him to Iskandar. He
slipped away into the marketplace throngs and
was never recovered.
As a boy, he stole to survive. He was discovered
by the Thieves Guild; adopted by one of its
members, Izar; and given a new name. He
learned quickly and began training those behind
him. He developed new techniques and became
well-respected in the guild at a young age.
Unfortunately, the previous Guildmaster,
Lina bint Vera, began to eye the prodigy with
suspicion. The guild had a long-standing
relationship with the gardeners—the Secret
Police—as well as the Palace Guard. The
Guildmaster used her position to make sure
the gardeners constantly monitored Ali and
his allies in the guild. Ali and his compatriots
found themselves fined and even imprisoned.
One fateful night, the Guildmaster changed the
passwords for those loyal only to her and invited
certain gardeners into the inner sanctum. Ali’s
entourage mysteriously gained access and dealt
with the gardeners. Ali faced off against Lina
in the Guildmaster’s quarters. What happened
next, no one seems to know for sure. The next
day, Ali became the new Guildmaster, and no
one spoke of Lina again. Some claim that upon
discovering her giving relics to the gardeners, Ali
was forced to kill her. Others claim he let her go,
on condition that she never return.
Ever since, Ali has run the guild with the full
approval of Safiye and the guards. The guild no
longer maintains a close relationship with the
gardeners, however, who have expanded their
surveillance of the guild. Ironically, this constant
supervision has pushed the guild to improve
their secrecy, security and tactics. The guild has
never been so profitable. Any members who
might have been loyal to Lina have been quieted
by the size of their purses.
This prosperity has had unintended
consequences, as Ali now feels he plays a
diplomatic role between his guild, other guilds and
the palace. He can no longer operate as freely as
he once did. At the same time, he recognizes the
Thieves’ Guild is especially susceptible to magical
influence, as few thieves use magic in their trade.
Portraying Ali
Ali genuinely cares about members of his guild.
He has an excellent memory for faces, names
and stories, which helps win people over to his
side. While people generally recognize him in
his usual finery, most do not know he also walks
around in disguise. He does so to avoid being
spotted by the gardeners, as well as to try out
new skills in different populations. He has even
shown up in disguise in his own guild.
Ali views the Thieves’ Guild as the last
bastion of defense against the gardeners’
excesses. Ali spends much of his time paying
informants to keep an eye on them. Grateful for
the life the guild gave him, Ali also walks the
streets on the lookout for orphans like himself
that he can rescue.
Hediyeh, the Lost Angel,
Angel of Peace and Love
Hediyeh is the mythical 13th ahura, or primary
angel of Ahurayasna, estranged from her family.
She lives among the people of Iskandar. Few
know her true origins. Her neighbors see her as
a bent old woman, a scarf covering her greying
hair, who speaks in a singsong that seems
welcoming to everyone. Although not wealthy,
she is generous with her time and energy. She
usually lives in a modest apartment, but moves
fairly frequently, leaving no forwarding address.
She seems to subsist on the kindness of others,
who often stop by with a bowl of rice or fruit to
thank her for past generosity.
Hediyeh once lived with the other ahuras and
followed the first, Zenea, like any other. After
she learned the price of victory—the pain, the
suffering of the defeated—she turned her back
on them. She gave up her wings and went to live
among the humans she so loved. She traveled
for generations, eventually
settling in Iskandar, which
she saw as the intersection
of the world. Like she
did in olden times, she
spreads love and creates
a sense of peace with
all who come across
her. She is incredibly
humble and a bit
impish in her
avoidance of
discussing
her past.
87
 As ahura of peace and love, Hediyeh
unsurprisingly avoids conflict. Her inaction
Eylül al-Nur,
can seem like weakness or a refusal to fight evil. Sovereign of the Unseen
She urges people to wash their own hearts,
Oh, my lover’s bright eyes.
rather than focus on others’ sins. During the
troubles around Safiye’s succession, Hediyeh Never shall I rest.
disappeared. Only when Istani had fled to the Now that I’ve seen you in the Unseen.
8th Sea did she reemerge. That said, she has a We are now one soul.
fondness for Yasnavans and has been known to One heart.
be extra helpful if one is in danger. Beating.
Even though she chooses not to engage in To freedom’s time.
the Eternal Struggle, sometimes it chooses to Below the World.
engage with her. A demon once came in search
—“A Ballad for My Beloved,” Wallad bint
of her and destroyed the homes of all who lived
near her. She therefore keeps a low profile and Amina, poet of the 8th Sea
does not reveal herself. Every now and then, In Iskandar’s dark reaches, where streets twist
however, she may find a true Yasnavan and and loop back upon themselves, a second ruler
grant access to her powers. grasps the city in their beautifully pale fist.
Thus, a Wingless One is born. She lets her One who knows the true path to vengeance
protégés wander free and few can find their way for a dybbuk, justice for the lonely karkadann
back to her. Unlike her siblings, however, she and where a meçkey or ubir might find fresh
has been known to be curious about what they unmissed food. Those who truck in the unseen
do after they leave. world bow only to this ruler, though some of
them chafe at the thought. Eylül al-Nur. The
Portraying Hediyeh Sovereign who May Never Rest.
Hediyeh appears as an old woman with Legend says Eylül al-Nur was
a smart sense of humor. She obfuscates born to a ginnaya father and
her past without apology, claiming human mother when the 8th
many different names as her own. She Sea was still lush and verdant.
prefers to stay neutral in all things, Able to see and walk among
and often gives advice that leads the their father’s people, but
listener away from conflict, even if still rooted to humanity,
winning that conflict would serve the al-Nur has all their parents’
greater good. Hediyeh calls love her strengths and weaknesses.
main weakness: she will take great pains Virtually immortal, they
to help someone if love is involved. Her have seen cen- turies’
other weakness is a refusal to fight, which slow passing take
can frustrate those seeking her aid. To turn most of their family
someone down hurts her heart, however, and lovers. Like
so she tends to avoid demands for help, their father, al-Nur
instead granting anonymous boons. is partially made of
smokeless fire, and
as such has the
ability to appear
and disappear at

88 Section Two: Influential Personages

will. Al-Nur is also known to take the form of a
great eagle-owl, their eyes never changing from
the deep golden-orange that recalls the setting
sun over the 8th sea. Unfortunately, like their
mother, al-Nur is not immortal. Though they
do not age, they can still be killed or, like many
ginnaya, imprisoned.
While al-Nur’s very nature may make Heroes
wary, they are no Villain. A follower of al-Dīn,
they see their life as a testament to al-Musawwir’s
plans. They believe they were created to straddle
the lines of creation, to further the creator’s
masterwork. Their efforts in the shadows are the
reason Iskandar can sleep at night, though they
know this peace may not last long. Al-Nur is one
of the only beings who knows Empress Safiye is
under threat from her neighbors not only above,
but also below. If those two ever merged, both
Sovereigns could lose. Al-Nur and their Unseen
allies seek to crush the Kurtanoğlu, who tear
apart unwary citizens.
Al-Nur always seeks help in this endeavor,
for the Kurtanoğlu forces have taken root in the
Numanari cisterns and steadily grow in strength.
Truly beautiful to behold, al-Nur
usually presents as a tall, slender youth of
indeterminate gender.
With wide golden-orange eyes and full
bee-stung lips the color of ripe pomegranates,
al-Nur has for hundreds of years kept the
tenuous balance between the bickering
supernatural factions and the Seen community
in the streets above. Dressed always in loose
midnight-blue robes threaded with silver, they
carry two large curved swords that burn as
they cleave flesh and bone. In battle, their speed
makes them a whirlwind streaked with their
swords’ eerie violet-blue light. The smell of their
opponents’ burning flesh and smoking bone
follows shortly thereafter.
When you require information not easily
found above ground, seek out Eylül al-Nur…if
they have not found you first.
Playing Eylül al-Nur
Quick-witted, beautiful, overworked. Eylül al-Nur
is a figure of myth to most…until they come
across the vast network of Iskandari supernatural
creatures who, like al-Nur, only seek life and
freedom. Talk softly, but with a low, sharp edge.
Kind, generous, but innately dangerous, you hold
the secrets of many individuals gone before you.
Your entire being is grace and strength. You live
your life with passion. You dine with jinn, halt the
werewolves’ flow into the city, and are not afraid to
turn into an owl in order to leave a conversation
that is beneath you.
Sehdi Reis
Sehdi Reis (reis is his former rank, that of
admiral) wears his dual Ussuran and Anatoli
heritage on his face. He carries his travels with
him in his voice, a thick, tired baritone accented
by a dozen different languages. All who meet
him note his insight, honed to a razor’s edge by
a thousand thinkers from a thousand lands; and
his compassion, to those who deserve it. He has
no patience for fools or students who waste his
time, but children and the kedi (cats) of
Iskandar get treats from his pockets
and a warm smile from under his
thick beard. Rarely does anyone see
his magic, but the rumors of his
considerable sorcerous talent are
absolutely true.
Sehdi joined the navy as
a young man, working
as a privateer and
cartographer. Accurate
maps necessitated
adventures on
land, where Sehdi
discovered his
immense appetite
for language
and learning.
89

Sorcery, specifically Ussuran magics learned
by experience and observation and trade, came
almost as an afterthought. His raiding has taken
him as far as Vodacce and Montaigne, while his
search of knowledge and skill at trade took him
to Vestenmennavenjar. He won no small amount
of praise seizing Numanari forts’ treasure chests,
fueling his legend and his social rank.
Small wonder that upon his return he took a
post in the Illustrious Houses of Many Sciences
as lecturer and resident cartographer. He kept his
magic hidden, however, which served him well
in evading the Registry. When sorcerers came to
Iskandar to evade registration, Sehdi convinced
Eylül al-Nur to find them sanctuary in the
cisterns. He dissuaded the authorities at times,
or directly intervened in others, using a network
of spies and Heroes to safeguard the foolish and
the wise alike. When the sultana lifted the laws
against sorcery, Sehdi officially assumed the
position he had reluctantly occupied for so long:
leader of Iskandar’s magical community.
Since then, however, he has insisted the
underground maintain much of their Registry-
era structure: clandestine meetings, little
transmission of ideas, a near-ban on any kind of
experimentation or teaching. It is beginning to
chafe at the young and those new to the city.
90 Section Two: Influential Personages
Portraying Sehdi Reis
The former reis is proud of his rank, suffering
no attempt to use it in jest. This seeming
humorlessness tends to put others off, as does
Sehdi’s irritation at being interrupted. Earn his
trust or pique his intellect, and Sehdi reveals
a lively wit (though it is still drier than Anatol
Ayh’s deserts). Despite sitting for hours at a time
hunched over maps or ancient tomes in dozens
of languages, Sehdi stands ramrod-straight, his
frame radiating a possessive self-confidence that
intimidates taller or younger Heroes.
Sehdi is not merely the head of the (now
some- what overt) magical underground. He
still com- mands great respect among Safiye’s
admiralty. He often acts as ad-hoc ambassador
for visiting digni- taries, or hosts Heroes
looking for ancient maps and sea routes farther
west or east. Sehdi’s hand-drawn maps are
exquisite, allowing easy passage to Khitai, Ifri or
Théah along either the Tariq al-Chafiye or the
sea route (and he notes the latter is far safer).
Should Iskandar be attacked by sea, he will
lead its defense. Yet Reis feels underappreciated
by his students, and why not? None of them
know the sac- rifices he, who traveled eight Seas
before they were weaned from the breast, made
to survive. He is too proud to brook the idea
that his protections for the magic community
might be out of date.
Sehdi sways slightly even at rest, a habit from
decades spent at sea. Sehdi tends to stroke
his truly Heroic beard when deep in thought,
hooking a thumb in his fine but worn sash tied
around equally fine but equally worn robes.
Lord-Commissioner Cenk was also key in spurring Istani on to
Cenk Cihanzadeh, eliminate each other, so he could capitalize on
Bivar Asp Ringleader
Cenk Cihanzadeh lives on Iskandar’s outskirts,
but his oppressive influence looms large
throughout much of the city. Cenk has been
building his net- work while secretly furthering
the Bivar Asp’s aims in Iskandar.
As Lord-Commissioner of Transit, Cenk
oversees the men and women who carry necessary
deliveries of food and other goods on their backs—
peasants are cheaper than beasts of burden. They
move about like furtive insects, swarming around
crates or barrels of goods, then disperse to far-off
locations within the city with their burdens. Cenk
ensures his workers do their job, lest they lose what
little they have already earned, or worse.
Cenk towers over everyone he commands. He
ties off his hair, carries a long sword no matter
the occasion and is quick to bark orders at
anyone, even those not under his command. He
frequently travels with a bodyguard, for good
reason, as he is much hated. Cenk’s
mansion stands like a fortress; anyone
who enters will have a hard time
getting out.
Cenk’s rise to power in Iskandar
coincided with Istani’s. While Cenk
holds no love for the deposed emperor,
Cenk appreciated his suppression of
sorcery, which only served to further Cenk’s
own aims. Cenk gave sorcerers shelter
in return for their loyalty. Some
say he even influenced the
Temple of Hymn to stay
under Istani’s radar, so they
now owe him a debt. Those
dividends are paying off
now.
fight his sister Safiye. Cenk hoped the two would
the ensuing chaos. He was partially successful.
Cenk’s current agenda is simple: overthrow
the empress and install Aždahâ’s descendant in
her place. While he feels successful in ridding
the empire of Istani, he underestimated Safiye’s
tenacity and popularity. Fortunately, Istani’s
erstwhile allies are none too pleased with her
policies. They have begun to flock to Cenk’s
banner in secret. Safiye knows of Cenk’s
double-dealings, but not his affiliation with the
Bivar Asp. Without adequate proof, she cannot
remove him from his office. Yet.
Portraying Cenk
Cenk is a suspicious character, prone to
distrusting anyone he comes across. He puts
everyone through a series of trust and loyalty
assessments; most fail without even knowing
they are being put to the test. If he can still use
those who fail, he will. If he sees them
as an obstruction or competitor,
he disposes of them, one way or
another. His agents are loyal to
him, but Cenk is only loyal to
the Bivar Asp.
7th Sea | Iskandar 91
 Fatima al-Nasi, Shrouded in the stones of the city below
the Sunken Shepherd,
Queen of the Ruined City
I tell you, best just to let her go. The stones of
the city below are her children, and they listen. I
remember her pale blue eyes, her cold uncaring gaze
as she took us by surprise to protect her flock. We
had been on the run for weeks from the City Watch,
but in that instant she did more than any of them
had ever managed. I ran and should have returned
to the surface, but something made me stay.
When she was convinced I was gone, she took a
body to an unmarked stone door and pushed it open.
I saw nothing on the other side but black. She kicked
his body in and I heard it fall but never hit ground.
She then fumbled under her cloak for a small tattered
map. With a few quick folds, she stashed it away,
then with a single motion closed and reopened the
door. Suddenly, another hall of faces. She vanished
through it without a trace. When I emerged to the
surface, I was in a part of Iskandar very foreign to
me. I will never set foot underground again. The stone
beneath breathes and it answers to her.
—excerpt from the
confessions of Faiz
Mu’add, former
Kurtanoğlu hunter
92
Iskandar, Fatima al-Nasi shepherds the
Forgotten Children, an abandoned lot of
orphans with no home but the cisterns
and storm drains belowground. They are
immigrants’ and travelers’ offspring who lost
their parents to misfortune or malice while
on foreign shores. Safiye offers some support
in terms of shelter to all orphans, but these
children seek more. They seek passage home.
Fatima offers these children protection as part
of her flock, one by one making deals to arrange
safe passage home. The Ruined City is her
home, and she has powers both mundane and
magical over it. Under her auspices is the safest
place for her and the children.
Born into the Ruined City, she has no
recollection of her birth parents. She was
raised in secret by a servant jinni who walks the
weeping halls. Her skin and complexion evince
that her parents were not Crescents, but she has
no other home to return to. She knows every hall
and cistern below the city and fights to keep the
children hidden and well-fed no matter the cost.
The most reliable way for one of the Forgotten
Children to get passage out of Iskandar is aboard
a shipping vessel. A child of ten with a strong
back and little to lose will have little problem
finding a captain willing to stow her away for the
promise of skilled labor. Finding a trustworthy
one is another story completely. Many lie about
their destinations to get children on board,
only to travel the seas for years before docking
anywhere near the promised port.
Whenever a child takes passage without
Fatima’s approval, she prays they may one day
find their way home, as she knows that day will
not be soon.
Despite her foreign origins, Fatima piously
follows al-Dīn. The servant jinn whom she
knows as family have thought her the image of
a frightful God full of vengeance; she maintains
faith out of fear if nothing else. She views her
duty to the children in the same way the jinn
see their service to the city, an unend- ing duty
that ever pushes her forward. As long as there
are children, and as long as Iskandar holds
the value of faith above that of human dignity,
Fatima’s mission will never be over and there
will always be children in her care.
On the surface, there is only mention of her as
the Shepherd. Folks know about the Forgotten
Children, but most see them as ungrateful and
unwilling to accept the voice of al-Dīn into their
hearts. Surfacers call her the child of the jinni,
a murderer in the shadows, and nothing but an
echo in the weeping halls. They are not wrong.
Playing Fatima al-Nasi
Ruthless, loving, sad. You are a mother
defending her children, at all times, in all
situations. Fatima’s Dīnist devotion to peace,
contemplation and beauty conflicts with
the vengeful desperation which the sight of
children, systematically mistreated, places in
her heart. She will not hesitate to hurt adults
to benefit children, even taking a little spiteful
satisfaction therein. To redeem her, you must
overthrow the cruel circumstances forcing
Forgotten Children into her care. Pace yourself
and stay aware of your players’ out-of-character
emotional states when you play as Fatima,
especially if any are themselves parents. This
material can hit close to home.
The Ruined Map of ibn A’Sii
The famed cartographer ibn A’Sii received
an impossible challenge. His captain, sick of
being overshad- owed by this sketcher of maps,
announced that there was one place he could
never map: the Ruined City’s halls beneath
Iskandar. The proud cartogra- pher took the
challenge and obsessively documented its
infinitely snaking, ever-shifting corridors and
cavernous cisterns for years.
This impossible task eventually overtook
him. He became lost and died in the weeping
halls, where Fatima found him. She pried the
map from the young man’s decaying fingers
and found within it not only the most accurate
representation of the Ruined City ever known,
but also a greater power. The torment he
underwent had trapped the cartog- rapher’s soul
within the map. Ibn A’Sii’s obsession has given
the map the ability not only to accurately portray
any area of the Ruined City, but also to shift the
stone walls and rooms to the bearer’s will.
It took Fatima years to master, but she found
that with the right fold or crease, she can
reposition the Ruined City’s rooms beneath her
feet, affording the Forgotten Children safety
against the halls’ roaming terrors while allowing
her to traverse the entire city in seconds. She
will not part with this dear trea- sure for any
price, but the City Watch would go to any
length to acquire the potent artifact they know
she has.
Rumors of the map have spread. A foe
looking to infiltrate the city could use it to
connect the palace baths to massive storm
drains pouring into the ocean. Or, with proper
engineering acumen, the cisterns could be
rearranged to flood any district of the city after
even a minor rainfall. The Tulip Gardens could
run dry, sapping the vibrant color and culture
emblematic of the palace and its religion.
Pirates, smugglers, insurrectionists or even
forbidden lovers understand the power this map
could offer, letting them travel unobserved and
unobstructed through the city. Fatima might
offer the map’s services in exchange for passage
for Forgotten Children back to their home
shores. For enough of them, she might even give
up the map entirely in recompense.
7th Sea | Iskandar 93
 Serkhan ibn Hamad, the throne itself. But only a rare few know the
the Bloody Doctor
My heart, my heart. My blood has gone cold.
Shall we pact our love together? Whisper to jinn
and sand? Shall we wipe the death From all the
barren land?
—Amir ibn Hamad, “A Last Lover’s Poem”
The night the red death came in on a ship from
Ifri, Iskandar’s premier doctor, Serkhan ibn
Hamad, became a monster.
Seeking the ability to halt death altogether,
Serkhan ibn Hamad is known in the poorest
circles as the Bloody Doctor. His colleagues,
who do not mind inflicting the unthinkable on
their patients in the name of helping Iskandar,
man the labora- tory below his manor. Patients
no one would miss, perfectly healthy street
urchins, and human chattel illegally sold kicking
and screaming straight from the harbor, end up
among the Bloody Doctor’s many experiments.
Not that anyone in power would believe
such a tale.
As head doctor of Iskandar’s
leading hospital within the Sulan
Metehan Camii Mosque, Serkhan
ibn Hamad once wanted nothing
more than to heal the city’s most
vulnerable. A kind, intelligent,
empa- thetic healer, he excelled
in the science of medicine,
seeing it as a true calling
from al-Musawwir. The
dashing, wealthy doctor
is nearly untouchable
due to his celebrated
reputation…and
ability to keep his
experiments secret.
He routinely works
medical miracles,
endearing him
to the medical
community and
94 Section Two: Influential Personages
murder and torture of Iskandar’s most vulnerable
citizens enable these miracles. Despite the
whispers about him, no one important dares
utter a word.
How did someone so blessed and charitable
fall so far?
When a ship came into port with a rare Ifrian
hemorrhagic fever, Serkhan found his skills
tested, and his morality on the line. He lost
nearly everyone he loved to the fever, including
his beloved partner, Amir. Determined not to
lose another soul, Serkhan sought help in dusty
black tomes sealed and cordoned off in the
Royal Library. These texts theorized of medical
miracles requiring constant testing on live
human bodies… bodies Serkhan did not have at
his disposal. So he stole them.
No one missed the beggars who sought help
at the hospital every day, especially not those
who did not seem to contract the disease.
The work was distasteful, but in the end…
successful. Serkhan halted the tide of
death with an antidote that required
the blood of those unaffected.
Many died under his care, some
perfectly healthy to begin with.
These abominable practices
revolutionized medicine…but left
a charnel house where the young
doctor’s soul used to be.
To Serkhan, death is another
disease. He is confident he can
wipe it out, then reverse what
he sees as Amir’s “unfortunate
condition.” When he
is not running the
most illustrious
hospital in the
city, Serkhan ibn
Hamad lurks in his
laboratory—on the
surface, a beautiful
and wondrous place
where many doctors
train in his seemingly empathetic approach to
care. These doctors, who often come from poor
backgrounds, also support ibn Hamad. After all,
they trained with him. They know him. Right?
Only the poorest slum-dwellers in Iskandar
are unafraid to denounce the doctor. Many of
them know someone who did not come back
after seeking care at the hospital. Their status
renders their complaints worthless. Many say
jinn aid his work; but in reality, the horror and
cruelty are all human machinations. Iskandar’s
ignorance of his faults will end only in tragedy.
Playing Serkhan ibn Hamad
Few are as handsome and charming as Serkhan
ibn Hamad. Generous, open and willing to
help, you seem like an amazing person to know
and trust. You are also manipulative, power-
hungry, amoral and terrified of death to the
point of cruelty. Your husband’s image haunts
you wherever you go; you dream of finding a
cure for death itself, so you may raise Amir
from the coffin you keep far too close.
Mustafa Jezuraddin,
Captain of the City Watch
The gaunt cat paws at the curved scabbard hanging
at the captain’s side. Glowering over a thick mustache,
the man re-adjusts the woven buckle on the sheath.
“Hungry already,” he sighs, and carelessly flicks a
sardine into the tulips. He whistles back, sharp and
shrill. One of the guards in his formation scurries up
to his side, visibly anxious at the summons. “That
one there,” he points brashly with a thick finger, “The
young one. See what boat he’s waiting on.”
Unquestioningly the guard bows and trots off,
leaving the captain alone.
“New money,” he thinks, recalling the merchant
he sent the guard to investigate. “He’s waiting on
his first ship and will pay a fine sum should it be
waylaid in inspection.” He scratches the cat’s cheek.
“It looks like we should be able to afford those
sidearms for the new recruits after all.”
Mustafa Jezuraddin is a fierce ally of the Palace,
whose command and presence have earned him
acclaim, respect and tolerance. He is vicious
and savage, having left a trail of the blood of
the unfaithful during his time in the guard. But
his actions were always in the Palace’s interest,
elevating the young firebrand to captain in
little time. Power, however, found a bad host in
Mustafa, whose tenure has evolved into a ruthless
quest for power for the City Watch itself.
Captain Jezuraddin is above nothing if it
means more resources and power for his station.
Untempted by his own fortune or vices, he lives
for the City Watch’s and the sultana’s glory. But
make no mistake, nothing is virtuous in his quest.
He conducts regular inspections personally
across all districts of the city. Depending on the
day, he can be found holding up ships in the
harbor or conducting surprise raids on bazaar
stalls. If it means fines and money for the guard,
he will have a personal hand in it. He is one
of the sharpest thorns in the side of the city’s
religious institutions. He considers them affronts
to civil law and the Guard’s authority.
Within Iskandar, drawing
the ire of al-Dīn’s principal
authorities while surviving
in one’s civil post is no
small feat. Due to the
order he keeps, the
sultana has given her
personal and public
decree that any assault
on the captain’s
character is one
on her as well.
The palace
does not
take insult
lightly,
and even
in the
most
virtuous
95
 of cases, taking side against Mustafa is bound
to have grave consequences. Only a truly
Heroic effort could reveal Captain Jezuraddin’s
wrongdoing to his busy and distracted liege.
Jeandariia
The City Watch’s history is messy. What began
as a crew of civil guards of the royal grounds has
expanded to become Iskandar’s default police
force, detaining suspects and criminals for
later trial and sentencing. But outside the walls
of the city, justice is served in a different way.
Military tribunals and rural police forces known
as the Jeandariia have outposts throughout
most of the Crescent Empire, enforcing justice
and, when no legal authority is within travel
distance, acting as judge themselves.
Easily identified by their loose and scratchy
green jackets, these keepers of the rural peace feel
no love from the communities they serve. They
are widely considered interlopers who enforce
their own notions of right and wrong rather than
accepting local religious authorities’ rulings. This
dangerous, thankless work attracts the cruel and
spiteful as well as those who genuinely seek justice.
It was Mustafa who wrested legal authority
within Iskandar from the Jeandariia. To this day, he
looks for any chance to rob them of sway or dignity,
from seizing weapons meant for them passing
through city borders to detaining members of the
force who happen to be arriving through the harbor.
Discounting the religious institutions, the Jeandariia
are his greatest annoyance. Their self-sufficient
approach to justice and authority, he believes,
undermines the sultana’s authority.
Playing Captain Jezuraddin
Fierce, dedicated, pragmatic. Mustafa Jezuraddin
eats, sleeps and breathes his job. His loyalty to
Safiye is unimpeachable, but he thinks his job is to
keep her in power by any means necessary—even
(or especially) means she would never approve.
He is capable of subtlety and tact, but prefers to
skip small talk and get straight to the point. Sit
96 Section Two: Influential Personages
ram- rod-straight. Knoll the pencils, dice and
papers in front of you. When your players speak in
character, regardless of what they are saying, glare
at them as if they are telling you why they did not
do their homework. Try not to smile or laugh…
except at the cat.
Merak
“Back again.” The captain scowls as the lean
white cat paws at his leg. “Does that stomach of
yours—” He cuts himself short when he recognizes
a familiar tell. The cat’s blue and green eyes no
longer look towards his vest pocket, but behind
and to the right. Mustafa whips his kiliç out of its
scabbard. Blade strikes blade; the assassin’s dagger
spins out of his hands. Soon Mustafa stands over
the man’s lifeless body. “I guess you earned it this
time,” he mutters, as he throws another sardine
into the flowers.
Captain Jezuraddin’s cat Merak has been at his
side for only a year, but in that time has proven
a steadfast protector. When the captain finally
had enough of a certain Tender of the Garden’s
dalliances and petty acts of theft, Mustafa
confiscated what he thought to be a small tin of
sardines from inside the man’s vest. He found
the cat following him the next day. The tin will
never empty; and as long as he is fed, Merak
will seemingly never leave his master’s side.
Little does the captain know that the cat serves
as the Tenders’ eyes and ears. His allegiance is
not to his stomach, but to the magicians tending
the gardens. Merak lets them hear whenever a
patrol is planned so they can move their dealings
and discussions outside the City Watch’s reach.
The cat has served the Tenders well. Since
they see Jezuraddin as an asset over a more
quiet or crafty captain, the cat’s keen eyes,
and the Tenders of the Garden whom he
serves, have saved Jezuraddin’s life many times,
though he does not know the truth. Merak is
a naturally curious creature, however. If the
tenders see another force that needs a watchful
eye upon it, they may send Merak on a short
vacation from his usual host.
Naamah of the Kurtanoglu,
the Wolf of the Morning
Must we abide
The faithless in our midst?
Those who do not understand that we must
carve the world
With fists and fang?
Verily this weakness must be scoured from our land.
—Kurtanoğlu poet
One figure plots to unravel Iskandar’s beautiful
tapestry of faiths. Naamah, also known as the Wolf
of the Morning, seeks to wash the city in blood and
cleanse it of Empress Safiye’s weak presence. The
Kurtanoğlu, whose name means “Son of the Wolf,”
believe they descend from an Anatoli chieftain who
famously married a she-wolf, fathering a litter of
half-human, half-wolf sons.
Believing in the prophecy that one can only rule
Anatol Ayh through blood and destruction, the
Kurtanoğlu think Empress Safiye’s egalitarian
rule expresses weakness. The Kurtanoğlu have
launched numerous vicious attacks on the Anatoli
people to prove their way of thinking is best for
the country. Their brutality led to rumors that
they can shift form and devour their prey. Most
sensible people know this to be untrue.
And they are very very wrong.
Naamah and the Pack of the Dawn came to
Iskandar specifically to take the throne by seeding
terror and distrust. By night these fanatics turn
into massive wolves, stalk the dark streets and drag
people into their lair, where they are devoured
(or else they leave them on the street, mauled
and insane). A forgotten tunnel near the Altın
Liman leads into the depths of the
earth, whence Naamah controls her
Pack of the Dawn. Deep in the
city’s cisterns, this lair is filled
with city maps, arsenals, lush
pallets and a charnel pit where
the bones of the disappeared
pile ever higher.
In her human form, Naamah presents herself
as a seller of pottery. Her stand is well liked in the
Bazaar. A short, muscular, olive-skinned woman
with deep black eyes and voluminous dark hair
that, when let down, envelops her heart-shaped
face, she seems nice if a bit…intense. On the rare
occasion that someone comments on the deep,
jagged white scar that runs diagonally from her
right temple to beneath her chin on the left side
of her face, she mentions that the Kurtanoğlu
attacked her. Usually this tale draws listeners in.
Those she cannot terrorize with the tale itself,
she marks for death later. Little do they know
Naamah the wide-eyed pottery vendor got her
scars when she became her pack’s alpha. During
the traditional ritual to join a pack, she was
instructed not to come back until she and others
wore one of their littermates’ blood. Naamah took
things a tad further. She returned alone in the
morning, bathed in the litter’s blood.
Not content to wait on the sidelines, Naamah
challenged her pack leader and won, leaving him
for the vultures. Now Naamah and her growing
pack blend into mundane Iskandar. They can
be found selling books, weaving carpets and
generally being unassuming until they need to
pass on stories about the horrors they have seen
in Kurtanoğlu raids. But the terror their words
sow by day pales in comparison to that of their
evenings, when the pack, in hatred and rage, tear
their victims limb to limb and consume them.
Playing the Wolf of the Morning
As a pottery seller, you are raspy of voice, and
cunning. Your tales of the desert are savage and
realistic…after all, it is you who really did the deeds
you describe. As Naamah the Wolf of
the Morning you are terrifying, and
you revel in it. Before your brawny
shape shifts, you snarl with cold,
cruel cal- culation. Your shifted
form is the size of a pony. The
last thing your victim sees is
your scarred muzzle tearing out
his throat with glee.
7th Sea | Iskandar 97
 Section Three
City Regions
I
skandar is your playground. At the
end of each re- gion writeup, you
will find a list of curses and blessings
to help you complicate any visit to
that region. Use them as story seeds, or to inspire
Consequences and Opportunities during Risks.
Altın Liman, the Golden
Harbor of Iskandar
I dare you to find a harbor as rich in culture as
Altın Liman. No harbors in any land rival the
richness of Iskandar’s, and I am not even from the
Crescent Empire! Listen well, my friend: the ships
stand tall from every place on Terra, and the cries
of merchants, birds and laughter still sing in my
old sailor’s ears.
—Captain Nina Gentileschi of the Golden
Swan to Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian
of Iskandar
When dawn’s first rays hit the harbor and the
great minaret’s lights dim, Altın Liman, the
Golden Port of Iskandar, comes alive in rich
golden light. One of the largest ports on the
Numanari Approach, Altın Liman hosts ships
of nearly every make and size from every single
nation. It is just as easy to find an Atabean Trading
Company ship loaded with goods from Ifri as it
is to find a Vesten longship bearing prospective
Jaziran Guards. Whether one is a humble pilgrim
or a swashbuckling adventurer, there is something
worthy to be found at Altın Liman. Constructed
by Empress Aaliyah to aid Iskandar against
Castille, the harbor no longer sends Cres- cent
ships across the seas to burn Castillian shores.
Instead it rests until the Lord of Land and Sea, Ali
Hakhan ul-Barrayun wa al-Bahrain, head of the
Seyfiye, or “Military Institution,” is ready to extend
the Empress’ wishes.
98 Section Three: City Regions
In days past, Altın Liman saw massive naval battles
establish the current empire. One gets the feeling
those days may not be over. Guards constantly patrol
the Port. Ships from all over Terra are routinely
and thoroughly inspected. Heavy taxes and tolls
enrich the Crescent Empire’s bulging coffers. They
also enrich the black market, as many guards pad
their salaries with less savory visitors’ bribes. One
never knows whether or not an inspector or guard
is on the take, but the usual expectation is that an
offer of money is the first thing any smart person
does when faced with a smiling guard’s presence.
Gökyüzü Köprüsü, the Sky Bridge
Metehan Çevik’s genius will be sorely missed when the
old man goes. Gökyüzü Köprüsü’s beauty is second
only to its function. The arches allow ships to pass
beneath while pedestrians’ heavily laden carts pass
over them. On any given day, one can lean over the
side and watch a dozen nations’ ships make their way
to the far side of the docks. It has made me wish a
million times to be a winged bird, that I might swoop
between the sailors plying their trades far from home.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
The Anatoli architect Metehan Çevik, one of
Crescent history’s most masterful and prolific,
designed Gökyüzü Köprüsü, the Sky Bridge. This
lengthy, towering toll bridge spans either shore of
the Golden Port’s unique landscape. Tall enough
for ships to pass under, the Sky Bridge also allows
cargo recently shipped from Altın Liman to move
to either side of Iskandar with ease.
With lit spires and rotating guards, the bridge
is relatively safe to cross on foot even at the
darkest points of an evening. That is not to say
enterprising rogues do not attempt dubious
business here. Indeed, it is easy to bribe a guard or
two to look the other way.
The Shipping Houses
The whitewashed buildings’ open doors call to the
adventurous, thrifty soul. The Shipping Houses’
sights and smells delight even the most jaded heart.
People of all classes and creeds hawk their wares as
wide-eyed sailors haul on ropes and unfurl sails from
a thousand ports. The languages assault your ears
with a glorious cacophony that makes you feel as if
you will never hear better music. Cages filled with
exotic birds pile high next to the catch of the day, big
wriggling fish thick and fat from the Creator’s seas.
Here you can find all your heart desires, and if you
are not careful, a little that turns it cold as well.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
Riches await those who work near or serve in Altın
Liman’s great shipping houses. Row after row of
large whitewashed buildings set with colonnades
and balconies make up the port’s warehouse district.
A cunning Hero can find nearly anything from
Théah, Ifri or Khitai here. Many bold personalities
from all over Terra pass through, especially if they
own their own ships. An enterprising captain or
sailor can pick up extra work as easily as a pirate.
Nagajan and Shenese jade and silk, Persic
rugs, Ifrian hides and basic goods from all over
Théah come and go through the Golden Port.
Massive shipping companies have warehouses
here, and there is brisk and healthy trade in
both the mundane and rare.
And the illegal.
Smuggled goods infest the Golden Port, many
of them carefully hidden by less-than-honest
merchants. Treasures stolen from war zones like
Mbey and Xwéda in Ifri are a booming business
currently; the money to be made off the flesh trade
sees more and more willing to sully their souls to
gain wealth. Traditional and sacred items, ripped
from the conquered, end up as curios in the homes
of the Montaigne, Vodacce and Castillian rich.
Likewise, items stolen by pirates and bartered on
the seas are often brought to one of the warehouses
for sale to the wealthiest of Crescent patrons.
The most egregious of these criminals are the
Atabean Trading Company, who have spared no
expense to conceal their dealings within the city.
However, they are not the only ones who
profit by way of smuggling goods and people.
Duke François de Toille, a Montaigne noble
who has been trying to woo the Blue Queen
of Maghreb, has been known to help ship
contraband as well. He owns several legitimate
shipping houses as fronts. He moves uncut
jewels, gold, glassware and especially exotic
animal pelts, to the consterna- tion of strict
Ifrian gamekeepers. Unproven rumor implicates
the duke in conspiracy with the Atabean
Trading Company to sell one of the princes
of Mbey in West Ifri into slavery in the New
World.
Altın Liman and the
Atabean Trading Company
The Atabean Trading Company and the Crescent
Empire have had strained relations. An internation-
al shipping powerhouse, the Company transports
goods across Terra’s farthest reaches: cloth, jewels,
gold, spices…and people. The Company does a
brisk, dastardly business in the misery of others.
Ships docking at Altın Liman receive safe
passage and permission to trade goods in the
Grand Bazaar, so long as those goods are not
slaves. Unlike her brother Istani, Empress Safiye
has outlawed trade in human flesh. By law, the
Atabean Trading Company must now take its
ships filled with stolen Ifrians elsewhere.
7th Sea | Iskandar 99
 These regulations do not stop them from
trying to smuggle in their miserable cargo,
however. Even though each ship is rigorously
inspected, false bottoms and other tricks (in
addition to blatant sorcery and bribery) mean
lost souls might never see their families again.
The only consolation in this grim business?
Occasionally these ships fall prey to Maghrebi
Corsairs. Many of these answer to Mar Veraci,
the Governess of Northern Ifri’s coastal cities.
Maghrebi pirates do not take kindly to slavers;
they profit well from attacking slave ships, freeing
the trapped Ifrians inside and ransoming crews
back to the Company or their wealthy families.
Those trafficked, many of whom have military
training, often opt to pick up a cutlass and strike
back as pirates at those who would plunder Ifri.
The Maghrebi Corsairs their capital of Lumeria, many merfolk were
and the Pact of Believers
Their ships sail together in a thick knot, bearing
down upon the port with eyes that watch the Atabean
Trading Company’s vessels as harshly as they would
an approaching thief. Their own cargo may be pil-
fered goods, but every person on board has heard the
cries of a ship laden with trapped souls. These pirates
have little problem stealing your preciously haggled-for
goods as soon as they can, but they will leave you
alive…unless you trade in bondage.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
The Crescent Empire has its own storied fleet,
but a significant portion of its strength rests with
contracted Maghrebi Corsairs’ ships. These fleets
of pirates recently signed a treaty with Empress
Safiye, allowing them to enter Iskandar’s port
without fear of retribution. This agreement gives
Iskandar tribute and ready ships while the pirates
raid and plunder far away from the Golden Port.
The pact itself is known as the Mithaq
Almuminin (The Pact of Believers) and hangs
proudly among the other Pirate Charters in
Aragosta’s Bucket o’Blood Tavern in the Atabean
Sea. Though neither Safiye nor Mar Veraci
100 Section Three: City Regions
has signed her name to the charter, every single
captain in the corsair fleet and their crew has
signed their name in blood, thereby allowing
them entry to the Republic, a Nation of Pirates.
Empress Safiye and Governess Mar Veraci
of the Maghrebi coastal cities both deeply
believe in freedom for all. As such, this pact
provides them not only economic gain, but also
the means to extend their will into the world.
Neither woman can adventure across Terra as
they used to, but with the Mithaq Almuminin,
their spirits go where their bodies cannot.
The City of Pearls
Far below the Anatoli navy’s polished hulls lies
a spectacular secret. In a Syrneth city’s sunken
remains, the merfolk’s Lumerian culture lives on.
After the Numanari destroyed and plundered
displaced. The open seas were unsafe for them,
especially now that unsavory pirates and the ever-
present Atabean Trading Company see them as
little more than exotic pets to sell.
A Lumerian band sought a place to be safe
and rebuild. After weeks of fruitless searching,
the young Lumerian warrior Rabiyah noticed
a strange blue glow in the depths off Iskandar’s
coast. Diving down into the cold waters, she saw
what resembled a stone coffin that had sunk to
the bottom of the sea. At the top of the coffin, two
outstretched hands held a golden sphere, waiting.
When Rabiyah twisted the sphere, a brilliant light
flashed from it, illuminating the sea and bringing
the dark waters into beautiful relief. Fish scattered,
but before her, Rabiyah saw the outlines of a great
city. Her fellow survivors followed into the depths
to see what she had uncovered.
Though still being renovated and cleaned,
the City of Pearls is on its way to becoming
an impres- sive merfolk haven. Once an
important Syrneth settlement, it looks as if a
great city made for land were simply placed
upon the seafloor. The region is known for
bioluminescent organisms, which flocked to the
city as soon as Lumerians began to rebuild.

Globes of glowing blue coral give the entire city
an ethereal feel. Towers that look like trees reach
tenderly for the surface, with small places to
hook tiny lanterns filled with flickering algae that
light the way. The city gets its name from these
lanterns, resem- bling pearls dotting the wide
branched columns, which hang and bob over the
city. Lumerians found abundant treasure besides
Rabiyah’s strange sphere, both mundane and
stranger. Golden spears which do not break when
used to hack away at solid rock. Chains of the
same material, stronger than their thin, delicate
links appear. Various other baubles whose
purposes the merfolk have not yet figured out.
The buildings themselves look as if a single
imaginative architect constructed all of them.
They mimic nature, resembling mushrooms with
windows in the shapes of catenary arches, or
warped bones with patios and skyways extending
and connecting to structures across the way. All
are made of strange solid materials that have
withstood the test of time and currents.
The entire city seems like a glorious dream to a
people nearly destroyed. Now, the City of Pearls
boasts a thriving community that hopes, with enough
hard work, they can regain Lumeria’s former glory.
Relic: The True North Sphere
Once, long ago, there lived a girl in love with the
water. Delia bat Hadassah’s parents were Sarmioni
captains, commanding a single ship together. Grow-
ing up aboard the Emet (“Truth”) was a joy. Delia
learned to walk better on the rolling decks than she
did on the land of her people. Always a tinkerer,
Delia created a small mechanical sextant to measure
the night sky and help her find home whenever and
wherever they sailed. She was gleefully charting
the velvety darkness when the storm came out of
nowhere, breaking the masts and ripping the ship
asunder. All seemed lost. Delia sunk deep under the
waves until a strong hand grasped hers and pulled
her out of the violent sea.
When she awoke, she found herself in the
under- sea lair of Samreen, a pirate queen
of some repute, known for fraternizing with
Curses and Blessings at Altın Liman
CURSES
• Trying to surreptitiously sail under Gökyüzü
Köprüsü can land you and your crew in waters far
hotter than you were sailing in.
• Stealing from a great warehouse is unwise,
especially if an Anatoli company owns it. No one
wants to come face to face with a gennaya guard.
• In the middle of the night, the howling of wolves
suddenly fills your ears as you try to pick a
Company warehouse’s lock.
BLESSINGS
• An accident nearly smashes a pottery shipment.
When you save it, a thankful merchant gives you a
small clay jar containing a trapped gennaya.
• Freeing a mermaid from a fishnet (or falling into
the sea while chasing a Villain) can lead you to the
Lumerian stronghold beneath the waves.
mermaids. Appreciating the child’s quick mind,
Queen Samreen of the Seas adopted the girl as
her own, supplying her with stolen technology
and materials that delighted Delia. It is said that
Delia’s constant innovations and mathematical
mind revolutionized the way sailors interacted
with the sky. Her inventions facilitated
everything from weather-watching to navigation.
However, her greatest work has been lost for
centuries. The True North Sphere is a golden globe
roughly grapefruit-sized. It calculates the time
of day, the date, the patterns of the sky, latitude,
longitude and—most astonishingly—a map of
every place Delia bat Hadassah ever visited.
When twisted counterclockwise, the gears
activate. A warm light pours out, pointing to true
North first. This in and of itself is remarkable,
but the sphere’s real power is that the red jewels
on its surface represent Queen Samreen’s treasure
caches. The True North Sphere could lead a Hero
or Villain to the treasure trove of their dreams.
If they were clever enough to figure out how
Delia input places, they could record their own
destinations and never be far from home.
7th Sea | Iskandar 101
 The Grand Bazaar
The dry smell of spices you have no name for.
Suspended tapestries covering rotting and
ramshackle rafters that look like they were only
meant to last for a week but have stood for years.
Haggling in foreign tongues you have never
heard spoken with such fire. The Grand Bazaar
is Iskandar’s heart, beating with enough vigor to
pump blood throughout all the Crescent Empire.
Thousands of independent stalls running for
blocks in the city center have, over time, banded
together to erect a semi-permanent structure
around them.
It started as a weekend congregation of weavers
and grain merchants, but has overtaken an area
of the mercantile district rivaling the palace’s
square footage. A cloth roof that allows only a
dusty haze from the sun above covers stalls and
workshops. If you have the money or know the
right wrists to pin, you will find what you need.
But the bazaar is not only a place for
commerce. Like everything in Iskandar, it has a
tenuous but important relationship with God;
hustlers of religious paraphernalia peddle to the
pious ornate scripture or holy names calligraphed
on canvas scrolls. The bazaar is also the home of
the Guild of Brass, one of the heaviest weights
on the balance of power between the palace and
the religious institutions of Iskandar. This Guild
controls many trade routes and reports only to
the Sulan Metehan Camii Mosque.
Within the bazaar you may be surrounded by
tanks of crowded and curious fish, or navigating
through a maze of woven baskets full of grain,
tulip bulbs and dried prawns. Duck through the
wrong stall flap and you may find yourself thrown
to the ground with a knife to your neck before you
even know what was on the other side. It is a place
in which worlds meet and where money changes
hands. It is a place for foolish opportunity.
102 Section Three: City Regions
What Money Can Buy
Possession of alcohol is no crime (although public
intoxication is), but high tariffs on imports and taxes
on sales make legitimate liquor sales uncommon.
Though every incoming ship undergoes strict
inspection, bootleggers abound. Specialized
craft with hidden holds, hollow chambers in
masts, or simply the right pouch of coin in the
right hands will all get your goods into the city
and therefore the bazaar.
You can also purchase animals, from docile
livestock to the more exotic and beautiful. One stall
in particular, the Thousand Names, is of particular
interest: demonstrate your virtue and courage to the
proprietor, Pelin al-Askerii, and she will show you a
locked barrel containing no more and no less than
1,000 poisonous asps, each affectionately known
by one of God’s thousand names. From “Merciful
Hand” to “Benevolent Smile” to “Shimmering
Splendor,” she knows them all by heart, unconcern-
edly reaching deep into the basket to pull out any
by request. They feature in religious ceremonies,
mainly in the rural communities around the city, as
a way to prove true piety, bravery and faith in God’s
protective hand.
With proper communication difficult under
the best of circumstances, buyers in the bazaar
frequently find, too late, that a shipment they
ordered months ago was delivered in the wrong
color or quantity (or not at all). Since Iskandar’s
courts are notoriously slow, and honor often
drives such conflicts, such mistakes often lead to
duels—usually poetic, but sometimes physical.
In order to maintain sanity and safety within
the crowded bazaar, the belligerents frequently
ask a member of the City Watch to adjudicate.
Since these duels are the most interesting thing
a guard can expect in an average shift, they rarely
refuse. The duel, by custom, must occur where
the challenge was issued. Anyone unable to
provide an adequate defense on their own may
nominate a champion to take their place in the
fight, provided the champion swears an oath to
al-Musawwir on the integrity and honor of the
soul for whom they fight.
The Guild of Brass
They shuffle along in pristine white cloaks that
cover their faces and trail far behind them. Armed
guards with ornate scimitars at the ready clear
paths through the bazaar’s avenues as they make
their somber way towards afternoon prayer. As
they move, the air around them falls silent, save
for the rattle of heavy brass bracelets under their
cloaks. They are the Guild of Brass, quiet servants
of God and holders of coin. One of the major
players in the long-standing struggle between
palace and temple for influence over the city, their
economic power fuels Iskandar’s mosques.
These merchants’ invisible hands guide market
forces. The Crescent throne grants them exclusive
right to export the Crescent Empire’s exquisite
brassworks to Théah, Ifri and Khitai. These most
ubiquitous symbols of the Empire on foreign
shores—abstract patterns, tulips, crescent moons,
divinely inspired but simple in natural beauty—
adorn royal courts and wealthy houses across Terra.
Widespread misconception holds that a
cloister of monks who worked on these intricate
holy engravings founded the guild in a time
long past. Now wealthy beyond imagining, the
guild still maintains strong ties to Iskandar’s
religious structures. They donate wealth to those
institutions, ensuring that any fray between the
palace and God would be a disaster not only in
public sentiment but also in their coffers.
In reality, the Guild of Brass cloak themselves
not due to pious modesty, but to conceal their
secret origin. They are jinn whose ability to craft
beauty from brass spared them God’s ire (or at
least they think it was God’s…) when he cast
aside the First City and damned its denizens
to the Ruined City below. While the rest of the
jinn serve Iskandar, these few who escaped that
fate take a hand in running it. But they know
they are free only at God’s pleasure. Should
they lose their grip on the city, they tempt a
wrath long deferred.
7th Sea | Iskandar 103
 Curses and Blessings in the Grand Bazaar
CURSES
• The City Watch in their tight green cloaks
and red fezes are around every corner in
the bazaar. They will take a pious Dīnist’s
word over a smarmy foreigner’s any day of
the week.
• You break it, you buy it. Many merchants
carry weapons or have armed guards to
help them collect from anyone they would
label a troublemaker.
• All Terra treasures Iskandar’s vibrant dyes.
Often hung in barrels to clear floor space,
they are not particularly resistant to a
weapon’s stray upward swing.
• So much as touching a Guild of Brass
member chills the bravest souls. The cold
emptiness of their flesh is easily felt under
the cloth; their frosty eyes shine brightly
beneath their hoods if they feel threatened.
They dislike direct conflict, opting instead
to sic their own well- trained guards on
any offenders.
• Religious imagery and reproductions of
holy scriptures fill the bazaar. Woe betide
any foreigner who causes such holy items
to be dirtied by hitting the ground. It will
take a silver tongue and quick wits to avoid
being labeled a blasphemer after such a
grave misstep.
Local mayors and governors regularly attempt
to undermine the guild’s authority and weaken
their trade monopoly; accusations of impious
pride have brought each to heel. The mosques
have excommunicated and exiled non-guild
smugglers caught with brass goods. The Brass
Guild’s vise-grip on local commerce is nothing
less than God’s hand in Iskandar’s day-to-day
activities. He, and the guild, will never let it go.
104 Section Three: City Regions
BLESSINGS
• The Thousand Names’ roiling basket of snakes
is always there, always dangerous. Throw an
enemy into it, or knock it over as a diversion
while running away! The snakes always return
to their home within a few minutes, as their
affection for Pelin al-Askerii is strong; but
none can resist sating their curiosity about the
outside world for a little while.
• Shopkeepers and bootleggers are always on
the lookout for foreigners who will take work
that Iskandar’s pious will not. Many of these
jobs, like transporting alcohol, are not even
illegal— just undignified for the faithful to
accept in public. Offers of employment will
reach any sharp tongue or swift sword.
• When floor space is tight, merchants hang
tapestries from the rafters, providing the means
for aerial acrobatics, improvised weapons, or
just a quick yank to split a rafter and collapse an
entire precinct of the bazaar onto itself.
• Deep purple and deliciously tart, tiny
satchels of sumac litter spice merchants’
counters. This ubiquitous Crescent spice
creates a blinding haze if wielded correctly.
• Street poets and musicians busk here. If a
brawl breaks out, they are not above taking
a verbal potshot at the losing side in the
hopes of soliciting tips from the victor.
The Zurkhaneh Birlik,
Gymnasium of the United
Just as five fingers make one fist, so does the Crescent
Empire come together for its favorite pastime: sport.
During a game, the crowd’s roar envelops your body
while the smell of humanity and fragrant sweets
assault your nose. In the summer, crowds stack
on top of each other into the heavens. When they
are displeased, the ground quakes, and when they
approve, their cheers soar to the creator above.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
A stunning blend of Numanari architecture
and Anatoli ingenuity, the Zurkhāneh Birlik,
or Gymnasium of the United, is a building
complex dedicated to Iskandar’s love of sports.
Long ago, the Sultan Mehmet so esteemed the
art of wrestling that he built his palace where two
wrestlers died in competition. Resolved to let all
people compete and train their bodies, he leveled
the land and commissioned a great gymnasium,
coliseum and atmeydanı (hippodrome). Expanded
and renovated by several architects over the years,
the complex’s completion was Master Architect
Metehan Çevik’s magnum opus fifty years ago.
The largest building is the massive white oval
coliseum. This concrete and marble building
boasts impressive arches, including 60 entrances
for the public and five for the Empress Safiye and
her guests; seating for thousands; and a flat grassy
field wide enough for several simultaneous games.
Every season, fans from all over the Empire
gather to watch traditional sports like güreş
(wrestling) and chogān (polo). Though those are
the most popular, if it can be seen as a competition,
it has appeared in the Zurkhāneh Birlik. Horses
race around the atmeydanı connected to the
palace. Other competitions highlight weightlifting,
archery and chess. Professionals and citizens alike
train in various gyms tailored to everything from
traditional dance forms like Agnivarsan kathak
and Sarmioni dabke to Ashurite rock climbing.
The Tournament of Yirminehir
Before the match, the wrestlers oil each other’s bodies
with olive oil so thick it pours like syrup from the clay
pots. Clad only in leather breeches and their own
imposing physicality, they engage in a wrestling match
that is as much dance as show of strength. Families
have made their livelihood in the sport, with many
lines gaining both fame and fortune from their skill.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
Every summer, wrestlers from across the
Crescent Empire and beyond come to Iskandar
to compete in one of the world’s oldest continual
sports competitions, the Yirminehir (“place of
20 streams”). Named for the spot where Sultan
Mehmet originally staged a güreş tournament to
celebrate his first-born son, the Yirminehir is one of
Iskandar’s most eagerly anticipated competitions.
Entire wars have halted to let athletes attend safely.
Wrestlers compete for the title of baspehlivan,
or chief wrestler. The baspehlivan is considered
the Champion of Iskandar, the strongest warrior
with the best physique, and is showered with
praise, respect, money and marriage proposals.
The güreş competition lasts three days, during
which feasting and celebration sweeps the city.
On the first day, adjudicators measure wrestlers
into 12 different categories before a massive
parade winds through the streets. Before entering
the gymnasium, the competitors ritually wash
and pray according to their own religions.
After they oil each other to show camaraderie
and respect, they enter Zurkhāneh Birlik in
formation, right foot first, as crowds of family,
friends, royalty and gamblers erupt into cheers.
Wrestlers train rigorously, often six to seven
times a week, twice a day. Güreş is an intensely
dynastic sport. Wrestling families take their
tradition extremely seriously, sometimes to the
point of family feuds. Usually Anatol Ayh walks
away with the belt, though warriors from Numa,
Ussura, Persis and Vestenmennavenjar have
made strong bids for the title in recent years.
In fact, this year the favorite to win the
heavyweight belt is a massive youth named
Lasse İbrahim, who traces his ancestry to
several different places within Terra. His
mother is Aina Helgesdottir, an Ifrian and
Vesten warrior-skáld who married into the
famous İbrahim clan. His father, Gurcag
İbrahim of Persis, can trace his family’s
wrestling fame nearly six generations. At
seventeen and still growing, Lasse only narrowly
lost the last games last year. This year, he has
gained several inches in both height and width.
If the İbrahim clan takes the prize this year,
Lasse will be the first non-Anatoli to win in
thirty years. The last was his grandfather.
7th Sea | Iskandar 105
 Chogān, the Sport of Empires
The horses’ hooves thudded onto the green field.
The spectators’ screams drowned out the long-handled
mallets’ thwacks. In the stands, brawls between the
Numanari and Anatoli chogān clubs’ supporters were
not uncommon; nor was the flow of the under- world’s
money into the players’ laps. If the mob bosses had to
fix a match in order to win a bet…
well, someone was going down.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
Despite being one of the most inaccessible sports
to play, chogān, also known as polo in Théah, is one
of the Crescent Empire’s most popular spectator
sports. In Iskandar, it is second to güreş only by
a narrow margin. Let the traveler to Iskandar be
advised how intense an average Crescent’s loyalty to
a chogān club can be! It makes no matter that the
individual owns no ponies, or disagrees with aspects
of Persic culture. A person who has never once sat
astride a horse and could never afford to own one
still feels as fervent about their local club as they are
about politics and religion. Some are more fervent
about their club than either.
Played in the Zurkhāneh’s atmeydanı, chogān
originated with Persics who adapted it from
the Haxāmanišiya Empire’s cavalry training
exercises. Since then the game has spread across
Terra, with teams and players everywhere from
Montaigne in Théah to Han in Khitai. In the
game, two teams of four riders each use mallets
to knock a ball into a goal at their opponents’
end of the field. The games take a little over
two hours, with each period divided into four
quarters called chukkas. The ponies used are
generally no more than 15 hands high, and the
best ponies come from the Crescent Empire.
Sounds simple enough. But the horses’ quality
and speed, the riders’ defensive maneuvers and
the sheer athleticism and training required to play,
make the sport thrilling. Many an Anatoli child
dreams of being scouted by a local team—one of
the only ways an average citizen ever gets to play.
Becoming a stablehand for a local team is another,
106 Section Three: City Regions
even more rare than the former. Most stablehand
and groom positions are familial occupations.
Many countries have national teams, but within
Iskandar many neighborhoods, cultures and even
noble houses field their own sides that compete
viciously. At the end of the season, each team vies
for Iskandar’s Cup and the honor of representing
the Empire against teams around Terra. In
addition, their names are carved on massive white
marble obelisks that surround the Zurkhāneh.
As fame and wealth heap higher upon players,
their neighborhoods often share in pride, glory
and even commercial traffic. Losing, therefore,
some- times feels like a blow to a neighborhood’s
honor. Some players take their affiliation so
seriously they pick fights with perfectly innocent
fans in rival colors. Worse yet, the criminal
underworld exploits these conflicts. It is no
secret that some matches’ backers are less than
reputable; dust-ups off or on the field mark any
match widely thought to have been thrown.
Relic: Altın Kemer, the Golden
Belt of the First Baspehlivan
When Sultan Mehmet first sponsored the
güreş, he commissioned a beautiful belt for
the winner of the tournament. Made from
14-karat gold set with rubies, emeralds and
black diamonds, it hung proudly on the stands
next to the sultan at the opening of the games.
But when the last two opponents perished,
unable to subdue each other, he buried the great
treasure with them as a memorial. None could
ever hope to deserve it more than they.
Rumor has it the belt was dug up and hidden
within the old gymnasium’s foundations. As
Empress Safiye plans renovations, greedy eyes
have kept a keen lookout. Legend says the
belt not only bolsters its wearer’s strength and
stamina, but also renders them immune to any
mortal restraint— chain, rope or even dungeon.
The belt is priceless whether or not its mystical
powers are real. Safiye or any of the wrestling
dynasties would pay handsomely for it.

The Illustrious at Zurkhāneh Birlik
Houses of Many Sciences
(the University of Iskandar)
The Illustrious Houses began as the
Pandidakteri- on, supposedly founded by
Iskander himself to train his officer corps to
guide his burgeoning empire.
Whether that is the truth is anyone’s guess, for
while the Houses’ sprawling grounds have many
Iskander statues and murals, investigating their
layered, complex history is a traditional endeavor
for sec- ond-year students. Cooler heads suspect
it grew out of the mosques’ academic tradition,
like many other universities in other Nations, but
that is impossible to prove and irrelevant beyond
impressing a particularly jaded teacher.
Iskandar hosts several minor universities—
mostly vocational, although Sehdi Reis, professor
of cartog- raphy and military science, has leased
one old House building to be the Magisterial
College. But the Illustrious Houses are by far
the most renowned, combining ancient Katabic
models of learning with Numanari flavor. Even the
architecture reflects this mixture, with minarets
and sprawling walkways giving way to graceful
columns and wide courtyards well-kept by humble
workmen gardening in the summer heat. Behind
walls graven with arabesques and colored by age,
a thousand societies flourish: some true Secret
Societies, others basically four students with
delusions of grandeur and solemnity who made
up a cute way of grasping one another’s arms. This
is a difference in degree, not in kind: the tawdry
solemnity of intellectuals in these Houses and
elsewhere has given rise to powerful movements
across Terra before. The gardens even serve as an
Anashid meeting-place or dead drop.
Kaffee is a way of life here; roasting kaffee
beans was, after all, a Persic student’s innovation.
The Houses’ satellite network of cafés, called
al-mekteb i’irfan (“the schools of knowledge”),
hosts informal discourse and discourse-about-
discourse spilling out from the Houses proper.
Curses and Blessings
CURSES
• If you wear the wrong team’s colors on a match day,
prepare to face down rival hooligans.
• If you do not pay your bets to any of the many
clandestine bookies attending the games, their
toughs will track you down.
BLESSINGS
• Chogān fans never shut up about their most or
least favorite team’s latest developments. If you are
wearing local team paraphernalia, they will happily
help you anywhere in the city.
• During the international Yirminehir tournament,
unusual Théan, Ifrian and Khitan items and
personages pop up in the market stalls surrounding
the coliseum.
But the grandest debates between students
and faculty take place in the shadow of the
courtyard’s statue of Iskander the Great,
peppered with poetry and wisdom from a
hundred shores and an octet of seas. A Guild
of Brass-made planeteria models the grand
clockwork of al-Musawwir’s creation with
pinholed brass sheets surrounding a brazier,
attracting visitors from all over the world. In
sur- geries under the city streets, lit by similar
braziers, criminals’ corpses are opened to educate
neophyte doctors in the science of death, that
they may better understand how to preserve
life. Ustath (teachers) both practice valuable
trades and instruct students under the direction
of mu’allim, tenured professors who no longer
practice a trade but spend their entire lives in
pure academia and argument. They share space
with learned mudarris, for the Illustrious House
also contains one of the Crescent Empire’s finest
seminaries, a reputed “feeder school” for Sulan
Metehan Camii. Katabic and Persic are spoken
almost exclusively within House walls—the
former for clinical and scientific use, the latter for
poetry and other humanities.
7th Sea | Iskandar 107
 Local Derbies
Siyah Bıçaklar, “the Black Blades,” vs. Kanlı Aslanlar,
“the Bloody Lions”
With their tawny Anatoli steeds, gold-threaded
uniforms, and helmets made from actual lions’
heads that appear to be in mid-roar, the vicious
Kanlı Aslanlar are some of the league’s most
intimidating players. Miryam bint Shamam, a
noblewoman known for neither charity nor grace,
supports them. Her son Aswad is the number-one
player, his sister Leila number two. But last year, a
new upstart side representing the Grand Bazaar,
Siyah Bıçaklar (“the Black Blades”), eliminated
them from the competition for the Iskandari Cup.
Siyah Bıçaklar is perhaps the worst-funded team in
chogān history. They wear black uniforms, not to
appear menacing, but merely because they were
the cheapest available. A cadre of six middle-class
merchants, who grew up wishing they too could
PLACEHOLDER ART
play the sport of sovereigns, finance them. Two
Blades are Persic carpet-weavers’ children, who
delivered their parents’ precious work to clients
all over the Empire. Raiza Azar-zadeh and their
childhood best friend Zainab Ctesiphoni are some
of the game’s most astute riders. Quick, cunning
and excellent leaders, their hard work led them to
international competition last year.
As team play ends for the season, threats have
assailed the two best friends, including an
The Illustrious Houses of Many Sciences
contain nearly every avenue of learning, as the
name implies. Students must be sponsored to the
different colleges, though indentured students
learning a trade sometimes work off their debt to
the col- leges or a wealthy sponsor. Every college
offers a basic education leading to theological
recognition, though learned foreign students can
skip it. The greatest judges of Iskandar begin their
legal lives here, earning their ijazat attadris wa
’l-ifttd (“license to teach and issue legal opinions”).
Many judges return here to argue an opinion or
debate a partic- ularly trying case over the course
of hours or days with mu’allim, or with visiting
lecturers from the Manden Empire and the
Nahuacan Alliance. The library even contains a
small public section, where alumni and literate
citizens can borrow and donate common tomes.
108 Section Three: City Regions
“accidental” blow to Zainab’s horse Firuz in their
last game against the Kanlı Aslanlar. With their
match just days away, can Siyah Bıçaklar avoid
targeted attacks and take the City Cup?
The Numanari Bulls vs. the Anatoli Vipers These
two teams have been locked in rivalry for hundreds
of years, most likely because their peoples have
been locked in warfare for hundreds of years. At
one point, a very real battle was lost due to an
inappropriately timed chogān match. A Numanari
prince known as the Bronze Bull was accidentally(?)
impaled on his horse’s pommel the night before a
battle. Down a key officer, the Numanari army lost
the next day.
Though they relegate their animosity to the
chogān field, blood still flows when these two pow-
erhouses clash. Brawls in the stands happen after
nearly every chukka. The team captains foul each
other for pure spite.
Strangely enough, the third-position players have
not been nearly as nasty as usual towards each
other of late. No one can confirm the rumors that
Mira al-Hasan of the Vipers and Shireen Qitabi of
the Bulls have been busier making eyes at each
other than showing the crowd their customary
blood- lust. This development will either bury the
hatchet between their clubs, or end in tragedy; but
only the Iskandari Cup will tell for sure.
Of special note are Terra’s most advanced
medical colleges, where students train in
residence, treating the entire city’s diseased and
injured until they are qualified as doctors of
medicine. Medical science has flourished under
Istani and Safiye. For all the wicked former
emperor’s faults, he knew lavish annual gala
fundraisers for the university hospital could
only improve his image; and Safiye has spared
no expense to out-philanthropize her brother.
Scrolls on surgery, holistic medicine,
orthopedics, ophthalmology, pharmacology
and nutrition, drawing on sources as far off as
Alahnahquian medicine societies across the
Trade Sea, lie well-pre- served on cool dry
shelves in the stacks below the public library.
Whenever the Moonshadow’s Legacy, a cruel
disease of buboes and blood, threatens to erupt
across Terra, the cure may be found among
treatises on chicken pox and scarlet fever. The
“Bloody Doctor,” Serkhan ibn Hamad himself,
graduated from the Houses’ medical school with
the highest marks in history.
In general, the Houses’ degrees progress according
to Numanari models. Teenaged students begin
with trivium (grammar, rhetoric and logic) and
proceed to quadrivium (arithmetic, astronomy,
geometry, music). Student life is nothing surprising:
they script elegant letters home to beg for more
money, they gamble, they flirt, they find trouble
within the city, they pass out drunk in defiance of
religion and sense in some alley beside a winesink.
They also find validation: the Houses are a place
where common- ality with their fellows trumps
National origin, where their intellects are valued
above bloodlines or wealth. That is the idea, at least,
for the Houses often maintain a strict curriculum,
in stark contrast to other schools of learning out
of religious institutions within the city. Orthodox
rectories, Dīnist madrasas, and Yachidi religious
law schools: the Houses have borrowed from all of
them, but offer a more cosmopolitan and chaotic
atmosphere, with greater prestige but greater peril.
Iskandari community leaders in the age of Istani
disdained the Houses as wretched hives of radical
thought and experimentation. They were largely
right. Students leave home dutiful and obedient
and return full of vim and vinegar, looking on
centuries-old wisdom with skepticism and
possessed of foreign knowledge loosening their
questioning tongues.
Three events rocked the Houses’ staid,
steady core in recent decades. The first was
Istani’s accession to the throne, which benefited
medicine but locked down free thought in the
humanities. Amid fierce resistance, a small group
of intellectuals fled the Houses with tomes and
treatises stretching back a thousand years. Even
after the sultana’s ascension, thousands of scrolls
hide in cool mountain caves around the city,
watched over by rats and skeletons. The second
is the ascension of the ustaths over the mu’allim,
as vocations and class-sized apprenticeships
displace the learned, spirited debates of old.
The third relates to the first: the influx of
foreign ideas and Heroes seeking to learn
from the world’s greatest, most cosmopolitan
Curses and Blessings in the
Illustrious Houses of Many Sciences
CURSES
• There are not many treasures in the buildings here,
but when there are, they are rare and valuable. It is
easy to trip over a thief who wants his payday more
than he dreads trying to kill you.
• A popular, or populist, idea takes root in the
debating courtyard’s fertile ground, inflaming
passions and drawing adherents from the city’s
outskirts. Angry shouting matches block the way.
• Some idiot overheats the roasters at a kaffee
exhibition, starting a fire.
• Life and death are studied in the halls underneath
the Houses; occasionally, the two mix. A minor
undead from a minor incident can still greatly
inconvenience a Hero.
• A Secret Society meeting here takes offense to your
activities and begins to act against you— but in the
confusing honeycomb of conspiracies, which one is it?
BLESSINGS
• The House’s grounds are full of hidden pas- sages and
secret entrances to centuries-old chambers filled with
who-knows-what.
• A ustath claims he knows where stolen scrolls are
hidden in the mountains.
• One surgeon here can cure any ailment of the body,
even magical ones.
• A grand debate crowds the square, enthralling the entire
community with daring rhetoric.
• Crumbling architecture represents a per- sistent,
exploitable option for athletic students or adventurers
using the university’s central location to escape furious
guards of the City Watch.
7th Sea | Iskandar 109
 repository of knowledge. The more conservative
instructors look on the influx of foreigners
and foreign thought with suspicion and
condescension. The Houses are the light of
the Empire—what can Théah, Ifri and Khitai
offer but ignorance and cruelty? Even as new
students pour into kaffeehouses and debates
begin anew, a pall hangs over the Houses.
The Tulip The rolling hills of resplendent color that are the
Gardens of Merevan
It seems like Iskandar’s streets have no
moments of calm or rest. To stand still without
being pushed aside by a mass of certain yet
indiscriminate intention is impossible. In the
winter, men with grand waxed mustaches strap
metal jugs filled with milky liquid to their backs,
shouting above the rumbling crowd to hawk the
sweet warmth inside; in the summer, they yell
while pushing carts of chilled treats.
110
The bustling crowds make way only for children,
who in their innocence and vigor play games the
sight of which make even the most hardened
adven- turer’s bones ache. The symphony is
moments away from a resolving crescendo that
never comes. But there is one place of sublime
peace. The eye of this urban storm. A place of
vibrant colorful life, where poetry and magic are
practiced openly in a city still skeptical of the latter.
Tulip Gardens of Merevan.
Tulips
Originally a gift to the sultana from Castille,
the tulip is a flower not in any way native or
well-suited to the Crescent Empire. However,
in four short years, the country has developed a
lust for them. Over the palace gates, a stylized
tulip resembling old Dīnist calligraphy serves
as a symbol for the city’s tension, pulled at both
ends by devout citizens and foreign obligations.
Nowadays, not having tulips in your house says
something—probably not what you want it to.
Tulips symbolize beauty and devotion. Taste
and deference. Without a tulip, or at least an
image of one, you are clearly in contempt of
Iskandar’s religious and artistic values.
Bulbs are sold en masse at the Grand Bazaar.
Vendors paint their massive baskets in the color
of the tulips therein: purples, greens, yellows,
reds. Some exotic blends mix multiple colors
in one bloom, but the Merevan gardens are too
pure for such bold artistic statements.
The Merevan Gardens
Finally, a site for quiet contemplation amidst the
hustle of the city. The tulip gardens sit directly
in front of the palace, only a short walk from
the sharp winds of the harbor. Rainbows of
tulips line dirt walkways. There are benches and
gazebos, small nooks for private discussions,
stands for public address. It is a place to
appreciate the beautiful, and the serene, by the
grace of al-Musawwir.
 The City Watch patrol the gardens as their top
priority. Sometimes having to bathe twice before
you can get the salt of the harbor out of your hair
can get to even the most seasoned public servant,
so this beat is a welcome distraction from normal
duties…although the Guard remain suspicious
of the magics used to tend the garden.
Poetry and Patrons
A man with a short greying beard stands atop
a short stone pillar in a modest red vest against
a backdrop of purple tulips. He coughs to clear
his throat and grab attention. In slow staccato
verse, he paints a scene of the silent beauty in
afternoon prayer aboard a ship bearing dyes
to Théah. His curled black mustache trembles
as he recites his lines. He describes the waves
against the boat, the homes the sailors leave
behind. He describes their families, the
emptiness and longing within their hearts.
“It is not for man to selfishly guard his creation
like a bauble to be hidden,” wrote the prophet, “but
to share it with the world, and in it, to proselytize
for God’s light and beauty.” Poetry cuts to Iskandar’s
heart. With physical artistic mediums confined
to the stylized and abstract out of respect for the
perfection of God’s creation, words grow more vivid
and important than most foreigners anticipate.
Poets find a second home within the tulip
gardens, both as a source of inspiration and out
of shrewd practicality. The sweet smell and deep
colors set the mind and pen ablaze. But even for
the devout and artistic, money talks. Wealthy
shipping magnates pace the gardens in heavy
cloaks and golden nautical frills. Diplomats and
foreign officials in tightly tied turbans meander
between the hedges in search of a peaceful place
to discuss state affairs. In each of them, a potential
patron. Poets who have honed their craft behind
kaffeehouse doors put their skills to the test here.
Some, curious, stop to listen as the old man
begins his second verse, but none interrupt
their conversation. His hands, pockmarked
with hook scars, shake so badly the scribbled
parchment he holds is a blur.
As his portrait of this tranquil moment
is completed, a woman in a rich blue gown
speaks up from a bench. Cross-legged, black
hair covered in a loose shawl, she is calm and
confident. In responding verse, she accuses the
old fisherman of seeing only the surface, not the
battle in the sailors’ hearts as the sea takes them
farther from al-Musawwir’s voice.
They are forced to sell homegrown goods for
foreign coin. To betray their home and family.
The man stuffs his paper in his vest and wags
a finger as a new verse takes form and flight.
Conversation around the two falls silent. Here
is a proper fight—against none other than an
ambassador on brief home leave. This battle will
determine whether the fisherman spends his
few remaining years in the sun scaling fish, or in
the shade of a patron’s villa. For the ambassador,
it is sport. She seems to be enjoying it.
Poetry gets vicious in Iskandar. Young or old,
everyone is expected to extemporize at least
respect- able verse should some lout question their
devotion to God or appreciation of beauty. Smoky
kaffee- houses occupy most street corners; loud
shouts from within about the nature of a spring
day are expected, mundane. Beauty is nothing to
have weak opinions about in the Crescent Empire,
for beauty on Earth is the shadow of al-Musawwir
in our daily lives. To have no taste for beauty is to
have no respect for the voice of God.
Tending the Garden
A small white cat, one eye green and the other
blue, saunters carelessly over a young magician
lying between the tulips. The woman’s lips curl
into a grin as the cat, still damp from his earlier
dip in the harbor, lovingly rams his forehead
into her chin. With a flick of her wrist, the cat
is pinched by the scruff of his neck and placed
aside gingerly. She rises to her feet as if pulled
by strings. She sighs, batting away at the dust
sprinkled like cinnamon across her shimmering
purple dress, before picking up the sounds of
dueling poets. “Another fool dreaming of a name
7th Sea | Iskandar 111
 and fortune?” she wonders to herself. “But the
other one sounds like she might have money.” She
starts toward the exchange, the cat crisscrossing
between her legs as she walks. Recognizing her
presence, the tulips part on their own to make way
and close after she passes through.
A magicians’ cabal, the Sphinx Moths, cares for
the tulips. Long ago, the Sphinx Moths—named
after a diurnal lepidopteran (Macroglossum
stellatarum, on our side of the fourth wall)
common in southern Théah, northern Ifri, the
Crescent and Shenzhou—were bostanci assigned
to mind public parks (and spy on visitors thereto).
When they discovered magical secrets within
Iskandar’s very soil, they unlocked that potential
via arcane horticultural arts, manipulating and
drawing power from plants throughout the city.
112
Then came Istani. The Sphinx Moths found
themselves at odds with their fellow bostanci,
who now hunted clandestine sorcerers. They
disappeared into the Gardens of Merevan for
years. Some say they became moths or flowers
in the garden. Others claim the gardens taught
them spells to hide themselves and subtly
undermine the other bostanci.
After the sultana lifted the restrictions,
the Sphinx Moths emerged from hiding to
volunteer their services maintaining public
gardens once again. They tend to the garden as
their home and as tribute to God. Nevertheless,
they are mistrusted outside of the gardens, for
Iskandar is still coming to terms with the public
practice of magic. They have little establishment
support from the city itself (besides a steady
supply of trowels and wide-brimmed hats)
and must fend for themselves to continue their
studies and acquire more exotic specimens for
the garden. They earn money via odd magical
jobs best done off-the-books. Approaching
them is never hard, and they are always willing
to listen to a job for the right price.
A walking spirit born from the garden dirt,
in the shape of a white cat with heterochromic
eyes, accompanies each Sphinx Moth. Together,
this loose assemblage of mages could command
enough magic from within the soil to mount
a considerable resistance were their home
threatened.
While playing in the gardens, think of ways in
which the Sphinx Moths can use their domain
to their advantage—and how that might push
against Iskandar’s power structures. Maybe a
grand poetry slam attracts a massive crowd to
the gardens, and a Moth decides to compete.
Since they draw power from the garden, the
outcome is more or less certain, but will the
losing side accept the ruling at face value?

Curses and Blessings in the
Tulip Gardens of Merevan
CURSES
• Some Sphinx Moths are not above petty
extortion. The City Watch take seriously
any accusation of mistreating the gardens,
espe- cially leveled at a foreigner.
• The police scrutinize foreigners with a sharp
eye. A misstep, slight or aggression toward a
citizen will not go unnoticed.
• Only the most skilled pickpockets are safe
in the Gardens, but for them it is extremely
lucrative.
• Hack poets may challenge anyone who
seems like they would not put up a fight to a
duel of verse. Foreigners are prime targets.
• Stumbling into a flower bed or crushing
a tulip is a grave impropriety; any polite
company will remember the transgression.
The City Watch
The grand palace, spires reaching far into the
heavens, opens directly onto the gardens, where
the guards are in fullest force. Their tight coats, a
pale stolid green, stay buttoned up to suffocating
height at all times. Their pants are tight and
white, each holstering an ornate kiliç on the left
side. To stand out in a crowd, each has a red fez,
held in place by a pencil-thin neck strap.
Captain Mustafa Jezuraddin, effective but
ruthless, commands the City Watch. Under his
command, they have expanded from glorified
watchpost to de facto police force across most
of the city, much more capable than the military
police who used to see to affairs. The rank and
file treat their posts with deference, holding the

BLESSINGS
• The right look or verse may catch an affluent
patron’s eye.
• The Sphinx Moths often find themselves in
scrapes over tricks they have pulled or accu-
sations of impropriety. They will happily offer
sorcerous services in exchange for protection.
• Impede or intercept pursuing City Watch
targets to curry favor in the palace.
• Diplomats and well-to-do visitors often
meander the gardens. Is that a familiar face
from across the sea?
• The Moths’ cats have an instinct for
mischief, like tripping someone up or
interfering in a scuffle.

113
 sultana’s justice as priority over all else. They
make public examples of guards exposed as
corrupt, the better to protect the many corrupt
guards with enough discretion not to get caught.
Green cloaks and red fezes are no rare sight
throughout the city, but within the gardens they
are everywhere. The high volume of government
bureaucracy and business that transpires in the
gardens, coupled with their openness to the
public, demands a heavy police presence. When
provoked, the guards are swift and decisive.
Violence within the gardens is viewed as no
different than violence within a holy site. It is
both dealt with in civil court and viewed as a
mark of shame that will last for generations.
The gardens are a place for peace, and a
second home for this mix of outcast wizards
tending to the blooms, guards in tight green
coats, and desperate poets.
The Ayaecclesia
This landmark stands visible throughout
Iskandar’s streets. The dome glistens in the
sun throughout the day, its gold leaf restored
when the church was reconsecrated to the First
Prophet. Many Iskandari call it the city’s greatest
treasure. They believe it to be the world’s largest
cathedral, though many Théans who have seen
the Vaticine City dispute this claim. Regardless,
the Ayaecclesia is a point of pride for Iskandari
for both its beauty and meaning.
The Ayaecclesia has stood for over a millennium.
Before it, a series of smaller churches faced the
populace’s wrath. One burned in ancient times
when Yasnavans objected to the establishment of
Orthodoxy in Iskandar. Some say those ruins still
lie beneath the church, their treasures—or curses—
buried for anyone willing to risk the Church’s ire to
find. The last church burned during an uprising
over fears the Numanari would invade. To prove
Iskandar would never fall, the mayor, ibn Talib,
asked all the people to bring whatever personal
treasures they could spare for a new church of the
Prophet, one that would stand the test of time.
114 Section Three: City Regions
Gold or stone, wood or gems, he accepted any
gift, no matter how small. A great outpouring
followed. Wealthy elites sacrificed heirlooms.
Workers arrived, tools in hand, to donate their
time and sweat. Thus funded, ibn Talib hired
the world’s greatest mathematicians, physicists,
goldsmiths and artisans. Ibn Talib and the
people thus built a treasure that could never be
broken or stolen. They call the Ayaecclesia the
city’s greatest treasure for this reason.
When Istani, pretender to Safiye’s throne,
converted the cathedral to the service of
al-Dīn even though perfectly good mosques
dotted Iskandar, many Iskandari of all faiths
disapproved, though they dared not speak out.
The sacred altars and censers, gilded and jeweled,
disappeared. Plaster covered the First Prophet’s
mosaics, replacing them with sacred Dīnist
poetry. On Safiye’s ascension to the throne, her
Sheikh al-Dīn, Yonca, restored the Ayaecclesia
to the Orthodox, but could not find many of
its ritual objects. Rumor has it Istani looted the
cathedral to fund the march against his sister.
Those who looted or bought these
paraphernalia now are wanted by the City
Watch. Such contraband may indict the
possessor as an Istani loyalist.
Like in ages past, Yonca called upon the
Iskandari to give what they could to restore the
Ayaecclesia. Some looted pieces emerged from
their hiding places in perfect condition, saved
by those loyal to Iskandar’s spirit above all else.
Other citizens brought their savings, their tools
and their labor to restore the cathedral. It is
once again the city’s greatest treasure.
The cathedral stands in perfect symmetry.
A central open room, flanked on all sides with
columns that reach up several stories, hosts the
services.
Colorful marble circles dance around one
another on the smooth floor. Aged mosaics
of the First Prophet’s early followers, having
emerged from beneath the plaster seemingly
brighter than before, gaze down upon the
congregation. The dome allows in the light
even as it depicts the First Prophet as lord of
all. Some believe touching the paintings and
treasures in a certain order grants a special
blessing, but only a few worn spots on a
painting or statue provide any clue as to which
might provide it.
An ambulatory surrounds this central
room, where congregants can follow the First
Prophet’s path outside regular services. On the
floors above it, vestiaries, offices and a small
library serve the church’s day-to-day needs.
Because of the Ayaecclesia’s unique history, all
are welcome to enter and walk its ambulatory
or marvel at its artistic treasures. Priests offer
healing services to Orthodox faithful, though
only locals know the way to acquire healing
if they are not Orthodox themselves: Near
the shop where visitors can buy holy beads or
prayer books, a door leads into a ves- tiary. One
need only knock on the door and a priest will
appear. If any visitor asks for a blessing, the
priest will grant healing on the spot.
The cathedral is much more than this
central jewel of a building. The golden dome
that dominates the skyline also towers over
several smaller chapels and mausolea. One
such mausoleum is dedicated to a short-lived
Orthodox dynasty based in Iskandar. Others
come from Orthodox family names, well-known
and respected in the city. Apocryphal stories
circulate that other burial places lie beneath the
ground, predating the Ayaecclesia, and perhaps
even its predecessor churches. Orthodox and
Yasnavan subgroups lock horns over excavation
beneath the church. The Orthodox believe it will
prove their greater ancestral right to govern the
city, while Yasnavans believe they will find long-
lost ancient power. They may both be right.
In addition, the Ayaecclesia’s precinct boasts a
flower garden. The flowers are forever in bloom, as
plants are dug up and replaced regularly with new
sets of blooming flowers. Non-blooming varieties
are stored in a greenhouse tucked away among
neighboring buildings. Visitors should not find it
unusual for the flowers to change from one day
to the next, or to visit the garden while gardeners
exchange one array of flowers for another.
The garden’s hallmark, aside from its perma-
nent bloom, lies in the peculiar arrangement
of the flowers. A red mioleta or two might be
thrown amidst sweet-smelling purple narjis.
One might have the misfortune of visiting
the day of the “death bloom,” a beautiful
multi-colored flower that reeks of rotting
flesh, whether it blooms amidst a number of
white or blue iliya. Most believe the tendency
to mix flowers to be a quirk of the Orthodox
gardeners, or a nod to the Creator, who alone
can create perfection. The true reason proves to
be a bit more sinister.
During Istani’s time, the Dīnist Ayaecclesia
became a contact point for the Anashid
Assassins. The need for secrecy forced the
Guardian of the First Garden to deliver orders in
code through the cathedral’s garden itself. Since
the return of the Ayaecclesia to the Orthodox,
nothing has changed. The head gardener leaves
messages in the flowers only Assassins can read,
while everyone else remains ignorant.
Relic: Yesu’s Fig Bough
In a secret vault beneath the Ayaecclesia resides
Yesu’s Fig Bough, an ossified wooden relic of
the tree under which Yesu converted his first
follower. That follower kept it in memory of the
day he was born to the truth. Ever since, it has
emitted soft light, even as it has become more
like stone with every passing year.
The relic once sat in a place of honor before
the Ayaecclesia’s altar. The faithful adored
the relic, but few were permitted to touch it.
Supplicants would have to put in an application
with the Metropolitan. If the Metropolitan
could not help and the problem was deemed
worthy, the supplicant could hold the relic. If,
while holding it, she debated what she should
do, its divine wisdom would help her decide her
next course of action.
7th Sea | Iskandar 115
 Curses and Blessings in the Ayaecclesia
CURSES
• If the party decides to rearrange or influence the
flower arrangements, the message they send may go
wildly awry.
• Digging for secrets or treasure on Ayaecclesia
grounds may trigger an ancient trap.
• Sussing out Istani loyalists affiliated with the
church may brand the Heroes loyalists instead.
• Anyone attempting to touch the holy images may
end up with a curse instead of a blessing.
• Poking around in the flowers may get the party on
the Anashid’s radar.
BLESSINGS
• The Metropolitan (head Reverend) might grant a
character access to the Fig Bough of Yesu and its
wisdom.
• The graves and mausolea might hide maps to a
long-forgotten undersea city.
• The party may be able to enlist the Anashid’s help,
with or without their knowledge.
• Orthodox reverends may look kindly on someone
revealing Anashid involvement in their garden.
• The gardener may have information about plants
and poisons to help in facing off against the other
factions of the bostanci.
When Istani came to power, the priesthood
hid their greatest treasures, among them the
Fig Bough, within the church itself. Since then,
they have kept the relic in the vault, pretending
it disappeared along with the rest during Istani’s
reign. Now, only a select few faithful know of
its existence. Access to its power is reserved for
those in most need.
The relic has a storied history. It supposedly
guided the Disciples to Ashur after the First
Prophet died. It advised the Orthodox not to trust
the Third Prophet. It urged an old Reverend to
bring it from Ashur when the Ayaecclesia was first
116 Section Three: City Regions
built. Shah Farhad of Persis consulted the bough
to master one of the hundred tests to win the
hand of Sultana Soraya. The decision to grant a
Dīnist access to an Orthodox relic came from the
bough itself, which saw wisdom in facilitating the
peace between Anatol Ayh and Persis.
Despite this history, or perhaps because of it,
the current priesthood is much more reluctant
to share the existence of the bough with
outsiders. At least one Reverend believes Istani
expropriated the Ayaecclesia because he coveted
the bough — he interrogated several priests,
but the bough’s keeper had wisely fled Anatol
Ayh altogether. That Reverend had consulted
the bough and decided to hide it and himself in
two different locations.
Anyone who touches the bough may ask its
advice on the next best step to accomplish their
goal. The bough only provides wisdom, not the
correct answer. It is not all-knowing. It is meant
only as a tool to get closer to Yesu’s teachings. It
is not agnostic, however, and gives bad advice to
those with evil ends in mind.
The Temple of Hymn
and its Daxdana
The Temple of Hymn in Iskandar occupies
a different location in the city than it had in
generations past. During Istani’s time, the
archmagi rebased away from the crowded
city center to a hill on the outskirts, near the
already-established daxdana.
Some posit that Istani forced them out,
coveting the prime real estate, but the archmagi
who dismiss this claim would not lie. The
Yasnavans based at the daxdana believe the
archmagi sold out to Istani, turning other
wizards in, in return for his looking the other
way when it came to the Temple of Hymn.
Istani demolished the old Temple of Hymn
and, as if mocking what once stood there, erected
an administration center for the Magician’s
Registry in its place. The songs of Ahurayasna
gave way to silence, though some heard screams
emanating from it by night. Some say the
building is now cursed or haunted. Others
say blackmail-worthy information on various
wizards still lies hidden in its walls.
No trace remains of that Temple of Hymn
today, which had stood there for centuries.
When Safiye came to power, her Sheikh
al-Dīn erected a plaque, to honor what once
stood there, and as a warning against another
Magician’s Registry. The building now holds
case records from Istani’s rule, especially those
Safiye has ordered for review. Recently, security
on the building has been beefed up, as Istani
loyalists have targeted it for attack.
The daxdana had long stood on a rise well
outside the city, far from the bustle of Iskandar.
As the city expanded, it reached out to touch the
daxdana’s feet. When nearby residents began to
complain about vultures and carrion-eaters, the
archmagi bought the land around the daxdana
and built a new Temple of Hymn next to it. The
daxdana’s magi claim Istani himself subsidized
this purchase…but at what price?
Unlike the small temple the archmagi
occupied in the city center, the new one
takes up the equiva- lent of several blocks. It
incorporates two hearths: one for the Persic
denomination, another for any local follower
to worship as their own tradition dictates. In
addition, the Magistry seems to take up a palace
of its own. The area where the livestock live
triples the Temple’s landholding. The animals
have responded positively to the move; their
resulting increase in population has likewise
increased the archmagi’s ability to support
themselves and their community.
The Temple of Hymn’s two branches have
proved invaluable in a time when Persis has
denounced the old ways. Archmaga Danyal
of the Persic hearth maintains close relations
with Siphon, and Persis’ Archmaga Şivan,
despite the dangers of sending communications
through the often-hostile Persic hinterlands.
The archmagi who tend the free hearth focus on
maintaining the flock, both human and animal.
They appear to work in harmony. However,
Danyal supports Şivan politically, which means
sup- porting the conservative Persic rebel
faction called the Eternal Flame. He angles to
enlist Iskandar’s magi to help, calling on Vafa’s
Law (“take refuge in faith”). Danyal hopes
they can unite around one hearth to restore
Ahurayasna in Persis as it is in Iskandar.
Due to the Temple of Hymn’s bifurcated
nature, the main place of worship is L-shaped.
The Persic branch boasts smooth wooden
floors, whereas the open hearth remains
unfinished. The hearth lies open to the
elements for the benefit of the sacred cypress
trees surrounding it, though when it rains they
partially cover it with a canopy. The magi are
slowly adding powerful sayings to the wall, as
the angels move them. Many new songs have
been written before its hearth.
The administrative quarters, however, have
long been finished, housing the magi, sheltering
them and their records. These records are only
available to the archmagi, despite the daxdana’s
magi lobbying for access. The buildings also
house guards. The House stands outside
Iskandar’s main defenses, so the magi employ
their own security. They have not been much
tested, aside from occasional thieves who are
after the livestock of the Magistry.
The new location has been a boon for
Yasnavans, but tension has come from an
unexpected quarter. The magi that tended
the daxdana long worked in seclusion, largely
independent of the main Temple of Hymn.
They held services for the dead and hoisted them
to their sky-burials peacefully for generations.
Though they were always friendly with the
archmagi, they now work under their direct
supervision. Some grumble about moving the
daxdana even farther afield, but the daxdana as-is
feeds runoff into a convenient stream that rolls
gently down the rise.
7th Sea | Iskandar 117
 Curses and Blessings at the
Temple of Hymn
CURSES
• The Magistry attracts thieves. When the temple
guards prove too green to catch them, players may
be forced into their role.
• If the party investigates the festering dead flesh in
the daxdana, they may catch a cold or curse.
• The Persic archmaga will do anything to support
his counterpart in Persis, including blackmailing or
tricking players into helping the rebellion.
• Not all the Magistry animals are tame. Incautious
characters may find themselves on the wrong end
of a horn.
• The daxdana’s age has begun to show. It may soon
collapse on the Temple of Hymn’s worshippers.
BLESSINGS
• Archmaga Danyal proves a staunch ally if the party
supports Persic independence.
• The daxdana provides an excellent location for
surveilling the city’s edge; its drainage system
provides an alternate route out of town.
• The Temple of Hymn’s records detail what might
lie beneath its former site in the city center.
• The open hearth’s magi can introduce the party to
8th Sea-style Yasnavan teachings and grant them
some facility in the desert.
• One of the magi knows about a rumored 13th ahura.
118 Section Three: City Regions
Sulan Metehan Camii, the
Great Mosque of Iskandar
Like the morning, a true wonder rises over
Iskandar. A building so perfect and polished the
sky runs to greet it, and finds itself reflected a
million times. No art may stand against it. Surely
no work of humanity has been created as glorious
as Sulan Metehan Camii, the Great Mosque of
Iskandar.
—Shaimaa Wadoud, Royal Historian of
Iskandar
When one sails into Altın Liman, the Golden
Port, one of Terra’s most glorious sights greets
them: the Sulan Metehan Camii Mosque, also
known as the Great Mosque of Iskandar. Its
sheer size leads one to think the building closer
to shore than its actual location, dead center in
the city.
In 1630, Emperor Shareef commissioned
Sulan Metehan Camii. The architect Metehan
Çevik claims to have developed the mosque’s
unique style after seeing it during dikr
meditation. A masterpiece of innovation, it
combines Numanari vaulted ceilings with
graceful arches and the Second Prophet’s
elaborately calligraphed sayings. When one now
thinks of a building in Iskandari style, they are
thinking of the symmetrically flowing arches,
domes, minarets and minute detailing and
color characterizing Metehan Çevik’s work. A
perfectionist, he saw the masjid as the greatest
contribution he could make in al-Musawwir’s
name. He was correct.
Built with marble quarried in the hills
northeast of Iskandar, Sulan Metehan Camii’s
beauty shines far enough that ships sailing into
port use its perpetually lit golden minarets as
guides. The strange blue-black marble, keenly
polished, reflects the sky like a mirror. Its
curves and its massive octagonal central dome
are set with dots of white marble mimicking
constellations. Its great golden doors are carved
with poems to the beauty of al-Musawwir.
 Not just a place of worship, Sulan Metehan
Camii’s vast complex contains a maktab (primary
school), an imaret (public soup kitchen), a
sprawl- ing courtyard where travelers can
rest, a hammam (public bath), and a hospital
specializing in hospice care. There is also a
Yachidi temple dedicated to Shohreh the Just, a
Sarmioni princess beloved by Emperor Shareef.
Though these services are for all Iskandar’s
residents, not all citizens are served equally.
Though the poor still have access, many spaces
within the maktab go to children who can
afford private tutors, but whose parents wish
to be seen as pious. The hospital often has a
morning line of Iskandar’s poorest residents
waiting for care, which wealthier patients just
happen to skip past. Things are slowly changing
under Empress Safiye. Slowly.
The Five Pillars of Sulan Metehan Camii
Five minarets frame Sulan Metehan Camii’s
outer courtyard, each one symbolizing a duty of
al-Dīn. Four of the minarets house lights visible
from the shore. From the fifth, the call to prayer
echoes over the city every morning.
Nobles bicker bitterly over the great honor of
lighting these minarets’ lamps. The Hudeens,
a single devout Dīnist family who fought for
Sultana Safiye when she needed help the most,
occupies these positions. Of mixed Ifrian and
Anatoli heritage and known for their martial
skill, the four siblings Basim, Karima, Juwariyah
and Amatullah arrive each sunset to make sure
the lanterns are still lit. Their father, Kamil,
climbs the fifth regularly to give the sonorous
call to prayer that echoes over the land through
acoustic tricks set into the minaret. Several noble
families have conspired against the Hudeens to
place their own relatives in the positions.
The Sunset Courtyard The Imaret
and Grand Entrance
Like many other mosques in the Crescent
Empire, the building itself has a colonnaded
peristyle courtyard to the west done entirely in
pink marble and white granite. The entrance
features gold-leaf calligraphy welcoming all
who seek art, peace and knowledge; and unique
blue tiles set into the ceiling to imitate the sky.
Citizens mill about at all times of the day in
social and official capacities. All travelers are
welcome to rest in the serene courtyard with its
refreshing fountains.
The Interior and Great Dome
When Metehan Çevik was told he would
never build a dome measuring up to Numanari
architecture’s beautifully crafted onion domes,
he built Sulan Metehan Camii’s 200-foot-high
dome, the Crescent Empire’s tallest. The dome
itself has two semi-domes on either side with
plain tympana-filled windows supported by
white marble monoliths.
Buttresses cleverly incorporated into the
building’s very walls extend both inside and
out; outside, colonnaded galleries disguise
them. This structure’s interior is nearly square.
A single, two-story gallery on the inside and
outside allows people to circumambulate the
mosque without interrupting prayers— and
increases airflow on stuffy summer days.
Every interior detail appears simple, but uses
the highest-quality materials. Rich blue Persic
carpets woven expressly for the mosque cover
the floors. The walls and ceilings are painted
with exacting calligraphy. Even the lighting
fixtures, such as the massive tiered circular
oil chandeliers with tulip-shaped glass, seem
elegant yet sparse. Centered in the back of the
room is the minbar, a set of steps which leads to
a simple stage and chair. Here, a mudarris may
teach and speak to those who come to pray and
meditate. Though it looks humble, it is carved
from teak and inlaid with mother-of-pearl stars.
One of al-Dīn’s most important duties is
sadaqah, or charity. At the Imaret, those who
are hungry, tired, or in need of care can receive a
good meal twice a day: usually one bowl of stew
and a loaf of bread for the morning meal, then
7th Sea | Iskandar 119
 chickpeas and vegetables for the second, with
lamb and rice on festival days. Its large kitchens
and distribution center produce nearly 1,000
loaves of bread daily.
Under Istani, however, food distribution
followed a strict class divide, violating not only
al-Dīn’s, but also the Way’s tenets. Scholars and
the wealthy ate first, employees of the masjid
second, the poorest last. The Imaret would run
out of food before the families in most need
received a single slice of bread. Now, under the
empress’ reforms, the neediest once again go
first. The nobles chafe against this egalitarian
approach, but this small change has done so
much good that they know better than to air
this sentiment in public.
Curses and Blessings at Sulan
Metehan Camii
CURSES
• Guards are everywhere. If you are no good at
sneaking around, someone will check in on you.
• Opening the wrong door in the hospice can spread
an undiscovered illness.
• The well-armed Hudeens will probably notice any
attempt to climb the Five Pillars.
BLESSINGS
• Chattering wedding parties fill the Hammam with
juicy social and political gossip.
• Yet another secret tunnel connects the Imaret to a
supply depot next to the Grand Bazaar. Sometimes
you hear howls.
• Contrary to popular misconception, Metehan
Çevik is very much alive. He teaches architecture
once a week in a small classroom in the mosque.
Sitting in his class affords extra knowl- edge about
the many buildings in Iskandar he has designed.
120 Section Three: City Regions
The Hammam
In Dīnist tradition, ritual bathing purifies the
body so that it may appear a more perfect
microcosm of al-Musawwir’s creation. When
praying in the mosque, one often comes first
to the hammam (ritual bathing house) on a
hill facing the port. This Numanari leftover
has carved colonnades, a small central dome
of white-and-pink marble and rich rose-
scented steam filling the air. Here, any and all
community members can purify themselves
before prayer or converse around the gift of
water. Many celebrations occur here; at any
time of day, both Yachidi and Dīnists receive
massages, henna and scrubs in preparation for
nuptials.
Note that the hammam is not gender-
exclusive, or even sexual at all. Those who
conflate ritual bathing and sex are indulging
in a bit of Théan fantasy originating with
scandalized Vaticines.
Within the hammam one proceeds through
three main rooms in order: the hot room
(sıcaklık), warm room (ılıklık) and cold room
(soğukluk).
One disrobes in the hot room, with its
fountains of running water in each corner,
gentle steam, and grooved marble slabs where
attendants offer scrubs or massages. In the
warm room, one washes with soap and water.
Here, around a central rectangular pool of
refreshing water, individual washing sta- tions
facilitate the performance of wudu: a ritual
washing of the hands, mouth, nose, face, arms,
ears and feet in succession to prepare for Dīnist
prayer. Between them, the larger pool allows
ghusl (full- body immersion). A secondary
ritual bathing pool called a mikvah serves
Yachidi worshippers. Finally, the cold room
allows socializing while cooling down one’s
body temperature before departure. Tea, kaffee
and small finger foods and sweets are often
served here.
Beth Shalom, sixteen, represents Iskandar’s bravery, unity and
sincere hope for the future.
the Home of Peace
Beneath Beth Shalom’s floor, a narrow
Built in honor of Shohreh the Just, a Sarmioni passageway connects directly to the Golden
poet and scholar of the Nakor tribe who Port. Since its inception, the temple has been a
married Emperor Shareef, this Yachidi temple stop for Sorté Streghe and other magic-users
is smaller than Sulan Metehan Camii, but escaping Théan persecution or bondage. The
no less ornate. Two half-domes support its tunnel was a collaboration with the Oursine
central dome. Warm blue paint and gold-leaf Sisters, a powerful yet secretive Vaticine
etching adorn its high ceilings. The long velvet- religious order, whose founder operated
cushioned benches feature the same carved teak women’s schools in misogynistic Vodacce, and
and mother-of-pearl inlay as the main masjid. who routinely smuggle Sorté Streghe to safety.
Currently the temple leviat, Yacob ben Aysher Often these smuggled magic users go on to
M’Shvet Levi, takes care of lighting the golden live free lives within Iskandar, sometimes even
Menorah which symbolizes Elohah’s light across the teaching their arts to their saviors. As such,
eight seas, and recites prayers in the temple halls. many sorcerers attend Beth Shalom.
Empress Safiye herself has on occasion
joined the community in consulting this young,
unassuming man for his prophecies.
The temple hosts many visiting rebbeim and
scholars, welcoming all who would discuss and
debate freely. This lively atmosphere attracts
many members of different faiths to hear
popular philosophers and preachers. Once a
week, rebbeim, mudarris and other community
leaders get together over drinks to compare
and contrast their views on life or hold friendly
philosophical debates.
When the temple was first built, anti-sorcery
extremists sought to drive the Yachidi (and indeed
all non-Dīnist influences) from the land. After
repeated attacks, the maktab’s diverse students
began to stand watch in shifts around the clock.
Few vandals were audacious enough to get past the
chil- dren’s guard; those that did found themselves
facing swift justice. The Children’s Vigil continues
despite the relatively calm and accepting current
atmosphere, since Istani’s anti-sorcery loyalists
could be anywhere. Though City Watch patrols
take the students’ places during the evening, during
the day the children take turns welcoming visitors
and watching the temple, often hearing lectures
from rebbeim and visiting scholars right outside
the temple doors. The innocent and steadfast
presence of these students, none older than

121
 The passageway closed during Istani’s crackdown
on magic. The empress’ accession let this vital work
resume its brisk pace…but not without risk, since
Sorté Streghe often flee powerful families who
could spark an international scandal, or perhaps
even war. The temple rigorously vets workers to
preserve the tunnel’s secrecy, but what will happen if
a single spy gets through?
Relic: The Bird of Nabihah
During a banquet celebrating Empress Safiye’s
accession, a wide-eyed serving girl handed her a
tiny desert sparrow carved of plain red clay. No
bigger than a child’s hand, it seemed just a child’s
sweet favor until it animated of its own volition
and knocked over the empress’ cup, which was
found to be poisoned. The child herself was
nowhere to be found in the ensuing commotion;
the bird returned to clay in the empress’ hands.
Thought to be lost forever during some past
war, the Bird of Nabihah is a relic with a legendary
past, its numerous powers widely coveted.
Its creator, the artisan and scholar Nabihah bint
Hawaa, was the Prophet Khalil’s first follower.
Anashid accounts designate her Khalil’s
wife and Irshad’s mother. Self-taught, she
often wrought beautiful yet simple creations
to remind others of the beauty the Creator
brought to the world. Each had some
imperfection, to hint at the self ’s need to strive
constantly for perfection, while remembering
that the work may never be perfect.
Nabihah watched the Second Prophet’s
transfig- uration at the time of his murder.
Instead of falling into grief, she mixed the
Prophet’s staff ’s ashes with clay, putting all her
artistic skills into a wonder to guard the pure of
heart. Legend has it the bird, as long as a true
Hero carries it, can cast light bright enough to
guide a caravan, purify any liquid from poison,
detect and absorb magic and heal its bearer
from at least one grievous injury. Its greatest
power: to become a living creature that can find
the bearer’s heart’s desire.
122 Section Three: City Regions
Embassy of the 8th Sea
The Embassy of the 8th Sea stands in a quiet
upper-class neighborhood. Safiye ordered the
renova- tion of a home that once belonged to a
commissioner loyal to Istani, rededicating it as
an embassy to the 8th Sea. Before that, the 8th
Sea had no embassy in Iskandar; some say there
is still no need for one.
The embassy boasts a columned entrance. The
pointed roof ends on each corner with grinning
grotesques reminiscent of Théan style. The only
hint this high-class home might represent the
tribes of the 8th Sea chews the grasses out front
while tied to a bar. Three camels, the pride of the
al-Th’ib tribe, wait outside, ready for whenever the
need to take to the streets or the desert strikes.
The interior of the embassy echoes the
exterior decoration. Rich Iskandari designs
mix with Théan afterthoughts. Here and there,
mementos of tribal gatherings sit in displays.
This embassy gives the feeling it is profoundly
unqualified to represent the 8th Sea.
The current ambassador, Tariq al-Jamal,
reinforces this feeling, as he has never actually
lived in the 8th Sea. His family left Jamal lands
generations ago, came to Iskandar to help their
tribe’s camel trade, and never returned home.
This branch of al-Jamal ended up joining
Iskandar’s merchant class. Though they claim
tribal ancestry and culture, they tend to be
much more Iskandari in dress and manners.
The tribes joke that their ambassador
knows how to light a tent and raise a hearth.
The saying indicates he would not survive
in the desert, and is hardly worthy of tribal
membership, let alone the ambassador seat.
Even so, he does fill a necessary role. The Jamal
ambassador serves so none of the 8th Sea tribes
needs to send one of their own to do the job. As
a courtesy, Safiye herself pays for the upkeep of
the ambassador and the embassy.
As such, the embassy acts more like a cultural
or informational center about the 8th Sea.
Tribe members may come to declare their
official residence in Iskandar, or they may
visit if they need help navigating the capital’s
bureaucracy. Otherwise, the ambassador does
not represent the major tribes in trade or in
politics. The tribes have no use for the embassy
or anything “official.” Instead, the savvy find
their representatives elsewhere in town.
Al-Hisan stake their claim at the market
near Iskandar’s eastern gate. A rotating cast of
tribesmen and women hold court in a corner
there, selling some of their tribe’s finest horses.
When they arrive in Iskandar to run the market
for several months, they bring rumors concerning
tribal politics, as well as directives from the
sheikh, to deliver to court. They have some
freedom to speak on the tribe’s behalf, though
frequently they defer until they return to the 8th
Sea for verification from the sheikhs. The quality
and breed of the horses for sale can tell more
about the state of the tribe than any- thing the
tribe’s emissary says. As different factions gain
headway within al-Hisan, a predominance of
their preferred horses speaks volumes.
The al-Thi’b have taken to hanging around
the Sulan Metehan Camii Mosque, a popular
pilgrim- age site. They savor the opportunity to
worship in a dedicated mosque, a far cry from
their improvised worship on the 8th Sea’s trails.
Though they are not the wealthiest of tribes,
they have found hospitality among Iskandari
Dīnists, who relish the opportunity to practice
the value of itef by offering space in their
homes, gardens and lands. Al-Thi’b also jockey
for the space inside the courtyard for resting
travelers; minor squabbles have broken out
when al-Thi’b believe they have greater right to
the space than visitors from elsewhere.
Those seeking an audience with an al-Thi’b
leader will find the leader coming out of the
mosque.
The tribal sheikh may not journey all the way
to Iskandar, but others do, to sell handmade
crafts in the city. They also carry news from the
tribe, and, since they do not stay in Iskandar
long, can quickly relay information back.
Curses and Blessings in the
Embassy of the 8th Sea
CURSES
• Some tribesmen think nothing of tricking someone
outside their tribe.
• If al-Hisan are suffering internal conflict, the horses
they sell may be both dangerous and wild.
• The Jamal tribe will celebrate visitors on the edge
of the city, but one mistake and the party may be
facing down an angry jinni.
• If the party believes too much in the ambassador,
they may end up with inaccurate or insulting
information about the tribes.
• Taking too great an interest in the official embassy’s
tchotchkes may release a dark jinni.
BLESSINGS
• Al-Jamal are loyal to no one except those who are
willing to pay, which makes them great allies.
• Al-Thi’b that visit the mosque also want to practice
itef and give back to others, including the Heroes.
• The ambassador would welcome help connect- ing
with his tribe, and has Imperial backing to fund it.
• The three main tribes’ spies provide excellent
coverage of the entire city, for a price.
• The tribes can provide immediate escape from the
city without rousing attention.
Al-Jamal and other, smaller tribes prefer
to stay outside the city altogether. Usually
traveling in sibling or romantic pairs, they wait
by their camels along the main road, ready to
carry messages, fees, or other deliveries farther
up the road or straight into the 8th Sea. They
may even set up tents and stay a few days until
they can negotiate a good price for a camel. If
approached by someone not looking to buy
or sell, they quickly lose interest and return to
their group.
7th Sea | Iskandar 123
 Because they journey to Iskandar in hopes of
earning coin, diplomatic forays can be difficult
to make without either hiring a tribesman to
deliver a message, or waiting for a feast day.
The tribesmen herald large groups’ arrivals
or departures with feasts some distance from
the main road. They set up tents in a group;
members of the makeshift community visit each
tent in kind, sharing in the bounty. The feast
may end with calls to jinn in the evening.
This practice alone often keeps casual visitors
away, but feast-nights (especially when held
for tribal leaders) often prove the best time to
make diplomatic entreaties. Contribute to the
feast, and you are welcome to partake in all the
festivities.
Embassy of City’s Secundus Library. A fairly lucrative trade
the Vaticine City
The Vaticine embassy once consisted of a small
office in a nondescript building. But when
Istani granted the Vaticine Church a boon, they
bought a new building adjoining the Castillian
embassy. The embassy sits on a rise, giving
it ample view of nearby embassies’ (and the
palace’s) comings and goings.
The newly liberated Church set about forging
new bonds, some of which prove troubling.
The current hierophantic nuncio, Elezar
Crespo de Zepeda, has spearheaded Vaticine
diplomacy’s evolution in Iskandar. Under
his watch, Vaticine-Crescent relations have
improved, although some say only officially.
The sultana continues to question what price
the Vaticine paid to Istani to grow their base of
power in the capital. She wonders if they had a
role in Istani’s attack on her in Théah.
The embassy plays several roles for Vaticine
City. The nuncio employs several apprentices, who
learn not only the trade of diplomacy, but also the
Crescent’s languages. Elezar himself apprenticed
to the previous nuncio. The apprentices arrive
annually, with up to 15 serving in Iskandar at
any one time. They may be assigned to manage
124 Section Three: City Regions
relationships with the palace, the harem, or even
other embassies.
Apprentices may also find themselves sent to
neighboring countries to learn languages. These
assignments can be perilous, as many see nuncio
apprentices as harbingers of the Inquisition.
Apprentices come from every walk of society.
Many hail from distant lands. A common faith
unites them, and just as easily divides them.
Each apprentice may have his or her own
loyalty to factions within the Church. Intrigue
between the Church and the rest of Iskandar
pales in comparison to that which takes place
within the embassy itself.
The embassy also seeks out and stockpiles
relics, works of art, scrolls and manuscripts that
may even- tually find a home in the Vaticine
has sprung up among inhabitants of Iskandar
selling ancient artifacts found under their
doorsteps. Some claim that the Church is also
searching for manuscripts they can bury, never
again to see the light of day.
In addition to its unique mandates, the
embassy arbitrates in cases concerning Hieros
members. The old embassy sat in a quarter
known for Vaticine denizens. Now Dīnists,
who eye Castillians with suspicion dating
back to the Moonshadow War and the Great
Fire, surround the embassy. These neighbors
keep keener eyes on the comings and goings of
Iskandari of the faith, making it more difficult
for them to disappear during a proceeding.
Thus, for the most part, these arbitrations have
proven relatively benign.
For hundreds of years, the building now housing
the embassy contained Imperial accountants.
After its re-dedication, the crumbling facade and
colors representative of Anatol Ayh gave way to
Vaticine decorative motifs mixed with Crescent
style. The building rises a modest two stories,
though it seems taller due to its position on a
slight hill. Out of respect for Dīnist neighbors,
geometric shapes predominate on the exterior. A
new arched gateway leads to a classical Crescent
fountain, flowing in four cardinal directions in the
main garden. Some say the waters have healing Curses and Blessings in the
properties. Others claim the opposite effect if the Vaticine Embassy
person drinking from it means the Vaticine ill.
CURSES
Subtlety disappears within the embassy. The
double door entry opens into a grand foyer, • The Vaticine embassy may imprison in their
filled with saints’ images all facing the prophets underground cells anyone who finds out their secrets.
at the front and center. The images invite • If the Heroes free anyone from the cells below, they
visitors to follow the saints’ example. A trick of may inadvertently liberate danger- ous sorcerers.
light or magic seems to mesmerize the viewer,
• Elezar’s agents may decide to trail the Heroes if
though any Vaticine would attribute this effect
they seem to be looking for the same artifact.
to the power of the Creator. A small chapel off
the foyer permits visitors to cleanse the soul • Any person of Théan origin technically falls under
before venturing further within. the Church’s holy jurisdiction, and may be subject
to trial.
The first and second floors contain the
nuncio’s office and quarters, the apprentices’ • Two artifacts placed next to each other secretly
offices and a small library. To the average visitor, create a magic vortex beyond the priests’ control.
the embassy seems perfectly functional, if
ostentatious. However, the Church chose this
BLESSINGS
location for another reason. • The Vaticine embassy contains a historical text
leading to hidden treasure.
Hundreds of years before the Empire
nationalized it, this building was a school, then • The embassy may hire the party to deliver a treasure
a cave that stored contraband such as bootleg safely to the Vaticine City.
wine in subterranean cells of which most are • The embassy provides an excellent, private view of
unaware. There, Elezar keeps spies, heretics its Dīnist neighbors.
and relics far from prying eyes. He accesses the
• Nuncio apprentices, eager to explore and learn, will
lower floors through jealously guarded secret
participate in an adventure if it exposes them to
passages. One emerges from the small chapel,
new languages or cultures.
another from his offices. The cells themselves
have an entrance at the hill’s base of the rise, • The party can play apprentices off each other due
making it possible to slip prisoners into cells to their differing factional alignments.
without being spotted.

7th Sea | Iskandar 125

 Elezar, with Vaticine approval, has recently
employed builders to expand this underground
complex and connect it to the small Castillian
embassy next door. These builders dress as pilgrims
looking to spread the Third Prophet’s words. In
actuality, the Vaticine has sworn them to secrecy,
and they must build underground day and night.
The devout among them believe they will in fact
bring the Vaticine religion to Iskandar, especially
to those sorcerers Iskandar harbors. The less
Curses and Blessings in the Secret
Police Headquarters
CURSES
• Stumbling upon the Secret Police Headquarters
when the gardeners are fully assembled will lead to
a very short life.
• Entering the Secret Police Headquarters via the
unpredictable river route could cause drowning.
• The Secret Police are both gardeners and
executioners. They keep tinctures in their
headquarters that may heal…or kill.
• When unmanned, the Headquarters are monitored
by non-human alarm systems. These creatures
wake more easily than their humans.
• Tripping over the hidden garden entrance could
lead to falling alone into a den of unfriendly foes
with no way out.
BLESSINGS
• The Secret Police house their collection of treasures
within their quarters.
• The Headquarters provide a secret way out of the
garden, straight to the river.
• The Headquarters contain the only Secret Police
badges, if a Hero needs a disguise.
• The Headquarters’ natural healing tinctures may be
useful.
• The Headquarters’ records contain information
about the Thieves’ Guild as well as secrets kept from
the palace, such as who funds the Secret Police.
126 Section Three: City Regions
devout, however, fear that when they finish
expanding the cells, they will be put in them.
The Secret
Police Headquarters
The bostanci were originally Iskandar’s
gardeners. Over time, they took on a more
sinister role, monitoring the public and keeping
them on the right side of the law, no matter the
cost. They also performed the much-needed
service of fratricide. Under Istani’s rule, the
gardeners enforced his laws on sorcery and
sedition. This fractured the bostanci into
multiple factions. One became the Secret Police.
Ever since Safiye broke the connection between
palace and Secret Police, they have soldiered on
in secret. They stalk, monitor and in some cases
kidnap revolutionaries, seditionists and those
who break Istani’s byzantine laws. Nameless
donors fund them. Some believe the Bivar Asp
have thrown in with them, encouraging them to
continue executing anyone who stands in the way
of the true emperor, whether that be Istani or the
Bivar Asp’s leader, Sepideh Aždahâzadeh. Other
theories blame a collection of Istani’s followers.
Two possibilities are more likely. Safiye,
reluctant to use any means necessary to secure
her rule, lacks perfect control over the palace.
Perhaps her sheikhs have taken matters into
their own hands, believing the Secret Police
still have their uses. Another possibility:
the gardeners now support themselves.
Membership is not hereditary, so income that
goes to the gardeners stays with the collective.
The Secret Police may seek to rule in their own
name, liberated from fealty to the empress.
The Secret Police now hide their bases in or
near Iskandar’s public gardens. Their largest
home, the Secret Police Headquarters, remains
in use. The apparently abandoned one-story
building boasts delicate flowers carved in stone,
graceful columns flanking the locked door. The
fountain in front continues to spew its waters
for delighted passers-by.
 The Headquarters underground are something
else entirely. A secret entrance in a bed of tulips
leads to a ladder; those in a hurry can even slide
down the incline. Upon entering, gardeners find
themselves in a small guardroom. Two guards
are always stationed here, and there is room
for merely three. Anyone invading would find
themselves unprotected and outmanned.
The next room contains the barracks, training
facilities, food storage and all life’s necessities.
The entire regiment cannot fit within the
barracks, nor need they; many live normal lives,
concealing their involvement with the Secret
Police. While the main entrance prevents an
attack in force, the members can still themselves
deploy in force. A wide hallway rises from the
barracks, then falls a short distance to open into
the river. The river itself obscures this exit.
Thieves’ Guild
The Iskandar Thieves’ Guild enjoys
acknowledgment in the official list of guilds
governing the city. They earned their status
when they smuggled Safiye into the city while
Istani still ruled. They strongly oppose laws that
oppress the common man, and support freedom
no matter the cost. Thus, they considered it
their patriotic duty to work on Safiye’s behalf
the only way they knew how. They took to
the streets, ensuring anyone on Istani’s payroll
found their purses a little lighter.
The guild has long inhabited Iskandar, existing
in an extra-legal loophole that makes it possible
for individual members to be subject to arrest,
while the guild continues untouched. The guild
began as a cabal of foreign merchants not subject
to the citizen tax. When the old empire fell,
however, all residents regardless of origin, became
subject to tax. The guild insisted on retaining
their exemption. Their wish was granted…as
long as they also refrained from buying or selling
goods. Thus, the Thieves’ Guild was born.
As part of its deal with the palace, the guild
had to remain on “foreign” land—that is, the
exclave considered guild-owned foreign land.
As such, the guild has not moved from its
spot on the old town outskirts in centuries.
The city has grown around it, in many cases
without neighbors knowing what lay next
door. The entrance now sits several feet below
street level, obscured by overgrowth and more
recent buildings built around it. Only those in
the know, or those with access to centuries-old
records, can find their way to it.
Stepping into the guild is like stepping back
in time. Stone reinforces long-rotten wooden
walls. The odors of soot and mold mix in the
darkness. Anyone who stumbles upon the aged
headquarters might believe the place abandoned
at best, dangerous at worst. The guild would
not have it any other way.
After surviving the first entrance and hallway,
the visitor encounters a door. A special coded
knock grants entry into the true headquarters.
Lit by oil lamps, the main room almost
appears to be on fire. The light dances along
red tapestries that hang over the stone walls.
Irregular columns hold up the ceiling, following
no clear plan. A large fireplace warms the
naturally cold room. Although the faint musty
smell never entirely goes away, the guild has
discovered a way to secretly vent the lamps and
fireplace out through a neighboring building.
Off the main room, members can learn the
thief ’s trade in chambers dedicated to different
skills. In one, bells hang from the ceiling. A thief
who can steal a target without ringing the bells,
is one step closer to full membership. Another
room is dedi- cated to elaborate locks—if the
potential member can enter the room without
triggering the trap.
The web of rooms includes several one-way exits
through neighboring buildings and a garden.
Thieves can leave at will, but none can
enter without someone opening the door
from within. Members thus rely on the oldest
method of security: passcodes and familiarity.
7th Sea | Iskandar 127
 Becoming a member requires vetting by
two existing members. Originally a guild of
foreigners, now the majority of members are
natives. Many were orphans or runaways.
Members remain apprentices until they
successfully complete all the trials of
membership, including tests of sleight of hand
and other thiefly skills. The most important
test, however, involves an offer to cheat for a
surefire way into the guild. Those who cheat
are not automatically disqualified. Cheaters
who then lie about it, however, are immediately
expelled.
Guild connections find the expelled
apprentices employment elsewhere, to ensure
the process makes no enemies. Those who pass
the loyalty test, but not the others, may remain
apprentices their whole lives. Nevertheless, they
still have a place in the guild.
Members have the right to vote in guild
matters and are no longer required to bring in a
certain income to the guild through theft. Many
continue with their profession, but others segue
into legitimate business, expanding the guild’s
influence.
As an officially recognized guild, they are
known to the City Watch. Although guild
members pay no tax, the guild does pay off
Captain Mustafa Jezuraddin. The City Watch
keep their distance as long as the guild focuses
on fleecing foreigners and pilfering from people
in public. The guild’s real enemies are the Secret
Police, the gardeners who enforced Istani’s
darker laws.
In addition to their underground
headquarters, the guild maintains pontoon
boats floating on the river. Technically not on
Iskandar land, these boats extend the guild’s
extra-legal possessions. Thus, fleeing guild
members can board the boats to evade arrest
temporarily. Many young apprentices grow up
on the boats, before they become members and
find homes on land.
128 Section Three: City Regions
Relic: the Imperial Scroll
The Imperial Scroll lies well-hidden in the Thieves’
Guild. It wound up in the future guild’s collection
at the end of Iskander’s reign. The scroll lists the
em- perors that ruled Iskandar and its predecessor
cities from ancient times. It magically updates
with every new ruler and seems not to care that its
creators are long since gone.
An old Katabic sorcerer fabricated the scroll
using both ahura and daeva magic. He did so at
the behest of his emperor, who sought to legitimize
his rule after killing his father to claim the throne.
When the scroll was complete, the emperor
summarily sentenced the sorcerer to death in the
desert and banished his own sister. A glance at the
scroll reveals why: it foretold the emperor’s murder,
with his sister taking his place. Of course, she
returned to murder her brother and take his throne.
Everything foretold in the scroll has come to pass.
The scroll has changed hands many times. It
has been used to prove and disprove claims to the
throne. Despite its bloody history, the scroll also
contributed to peaceful transfers of power, as more
and more people trusted its veracity. During the
Numanari Empire’s collapse, the Thieves’ Guild
got ahold of it, protecting it from anyone who
would ransom it or doubt its power. It moved into
myth, which suited the guild just fine.
Unfortunately, the previous Thieves’
Guildmaster lacked the foresight to keep its
existence secret. She showed it to the gardeners,
who doubtless foresaw Safiye ascending the
throne. What no one knows, however, is if
Istani’s name also appeared on the scroll. The
gardeners, or even Istani’s agents, now angle to
raid the guild and retrieve the scroll.
Many counterfeit Imperial Scrolls have
convinced people of the legitimacy of emperors
like Istani.
The scroll’s true hallmark is its hint of ahura
and daeva magic. Few realize the scroll’s endless
power can be siphoned off for use in other
magics. Worse, if anyone tried to destroy it, the
power unleashed could be catastrophic.
Relic: The Red Curses and Blessings in the
Robe of the Numanari
The Red Robe also hides within the Thieves’
Guild. Its silken fabric glistens in the light,
beaded with gems and lined with embroidered
flowers. The robe dates to the end of the
Numanari Empire, when only palace artisans
could manufacture these silk robes using
generations of knowledge. No one could buy
them. They were traditional gifts given to lords
and foreign client states’ representatives, as a
boon for their alliance.
Because the Thieves’ Guild could not be
taxed if it either bought or sold anything, the
guild procured a number of these robes in
trade without incurring any tax. Most have
disintegrated over time, due to moisture
exposure or poor care. Only one remains,
preserved in mint condition by magic.
Few have dared to try it on, as its magic has
proven unpredictable. One guildmaster donned it
and heard the previous owner’s whispers, begging
the guildmaster to return him to life. Another
simply touched the fabric and felt energized for
days afterwards. Ever since, the guild has buried
it away in their vault, that its magic might not
inadvertently affect anyone else.
Its true origin: as the Numanari Empire
started failing, the artisan Terzi Hamza ibn
Halil feared for his life. He called upon a jinni
to grant him life through the robe, that he
might escape his fate in Iskandar. Unfortunately,
he got what he wanted. Now his spirit lives
within the robe, sleeping until someone touches
or wears it.
Even so, Terzi is not entirely bitter about
his fate. He hopes to become embodied, but
recognizes that not everyone could grant him
such freedom. Despite his magical state, Terzi is
only human, prone to lying and easily deceived.
He seeks to punish people who wronged him,
or who he does not particularly like. Unlike
Thieves’ Guild
CURSES
• A trap meant to test a guild member might harm a
visitor.
• Visitors without guides might get lost in the
underground maze of rooms.
• If the party does not play its cards right, a spurious
offer of guild membership might trick them into
stealing and getting caught by the police.
• The bostancı (any of them) may mistake a visitor to
the Thieves’ Guild for a hated thief.
• If the passcodes change before the party finds out,
they will be locked out, or worse.
BLESSINGS
• The Thieves’ Guild will show their relics to visitors
if their cause is just.
• Thieves offer their expertise on the river, or provide
sanctuary there.
• The guild happily joins any action against the
Secret Police’s interests.
• The guild has agents in legitimate business as well.
when he was alive, fearing for his life and
livelihood, Terzi enjoys knowing he has the
power in his interactions. But were he to find
someone more powerful than his robe’s magic,
he might change his attitude.
He may grant the robe’s wearer boons like
magical spells, or temporary immunity to certain
kinds of attacks. He might hint at his hopes, to
the point of madness, to a wearer who seems
powerful. He does not experience the passing of
time, so he will be surprised to find it has been
centuries since he walked among the living.
7th Sea | Iskandar 129
 The Ruined City
Buried forever under a city that has no love
for them, the tears of the weeping halls fill
the grand cisterns and waterways that supply
Iskandar’s baths and gardens with endless
fresh water. The faces of the hall cry forever in
penance for their past transgressions. They cry
for forgiveness that will never come.
The air of Iskandar is salt and sweet. Fresh
fragrant tulips line government buildings and parks
as a symbol of the sultana. Harbor winds bring the
smell of sea and wood steeped in each other for a
thousand years. No street lacks a bakery, for bread
is revered as the giver of life—they smell of sponge
cakes soaked in dripping honey and crumbling
poppy biscuits for morning tea.
Underground, the air is neither. There is no
sweetness, no salt: only the smell of wet stone
and iron. An air none should ever breathe.
Under Iskandar’s surface lies the Ruined City.
It has slept beneath Iskandar long before the
Empire. It will lie there long after it crumbles.
Secular historians will always debate its
true origin and intent. Today, this system of
cavernous cisterns and water passages holds
rainwater for the baths and gardens that
define the city. Were it not for these ruins and
the faceless servants which walk them, the
city would be a shallow reflection of today’s
splendor.
Pride and Wrath
Academics viciously debate the Ruined City’s
history. But no matter how many competing
accounts the universities provide, Iskandar’s
devout know only one story, one never written
down. It describes a people who rejected
al-Musawwir’s voice. Who believed their city
would grow strong and tall enough one day to
reach the heavens.
They seduced a tribe of jinn who searched
for a home, and gave them one within their
walls. The jinn lent their magic to construct
130 Section Three: City Regions
public works the like of which the world had
never seen. In return, the mortals let the jinn
live among them. Together, humans and jinn
built a marvelous city with massive towers and
beautiful fruit orchards. A city where jinn could
live and prosper among mortals.
As this bond between jinn and mortals
strengthened, the citizens rejected the voice
of God. Proud, they built a towering palace to
honor each other, not God. Then God struck
down the city. He left the cisterns and pathways
underground as a prison. The mortals he cast
in stone, forever to cry for their sins in the
many halls. The jinn, who had made themselves
servants to man, would forever below serve the
faithful in the city above.
Most Iskandari would rather not acknowledge
the mysterious web right under their feet. But it
can be a strong asset: safe passage for smugglers,
safe harbor for those who need a place to hide,
even a backdoor into the city for those who
know of the storm drains that empty directly
into the ocean. It is featured in thousands of
plans, both of heroic virtue and villain- ous
greed, hatched in Iskandar’s kaffeehouses.
The Weeping Halls
Heavy columns support tight corridors,
scratched with marks foreign even to the city’s
pious. Many have crumbled over the ages, but
the hand of God itself buttresses the Ruined
City; Iskandar’s streets remain supported.
Walking the halls is never easy; some, for
instance, have narrow walkways above the
waters flowing between cisterns. The stone is
cold and hard and sad, the walls always wet, the
sound of dripping, endless.
Rows of faces shaped into the stone gaze
down on each hallway. Their features, round
and soft, distinguish them from modern
Iskandari. The faces are young and old, rich and
poor, but all weep in rivers pouring in from the
above city’s storm drains. Their tears, a sweet
clear water that gives life to all Iskandar, fill the
Ruined City’s cisterns.
 The faces, the devout say, were not originally
part of the cisterns. God molded them into the
stone, each and every one the face of a First City
resident when it was struck down for its pride.
Old and young, mother and child, none escaped
God’s wrath. Their souls now line the halls
trapped in stone, forever to cry and feed the city
built above their own.
Any devout individual who knows the secret
can reach into the void and call a spirit trapped
in stone. Each face holds the memory of the
water that passes through it, a literal font of
knowledge about the city. These faces know
every scheme hatched huddled under an awning
in a storm, or in the palace baths.
When summoned, the tortured souls are full
of repentance. They yell and cry for forgiveness
from a God who will never set them free, serving
any priest (or anyone who claims to be a priest)
in hopes of a salvation that will never come. Their
home now is stone, and it is where they belong.
The Servant Jinn
When God struck down the city predating
Iskandar, he damned the jinn who once served
alongside the mortals to serve the devout forever.
Robbed of their faces and magic, they retain
only their immortality. They are bound to obey
one command before all: to fetch water. Each
jinni must now, in its form robbed of magic, haul
bucket after bucket of fresh water out of the
Ruined City for whichever faithful demand it.
The jinn can still communicate. Though
broken and damned, they answer any questions
about the Ruined City for any that ask.
Their obligations extend to the devout of any
religion, and they offer not even courtesy to
non-believers who ask them for help.
On occasion, while walking the halls of the
Ruined City, a jinni stops and stares at a face on
the wall in silence: a friend or lover from an age
long past.
The Cisterns
Some of the cisterns reach up to a mile
underground, with others only feet from the
surface. Rivaling the largest palace ballrooms
in size, these expansive underground orbs hold
enough water to keep every bath and garden in
Iskandar watered for a year. The cisterns have halls
intersecting seemingly at random along their sides.
Some have narrow walkways along the outside
to guide traversers through to the next hall, while
others are unintended for foot traffic. Every drip
and splash echoes endlessly inside them.
Some deep cisterns are almost always sub-
merged, while others nearer the surface are
reliably dry enough that some Iskandari call
them home. Seasonal storms’ rage, though,
wipes everything clear.
The Forgotten Children
Abandoned children, hearts full of fear, make
their homes in the cisterns. These foreign-born
orphans found themselves trapped in Iskandar
with no passage home. Not of the devout, these
children find no home in Iskandar’s religious
structures. Left to fend for themselves, they
retreated below. They sleep underground, but
go above for petty acts of theft, or anything
else needed to survive in a city that refuses to
acknowledge their existence.
Led by Fatima al-Nasi, they move as a flock
through the underground, traversing miles
unhin- dered by crowds and structures. But no
matter how accustomed to Ruined City travel
an individual child should become, they always
learn more when following Fatima. The children
whisper that she can cross the entire city in
minutes and bend the halls of the Ruined City
as she pleases.
7th Sea | Iskandar 131
 Curses and Blessings in the
Ruined City
CURSES
• Bats and other flying creatures panic if light
disturbs them.
• The Forgotten Children have an uncanny
knack for remaining unseen within the Ruined
City. While this talent usually benefits them,
an unexpected scuffle might result in one of
them getting in the way or even taken hostage.
• One can never count on the walkways’
crumbling stones and sliding rocks. A wrong
step sends one tumbling into the waters
below, or worse, gets a limb stuck in the
stone.
• Loud noises lure manticores.
• Many doors and passageways hide in the walls.
When struck, false walls easily give way and
send characters rolling into unexpected areas.
BLESSINGS
• The fickle waterways’ currents change speed
at a moment’s notice. They are a good way to
get an enemy off balance.
• Fatima, the Forgotten Children’s leader, often
shadows outsiders in the Ruined City. A
proper display of courage may interest her.
She has many children who need passage
away from the Crescent.
• The weeping faces still are doomed to see what
transpires in the ruins and know what the water
flowing through them knows. If they overhear a
name about whom they know a secret, they will
pulse with eldritch light.
• The cistern walkways continue to crumble away.
Move just right and your opponent will slide off
them into the waters below.
• Many servant jinn have unfinished business
on the surface, in particular with the Guild of
Brass. They have little to offer besides infor-
mation on guild members’ tastes, habits or
weaknesses, if they believe someone could put
that knowledge to good use.
132 Section Three: City Regions
Most of the children want nothing more than
passage home. Some have wealthy relatives
across the sea who would pay handsomely for
their return. But Istani thought them heathen
vermin, encouraging Iskandar’s denizens to
turn them in to the City Watch and the Secret
Police. Safiye has rolled back such persecutions,
but prejudice against the homeless persists.
They are tolerated, but only barely.
Other Residents
Deeper down, carvings become fewer, and some
hallways lead only to heavy archways sealed off
by jinni magic.
Early in the cisterns’ constructions, as the jinn
excavated one of the deepest chambers, they
broke open a cave complex hosting an entire
ecosystem of subterranean creatures that had
evolved without ever seeing light. Cackling and
shrieking, a swarm of feathered flying pests
erupted from the ground that day and laid
waste to the old harbors. Their chittering cries
kept the city awake for weeks before the caverns
were sealed off. To this day, nests of them are
still sometimes found within the Ruined City,
blue eyes peering down from a ceiling that has
not seen torchlight in centuries.
Occasionally, the thrashing of water may
indicate not the shuffling of a waterbearer, but
the ramblings of a manticore that has made
its way from the desert into the city. They are
the most dangerous predators of the Forgotten
Children, who have grown adept at knowing
every narrow passageway and small inlet a
manticore cannot reach. The Children have only
one option when they see one, which is to run.
In the pitch-blackness, the manticore’s human
voice lures many inexperienced Children with
promises of passage home or a warm meal.
 NOTE: THIS IS PLACEHOLDER ART THAT WE CANNOT USE
Section Four
So You Want An Iskandari Story
I
skandar’s cats are being poisoned!
But who would harm the beloved
kedi? Only a black-hearted Villain,
says Sehdi Reis. The cats have
been dying off quickly, but shopkeepers love the
precious creatures who keep pests away. Is it a
strike at Sehdi, the Sphinx Moths and their
feline spies, or something more mundane?
If cats notice Heroes using or speaking of
their sorcerous powers, one of Sehdi Reis’
students summons them to the Illustrious
Houses of Many Sciences for an audience
with the old man. Most Heroes will quickly
chafe under Sehdi’s imperious demands to
keep their magic abilities quiet, but if they
flout them, Sehdi and many other Iskandari
sorcerers give them the cold shoulder. Then,
several others approach the Heroes and note
that Sehdi’s overly-cautious ways have frozen
them out too—as if he expects the Registry to
reappear any day now! Some agitate to force
Sehdi from his post as magister, but who would
dare challenge such an illustrious and illumined
Hero, even out of respect?
Some of Sehdi Reis’ older maps surface in
librar- ies across Iskandar, then are sold to wealthy
patrons. Unfortunately, they contain other
Nations’ sensitive military information—best left
unseen for diplomacy’s sake if nothing else.
Sehdi Reis suffers an indignity from the new
sultana and her navy, forcing him into retirement
as magister and tenured university lecturer.
Enraged, he finally grows tired of hiding most
of the formerly Registered sorcerers from one
another, embracing a heterogeneous mix of
Sorceries and a lust for power he did not even
know he had. Iskandar’s magical character grows
fouler by the day, shadows lengthening and
corpses lying in puddles within the cisterns. As
the corrupted Hero quickly becomes a Villain,
will the Heroes remove him once and for all, or
try to redeem a once-great man?
Each night a savage snarl and howl rings
through the Grand Bazaar. Vendors go missing.
One clear morning, Leviat Yacob ben Aysher
M’Shvet Levi does not show up to light the
golden Menorah at Beth Shalom Temple. He
has clearly been kidnapped. The top-ranking
Yachidi priest has recently prophesied that the
city’s streets will run with blood, if the wolves
below are not revealed. The only clue left
behind is the description the young priest gave
of a beautiful youth who runs the World below
the World. For five nights, the Heroes have
strange dreams. On the sixth they hear a name
whispered on the cool wind. On the seventh,
an owl appears in the window of their rooms.
When they wake up in the morning, they cannot
stop thinking of a tall lithe figure who whispers
while they are alone, “Come to me in the Great
Mosque, for wolves gather at our doorstep
seeking to unravel what the Creator has woven.”
Periân ( jinn) plague the Heroes, eventually
leading them to a tall warehouse adjoining the
Golden Port. Gilded cages trap thousands of
animals, but only one is guarded: a massive owl,
its eyes betraying more intelligence than any
beast’s should.
Eylül al-Nur’s lover, the famous 8th Sea poet
Wallad bint Amina, has disappeared. She was
last seen buying pottery in the Grand Bazaar.
Al-Nur brings in the Heroes because they
themself cannot search for her, as their court is
currently in unrest over a judicial edict banning
them from associating with humans suspected
to be Kurtanoğlu.
7th Sea | Iskandar 133
 A terror grips the city of Iskandar. For the
past two weeks bodies have been turning up on
tucked-away streets, missing vital organs. When
a child goes missing from the Sulan Metehan
Camii Hospice, all signs point to the charming
and heroic Doctor Serkhan ibn Hamad…but
how can someone so beloved be the subject of
such vicious rumors?
Doctor Serkhan ibn Hamad hires the
Heroes to retrieve a book stolen from his home.
He informs them this ancient medical tome will
allow him to stop the spread of any number of
diseases and ailments. The thief is an adolescent
who escaped the mad doctor’s laboratory. He
has found out the book details the process of
combining foul sorcery and modern medicine
to place an infant’s soul in a new body, restoring
the deceased to life.
As the Heroes return from a late night of
carousing, they stumble through the Grand
Bazaar. Suddenly—a wild scream. A shattering
of pots. Naamah, a pottery seller, lies wounded,
babbling about an unspeakable horror.
A priest in deep violet robes comes to the
Heroes for help. Naamah of the Kurtanoğlu
and her pack attacked the priest and his
apprentice the evening before; they barely
escaped with their lives. He claims the pack has
in their possession a monster descended from
Legion, whom they plan to unleash upon the
city. The priest, a Speaker of the Rite, needs
help tracking the demon down.
A boy in the streets tries to pick Ali ben Izar’s
pocket. Ali catches him in the act and introduces
him to the Thieves’ Guild. The boy quickly
proves himself, just as guild members begin
to disappear or get arrested. Could someone
have sent the boy as a spy into their midst? Ali’s
kindness may be a handicap, as he refuses to
consider the possibility without proof.
134 Section Four: So You Want An Iskandari Story
Ali ben Izar has created an alternate identity
to move about in high society. In the process,
he has learned of a murder plot against the
Khemetic noblewoman Bithya Amora Day, with
whom he has fallen in love despite her marriage
to Tülay Cihanzadeh, daughter of the scheming
Cenk. He cannot intercede without revealing
himself, both as a thief and an admirer.
An informant reaches out to Safiye or
someone in the government with compromising
information on Cenk Cihanzadeh… then
promptly disappears. The sultana tasks the
Heroes with finding this informant, making
them targets of the mysterious Bivar Asp, who
are trying to stop them at any cost. Eventually
their investigations reveal the informant was
a plant who was supposed to suss out Safiye’s
security network. What’s more, Safiye or the
governmental representative suspected as much,
and that is why the party was hired.
A series of magical murders has the city on
edge. Many blame Safiye’s new policies for
letting sorcerers run rampant. Investigation
reveals, however, that the murders are not
random, but Bivar Asp plays to undermine
Safiye’s rule.
A mysterious old woman asks the party to
find her missing neighbor, a Wingless Khahesh-
ahura user who has been captured by a demon.
The Heroes return to the old woman only to
find she has already moved on, leaving a boon
behind for them.
Tracking down a sorcerous street fight’s
belligerents reveals they are fighting over the
location of the 13th ahura. Those who side
with the demons want to find and destroy
her. Those who side with the ahuras do not
believe in her existence, and decide to lure
the diabolists into a trap. Along the way, a
mysterious old woman who seems to have an
agenda of her own aids them.
 A woman who has lost the love of her life to
magical addiction enlists the Heroes to retrieve
her lover from his fellow addicts. Along the
way, they meet a mysterious old woman who
volunteers to accompany the group to find the
addict. She may or may not reveal her powers in
order to bring him back to the woman he loves.
Disparate sources including the Vaticine

AR
Embassy, the Secret Police, and the City
Watch are all hunting an ancient relic. It turns

(M
out Istani loyalists want to find and replace the
Imperial Scroll with a replica to delegitimize

TG
Safiye’s leadership.
An ancient evil emerges from the ground

AY
near the Temple of Hymn, endangering the
Magistry. At the same time, it infects other

OE
precincts in the Ruined City. The Thieves’

B
Guild, the Secret Police and the Vaticine
Embassy may also be affected—or behind it all.
A rash of thefts at the palace puts the court
E

SH
on guard. Suspicion falls on the Thieves’ Guild,
but closer investigation implicates the Secret
Police, coming back for what they believe is
theirs.
A

ER
The death of an unimportant but well-liked
C
8th Sea tribesman increases tensions between
ITY
Iskandar and their 8th Sea guests. Investigating,

E
the Heroes connect her death to a message she
was delivering in the city…but from whom,
to whom? It proves to be from the 8th Sea
ambassador to the Vaticine nuncio, but does it
SH
presage an unlikely alliance or an international
incident?
The Ayaecclesia’s flowers instruct the
OT
Anashid to assassinate Safiye! To stop an
endless stream of would-be assassins, the party
must track down the order’s source, only to
?)
find that some unlikely party has co-opted
their code system: The Sphinx Moths and the
Secret Police both have the means, but Cenk
Cihanzadeh has the motive…

7th Sea | Iskandar 135

 City Building
for the 7th Sea game ®

B
uilding a city is also building a setting. That means your city tells your players what kind
of game they’ll be playing. Are the city officials corrupt or just? Is there a lot of crime or is
the criminal element well in hand? Just how deep are the Villains fingers’ in the pot? All of
these questions point your players in the direction of what kind of game they can expect.
While the GM should make some initial decisions about the city (setting some initial boundaries
and expectations), the majority of the work should be done together as a group to give a sense of
ownership and belonging to all the players. When you help to make the city, you care far more when
something inevitably threatens it.

Where is the City?

• Avalon • Eisen • Castille
• Inismore • Montaigne • Vodacce
• Highland Marches • Ussura • Elsewhere

Three Descriptors
Choose three terms that describe your city and the atmosphere surrounding it.
• Alluring • Humid
• Ancient • Idyllic
• Busy • Lofty
• Calm • Noisy
• Charming • Oppressive
• Cheap • Out of Date
• Chilly • Overcrowded
• Contemporary • Polluted
• Cosmopolitan • Quaint
• Crumbling • Quiet
• Dangerous • Sprawling
• Diverse • Touristy
• Dull • Towering
• Eerie • Unsettling
• Expensive • Verdant
• Hot • Wealth

7th Sea | City Building for 7th Sea 137

 City Name
Your city’s name should reflect the Nation it’s
in, but it does not have to. Plenty of cities exist
that were once ruled by people who spoke
a different language and that old name has
survived.
A good place to start with a city’s name is
to use geographic features of the surrounding
area—a lake or river, mountain, wetland, plain
or mesa. From there, tinker with the spelling
and pronunciation until the root name is a bit
less obvious.
What is the City’s
Biggest Problem?
Everywhere has problems, and your city is no
different. While it may be your first instinct
to create a magnificent place, remember even
Camelot had problems. There’s no such thing as
the perfect city where everything is wonderful
and every citizen is happy.
Conflict drives Heroes to act and action
creates drama. Your city will have many
problems, but for now focus on one. The biggest
one, the one that most people agree on, the one
that is the first thing that an outsider notices as
something that’s less than desired.
• Public Unrest. The everyday people of your
city are unhappy, and they’re not shy about
making it known. Whatever the root cause
is, or whatever lit the fuse, things are rapidly
growing beyond the inciting incident. What
caused the public to begin to speak so
adamantly against those in power? Is there
a group or individual who is rallying the
masses? How have the powerful responded
to the issue?
• Looming Disaster. Something is coming,
and it’s putting everyone on edge. The
city’s leadership might be trying to keep
138 City Building For the 7th Sea Game
everyone calm (or maybe even denying that
a problem exists), but the truth is plain for
everyone to see. Tomorrow is not going
to be a good day. What has the people so
worried? Have the harvests been bad, or
vital trade routes for food and medicine
become unusable? Is there an army
gathering nearby, or is the legend of a brutal
supernatural storm soon coming to pass?
What precautions are being taken to keep
people safe, and who is trying to profit from
the crisis?
• Corruption. Something stinks, and that
something has a lot of power. Corruption
in this sense can mean many things: are
we talking about a politician who loves
his constituents (or at least a select few of
them) a little too much or takes a few bribes
on the side, or has a once-beloved champion
of the people fallen into Villainy? How
did this scandal come to light, and what is
being done about it? Alternatively, are the
accusations of corruption nothing more
than a rumor spread by a political enemy?
• Decline. Perhaps the most terrifying
dilemma that every civilization must
inevitably face is that nothing lasts forever.
Whether through a series of poor leaders,
military failures or just ordinary bad luck,
this city has fallen on hard times. There is
not any one thing, but a sense of despair
hangs in the air. Everything is just…slipping
away, and no one can agree on what the
problem is, let alone how to fix it. Malaise
and discontent are the orders of the day.
Without intervention, what is likely to
become of the City? How long has the City
been in decline, and what was the “golden
age” of the past like? Who is championing
restoration, and who is trying to pick the
city’s bones clean before the collapse?
What Makes
the City Different? Districts
Finally, take a moment to think about how your “District” is a loose term for distinct parts
city is unique among all the cities in Théah. of the city. Not every city has every type of
• Syrneth Ruins. A complex of ruins lie near district, but most should have at least three.
(or perhaps beneath) the city. Treasure Choose the districts that your Heroes are most
hunters flock to the city for the opportunity likely to be interested in or involved in and
to plumb the depths of the ruins for artifacts define them now—the rest can be decided as
they come up. Make sure to give your districts
and knowledge alike. And while there is
an evocative name that will speak to the
no shortage of adventurous souls eager to atmosphere and themes present.
enter the ruins, sometimes (and much more
dangerously) something comes out. • Dangerous District
• Old District
• Military Power. This city serves as the base
for an army, a mercenary company, or a • Rich District
particularly ambitious warlord. Much of the • Trade District
city’s culture is couched in martial prowess, • Port/Docks
tactics and warrior culture. Does this
• City Gate
concentration of might encourage locals to
thirst for the conquest of their neighbors, or • Poor District
is it in response to a looming threat just past • Vice District
the horizon that could strike at any time?
• Secret Society Home Base. One of Théah’s Landmarks
secret societies calls this city home, and its
presence and ideology underlies the entirety These are specific buildings within the city. To
of the city. Did the city’s prosperity, location start, choose three landmarks and name them
or troubles draw the society’s attention, now. Make sure to mark which district they
or was the city founded specifically to belong to.
serve as a staging ground for the society’s • Government Building
operations? • Oldest Building
• Cult. The city has always been a place of • Best Tavern/Pub
spirituality and faith, but the populace’s • Tallest Building
views never quite line up with the theology
• Oldest/Biggest Church
of the rest of Théah. Is the city dominated
by a single religion or do countless religious • Opera House
sects with competing ideologies compete? • Theater
Perhaps a cult worships some monster • River
native to the region or has twisted an • Bridge
existing religion into something barely
recognizable. How do the larger, more • Military/City Watch Headquarters
established religious orders of Théah (such
as the Vaticine Church) view this, if they
are even aware of its existence?

7th Sea | City Building for 7th Sea 139

 Secret Societies
Choose between one and three societies that
have a presence in the city, then decide if their
presence is Strong, Growing, or Declining.
A Society whose presence is Strong has
a great deal of influence in the city and its
policies. They likely have members in the ruling
council, mayor’s office, the watch or other
governmental offices.
A Society whose presence is Growing is
actively seeking to increase their influence.
They are conducting campaigns to improve
their standing with the population and forging
alliances with the city’s elite.
A Society whose presence is Declining was once
much more influential than they are now. Some
in the city may still hold them in high esteem,
but something has gone wrong and the society
no longer has the pull it once did. The society
might have written off its presence in the city and
effectively given it up, or they might be fighting to
maintain what control they still have. Below is a
list of the major societies to choose from.
• Brotherhood of the Coast
• Die Kreuzritter
• Rilasciare
• The Rose and Cross
• The Shawl
• The Invisible College
• Los Vagabundos
140 City Building For the 7th Sea Game
Villains
How common are Villains and villainous
plots in your city? Are the citizens constantly
menaced by a rotating cast of lesser threats, or a
single monolithic master whose shadow spreads
far and wide?
• They’re everywhere! The city is a mess
because Villains run everything. The
government, trade, everything. No matter
where you go, you have to deal with
Villains. They’re so prolific and so well
organized that they operate in the open and
do whatever they want.
• They’re subtle. There are Villains in the city,
but they keep themselves hidden operating
through agents rather than direct conflict.
They do this because they know the Heroes
of the city are tough, smart and structured.
• There’s only one, and that’s all we need. The
city has one—and only one—Villain who
runs all the crime and vice and wickedness in
the city. He has many lieutenants (who are
probably minor Villains in their own right),
but everything that happens in the city must
be approved by a single scoundrel.
Information
How does the general public get its
information? While your city may have one
or all the following, choose one to be the most
prominent, widely used and trusted.
• Town Criers. Most cities have town criers
who announce government decisions.
• Newsletters. The cities of Théah
have recently seen the start of regular
“newsletters,” published by independent
citizens, posted and plastered on walls and
doors of popular establishments.
• Bookstores. Shops carry small pamphlets—
again, printed by anonymous private
parties—that speak for and against public
decisions.
Power Brokers
Who holds the real power in the city? What
kind of power is there to be had? Each city has
10 Power Points. Divide these among the four
groups listed below; the more Power a group
has, the more influence it holds over the city’s
daily routines.
The Face
For each group below, name one or two
individuals to act as the organization’s
representative or “Face.” The face does not need
to be the group’s leader, merely the person who
the Heroes are most likely to interact with
when they encounter the organization. Decide
if the representative is a Hero or Villain, and a
few other basic facts about him (what Nation
he is from, how old he is, if he is brave or
cowardly, etc.).
Political Influence
Sometimes, a city’s government holds all the
cards. The bureaucrats and politicians maintain
their power through just or unjust means and
everyone pays up. They control the shops, the
shipping and even the street gangs.
When Heroes are in charge, this means the
government does its best to help others. It uses
taxes to feed and clothe the poor and infirm, to
help businesses and keep crime off the streets.
When Villains are in charge, they exploit the
government’s power to keep themselves in charge,
disregarding the needs or votes of others.
Representatives of this faction have
governmental, bureaucratic or legal titles:
Governor, Judge, Mayor or General.
Economic Influence
Money is power and power is money. That’s
the motto when a city’s economic circles are in
control.
When Heroes are in charge, the merchants
use money to solve problems. A fire in the
center of the city? Pay people to carry water
buckets. A disease sweeping through the
streets? Pay for beds and blankets and medicine.
When Villains are in charge, the city’s wealthy
have a stranglehold on everything: the churches,
imports and exports. All the money goes into
their pockets and everyone else suffers.
Representatives of this faction have titles
related to business, money, or guilds. President,
Banker, Landlord, Guildmaster or Burgermeister.
Criminal Influence
In a city where criminals rule, the politicians
come to them when called, they take their pick
of the finest goods and dip their hands into
church coffers.
Can criminals be Heroes? Yes, because
sometimes, Villains run everything else. When
the laws only serve the wicked, breaking
those laws becomes a just and noble act.
Congratulations, you’re Robin of Locksley.
Representatives of this faction have titles that are
unassuming, self-invented or shadowy: the Queen
of Thieves, the Rat-Catcher or the Clockmaker.
Spiritual Influence
The Church of the Prophet can be a force for
good. The message of the Church is one of
compassion, mercy and learning. That’s when
Heroes are in charge. They use the power of the
Church to carry out its goals.
When Villains are in control, they maintain
that control with the fear and shame. They use
the Church’s powers of excommunication and
righteous anger to isolate enemies and eliminate
them, justifying their actions as “the Will of
Theus.” Representatives of this faction have
titles that are righteous, moral or welcoming:
Brother/Sister, Protector or Mirabilis.
7th Sea | City Building for 7th Sea 141
 La Colina del Albañil (Mason’s Hill)
For La Colina del Albañil, I wanted a Castillian
city that’s under the threat of a corrupt Church
official.
Where is the City?
It’s located in the south of Castille, just under a
large hill (small mountain). When the sun rises,
it fills the city with light, but when it sets, it
drops behind the hill, making night come early
and last a little longer.
Three Descriptors
I pick these words for the city: Generous,
Endangered, and Shadowed
What is the City’s Biggest
Problem?
The woman who runs the city (we’ll talk about
her in a moment) does so with an iron glove. She
uses the power of the Church to maintain her
control and keep all others in fear.
What Makes the City
Different?
It’s the site of an important battle and there’s
a huge graveyard with all the men and women
who died. Also, one of the Church’s greatest
saints, Mateo Augusto Guzman de La Colina
rests there. He was a scholar and a swordsman
who led a brilliant and heroic life. Every year, on
the anniversary of the day he died, you can find
thousands of flowers laid at his grave.
142 La Colina del Albañil (Mason’s Hill)
Districts
The Oldest District is the graveyard district.
Surrounding the fenced off graveyard is a circle
of some of the oldest buildings in Castille,
maintained by faithful priests and families who
have lived here for centuries.
The Richest District is the center of the city
where the tall church stands, overshadowing the
rest of the buildings.
The Most Dangerous District is the red
light district where the Jenny’s Guild maintains
its offices. Yes, there’s a Jenny’s Guild in this
city and the woman who runs it wants to be
rid of it, but the Guild is too popular and too
powerful. In addition to other “services,” the
Jennys also maintain the old buildings in the
graveyard district and also provide accounting
services for the local businesses.
Landmarks
Of course, there’s the graveyard: Descanso de
los Caídos.
There’s also the Church of St. Mateo Augusto
Guzman that stands in the center of the city.
There’s an old fountain, Fuente de la Mujer Que
Llora, in the red light district that some say is
haunted: the ghost of a weeping woman has been
seen circling the fountain as she reads a letter.
Secret Societies
Other than the Jenny’s Guild (which…kind
of qualifies), the Invisible College has a small
foothold here. The city is full of rich history,
but most of it is either owned by the Madre or
locked up.
 The Rilasciare also has a small presence in
the city. The Guildmaster is “Sweet Thérèse,” a
Montaigne woman who represents the Vendel
League. She’s also a member of the Rilasciare.
She knows about the scroll that may be in the
pommel of Guzman’s sword and is looking
for help recovering it. She has a debt with the
Invisible College and she wants to pay it off.
Villains
Madre Mercé Ofelia Jasso is the woman who
really runs this city. She has a contingent of loyal
Church soldiers who carry out her bidding. She
was a marvelous beauty in her youth and that
beauty only grew with age. She has a silver streak
through her long, black hair and a cruel smile.
She lost her faith in the Church a long time
ago—that’s a story in and of itself—but enjoys
using the Church’s power to maintain her wealth
and comfort. She also has the Sword of Mateo
Augusto Guzman as a trophy: something the
Invisible College would like to get their hands on.
The College believes Guzman hid a scroll in the
pommel of the sword: an alchemical formula that
he was working on before he was killed. Madre
Mercé does not know this, but if she did, it
would delight her to no end. She is an alchemist
herself—a good one—and she is looking for a
way to maintain her life. That’s because she’s sick.
She’s dying. And she wants more life.
Power Brokers
Political Influence: 1 Points
The Mayor of the city, Alfonse Horda, is under
the Madre’s thumb. She has blackmail on the
man and he does whatever she says.
Economic Influence 2 Points
The local Guildmaster (representative of the
Vendel League) is “Sweet Thérèse,” a woman
from Montaigne who also runs the Jenny’s
Guild. She’s also a member of the Rilasciare.
Criminal Influence: 1 Point
The criminal element is almost non-existent in
the city. There are some street gangs, but they’re
largely controlled by the Church guard. The
most “powerful gang” is run by a man calling
himself “El Rato.”
Spiritual Influence: 6 Points
The Madre of La Colina del Albañil controls
everything. She uses the Church’s wealth and
influence to maintain that control. If someone
gets out of line, she has them arrested under
suspicion of witchcraft. She’s also been known to
hold public hangings to keep the populace in line.

Information
The city has a number of bookstores—also
protected by the Jenny’s Guild—that Madre
Mercé would like to see gone. Every morning,
you can find new pamphlets pinned to the doors.
There are also libraries, but those have been
shuttered by the Madre. She says the buildings
are too old and dangerous, in need of dire repairs.

7th Sea | City Building for 7th Sea 143

144
 Carleon
The Shining Star of Avalon
O
n the southern shores of the Glamour Isles is the capital of Avalon, Carleon. Even the
name of the place inspires feelings of nostalgia and homesickness in many an Avalonian
sailor. It is said that only a fair wind can carry you there, and an ill wind has never
touched its shores. Even those who have left Avalon have been known to turn in its
direction and whisper its name to the wind in the hope it will take them home again one day. They say
that every true Avalonian leaves a small piece of their heart here.
For those of other nations, all this is absolute twaddle. Carleon as it stands now has only existed for
ten years, a city raised over an insignificant fishing village. Many Montaigne nobles have hats older
than this city (not that they would wear anything older than last season, of course). This longing
for Carleon, a love that few other cities inspire, is considered a national psychosis by those outside
Avalon. Either those of Avalon are touched by the Sidhe, or they are perpetuating the largest and most
concerted social engineering project ever conceived.
When faced with this argument, the Avalonians usually just shrug. Then their eyes glaze over a little
and they quietly say ‘Ah, but have you seen her?’ and leave it at that.

Where is the City? What is the City’s

Avalon: A place where enchantment is in the air,
but where you cannot choose not to breathe.
Three Descriptors
• Daughter of the Sea: Carleon is made from
the waves and a child of the ocean. No sailor
feels more at home anywhere else than the
sea.
• New: Carleon is only ten years old,
everything is new, as are the people.
Traditions have not quite been established,
and no one really feels they know the place or
understand it.
• Lost: Carleon is swimming in Glamour and
the people are drowning in it.
Biggest Problem?
Carleon is one of the most pleasant places to live
in Théah. The people are polite, everyone is well
fed and the crime rate is one of the lowest in the
world. That’s just the problem though, Carleon
is just too perfect. The place does not feel real.
Everyone knows the story of its creation barely
ten years ago by a mad wizard and that does not
help either. There is a constant feeling of waiting
for the other shoe to drop, as if payback for
all the peace and happiness is only around the
corner. It is quietly driving the inhabitants insane.
Some emotions are difficult to express in
Carleon. Some say this is the influence of the
cold hearts of the Sidhe, and this may be a factor.
However, it is actually a little more insidious than
that. With everything going so well for everyone,
people find it hard to complain. Obviously, people
still complain about the little things. The weather
is not so good, their feet hurt, it was a long

7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 145

 journey to get somewhere. But people do not feel
comfortable expressing true sadness and despair. It
feels wrong to do so in Carleon, after all, what has
anyone got to be worried about here? Being upset
or sad feels ungrateful to most people.
This means everyone is usually putting on
a smile even when they do not feel that good.
Sometimes it is a way to push through in the
hope they will feel better. At other times it’s just
to hide the hurt inside that is quietly building.
After all, admitting pain might be what brings
the whole house of cards down. So with everyone
trying to look as if everything is perfect, those
who do not feel perfect think they are the only
ones. Feelings of sadness make people feel even
more isolated here. While no one has a perfect
life, everyone in Carleon thinks they are the only
one who does not.
Thankfully this problem does not affect
everyone. Most people here are genuinely happy
and content. But between the cracks, the strain
is beginning to show. While the crime rate is
low, self-harm and suicide is beginning to rise.
Carleon is starting to turn inward and the people
are on a path to losing their minds.
What Makes and thank you for your concern. Very few tourists
the City Different?
Carleon is not the only city that has magic, but
it is the only one made of magic. Everyone has
heard the tales of how Derwyddon conjured
the whole place, including Glenayre Castle, in
a single day. Everything appears to be perfect
here. Market traders give you free fruit when
you say hello. Street urchins tug on your arm
to hand you the purse you dropped. Even the
Jennys seem pleased to see you and genuinely
enjoy their work.
Those who live here know that magical places
are not as welcoming as they first appear. Many
do not believe Derwyddon created a whole city
overnight, and they would be right. Such a feat of
magic is impossible, even for a master magician.
146 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
What very few people know is that Carleon
does not actually exist. All Derwyddon did was
create a mirror and reflect another city that lies
in the lands of the Sidhe. To do this, Derwyddon
spent a year and a day in the lands of the Sidhe
negotiating for the right to do this, which was
but a day in Théah. This means that Carleon
does not truly exist as anything more than a
reflection, and just like any reflection, it could
vanish at any time.
This does not mean the people of Carleon are
not real. Well, not all of them anyway. Most people
were residents of the old village that was here
before or came from elsewhere. To any human
Carleon looks as real as any other city. But there
are a few people who do not really exist, reflections
of what should be, who came into being as it was
conjured. These people serve a purpose in the
city, such as an official or coachman who have
an uncanny knack of knowing their way around.
But those who live in the city for a while start to
notice some people just are not quite right. They
never seem to age or change, they always have the
same demeanor and even if they are killed they
are back again doing the same thing the next day
as if nothing had happened. When asked about
their “death,” they just say you must be mistaken
are able to spot them, but some among the
Realists actively hunt them. They are known as
Glamourfolk to those who have noticed them, but
it is not a word spoken aloud very often, for fear
they will overhear it.
The other unsettling thing about Carleon is
the Sidhe who haunt it. As Carleon is a reflection
of a real city, it also reflects the Sidhe who dwell
in that city (one they call Knoelraque). Very few
people can see them and many remark that you
never see a Sidhe walking the streets of Carleon.
But you can see them now and again, out of the
corner of your eye. Some go their whole lives
never noticing the Sidhe, others find they see
them everywhere. It depends how good you are
at looking through the crack in the glass or how
entertaining the Sidhe find you.
 To the Sidhe, Carleon is a ghost of their city
with its own shadowplay and they pay it no
mind. It is nothing more than a snow globe on
their reading desk. This is somewhat fortunate
as it would take little more than the wave of a
hand for some of them to disperse the illusion
that is Carleon.
Districts
Carleon is a port city, and as such spreads
inland from its southeastern shore under the
watchful eye of Glenayre Castle that sits farther
along the coast. As Théan cities go, Carleon has
quite a planned look to it. There are reasonably
clear lines between the districts, especially in
the center and the south of the city. The streets
are another matter entirely. While the locals tell
you they follow the lines and curves of the rocks
the city is built on, most tourists think this is a
joke. Nothing is straight in Carleon and for no
good reason anyone knows. Each street looks
like a crack in a mirror if you chance to look at
one of the few maps. Not that anyone bothers
with maps as many people think the streets
shift and change. When asked for directions,
most locals just reply with “You’ll get there soon
enough,” and let people find their own way.
Strangely, they usually do.
As the city has spread out it has grown
more organically and the outer areas are less
structured. Districts blend into each other and
streets ramble and twist even more. It is much
easier to get lost here and the smaller streets
make these neighborhoods a little gloomier.
What crime can be found in the city is usually
found here. Many people new to the city, who
have gotten used to the easy-going atmosphere
of the central and eastern quarters get a rude
awakening in the outskirts of the city.
The center of the city is the Promenade, a
large park with four main roads branching out
toward each compass point. The crossroads
these paths meet at the center of the park is
a popular meeting place, which is dominated
by a statue called “The Lady of Avalon.” The
statue stands over twenty feet high and is of a
woman in a long, flowing gown that holds the
Graal in her outstretched palm as she looks
inland across Avalon. No one quite knows who
the statue actually represents. Some say Queen
Elaine and some say the Sidhe, others the land
of Avalon itself. Not only can no one agree but
many people describe the statue differently,
from details of her face and the appearance to
the lady’s clothes. It is rare to come to this part
of the Promenade and not find at least one pair
of people arguing about it.
The park is beautiful in any season, and is
filled with trees, open parks, hedge mazes and
all manner of nooks and crannies. Lovers come
here to find a secluded spot, families come here
to play games in the open spaces, musicians can
be found playing in all manner of spaces but
still far enough apart not to hinder each other.
The Promenade is always the best part of each
season. In summer it is warm and green, in
winter the snow is pristine and light, autumn
is covered in gold and brown and spring bursts
with new flowers. No matter what the weather
is anywhere else in the city, in the Promenade
the season is always as it should be.
Each of the four roads is called Procession
Way, yet another thing to confuse anyone
new to the city. The Eastern Procession leads
toward the Queen’s Gate and out of the city
to Glenayre Castle. The Northern Procession
leads to Vendel Row and the homes of the
nobility. The Western Procession passes
Destiny Square on the west side of the
Promenade and then leads out to the market
and Glamourtown. The Southern Procession
takes the traveler toward the dockside.
Destiny Square lies on the western side of
the Promenade park and is the main seat of
city governance. This smaller park attached
to the Promenade has the Carleon National
Parliament Buildings on its north side, and
the imposing National Dock on the south side.
While Avalon is ruled from Glenayre Castle,
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 147
 the nation and city are run from Destiny
Square. While the Parliament building holds
offices and meeting halls for the councilors,
ministers and officials of Carleon, it is the park
where much of the business of government is
done. All this work must be recorded and noted.
Who met with whom, who gave what to whom
and who bought lunch for whom is recorded
by the clerks who serve the ministers. This is
to ensure no one is being bribed or talking too
often to any particular faction. So it has become
a tradition to ‘take a turn around the square’
when a councilor wants to talk to someone off
the record. On warmer days, more people are
out walking around the square than working
in their offices. ‘Gentleman’s agreements’ are
148 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
reached here and contracts sealed with a
handshake. In this way, Avalon prides itself on
having one of the most transparent and least
transparent systems in Théah.
The southern end of Destiny Square is an
altogether darker place. The National Dock
stands here in stark contrast to the charm of the
parliament building. The two are colloquially
known as ‘the carrot and the stick’. The National
Dock holds the courts, prisons and law offices
of the Carleon legal system. It is the highest
tribunal in the land and hears the worst cases
for the most dreadful crimes. So, while Carleon
itself has quite a low crime rate, the courts here
are often busy hearing cases from across the isles.
Underneath the National Dock lies the Endwell,
one of the more dreadful prisons in Théah. It
connects to a natural cave system where prisoners
are mostly taken and forgotten. It is said the
caves shift, like so many other places in Carleon,
and no guilty person can ever leave them.
The area around the National Dock has
become the legal district of the city. Being
close to the Promenade the houses here are
pleasantly situated. But they are a little cheaper
than other central districts given the brooding
shadow of the Dock nearby. This makes them
affordable for the various law students who
come to study at the law college and who later
become lawyers and barristers in the Dock itself
or across Théah.
The path to a legal career is Avalon is quite
byzantine and full of strange traditions.
Technically, there is no law college, even though
the Dock is often referred to as such. The
lawyers and barristers who work at the National
Dock are expected to take on apprentices and
train them in the ways of the Avalon legal
system. Those who are taken on study the law
in their own time, but serve as assistants and
servants to the lawyers they are apprenticed
to. The assumption is, that the apprentice
will get to see the law being practiced and
can ask questions of their mentor so they can
understand the system. The system does work,
but mostly in spite of itself. Generally, if you
serve your apprenticeship without going crazy
from lack of sleep you have probably learned
enough to qualify.
The legal district around the Dock has several
inns that cater specifically to law students. This
means that each law student can also rely on
their peers to help them work out the complex
rules and navigate what is expected of them.
As the prestige of each inn (and its students)
is related to how many lawyers it produces, it
is in the interest of each student to help their
peers. Unfortunately, mentors vary wildly in
the teaching they offer, but if they do not at
least take some time to teach and inform their
students, the students have every right to
seek a new mentor. As students are expected
to act as unpaid servants, even the most
lackluster mentor usually feels a bit of teaching
worth more than the trouble of doing chores
themselves. Those students who show promise
are given more responsibility by their mentors,
eventually taking on their less important cases.
Graduating is a strange ritual that involves
a lot of eating. The highest-ranking judges in
the National Dock occasionally visit one of the
inns for an evening meal, seemingly at random.
Through a complex system of recommendations,
law students staying at that inn may be offered
a place at the same table. During the meal, the
Judge asks questions, pontificates and grills the
assembly about the law. Those students who
impress him may be granted the title of lawyer or
barrister the next day. This practice of dining out
can be a long process, and a complex system also
determines who gets to sit closest to the Judge,
where they may claim more of her attention.
Some students dine out for years, some have
become barristers after their first evening with an
especially impressive insight at the dinner table.
Once qualified a new lawyer is open for cases
the next day. However, they may not take on
students until they have seen at least five people
(they either prosecuted or represented) hang
or be sent forever into the Endwell. No one can
teach the meaning of the law until they have seen
its fullest extent for themselves.
The legal district is not just a place for
lawyers and students. The cheaper housing and
proximity to the court also makes it a place for
the families and friends of those accused to
stay during a trial. The courts are open to all
and some cases can take many days to process.
During this time the courts make no special
provision for families who wish to see the case
first hand. This situation has led to several
problems in the city. When families of both the
victims and the accused are staying near each
other, tensions have been known to flare up.
Drunken fights and even assassination attempts
are not very rare here.
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 149
 The wealthiest district in Carleon, the noble
district, covers the north and east sides of the
Promenade; this is mainly due to the fact that
it is the nearest side to Glenayre Castle, where
the power of the triple kingdoms resides. The
houses in this portion of the city are impressive
indeed. While they do not command the same
large estates as in other nations, the mansion
houses here have a style and grandeur all their
own. With less space to build out, Avalon
nobles have tended to build up. Most houses
here have three floors, some as many as four or
five. The ability to see over your neighbors (or
look down on them) is prized among those who
really wish they could build a castle of their
own here and be done with it.
The noble district is not just impressive
because of the houses. In many nations, nobles
own property in the capital but actually live on a
larger and more luxurious estate and only come
to the city on business. But, of all the capitals of
the world, Carleon is one of the best places to
live and many nobles have made it their primary
residence. This has led them to invest in it much
more, with a greater amount of community
projects. The streets in this quarter are always
clean and trees line most of the boulevards.
Regulations stop the house-building from
encroaching on the amount of light and private
groups of watchmen keep the city safe at night.
Two particular areas stand out in the noble
district, Vendel Row (or simply ‘The Row’) and
Cliffside. The Vendel League maintains almost
an entire street near the Promenade for the use
of visiting dignitaries and their guests. While
it is convenient for league members its real
purpose it to show off Vendel’s wealth. Many
marvel at the expense, while others see it as a
challenge. The League is daring anyone else to
match this conspicuous consumption, and if
they can they will simply spend more. Having
said that, a lot of business is done here, either
on behalf of the League or negotiated by it.
150 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
Avalon is a nice neutral ground far away from
everything else, and Carleon a pleasant place to
do business. So, it is worth bringing merchants
here to negotiate deals. As a consequence, a lot
of people come here to try to find a way into
the Vendel trading network. However, even
with many well-appointed houses on offer,
many businessmen like to negotiate somewhere
neutral. So, a vast array of coffee shops have
opened across the area (as many traders
appreciate the potential danger of overindulging
in a tavern while doing business). It is said
there are more coffee shops in this district than
taverns in the whole of Carleon. While this is
not actually true (the Avalonians do love their
drink) it is easy to see why some believe it.
The most elite neighborhood of the noble
district is Cliffside. This area of the coast is too
high to be useful as a port, and too small to be
worth expanding the city into. But it offers a
commanding view over the city and is the closest
part to Glenayre. Here you will find the estates of
the richest and most powerful citizens of Avalon.
Each is a walled compound and those who live
here fervently resist anyone else building here. If
you want to live in Cliffside, you will have to buy
an estate from someone who already lives here.
This has led to stories of some Villains ruining
businesses just so they could force a sale of one of
these exclusive manors.
To the south and east of the Promenade is
the dockside, the life blood and heart of this
port city. Carleon is a natural port and in the
days before Derwyddon crafted the new city,
it was an old fishing village. A few of the old
buildings remain, hidden between the new
ones, almost squeezed out by the pressure of
the Sidhe reflection. Otherwise the dockside is
much as you would expect any other port to be,
although it is larger than most. The coastline
here allows a very long port that can berth a
large collection of ships of several classes. While
the Avalon navy tends toward well-armed but
faster medium-sized ships, the odd man of war
can easily berth at Carleon.
 One of the most popular features of Carleon’s
port for sailors is that the size of the place
means the docking fees are lower and there is
room to keep a ship there longer. This makes
it a good place to make repairs and a thriving
industry in both repairs and boat building can be
found here. Ships able to weigh anchor in the bay
might take on a carpenter for minor repairs here
and many freelancers offer their services on the
dockside. Those who can berth for a while can hire
a whole crew of highly skilled carpenters to make
repairs and perform maintenance to any craft.
While most crews have carpenters aboard, few are
as skilled as those in Carleon. It is said the repairs
made here will often outlast the ship. So it is not
uncommon for a captain who has made a good
trade to let the crew take their ease in the city and
bring aboard a repair crew to take care of the ship.
Everything you would expect in a port can be
found here and in twice the numbers. Pubs, inns
and boarding houses line every street and many
slightly overpriced shops try to catch tourists
before they make it to the rest of the city. The
atmosphere is always convivial here, and while the
drinking and carousing never stops there is little
obvious crime. The atmosphere here is one of a
party with friends so most people do their best to
behave. The real reason for the low crime rate at
the docks in a little darker though. The area is run
by the Sea Dogs, Avalon’s privateer navy, and they
are the law here. Troublemakers are never arrested,
they are dealt with by the Sea Dogs, quietly and
discreetly. That is not to say they are murdered.
Usually, a few well-armed men explaining to
someone they are being rude and should go to bed
is all that is required. But those who do not get
the message usually regret it and a few people have
ended up disappearing overnight if they refused to
behave. It should be added that the Jenny’s Guild
is quite powerful here and a very close ally of the
Sea Dogs in many ways. There is no quarter for
those who abuse a Jenny in Carleon.
Those who know Carleon well always make
a point of visiting the marketplace district
on the west side of the city. It does not look
very impressive when you first arrive. The main
marketplace is full of small stalls, but nothing
looks especially grand. It offers none of the
mystique of the famed bazaars of the Crescent
Empire and often smells a little of fish. It is also
packed with people, mostly ordinary Avalonian
folk shopping for their weekly groceries and
looking out for the odd bargain. This means plenty
of people stop to talk to friends they meet, which
is all very convivial but blocks the flow of traffic in
every direction. It only ever seems to bother the
tourists though so the Avalonians pay it no mind.
There are plenty of shortcuts between the stalls if
you know where to go, so most just take a different
route around when the byways get clogged.
What does make the marketplace special is
that it always finds a way to surprise you. A lot
of strange things seem to find their way here,
often to stalls you will never be able to find again.
It is hard to wander about here and not find
something that catches your eye, almost as if it
was meant for you. The stallholder will bargain,
but often seems to know it was destined for
you for some reason. In a sea of rather ordinary
goods on sale, it seems strange no one noticed
this unique item before. The price is always the
right amount of coins you have in your pocket.
The marketplace is a dangerous place to get
lost in, though. The western side of the city
houses the poorer districts, and this means a few
criminals work the marketplace and the streets
nearby. Many of the quieter inns and coffee
shops are owned by criminal gangs who use them
as bases of operations. The locals all know which
ones they are, but tourists have been known
to visit them by mistake. If the murmuring
suddenly dies down when you step into a place
in the western districts, it’s a good idea to have
one drink, leave a good tip and leave. It is rare
for such encounters to become violent, as the
Avalonians do not like to make a scene. But they
take note of people who are rude, or who do not
follow the polite suggestion they move along
when they have finished their drinks.
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 151
 Landmarks
The most well-known landmark in Carleon is
undoubtedly Glenayre Castle. It sits on the black
cliffs to the southeast of the city, dominating the
skyline. While simple in design, there is something
majestic about Glenayre that is hard to put into
words. Many other castles exist in the world,
many are bigger, more imposing, more cleverly
constructed and more beautifully decorated. But all
who see Glenayre remark that they have never seen
anything like it, and the descriptions they had heard
of it did it no justice at all. The castle has a simple
majesty that radiates from every stone. It makes
you feel special, even chosen, just to see it, as if it
has called you to adventure. Those who enter feel
like this is the day something incredible, frightening
or momentous will happen to them. Everything in
their lives may have been leading to this moment.
This feeling would be easily dismissed if it did not
prove true on a remarkable amount of occasions.
Glenayre is the seat of Avalonian government
and the home of its Queen, Elaine. While the
Parliament needs to ratify some of the Queen’s
edicts, she rules from Glenayre. The castle plays
host to diplomatic affairs, elegant balls and all
manner of social occasions. Anyone can come
to beg for the Queen’s justice if they consider
themselves her subject. So there are many days she
hears the grievances of people from all walks of life.
Her judgments are also renowned as fair and true,
even by those who do not profit by them. Many
say the allure of Glenayre is tied to Queen Elaine
herself, and that it is her heart and mind that shines
from its walls. This may be true as the castle does
not inspire fear or awe as much as a desire to kneel
and serve whoever may rule there, for they must be
good and true to command such a place.
A popular landmark on the road from
Glenayre to the Promenade is the Queen’s Gate.
This stone arch made of the same white stone as
Glenayre contains a heavily fortified gate made
of black oak bound in what appears to be silver.
It is a symbol of the openness of Carleon as by
tradition it is almost never closed. If it was it
would cause little problem as the city has no wall,
152 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
so you can just walk around it. The gate closes
only four times a year, and then only for an hour
or so. A tradition that marks the turning of each
season is for the gate to close at midnight (for
autumn and winter) or midday (for spring and
summer) of the last calendar day of the season.
Queen Elaine then walks from the castle to the
gate and demands it open, ushering in the new
season. In spring and summer, it is a festival of
celebration and wine, in autumn and winter it is
a festival of dark and cold and mulled wine (the
Avalonians have a drink for every occasion). It
reminds everyone the seasons turn, that everyone
is part of them, and that light and dark both give
way to each other in their time.
Religion in Avalon is something of a mixed
bag, much to the consternation of the Vaticine
Church, yet another renowned landmark is the
Church of Avalon Grand Chapel that sits on the
northern edge of the city. Those who have not yet
seen Glenayre might be forgiven for mistaking
the Grand Chapel for the castle. It is a large stone
building of gothic arches and columns, with great
stained-glass windows on all sides that catch
the light and reflect colors into the streets below.
The inside of the chapel is quite simple though,
with plain wooden benches arranged between
the great stone pillars. However, the place is not
as austere as it first appears as it is the details
that are important. The stone here tells a story in
carvings that are littered around the floors, walls
and columns of the place. Carved imps chase
maidens, Sidhe knights ride out across the floors
and mysterious travelers beckon you from behind
columns. A hidden world of the Sidhe tells all
manner of stories if you pay attention and follow
the clues in each carving.
The area around the chapel plays host to
several other religious buildings, and while the
Church of Avalon is the official religion, no
other church is banned or restricted. Several
faiths are practiced in Carleon, but only the
Archbishop of the Grand Chapel has the ear
of the Queen (as the position carries a seat on
her council of advisors). The Avalonians like the
idea of all coming to one district to pray, so they
can all meet and carry on their conversation Between the National Dock and the Market
afterwards. As such the many cafes and pubs on the west of the city is a small square that is
here quickly fill up once the afternoon services officially named after a respected minister of
have finished. Many philosophical groups tend the Avalonian parliament called Jamison Briggs
to gravitate to the area and a few debates can get who died around eight or nine years ago. While
quite heated after too many ales. there is a small statue to him in the center of this
One of the most popular attractions in the noble small park, no one knows it by any other name
district in the Royal Avalon Opera House. This than Speaker’s Square. It has become a place
newly built theater is one of the largest and most for people to vent their frustrations at injustice,
impressive in Théah and was built specifically to inequality and even Queen Elaine herself. Anyone
claim that accolade. The performances it puts on can say their peace here without fear of reprisal.
are lavish and operatic, often using every theatrical Several Inish and Highlanders started speaking
effect the company can produce (which the building here to protest the rule of Avalon over the islands
was made to accommodate). However, tickets are upon the founding of the city. As Jamison Briggs
very expensive and this has led to complaints of was known to cry out at the Square, “Let each
elitism and falling audience numbers. What few have their say.” Queen Elaine decreed that, in his
people know is that the theater is still paying off its shadow, anyone can say what they like. She was
building costs and has to charge exorbitant prices to strongly advised against it, and even today many
keep afloat. The more they lose the more prices go use the opportunity to try to incite discontent.
up (which loses more sales) and the more expensive But on the whole the Queen’s ruling has granted
the shows become to impress those who do come. her an incredible amount of respect from those
They need something cheap and spectacular to who feel their voices are not heard. However, not
bring in a new audience they can overcharge only
a little or they will soon be bankrupt.
It is strange that somewhere like Sorrow
street should be so popular, but it is. Officially
this rather plain backstreet near the market
is called Taverner’s Row as it runs behind a
few of the older pubs in the city. But there
is something deeply sad in the air here. It is
impossible to walk the length of the street and
not find tears streaming from your eyes. For
some it brings memories of pain and sadness,
others find they have no idea why tears are
falling down their face in a flood.
It is said that emotions well up across the city,
and here is where sadness spills out onto the
streets. Perhaps it is just a Sidhe trick. But it is
a popular place. People can be found here day
and night, weeping. It is a place where it is ok
to let go, to allow yourself to cry and excuse the
lapse as “the street made me do it.” Many come
here night after night finding respite in releasing
their melancholy. Its popularity is such that
some suggest there is no magic here at all, just a
common excuse that so many desperately need.

153
 everyone is quite so forgiving. Many spies and
agents keep an eye on the square so they can target
troublemakers. While you can say what you like
while in the square, there is no law regarding what
happens when you leave.
Everyone knows the Explorer’s Society have
their largest chapter house in Avalon, but few
people know there are actually two. To the north
of the market is the one everyone has heard of,
a grand old building that rises higher than most
other buildings in the neighborhood. It is an
administration office, museum and clubhouse
for the society. Explorers can bring items here for
evaluation, or rest and carouse in the Members
Only Bar on the second floor. Rumor has it the
building has a secure basement for the most
dangerous items. The ground floor contains
a museum of items from across Théah, many
Syrneth in design. Tours are run daily and
anyone can bring anything strange they find here
for evaluation by the experts.
As this chapter house is rather public, only
members of the society know of a second
chapter house on the dockside near Morgan’s
Roost. Known officially as the All Théah
Shipping and Trading Company, this
unassuming warehouse is where Explorers plan
their secret missions and guard artifacts deemed
too dangerous to display. Many Explorers work
here just to make sure the items here remain
secure, and they are some of the foremost
experts on the dangers of Syrneth artifacts.
One of the most popular places in the
dockside is The Tavern. It is a small “pub
theater” that puts on very bawdy plays for the
entertainment of those who have come out for
a night’s drinking. The performances are lewd,
vulgar and full of innuendo, but not sexually
explicit. They walk a fine line and numerous
groups have tried to shut the productions down
as obscenity. However, most Avalonians find
the plays hysterically funny, and even wealthy
nobles come here to cry with laughter with
the common folk. Many traveling companies
secretly copy the plays and then take them on
154 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
tour across the country. These are so popular
they have become an established subset of
Avalon theater called “tavern plays.”
A little outside the western edge of the city
is Glamourtown. It is said that if Carleon is
a mirror, Glamourtown is where the sunlight
hits the edge and casts a rainbow of broken
light. While it looks like any other outer suburb
of Carleon, something seems odd about the
place from the moment you arrive, even if you
cannot put your finger on it. Everything here
is more vivid, whether it is dark or light. There
is a faerie quality to even the people here and
many residents and shopkeepers seem a little
nonhuman, with an odd stare, slightly pointed
ears, twisted features or just a strange air to
them. They say that those who live here too
long begin to resemble the truth of their soul.
The main landmark here is the Seabright
manor house in the center. It is where the Sidhe
stay when they visit the city and few humans
claim to have seen it inside. They say that to
cross its threshold is to pledge yourself to the
Sidhe, and this is how they claim the fey and
distant people who make up each Sidhe lord
and lady’s entourage. But Seabright is not the
only strange sight in Glamourtown. Magic is
wild here and capricious. The Game Master is
free to treat her players to any of the following
effects, anytime they like, or invent a beautiful
cruelty of their own instead.
Secret Societies
With the city being so new, very few secret
societies have been able to plant a serious foothold
here. Many organizations also need a certain
amount of dissent to gather followers and that is
a hard commodity to find in Carleon. However,
three societies in particular are all growing here
(even though one is being subtly corrupted) and a
fourth remains one of the major powers here.
While its members do not usually stray farther
than the dockside, the Sea Dogs are a major
power in Carleon. Nothing happens in the port

• A character begins to hear beautiful music no
one else can hear. Can they find the source, will
they be driven to do so?
• The characters walk through a door or turn
a street and find themselves all in different
places. Did they move or did the street? How
can they find each other?
• A character loses an important item, but finds
it replaced with another. It has been swapped
with someone else, but who has the character’s
item and will they be happy just to swap back?
• A character is replaced by a darker version of
themselves. Have they gone mad or are they
stolen by the Sidhe? How can they be brought
back to normal, or rescued from the Sidhe?
• A character suddenly and inexplicably finds
true happiness. They give up on everything and
just want to sit and enjoy being alive. How can
the others convince them to return to a life of
adventure?
• A beautiful Sidhe steals a kiss from one of the
characters. How can they get it back?
• Something from nightmares stalks the
characters at night. But whose nightmare and
what does it want?
they do not hear about, and anyone who causes
trouble will get a dose of rough music from them.
However, if you like a drink and play by their
rules, you will be fine. Nevertheless, there is a
growing concern about how much leeway this
group of privateers is given. Jeremiah Berek clearly
has the ear of Queen Elaine (and borderline
treasonous gossip suggests a lot more besides) and
so no one wants to cross him. The Sea Dogs serve
Avalon, so they get to do what they want. While
Berek is popular and the Sea Dogs do far more
good than harm in the city, their carte blanche is
beginning to suggest that Queen Elaine cannot
control them, which is damaging her leadership.
A more popular group is the Explorer’s
Society. With the support of the crown they are
very secure in Carleon, as are the artifacts they
guard. The head of the chapter house is always
given a seat at Queen Elaine’s advisory councils
as she recognizes the Explorers’ understanding
of world politics. But some suggest the Explorers
perform another function as experts on the
Sidhe. There may come a time that Avalon will
need to face the Sidhe and to do so they will
need much greater understanding of them, and
the Syrneth weapons of the Society might be the
only way to defeat them.
The influence of the Rose and Cross has been
growing here over the last few years. Carleon is
a place of noble quests, and while there may not
be many wrongs that need righting, the call to
adventure often begins here. The atmosphere of
Carleon draws Rose and Cross knights here like
moths to a flame. They often support the Knights
of Avalon and while there is a friendly rivalry
between the two, they remain close allies. They have
become so close that Queen Elaine has recently
(with much sadness) declared that Knights cannot
join the Rose and Cross as to do so would serve two
masters. However, Rose and Cross members are
all welcome in Avalon and each year they tourney
against the Knights of Avalon in a grand festival.
Only knights of the Rose and Cross or Avalon may
compete, and as many Knights of Avalon work in
secret, some are allowed to wear a disguise, further
adding to their mystery. Whoever wins claims
great glory and honor for themselves and their
order, and also “the Queen’s favor:” a silk scarf
that Queen Elaine gifts them for a year. It is said
this favor brings great luck and also offers the
patronage of Queen Elaine herself, which often
involves dangerous adventures.
Unfortunately, all this glamour and festival is not
actually doing the Rose and Cross much good. It is
a honey trap, taking them from the real problems of
the world by playing to their dreams of adventure
and glory. It is a slow corruption as knights ignore
problems they should be helping with, enchanted
by the idea of following whatever quest they have
come across as if it is a higher calling. The leadership
of the order is becoming very concerned, although
it does not quite believe Queen Elaine or Avalon is
doing this on purpose. However, to rule that Rose
and Cross knights are not allowed to visit Avalon or
participate in the yearly festival will be a great insult
to a powerful Queen.
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 155
 The last major secret society is small, but
quietly growing. It is a more militant arm of the
Realists, who fear the influence the Sidhe have in
Avalon. Most Realists are simply puritans who
see the Sidhe as a corruption to be avoided and
a temptation that only leads to sin. But some
Realists are not content with simple avoidance
and preaching about the dangers of the Sidhe.
This group call themselves The Scalpel as they
plan to carefully and precisely cut the Sidhe out
of the body of the country they love. As dedicated
patriots, they love Queen Elaine and do not
want to see the Nation suffer or its people hurt.
Unfortunately, they have also concluded that when
removing diseased or dying flesh, a little good
tissue needs to be removed with it to make sure
the wound is clean.
Currently, the Scalpel is a very small group, and
while they are growing slowly, they are growing.
As the Glamour is starting to wear thin, more
are considering their cause. The danger of this as they might be. The people are generally happy
group is that they are clever and careful. They and well fed, making it hard to find those desperate
are prepared to take deadly action to destroy enough to do anything for coin. Even the criminal
the Sidhe. But they realize they must work underworld is run by the (mostly) friendly face of
exceptionally carefully to cut out the bad without the Sea Dogs. So the Villains of Carleon are subtle
losing too much of the good. So they study their and insidious, and know the value of patience.
targets carefully and take time to determine
the best course of action, often taking the least Molly Slip is something of a mystery, no one is
dramatic course they can. Better to bring Avalon even sure if that’s her real name or merely what
back to reason with a series of nudges than a big people call her. Somehow, she fell in the cracks of
push. But when they do strike, they do so without the mirror that reflects the Sidhe city, and she is
mercy and with a plan that has seen months lost in a labyrinth between worlds. No one really
of preparation. This meticulousness, coupled understands this, they just know that there is a
with their dedication already makes them very young woman with wild hair and empty, black
dangerous, a factor that will only grow as they do. eyes who finds you in mirrors and cuts you with
the bloody shard of glass she holds in her hand.
Children tell stories about looking into a mirror
Villains with no lights and whispering, “I believe in Molly
You might be forgiven for thinking there are no Slip.” If you whisper it three times, she will
villains in Carleon. The well-kept streets and appear in the room with you, her bloody shard of
apparently happy population make it look as if glass in her hand.
nothing is wrong. But Carleon has power and Atherton Masters is possibly the most dangerous
wealth, and there are plenty of people working law-abiding citizen in Carleon. He is the head of the
to claim what they can of both. But the Villains small but busy Atabean Trading Company office
of Carleon have to play a more subtle game. The in Carleon just off the dockside. The ATC makes a
institutions of the city are not as open to corruption point of keeping a low profile as they do not want

156 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon

it to be obvious how powerful they have become.
Masters has led a quiet growth of the company in
Avalon that has largely gone on so quietly that people
are only beginning to notice it may be too late to stop.
Many Avalonian nobles take advantage of the cheap
rates of the ATC and have made vast profits, allowing
the ATC to sink its claws deep into the economy
of Avalon. They want to turn Avalon into their
gateway between Théah and the Atabean sea,
and so seek to control all its trade and tariffs. The
only real threat to Master’s plans are the Vendel,
who seek to do the same. Queen Elaine holds the
balance of power, but letting either one win this
secret trade war will be a loss for Avalon.
Doctor Tenderloin is the name the popular press
has given to a serial killer who has recently began
stalking the streets of Carleon. His kills are precise,
and he always leaves a note with his victims saying,
“There will be a reckoning.” Thankfully he has
committed only three murders in the last year but a
pattern is emerging. Unfortunately, the authorities are
on the wrong track, as there is no single killer. Doctor
Tenderloin in an invention of the most extreme
members of the Scalpel, who are moving toward
becoming a rogue faction of the organization. Each
of the kills have been the work of several men and
women looking to remove what they see as threats
to Avalon. In this case the link between the Doctor’s
kills is that there were all Glamourfolk, reflections the
order has found a way to truly kill.
But the Doctor’s murders have not been the
faction’s only kills. They have invented the idea of
a serial killer to act as a smokescreen for the other
kills they make. With the authorities trying to
track Doctor Tenderloin, they have less time to
see the larger picture, and the real links between
the murders can be obfuscated. All this is helped
by Scalpel agents in the newspapers building the
story and secretly influencing the narrative.
Information
Since the invention of the printing press, the
Avalonians have been voracious readers. Books
have always been popular for the wealthy and a
few charities operate a traveling library service
for the poor. So it should be no surprise that
most information is disseminated by leaflets,
pamphlets and newspapers. Almost every group
of religious enthusiasts or political agitators use
print as their weapon of choice, producing reams
of leaflets to hand out in the street or leave in
sympathetic shops for people to pick up. As they
are free, many people use these spectacularly
biased pamphlets as their only source of news,
and sadly rarely read much further.
There are three regular newspapers printed in
Carleon, all of which are published weekly and cost
only a few pence. They are distributed across all the
Glamour Isles but are most popular in Avalon. The
Inish and the Highlanders have their own more
newspapers but still read what is found in Carleon.
While each paper reports the news, they all have a
bias and many people are regular readers because
their chosen paper shares their biases. However,
at least two do offer well-researched reports, and
all three are always interested in stories that might
captivate their readers. The battle for supremacy
between these newspapers is fierce and has led to
bloodshed in the past. None will rest until they are
regarded as the only source of the real news.
The Avalon Report is the oldest of the three and
considered slightly more respectable. It generally
supports the establishment and traditions. Its
stories warn about the dangers of change as well
as a constant paranoid concern over Montaigne
influence since the occupation of long ago.
The Sentinel is almost as old and respected as
the Avalon Report, but has a more liberal attitude.
It promotes Avalon changing with the times and
taking a greater part on the world stage. It remains
guarded about the Sidhe but does not take issue
with the improvements they have brought. While it
supports Queen Elaine, it often wonders about the
same power she wields falling into the wrong hands.
The Daily Post is a hateful piece of bile,
which has made it more popular than the other
two papers. Its stories are poorly researched (if
at all) and always have a slant to appeal to the
reader’s bigotry. It loves to blame other nations
for anything bad that happens, especially
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 157
 immigrants living in Avalon. It relies on shock
value and panders to the reader’s desire to
blame other people for their problems. This all
makes it disturbingly popular, which also gives
the lies it spreads the veneer of truth.
Power Brokers
Political Influence: 3 points
As the seat of Avalon’s government, Carleon
is the heart of the nation’s political influence.
Queen Elaine is the one with all the power, but
she is working carefully to build the influence
of the parliament. She recognizes that future
rulers might not have the best interests of
Avalon at heart, and that a government led by
its people would be in the nation’s interest.
Unfortunately, Avalon’s parliament leaves a lot
to be desired. While it is not rife with corruption,
the problem with several different voices is that it
leads to everyone having a say and nothing getting
done. Thankfully, for the most part, the members
of parliament are good people looking to serve the
nation. But as the power and influence of Avalon
grows, so does the amount of people who seek to
claim power for themselves.
Avalon’s parliament is gradually dividing into
two informal factions, both named after the insults
they hurl at each other across the debate floor. The
first faction are known as the Whigs, from an old
highland word whigenanman that refers to a clanless
Highlander. The faction earned the name by being
mainly formed of Highlanders and Inish trying
to protect their rights in the new Avalon. Their
faction has grown to include folk from all over the
isles and has become known as the progressive
faction. They support more power for parliament,
greater equality for the people of the islands and a
movement toward more connections with mainland
Théah. However, they are fiercely divided on the
Sidhe. Some think they are a future that should
be embraced, others see them as a corrupting and
dangerous force holding Avalon back.
158 Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon
The other faction are known as the Tories, a
corruption of Les Torice, the name the Montaigne
gave to the (often very brutal) insurgents who
fought them during the occupation many years ago.
The Tories stand for a more conservative Avalon
with fewer ties to the rest of the Théah. They insist
the Graal has brought a bounty to the islands they
cannot afford to share. They reject immigration and
progressive thinking, preferring to maintain the rule
of the crown and the old traditions of the nation.
The Tories are a smaller faction than the Whigs, but
more united, although there is debate among them
over the role parliament should play in the nation.
Many like the old system of government, but want
more power for themselves.
Both factions are led by very charismatic leaders,
who draw large crowds whenever they are due to
debate each other in parliament. The leader of the
Whigs is Mary Kent, a woman of mixed parentage
from all three isles. She is known for the passion
of her speeches, and many say that, were she a
general, she might have stirred the whole nation to
fight for her. Her Tory opposition is Lord Richard
Quinn, a stylish noble known for a quiet, cutting
wit that he wields like a blade. His calm cleverness
makes him an excellent foil for Mary and who the
winner of each debate truly is often depends on
the individual bias of the listener.
Economic Influence: 3 points
As Avalon’s largest port, Carleon is also the
center of the nation’s economic power. But
this is a power that crosses into the criminal
underworld. While many legitimate deals
are made in the dockside trade, the Sea Dogs
support the economy with a significant amount
of goods seized from their privateering.
Queen Elaine has favored a hands-off policy
to trade and customs, making Carleon a very
attractive place to do business. However, it
has allowed the Vendel League and Atabean
Trading company to make great inroads into the
trade in Avalon. A small group of very wealthy
Vendel merchants working for the League calling
themselves the directors have effectively taken
control of almost all legitimate internal and
mainland Théan trade in Carleon, with the
ATC taking the lion’s share of the rest of the
sea trade. The loose laws let them fill the power
vacuum and the Sea Dogs only noticed when
both factions started moving into the illegal
trade as well.
Queen Elaine is very worried about the power
of the League and ATC in Carleon, but they
have now become too entrenched. She cannot
curtail much of their power without creating
more legislation, which will make Carleon less
attractive as a trading port and seriously damage
the Sea Dogs’ network. A reckoning is coming,
and if it cannot be handled carefully the fight
to reclaim the Carleon trading economy might
easily destroy it.
Criminal Influence: 2 points
While many people insist Carleon is run by
pirates despite the influence of the Sea Dogs, it
is no Aragosta. The Sea Dogs control the docks
and police all the illegal activity to be found there.
The lower tariffs and fewer inspections make it
easier to move stolen merchandise and launder
money thorough Avalon’s ports, for which the
Sea Dogs take a cut. Crime is growing in the
dockside as the Sea Dogs let many things pass as
long as no one knows about it. The rule is, if they
notice you cheating, you have gotten too greedy.
Having said that, they come down hard on those
who hurt or kill in the pursuit of wealth. So
while crime is everywhere in the docks, many
people barely notice.
What makes the underworld different in
Avalon is that it’s also part of the government.
A lot of gold flows into the crown’s coffers as
Queen Elaine’s cut of the Sea Dogs’ activities.
This includes anything they have taken as
privateers on the seas. As the Sea Dogs are very
good at what they do, the cut is more than the
crown would make in trade tariffs. But it’s not
a predictable amount of money and it’s hard to
keep finding excuses for the extra cash when it
appears in the treasury accounts.
Spiritual Influence: 2 points
The spiritual has great influence in Avalon, but
in a very complex way. Several religions jockey
to be the faith of the nation. The Montaigne
brought the Vaticine faith with their invasion,
but by the end of it were persecuting Vaticine
adherents. Objectionism has always been
strong among those Highlanders who follow
the Prophets. But the old religion practiced
by all the isles (although mainly the Inish) can
be found everywhere. While Montaigne tried
to crush it, the old ways are simply a part of
Avalon, and a hundred different traditions
(practiced even by those who follow the Church
of the Prophets) can be traced to the old ways.
The new Church of Avalon has managed to
build a very popular middle ground between
all these faiths. The mixture of high church
and folk religion has made it appealing to city
and country people alike. Many folk attend a
Church of Avalon service and worship as they
see fit, leading to some odd congregations.
The spiritual in Avalon is therefore influenced
mainly by two people: Derwyddon and
Archbishop Keelan More. They do not get
along. Derwyddon is an icon on the old ways,
the unofficial leader of the secretive magicians
who follow a myriad of mostly forgotten ways.
As one of the architects of the new Avalon he
has always had the Queen’s ear. Archbishop
More is the Archbishop of the Grand Chapel
and as such also has a seat on Queen Elaine’s
advisory council. While More is a traditional
Inish woman, she is dedicated to moving
Avalon away from superstition. She objects
to Derwyddon on principle and is just as old,
cantankerous and stubborn as he is. They
have often argued in council as if they are the
only two people in the room, causing many to
suggest there is a more complicated history to
their relationship.
7th Sea | Carleon, The Shining Star of Avalon 159
160
 Port Cendres
P
ort Cendres is a city inspired by noir
movies and cynical heroes, war movies City Advantages
about doomed romances and occupied One thing I like to do with cities is give each a unique
cities, and memories in gray and blue. element mechanically. Something that makes that city
This chapter focuses on the themes of an feel different on the tabletop, something that would
occupying force, a tyrannical new government be on the city’s “character sheet.” You’ll find some
custom rules for Port Cendres throughout the text,
forced on citizens and a war that a small city-state
designed to help set the city apart mechanically..
felt powerless to avoid overtaking their home. This
means smugglers, proxy wars and shadow conflicts,
resistance fighters, refugees and oppressive government powers attempting to grind down the town.
Isolating the town by putting it on an island will help a lot, as it explains why the struggle remains
centered here, rather than spilling over into nearby nations.
With that in mind: island, occupied city, focus on smuggling and shadow conflicts, a grim, noir-
esque take on the location, I can start answering questions.

“If we stop breathing, we’ll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, Port Cendres will die!”
- Rhisiart de Carlion, Hero, as he is taken away by the Gray Guards watch on the orders of the
nefarious Villain, Governor Conrad Heinrich

Where is the City?
Port Cendres is located in a small island off
the western coast of Occupied Castille, tucked
under ashen gray cliffs and beset by thunderous
storms. Nominally under Montaigne control,
Port Cendres serves as a stopover and haven for
smugglers, freedom fighters, Heroes and Villains
who want to operate away from the watchful eyes
of the Montaigne army or Castillian Resistance.
Historically a tiny city-state, waypoint, and
port for traders and merchants who sailed
through the Widow’s Sea and into the Frothing
Bay, Port Cendres is now a forgotten staging
point for Montaigne invasions into Castille.
With Montaigne’s strong grasp on the western
portions of Castille, Port Cendres is no longer
needed, and as such, the small island has become
the home of a secret shadow war that Heroes
hope will save the soul of Port Cendres….
The sharp cliffs that surround Port Cendres
extend deep into the water, making a seaborne
approach a risky proposition without experienced
navigators or excellent cartography to rely on.
Harsh crosswinds, temperamental weather and
a lack of navigational reference points (due to the
curse on Port Cendres) compound the risk, making
Port Cendres an investment with extraordinarily
little return for the larger powers, which makes it
perfect for those who are willing to gamble.
Powerful magic gone awry inflicted a curse
on Port Cendres, forcing the town to subsist
on trade for its economic stability, preventing
any agriculture, farming or herding from being
viable. At some point in Port Cendres’ past, a
Fate Witch lost control of a Weave designed
to alleviate a drought on the island. The torn
thread of fate instead rended the very sky above
Port Cendres, covering it with thunderous
rainclouds that never let up or disperse.

7th Sea | Port Cendres 161

 Omnipresent rain, towering cliffs looming
over the town and cold sea winds and fog have
left Port Cendres a dour and gray place, where
the very color seems drained of life, except on
the rare half-dozen days a year where the sun
shines through a portion of the overcast.
Small islets dot the sea around Port Cendres
(island would be a generous term to describe
the amount of space each provides). Smugglers,
merchants or revolutionaries meet on these
islets to conduct swaps, trade goods and
have private meetings with little risk of being
disturbed by the town’s law enforcement.
Among the other nations, Port Cendres has
a reputation as a haven for scum, scoundrels
and smugglers. It’s barely warranted a second
thought throughout most of its history (at least
until warfare breaks out.)
Three Descriptors
Port Cendres is a dangerous town, as Villains
and Heroes clash in in a shadowy conflict
that has raged for years, each attempting to
outwit the others. While bystanders are largely
protected by Heroes, the Villains throughout
the town have no qualms if any who get in the
way suffer.
The occupying forces use the law as a cudgel
and are not afraid to use violence to ensure they
remain in power throughout the town.
And such, Port Cendres is oppressive. The
constant rain, thunder and gray has worn the
town into a sullen state where the drum of rain
echoes in your head, wet boots stomp through
puddles and townsfolk do not want to meet
your eyes. Indoors is the only way to stay dry on
a good day, and on a bad day, it’s irrelevant.
The iron-fisted rule of Conrad Heinrich has
further dampened the mood of the town, as
his Montaigne soldiers and town watch (called
Gray Guards due to their slate-gray uniforms)
162 Port Cendres
have enforced draconian laws designed to
solidify Heinrich’s control over the town’s
criminal element and shipping trade.
Finally, at the same time, Port Cendres is
alluring, for its markets, taverns and ports can
offer you nearly everything you could want—as
long as you can pay the price. Smugglers, traders
and craftsfolk of renown can be found here,
and the port’s location between Montaigne
and Castille means that anyone trying to travel
between the two undetected likely has to stop
in Port Cendres on the journey, often selling
their precious items to fund the trip.
If you want to do something out of view or
find someone to transport you or someone else,
Port Cendres is a great place to accomplish
such a thing. If you need to get out of Occupied
Castille (or into it), Port Cendres is the best
place to accomplish this, be it through money,
influence or luck.
City Name
Cendres is a Castilian word meaning “Ash Gray,”
a fitting metaphor for a town under perpetual
rain and overcast skies, with jagged, looming
cliffs overhead.
Port Cendres is nominally part of Montaigne
due to the war, yet retains its Castilian-inspired
name (an unusual situation). A casual observer
might wonder why, but anyone whose spent any
time in Port Cendres knows the truth: Montaigne
is only casually concerned about the happenings
of Port Cendres and as such, considers the island’s
name irrelevant. If most of Montaigne’s military
and nobility had their way, the entire island would
vanish into the sea. The island is more trouble
than it’s worth in their estimation.
Port Cendres had an older name, though ever
since the magic overwhelmed the sun, that name
has been forgotten. A local legend says that if the
name can be rediscovered the curse will be lifted.
(This legend has since grown to include the
Montaigne being thrown out as well.)
What is the City’s Castillian-centric history. The resistance is one of
art, education, music and love fighting against the
Biggest Problem? oppression of Montaigne with methods that last
Port Cendres has only one true threat facing longer than a gunshot or sword-thrust.
the city: the attempts of Montaigne’s appointed To this end, Heinrich has begun replacing
governor, Conrad Heinrich, to wipe the island clean Castillian teachers with ones brought in from
of Heroes and use the port as a haven for crime Eisen or Montaigne, and attempting to install
(appropriately taxed, of course), and a staging area booksellers, merchants and artists who favor him.
for further influence and power in Castille, further Commissioned plays that elevate and espouse
hastening Montaigne’s grasp of the region. Heinrich have replaced the local plays that Port
To this end, Heinrich enables the Montaigne Cendres has put on for generations, Montaigne
occupation of the island (as it provides him a has been made the official language of Port
power base to work from) and actively works Cendres, and throughout the city Montaigne art
to ensure that divisions are stoked in the town, is slowly replacing Castillian culture.
while he works to bring all elements of Port
Cendres under his control.
Most of his Gray Guards are either
Montaigne soldiers on loan and working as
an occupying force or drawn from the poor of
Port Cendres, elevated to positions of power.
This leads to a sharp division where those in
power (even the lowest levels) are incentivized
to keep themselves in power, as losing that
would return them to a position they do not
want (either the front and patrolling Occupied
Castille or back into poverty.)
Heinrich deliberately stokes the tensions
on Port Cendres, inflaming Castilians against
Montaigne, encouraging the divisions that allow
him to remain in power. Castilian businesses are
taxed at a higher rate and often extorted by the
Gray Guards for protection money. Magistrates
apply the law unevenly, favoring Montaigne
soldiers and citizens over Port Cendres natives
and Castillian citizens, with harsh fines and
penalties, jail terms and confiscation of goods.
While riots and physical revolt are unlikely (the
twin threats of the Cathedral of Knives and Le
Vierge de Fer mean Heinrich can easily quell any
uprisings), citizens of Port Cendres tend to default
to private and personal acts of rebellion. Castillian
flags (illegal to wave) hang in shop windows or
private residences, Castillian literature is favored by
bookstores and local schools and the schools teach

163
 What Makes
the City Different?
First, the magical curse on Port Cendres
immediately sets the area apart. As you
approach the port, color seems to drain from
your sight, leaving a gray-washed environment
in front of you. The sea is choppy, frothing and
gray-blue, and the wood of your ship seems
ashen and worn. Faces seem to take on a grave
pallor, and moods dampen. It’s harder to enjoy
levity as the approach draws near to the docks.
When you first set foot in Port Cendres,
you’ll see city and business signs are painted in
stark white letters, the cobblestones are streaked
in black and gray, and every face seems glum,
shadowed and cast from chiseled stone. Art
that was once vibrant seems coated in dust,
faded and dull. Children do not run the street
laughing, dogs do not wag their tails and you
do not hear songs emanating from taverns or
homes.
“Round up the usual suspects!”
A town under military occupation (even
“polite” occupation) has extra challenges and
consequences to deal with, but there are also
advantages to the players to offset this.
The most important of these consequences is
guard sweeps: random patrols of Gray Guards
might show up at any time.
Any time in a Scene when the GM assigns
Consequences, she always adds an addition
Consequence: “A patrol appears on this street.”
Any player may spend a Hero Point to cancel this
consequence for a Scene, or Raises can be spent to
overcome the consequence as normal. Usually, the
guards are a Rank 5 Guards Brute Squad, although
the GM can add Ranks with Danger Points, as usual.
The guards have little compunction about
sweeping up anyone deemed to be causing trouble
and letting the “legal” system sort it out in a few
days. Montaigne military law is not kind to those
deemed troublemakers and revolutionaries.
164 Port Cendres
Even the most vibrant noblewoman’s outfit
and gems only dimly sparkle. Shadows deepen
and elongate, making skullduggery and thievery
easier to enact. When the city itself seems to
beckon you toward crime and darkness, who are
you to resist?
Second is the weather. The constant rain and
fog give the city an oppressive feel, as do the
looming cliffs the city is nestled against. A Hero
would not dare go out without a thick overcoat,
and firearms tend to get too damp to use unless
one is careful. Port Cendres is a city that favors
the knifepoint…in more ways than one.
Every trip outside ends in dampness, with
boots leaking and clothing soaked through.
Carrying books, letters, papers or documents
requires special oil-soaked folios to protect
them from the water, and gunpowder must be
sealed tightly in containers or be ruined.
Third, the ever-present Montaigne soldiers
are a thorn in the side of the citizenry, and
Heinrich wields the Gray Guards as a cudgel to
enforce his vision of what Port Cendres should
be. Patrols of three to six guards can be seen
regularly, with their swords and truncheons
drawn with ready ease. Beatings of suspected
“criminals” are regular, and the guards do not
hesitate to arrest or abuse those who dared to
cross their path.
Soldiers frequently find themselves harassed
by the citizenry, with food arriving spoilt or
rotten at restaurants, their ales flat and watery,
shoes going missing at shops, their cloaks
having cuts or holes in them. The Gray Guards
take a dim view of anyone who stands their
ground against them and being caught enacting
any sort of mischief is met with swift and brutal
retaliation.
Districts
Combining port and merchant districts into one
makes the city unique. A vice district run by Heroes
seems fun, and a dangerous district rounds out the
examples because every good town needs one!
Ashwood Docks
Situated on the westernmost edge of town, the
docks are the only inlet through the steep cliffs
that form the coast of the rest of the island.
Thick wooden piers stretch out into the gray
sea, creating a series of berths capable of hosting
a ship of nearly any size.
The docks are large, able to hold more ships
than the town can reasonably support, but one
berth is always occupied by the warship Le
Vierge de Fer, a massive man-of-war captured
in the docks when Montaigne took the island.
Montaigne has little interest in the ship (the
resources required to retrofit it are prohibitive),
but Heinrich has seized the ship as a floating
prison and stronghold to ensure the docks are
kept under control.
The Ashwood Docks are among the parts
of Port Cendres that get the least amount of
rain, and as such a majority of shipwrights and
craftsfolk set up here in order to have the best
working conditions for their jobs and duties.
Many merchants and traders also set up here, as
their wares tend to fare better with less rainfall.
The markets are on the Eastern edges of the
docks, forming a crowded division between the
Ashwood Docks and the town proper.
7th Sea | Port Cendres 165
 Heavily patrolled by the Gray Guards, nearly
anyone who sets foot in the docks or their
markets is searched and questioned (usually
multiple times). A hefty bribe (5 or more Wealth
Points) means the Gray Guards will not search
your ship or you, but they will tell Heinrich
about you and that generally does not go well.
The merchants on the docks have a wide
assortment of goods, being able to supply any
basic item an individual could want, and quite a
few exotic items (often gathered from refugees
and travelers seeking to escape Occupied
Castille). Unusually, there is little haggling
“It’s the same old story…”
The ever-present Gray Guards mean that the
GM gains a special use for Danger Points at the
docks. The GM can spend 1 Danger Point to add
a Strength 6 Guard Brute Squad to any scene. The
GM may do this multiple times in a scene as long
as she has Danger Points.
166 Port Cendres
in Port Cendres. The lack of agriculture and
herding means that all food must be brought it
in to the port, and merchants have long since
lost their taste for fighting over prices and deals
on essential goods. This attitude has spread
to nearly all sales and bargains, meaning the
price posted or shared is the best one a shopper
will get and attempting to haggle gets you
banned from quite a few stalls and shops, as the
merchants have little stomach for those who
break this unspoken rule.
The docks are generally where most citizens
buy food or household supplies, as citizens have
to purchase such things fresh before the rain
spoils the goods. As such, a good portion of the
town is here on any given day and the docks are
where the most dramatic public events in Port
Cendres happen. Things such as arrests and
executions, assassinations, criminal deals, street
preachers, soldiers searching ships and public
brawls all happen here. As the lifeblood of the
town, the docks are situated to be a regularly
Economics 101
Port Cendres primary exports are stone from
the quarries in the cliffs, ingots from its iron
mines, and silver that has been worked into
fine items by some of the finest silver smiths in
Castille and Montaigne.
Port Cendres’ metalsmiths are quite good,
and their wares are well liked in the coastal
regions of Montaigne and Castille that are near
Port Cendres. Notably, Port Cendres oil folios
for protecting papers from getting wet are
considered the best in the world, and fetch a
high price at any market, with nobility, royalty,
merchants and military leaders wanting them.
Most royal missives, letters, military orders or
proclamations are transported in Port Cendres oil
folios to protect them from inclement weather.
While tangible goods are the public face of what
Port Cendres trades, a lot of what gets shipped
out of the port is secrets, refugees and weapons
(though they would never admit to such.)
stopping point for the populace, so town criers
often congregate here, proclamations are read
and arrests are made.
The Ashwood Docks are one of the best
places to and lose guards if you’re being
pursued. The tightly packed stalls and shops,
the multiple ships, stacks of goods and crowds
to hide in, climb over, or duck through all form
a playground for daring and athletic Heroes.
Drunkard’s Alley
Drunkard’s Alley is not one alley or road, but
instead it is a series of streets set in the lee of
the mountainous cliffs. Most of the taverns
of Port Cendres are here, and as such, you’ll
find most of the town’s citizens here at night.
Despite being called Drunkard’s Alley (an effect
of Heinrich’s propaganda to justify purging the
“He’s a drunkard—that makes him a citizen of the world.”
Heroes have a unique advantage in Drunkard’s Alley. During a scene, they may spend a Raise and
a Hero Point to blend into the background as one of the numerous drunks, duck into a building, or
find a safehouse to hide in easily, allowing for an automatic escape into one of the many bolt holes
that so frustrate Heinrich.
area), the street is actually a well-kept and well-
maintained area full of pubs, gambling houses
and taverns, bursting with sailors, citizens and
off-duty guards.
Drunkard’s Alley is arguably the safest place
for Heroes to find themselves in Port Cendres,
as many of the taverns are owned by allies and
contacts, as well as serving as safehouses for
many Heroes. Gray Guard patrols are lessened
here, and with the right word, an ally can
connect a Hero to those who would aid her.
One of the most essential tasks that
Drunkard’s Alley fulfills is that of aiding refugees.
The war in Castille has rendered numerous
citizens homeless and trapped between two
warring powers that care little for the common
citizen. Citizens wishing to resettle or travel out
of Occupied Castille often find their way to Port
Cendres and Drunkard’s Alley, where Rhisiart de
Carlion can aid them in getting out.
Smugglers use Drunkard’s Alley to send aid
and supplies to those fighting the occupation,
and dignitaries, religious officials and royalty
often use the thoroughfares of Drunkard’s Alley
to get themselves and their families to safety.
Below are some notable locations in
Drunkard’s Alley and their proprietors.
The Bear & Boar
Run by a Ussuran named Vladimir Shankovitch,
the Bear & Boar is one of the seedier
establishments in Drunkard’s Alley. Vladimir is a
criminal and on the run from his homeland (the
crime changes depending how much he’s been
drinking). He’s got strong connections with the
smugglers and shantytown in Dead Man’s Drop
and serves a less discerning clientele.
7th Sea | Port Cendres 167
 The Sparrow’s Coin
Operated by a long-time citizen of Port
Cendres, Josephina Haggerty, the Sparrow’s
Coin is the only tavern operated by the Jenny’s
Guild in Port Cendres. However, Josephina has
successfully managed to get all other houses of
ill-repute closed (often through…incendiary
means), ensuring that any unsafe or predatory
establishments no longer operate.
Josephina is polite but stiff when dealing with
those who have not earned her trust, but if you
can gain her good graces, she’s an excellent ally
to have on your side.
The Jennys who work at the Sparrow’s Coin
form one of the most effective spy networks
in town, as they’re invited into nearly every
party and rich house, often hearing the stories,
secrets and guilty glances going on. These all get
funneled to Josephina, who will part with them
in exchange for favors or coin.
168
Uppman’s Tavern & Tailor
Ran by Antonia del Moretti, Uppman’s Tavern
(as it is colloquially called) is a small tavern
with a tailor’s shop above it. The tailor shop is
perpetually closed, as Antonia finds her time
occupied by the tavern almost exclusively.
Antonia del Moretti leads a double life, being
the leader of the local Hand of the Rilasciare.
Her upstairs tailor’s shop serves as a private
meeting place for the secret society, as well as
providing disguises and sundry supplies to
Heroes.
If you get a del Moretti coat, you’ll quickly
learn the coat has a seemingly endless amount
of pockets in it, where you can hide nearly
anything.
Commander’s Watering Hole
The Commander’s Watering Hole is one of
the few taverns where Gray Guards frequent
without being harassed or harangued by
citizens and visitors to Port Cendres. Due
to that, the Commander’s Watering Hole is
avoided by most Heroes and criminals.
The Commander’s Watering Hole is operated
by a collection of magistrates and officers of
the Gray Guard, who felt their troops needed
a tavern of their own (in order to reduce
unnecessary tensions).
Secretly, Rhisiart de Carlion has funded the
tavern (at least in part), and uses it as a tool
to help distract the guards in order to protect
Carlion’s and Rhisiart’s enterprises by ensuring
they have a place to obtain libations and release
their stress.
Der Betrunkene Drache (The
Drunken Dragon)
One of the most popular taverns in Drunkard’s
Alley, the Dragon is functionally a fight club
that serves alcohol. Ran by the Lady Bloode,
the Dragon is the least reputable tavern in
Port Cendres, and the most likely to erupt into
violence at any time.
 Famous for its unusual drink “Bloodrum,”
the Dragon is where those who want to test
their physical prowess against the biggest and
meanest thugs in town can go.
The bouncer at the Hag is Jakobus von
Spahn, a Duelist from Eisen (who is the only
member of Die Kreuzritter on the island).
Trained in the Eisenfaust style, von Spahn
found himself here after tracking a fearsome
monster to Port Cendres. Jakobus claims he
followed a creature known as the “Blood Hag”
here, and here he remains until the creature is
vanquished. Working as a bouncer lets Jakobus
pay the bills.
Il Fringuello Azzurro (The Blue Finch)
The Blue Finch (or “Azzuro’s” as it’s known by
most locals) is run by Cesidia Stradaverde, a
Vodacce noblewoman who operates one of
the finer establishments in town. It is said that
those who come to the Blue Finch can always
find someone who will sell them something
they want. Renowned for its chef and his
incredible menu, excellent imported liquor and
wonderful music (though the music at Carlion’s
is slightly better), the Blue Finch is a favored
place for the nobles, rich merchants, travelers
and occasionally Heinrich himself.
Cesidia is in a friendly rivalry with Rhisiart,
whom she views as her only competition for
running the top tavern in town. She often
comes by Carlion’s, playfully bantering with
Rhisiart as she attempts to poach the Carlion’s
staff over to the Blue Finch.
In the Blue Finch cellar is one of the entrances
to the cave-tunnel complex that runs through
The Dead Men’s Drop and under the Cathedral
of Knives. Heinrich does not know about this
particular entrance (he suspects one is under
Carlion’s, though he is wrong), but Cesidia has
used it to great effect when smuggling in rare
wines and ales, exotic foods or even entertainers
who might be considered persona non grata.
Lady Bloode and the Blood Hag
Astute readers will notice the (admittedly not subtle)
connection between the proprietor Lady Bloode and the
monster “The Blood Hag.” Such a connection is designed
to evoke a response (easily drawn conspiracies are the best
sort after all.) A canon connection is not explicitly defined,
but here several options exist.
Lady Bloode and the Blood Hag are one and the same,
and the mysterious “Bloodrum” is a strange alchemical
concoction that incites rage and violence in those who
partake of it. What is the Blood Hag’s endgame with this
drink? Why does she want to incite violence?
Lady Bloode and the Blood Hag are one and the same, but
they are two sides of the same coin. During the day, the
Blood Hag preys throughout the moors and cliff tops of Port
Cendres, and at night Lady Bloode is a simple woman who
runs a tavern and fight club. Can this curse be removed and
Lady Bloode saved or does destroying one destroy the other?
They are not the same, and the name is a simple
coincidence.
They are not the same, but Jakobus and the Blood Hag are
actually one and the same due to a curse on the von Spahn
family line.
Lady Bloode is actually Lady Emilia von Spahn, but a dark
curse has taken her memory. Her husband Jakobus watches
the tavern and her, for the Blood Hag is the being that has
stolen Emilia’s memories.
Dead Men’s Drop
Dead Men’s Drop is the local name for the edge
of the massive cliffs that loom over Port Cendres.
The cliffs are often used of by Heinrich or
criminals to dispose of enemies and foes.
Criminal gangs and smugglers control the
shantytown that sits near Dead Men’s Drop
and they do not take kindly to those who have
no business in the area, be they Gray Guards,
Heroes or other sundry folks.
The shantytown is one of Heinrich’s favorite
places to source Gray Guards, as those who live
there are willing to enact Heinrich’s foul plans
in exchange for financial security, prestige and
the ability to exert power over others. Due to
this, many of those living in the Dead Man’s
7th Sea | Port Cendres 169
 “You wore blue.”
With the pressure Heinrich exerts on the town, most criminal gangs pay him a cut in order to
keep operations going. However, the notable holdouts are the criminal smugglers known as
“Bluecloaks,” a group of arms dealers and smugglers who supply the Castillian resistance.
They’re not inherently friendly to Heroes, though those from Castille are more likely to gain their
favor (and those from Montaigne are more likely to earn their wrath).
So who are the Bluecoats? There are a few options.
They’re simply a criminal gang, who sees casting themselves in opposition to Heinrich and Yvonne
Lund to be the most profitable choice in the long run.
They’re just an urban legend. Anyone wearing a blue coat jokingly claims to be part of their
organization, there’s no real Bluecoat gang.
The Bluecoats are secretly a front for Močiutės Skara, working to aid those who have been
impacted by the war on Port Cendres. They have just started their work in Port Cendres and thus
do not have much of a foothold on the island yet.
The Bluecoats are a gang created and ran by Heinrich to threaten, coerce and keep the other
gangs in line, effectively giving him a target to capture and punish, to elevate the reputation and
perceived prowess of his Gray Guards.

Drop shantytown have relatives, neighbors

or friends in the Gray Guards and can call
upon them if need be.
The shantytown borders the docks and
forms a natural pathway for smuggled goods,
which tend to travel from rundown house to
dilapidated shack under the cover of night.
The goods eventually end up in the cellars of
Drunkard’s Alley where they are exchanged
and moved to ships before they depart.
Brave or foolhardy smugglers may attempt
to row past the sharp granite rocks that
border the coastal edge of the shantytown.
Many lives and goods are lost by rowboats
who run aground here. Bypassing the docks
alleviates a lot of risk with the Gray Guards
(as they avoid patrolling the shantytown),
but the risk is great, so only truly desperate
smugglers attempt this route.
The majority of the shantytown is run
by Yvonne Lund, a beautiful cutthroat and
rogue who is said to have put the “men” in
Dead Men’s Drop. Her wife, Ingrid LeBeau
is one of the dockmasters who processes
and intakes traders and merchants and

170
helps to funnel the Gray Guards away from
criminal enterprises the pair does not want
discovered. Instead, she aims them toward
criminal enterprises that Lund and LeBeau
feel….infringe on their market share.
Yvonne has trained the youth of the shantytown
as lookouts and watchers, which means any who
enter or traverse the shantytown are watched
and reported on throughout their journey. If they
appear to have any valuable possessions (Wealth
3 or greater), Yvonne’s gang of cutthroats waylay
the travelers before they leave the shantytown,
liberating them of their wealth.
Yvonne does not like killing individuals in the
shantytown, as those crimes can be traced back
to the gangs and families who live here. Instead,
she prefers to have such bodies dropped off
the cliffs to be lost in the frothing ocean below.
Climbing the cliffs (especially with such dead
weight) is a difficult task, and so the citizens of
the shantytown have rigged a series of pulleys
and baskets to aid them in in the process.
Yvonne and Ingrid rule with perceived
absolute power in the shantytown, and many
deaths have been laid at their feet.
Rumor has it that Vladimir Shankovitch
(owner of The Bear and Boar) has been
working with Yvonne and Ingrid to expand
their reach into Drunkard’s Alley as of late.
Landmarks
Carlion’s
The most famous tavern in Port Cendres, Carlion’s
is run and owned by the Hero, Rhisiart de
Carlion, a Duelist and Knight of Avalon. A stark
white façade greets those coming into the building,
where lively music, laughter and bright lights reach
out into the gray to welcome visitors, telling those
approaching Carlion’s is more than a tavern.
Games of chance of all varieties, music
drowning out the whispers of backroom deals
and a standing deal with the Gray Guards
“Everybody comes to Carlion’s”
Carlion’s is the most popular drinking spot in town.
Any given night, a Hero can spend a Hero Point and be
able to find someone who can answer a question the
Hero has, with no risk required.
However, if a Hero (or group of Heroes) does this
more than once a week, they risk becoming known
as a nuisance and being asked to stop bothering the
guests at Carlion’s…and forcibly removed if need be.
makes Carlion’s unique among the taverns in
Drunkard’s Alley. Gray Guards are paid well to
leave Carlion’s and its patrons alone, allowing
them to conduct their business in piece.
To Heinrich’s irritation, none of these bribes
seem to make it back to him and none of his
guards seem to know anything about it.
A large common area and bar surrounds
the music pit that is the main attraction of
Carlion’s. Off the edges of the main common
room, private booths and rooms can be used by
those who wish. A large double door keeps the
higher-stakes games of chance separate from the
main area, and Rhisiart’s upstairs private office
is available for those who have enough status or
wealth to justify the office’s use.
Carlion’s is a safe place for Heroes, though
Rhisiart ejects any Knights of the Rose & Cross
who draw his attention (if they ignore him or
do not make a ruckus, he prefers to let them
be). The Gray Guards only enter under duress
from their superiors, and Heinrich’s chief
magistrate, a heavy Montaigne named Claudé
Despluies, is often found here gambling and
drinking with Rhisiart.
Despluies is the closest thing de Carlion has
to a friend in Port Cendres, and Despluies tends
to pull strings to aid Carlion’s if the need arises.
Heinrich finds this frustrating, but Despluies
is beloved in town, and Heinrich does not
consider his power secure enough to remove the
magistrate from office yet.
7th Sea | Port Cendres 171
 “Are you sure this place is honest?”
Heroes may assume their perception of Carlion’s
iniquity must be a façade because a Hero runs it!
Rhisiart truly runs a gambling house and profits
handsomely from it (and dresses like it). He just uses
his rigged games to provide financial aid to those who
need it, judiciously and when he deems it necessary.
The house winnings are often spent bribing Gray
Guards to look the other way, equipping refugees
with supplies and goods or paying transit costs for
those who need it.
But unsurprisingly, the games only seemed rigged
against Gray Guards, Villains, and those who do not
need the fiscal aid winning would provide them.
Rhisiart operates Carlion’s under the old
Avalonian adage: “You can trust a dishonest
scoundrel, you know who they are.
It’s the honest ones who surprise
you.” Carlion’s is the most
honestly dishonest place in Port
Cendres.
If you need help from a Hero, Carlion’s
is the best place to find it in Port Cendres,
and if you’re in trouble and need a hideout,
Carlion’s is your best bet. If you can get there
safely, that is.…
The Cathedral of Knives
The castle named the Cathedral of Knives
sits on the gray cliffs that overlook the
eastern end of town, its massive steeples
stretching toward the gray sky. The gargoyles
and grim gothic façade of the fortress always
glisten in the rain, as though all water that
touched the building became oily (an effect
of the sealant used on the castle roof ).
The Cathedral of Knives acquires its
name from the jagged steeples that pierce
the sky above, though whispers in town
imply that the name is derived from all the
torture chambers below the castle. Heinrich’s
political enemies are often taken to the
Cathedral, never to return.

Rhisiart de Carlion
Rhisiart is a Knight of Avalon and Duelist proficient in both the Ambrogia
and Valroux styles, who wears the mantle of Cenhelm, The Keen (page
211, 7TH SEA core book). He also has the Adaptive Duelist Advantage from
Nations of Théah, Vol. 1 as well as Learned Duelist from Heroes & Villains.
Rhisiart is a polite but stand-offish sort, doing the barest minimum required
as a host of a tavern. He prefers to sit in his private table and drink, working
on his numbers and profits.
One familiar with the work of Heroes would suspect that Rhisiart is
affecting a disguise, but they would be wrong. Rhisiart spent a long
time fighting for justice as a Knight of the Rose & Cross, working to
protect innocents from the ravages of warfare, first in Eisen, then in
Montaigne and Castille. In Castille, he was betrayed by a Villain who
had infiltrated the Rose & Cross and Rhisiart was nearly captured by
Montaigne soldiers. Rhisiart took this betrayal by a perceived ally poorly, and
it nearly broke the man, shattering his ideals and leaving him wondering what he
had spent his life doing.
A lifetime of conflict and perceived failure has left Rhisiart tired and worn. The
former romantic has become a cynic, though something inside him refuses to let
Heinrich win. He rarely takes the field, instead waging a shadow war with Heinrich
through proxies and Heroes he funds.

172 Port Cendres

 The castle sits above an extensive network of
tunnels and caves that stretch from the castle
to Port Cendres below. Heinrich and his Gray
Guards use these tunnels to travel to and from
the town below, thinking no one knows about
them other than those loyal to Heinrich, with
Gray Guards subtly posted at the entrances at
the base of the cliff below the Cathedral.
Inside this fortress, behind massive doors,
Heinrich holds court in a spartan throne room,
with giant pillars stretching to the ceiling. The castle
houses all of Heinrich’s personal guards, as well
as any Montaigne officials who might be visiting.
Heinrich prefers the grim, gothic façade of
the castle, seeing it as a tool for intimidation.
Most of the halls are devoid of art, culture or
anything that would tell you something about
Heinrich. Where there is art, it’s exclusively
from Eisen and generally not kept in a spot
where guests can see it. Heinrich sees threats
in every corner and disclosing too much about
himself (even through art), is something
Heinrich takes seriously. As part of his
paranoia, Heinrich has set strict rules regarding
the Cathedral of Knives.
• No weapons are allowed inside the
Cathedral of Knives other than those
carried by Heinrich and his subordinates.
• State dinners are only hosted when
Heinrich feels like he has no other choice,
and even then, only Heinrich’s cooks are
allowed to cook for him and his guests.
• Every visitor must be searched when they
arrive, no exceptions.
• No one is allowed to approach within 10
meters of Heinrich without his express
permission. This includes servants, guards
and anyone else who might be in the
Cathedral of Knives.
• No sorcerers or magicians allowed in the
Cathedral of Knives (other than Anna
Maria).
Heinrich’s quarters are in one of the three
towers in the castle, though no one knows
which (rumor has it that Heinrich switches
rooms irregularly to throw off any assassination
attempts), and the castle walls are patrolled by
Gray Guards and cannons on the walls overlook
the town. Heinrich is not a subtle man, and
finds the threat of impending destruction to be
the single greatest tool to ensuring his long and
successful leadership over Port Cendres.
The lower and outermost rooms are kept for
Gray Guards and Heinrich’s personal guards,
with the middle rooms in the towers being
reserved for Heinrich’s lieutenants and favored
friends, such as Anna Maria and Madeline.
Le Vierge de Fer
This formerly Castillian man-of-war is utilized
by the Governor as a floating prison and fortress.
While Le Vierge de Fer is no longer capable of
open-seas travel, her gun batteries are more than
capable of protecting the mouth of the port, as
well as firing on the town should the need arise, a
fact Heinrich is happy to exploit and remind the
citizens of.
The hold of the ship is used as a prison for
lesser criminals (those Heinrich has plans for are
transported to the Cathedral of Knives), with
the upper decks serving as the local guardhouse
for the Gray Guards who watch the port. Claudé
Despluies has his office here, as well as his quarters
nearby, and the Gray Guard that staff the ship are
more loyal to the chief magistrate than Heinrich.
Unfortunately, Despluies does not have the loyalty
of the appointed chief gunner who controls the
cannons, meaning Despluies cannot stop Heinrich
from firing on the town or approaching ships
without resorting to violence.
Le Vierge de Fer had a long and storied
history in the Castillian Navy and many
citizens of Port Cendres consider Montaigne’s
appropriation of the ship and Heinrich’s
subsequent conversion of Le Vierge de Fer
into a jail to be among the greatest of crimes
committed against Port Cendres during the war.
7th Sea | Port Cendres 173
 “Go ahead and shoot. You’ll be doing me a favor.”
The ever-present Gray Guards mean that the GM gains a special use for Danger Points at the
docks. The GM can spend 1 Danger Point to add a Strength 6 Guard Brute Squad to any scene.
The GM may do this multiple times in a scene as long as she has Danger Points.
Rumor has it that the former captain of Le
Vierge de Fer (an Inish captain named Martha
the Mad who called her ship The Deadly
Brothel) is still in Port Cendres, waiting for a
chance to take her ship back and escape onto
the seas. The Brotherhood of the Coast is
exceptionally keen on getting the ship back.
Gunpowder Square
The large square near the center of town,
Gunpowder Square is the only covered outdoor
area in Port Cendres. Massive stone pillars
uphold a wooden roof that keeps the large
square relatively dry beneath it.
The square acquired its name due to being
one of the few places where guns can easily be
used on the island (due to the rain). Most gun
duels are fought here, and those who feel their
life is in danger have learned to carefully avoid
Gunpowder Square. Assassination attempts
are common as well, and this is one of the few
places on the island where the Gray Guard
carry muskets alongside their usual swords.
174 Port Cendres
Secret Societies
The Rilasciare directly opposes Heinrich so
it makes sense they have a base of operations
here. The Brotherhood of the Coast is being
driven out by the draconian law enforcement
Heinrich enforces so they are declining, and the
Rose & The Cross sees opportunity for daring
heroics and gallantry here, so they have started
congregating in the city.
Rilasciare (Strong)
The Rilasciare maintains a strong foothold on
Port Cendres, for they see the island as an example
of the worst excesses of government. The local
Freethinkers’ Hand works to keep Heinrich from
becoming the king he imagines himself as and
ensures that resistance to being ruled by Montaigne
and Castille remains strong and vibrant.
Antonia del Moretti is the leader of the local
Hand of the Rilasciare. They have worked hard
to remove any influence of religion on the island
(and effectively succeeded), and as such, have
turned their attentions to Heinrich recently.
Being called here by Antonia is an excellent
hook for Heroes, as she’ll need help she can
trust to undermine Heinrich and his forces.
The Rest of the Hand
The remaining four members of Antonia’s
Hand are not defined here. There’s plenty of
interesting options for a GM to choose from
among the existing NPCs that have been
presented, and there’s always the option of
creating a new NPC (or even using a PC).
It is recommended to tie each member of
Antonia’s Hand to a different location, district
or organization in the city.
Brotherhood of the Coast
(Declining) Martha the Mad
Heinrich has little use for pirates. He finds
them too unruly to control effectively, preferring Martha is not mad. It’s just an epithet given to her
to deal with “professional” criminals (as he calls by her first crew. Martha climbed aboard a ship,
announced she was the captain and proceeded to
them), Too many Brotherhood ships have been
throw the previous captain overboard. When someone
sunk trying to get past Le Vierge de Fer and tried to stop her, they got thrown overboard. After
thus, the criminal grip piracy once had on Port that, Martha’s qualifications (or lack thereof) were no
Cendres is shrinking. longer relevant as a topic of discussion.
Martha the Mad is the local representative of Her crew felt little need to dispute her captaincy, and
the Brotherhood of the Coast. She’s been stuck Captain Martha the Mad sailed across the seas with
in Port Cendres since her ship was stolen (she her crew. Alright, Martha might be a little bit mad.…
claims it’s the Le Vierge de Fer, though if that’s Rumor has it her last name is O’Bannon, but that’s just
true it has not yet been proven by anyone). a story they tell you to scare the new recruits.
Martha is an Inish Hero, known as a berserker Right?
and brawler who can often be found at the
Drunken Dragon, fighting in the alley
brawls and pub fights with vigorous
abandon.
Martha’s lack of focus on
Brotherhood tasks would be concerning
if the Brotherhood genuinely cared
about Port Cendres outside of using
it as a smuggling stop. However, the
greater Brotherhood is happy to let
Martha traipse about town, drinking
and breaking things. There’s some
value in having a public nuisance tied
to your organization so folks do not
forget about you. It might not advance
the Brotherhood’s reputation or goals
much, but they’re pirates. Having a
violent red-headed berserker breaking
things does help with the whole “give us
your gold or die” element of piracy.
And frankly, no one really wants to
remove Martha from Port Cendres. She
would be a much bigger liability out on
the sea rather than she is in the port.
Though their strength is declining,
the Brotherhood still reward those who
smuggle in and out of Port Cendres.

175
 The Rose & Cross (Growing) neck of Aristide Baveux (the Montaigne leader
The valiant Knights of the Rose & Cross have of the Order), and only the current leader of the
established themselves in Drunkard’s Alley at the Order is allowed to enter through this door.
tavern La Rosa Roja, realizing that Port Cendres The still-growing influence of the Knights
is a city in need of their particular brand of means there is no current leader, though most
heroism. La Rosa Roja serves as a chapter house will defer to de Carlion due to his reputation (he
and waypoint for any Knights who might need would never accept such a position, though). The
aid, as well as working to ensure the worst impact most public of the Knights of the Rose & Cross is
of the wars between Montaigne and Castille are a young Samaritan noblewoman named Anielka
mitigated on the common folk. Guza. Anielka is brash, daring and reckless, and
Many Knights can also find themselves in if she does not die at Heinrich’s command, she’ll
Port Cendres when escorting nobles who need become a truly great Knight of the Rose & Cross.
protection and are traveling between the two
countries, though it’s best if they avoid Carlion’s Villains
(a lesson often learned harshly if they misstep).
Conrad Heinrich is the true Villain of Port
One of the secrets of the order of the Knights Cendres (though his lieutenants are certainly on a
of the Rose & Cross hides on this island, deep path of villainy). An Eisen-born governor installed
in a cave in the cliff faces behind an ancient by the Montaigne government,
Syrneth door that only a strangle bronze Heinrich was chosen for his
globe-key can open. This key hangs around the vision for Port Cendres and
his willingness to accomplish
What’s behind the door? it. Montaigne wants little to
do with the place, and
The door is…well it’s a MacGuffin. It’s a great thing to seed in prefers to let Heinrich
other adventures that leads your characters to Port Cendres, run it how he wants, as
where they can get entangled in the local plots (especially if long as what happens
you have a Knight of the Rose & Cross in your group). on Port Cendres does
While the door and what’s behind it is not defined, several not impact Montaigne
options exist. or draw undue
• A mysterious artifact that could reverse the curse on the attention to the
island. occupation.
• A collection of secret documents that implicate or harm Heinrich is
the Knights of the Rose & Cross. waging a shadow war
against Rhisiart de
• The dracheneisen sword of the first Grandmaster of the
Carlion, who stands in
Rose & Cross, the brave Hero who founded the order.
the way of Heinrich’s
• The graves of every master of the Rose & Cross, attempts to control
stretching back to its founding. the port and its
• A Villain whose face has been hidden in an iron mask unique position to
and bound away from the world. leverage and tax
criminal activity
• A truly terrible monster, a Villain and Beast in every way,
throughout the
imprisoned in the very heart of Port Cendres to prevent
Widow’s Sea and
it from ravaging the world.
Frothing Bay.

176 Port Cendres

 Heinrich is focused on his own personal gain,
as well as leveraging the potential wealth he sees
in Port Cendres to set himself up as the self-
styled ruler of a city state, and elevate himself to
Théan royalty.
However, Heinrich is the pawn of an even
greater threat, unbeknownst even to Conrad
himself. The patron who got Heinrich
appointed to Port Cendres is one of the Chairs
of Novus Ordo Mundi, and there are long-term
plans for Port Cendres and the island that only
Novus Ordo Mundi knows.
A gentleman in his late 50s, Heinrich has a
broad build, though his soldierly physique from
his younger days has since gone soft. A broad
white mustache and craggy wrinkles and scars
cover his face. He generally wears a breastplate
and thick overcoat, with a broadsword at
his waist. He never travels out of his
Cathedral of Knives without a dozen
guards to protect him, as well as his
personal enforcer, the stunningly deadly
and violent Madeleine duBois, a deadly
markswoman and knife-fighter.
duBois has her own feud with
Rhisiart, unbeknownst to
Heinrich. During an assassination
one night, duBois was defeated
in swordplay by de Carlion (who
happened upon the operation),
and left with a fierce scar down
her arm. She considers this
defeat to be a personal affront
and continually tries to goad
de Carlion into fighting her (as
Heinrich has forbidden her from
acting directly against the Hero.)
Heinrich is often found
accompanied by the chief magistrate
Claudé Despluies, a short, portly
man who has spent most of his life
as a magistrate in Port Cendres.
Heinrich despises Despluies
but finds himself saddled with
the chief magistrate (whom
the population adores, considering Heinrich
has already replaced most officials with his
own lackeys). Removing Despluies could incite
a revolt, and as Despluies does not appear
to directly work against Heinrich, Despluies
remains alive and in his position.
Heinrich’s consort is the Vodacce Fate Witch
Anna Maria, a beautiful, warm woman who
finds herself tied to Heinrich by an old debt.
Heinrich has little affection for Anna Maria,
seeing a Fate Witch as a status symbol and
treats her quite poorly. She’s a means to an end,
and Anna Maria’s status as consort is mostly for
political and public perception. Heinrich finds
sorcery disturbing and feels little desire to have
it around himself. He’s forbidden Anna Maria
from working her magic on him or anyone in
the town, though she still uses
her powers behind his back.
(He has little way of knowing
what she does and does not
do, but his paranoia means if
he even suspects, Anna Maria
knows she’ll be killed.)
Anna Maria is descended from the
Fate Witch who accidentally cursed
the town and spends most of her
days trying to find a way to reverse
the unfortunate situation. Currently,
Anna Maria believes that the magic
can be undone using a Syrneth artifact
or a combined effort of at least three
Fate Witches, though she is awaiting
some books from Vodacce that might
aid her in solving the problem. Anna
Maria would like nothing better than
to lift the curse, removing the shame
her family line feels at the failure of her
ancestor. This drive keeps her sorcery
focused toward Port Cendres and not
directly working against Heinrich.
(She feels she’ll have better access to
resources and research as his consort
than if she were to work against him.)
7th Sea | Port Cendres 177

Heinrich is exceptionally focused, perhaps
even to a fault. While he’s quite intelligent and
executes multiple plans and avenues of control,
when harassed or hounded Heinrich has a fatal
tendency to focus his efforts on the obstacle at
hand. To this end, Rhisiart often occupies much of
Heinrich’s time and thought, as Heinrich attempts
to defeat, undermine and destroy Rhisiart.
This leads to Heinrich assigning Rhisiart
quite a bit more influence over the various
factions of Port Cendres than Rhisiart actually
has and giving Rhisiart credit for actions that
he had nothing to do with. To hear Heinrich
talk about it, Rhisiart has been the sole obstacle
stopping Heinrich from controlling Port
Cendres. This focus has lead Heinrich to ignore
budding threats he could have stamped out,
but have now become fledgling resistances and
operations against him.
178
Information
Bookstores, papers and fliers do not last long
in the rain, so most government decisions are
announced by town criers (almost always Gray
Guards). However, most information in Port
Cendres passes through the taverns. Taverns are
usually dry and warm and alcohol makes living
in an occupied city-state tolerable.
Most information disseminates from one of
the taverns, so if you want to find someone, find
an answer to a question or find an item, you just
need to go to Drunkard’s Alley and crawl the
taverns. Someone always knows out there.
Power Brokers
Political Influence (7 Points)
Governor Conrad Heinrich, and his chief
magistrate Claudé Despluies control most
of the city and wield enormous power. They
extract bribes from businesses, take a cut of
any criminal activity that runs into town and
use the Gray Guards to enforce their whims on
anyone they see in their way.
Heinrich has installed magistrates to oversee
various districts and neighborhoods, and these
magistrates are loyal to Heinrich first, Port
Cendres second, and as such, they enforce
Heinrich’s policies, regardless of the law.
“I’m a poor corrupt official…”
Despluies serves a Villain (willingly), and his
motivations are irrelevant. Serving evil, even
if your reasons are not evil, is no protection
against the justice Heroes dispense.
However, Despluies is the most likely of
Heinrich’s lieutenants to switch sides, as
Despluies considers his survival to be the greatest
priority when making decisions. Enterprising
players (and GMs) can use this to hang some
great story threads and moments on.
After all, can you redeem a Villain like
Despluies?
 Heroes are most likely to interact with
Despluies before anyone else (aside from local
guards or magistrates). Despluies is a Villain
from Castille, though “villain” is far too strong a
term. Despluies cares about Despluies first, Port
Cendres second. He’s mostly just selfish.
Economic Influence (1)
The local Guildmaster of the Vendel League
is a Vesten named Sigruin Brandrsdottr,
who tries her best to stop Heinrich’s policies
from dismantling the power of the merchants
and traders in town. Thus far, she’s been
unsuccessful, though managed to maintain a
modicum of power.
Brandrsdottr is a Villain, who is growing
desperate to maintain any semblance of power
and who views Heinrich as the cause of her
misfortunes. She’s willing to commit any act
to secure power and prestige for the Vendel
League, and damn anyone who gets in her way.
She’s recently attempted to hire Yvonne to
assassinate Heinrich, but Yvonne has yet to take
the job, considering it very risky.
Criminal Influence (2)
Most of the criminal activity in the city is
controlled by the government, but the rest is
controlled by the Heroes who battle against
Heinrich, led by Rhisiart de Carlion.
Spiritual Influence (0)
Port Cendres has almost no spiritual influence
to speak of. The Rilasciare consider this a great
victory for themselves, and the leader of their
Hand, Antonia del Moretti intends to keep it
that way. A few Vaticine churches are on the
island, but most of the populace only goes to
church on major religious holidays and events.
Truly pious individuals are rare on Port Cendres
(the overwhelmingly dour magic on the island
tends to dispel notions of any higher power).
7th Sea | Port Cendres 179
180
 Nieuwehoop
F
ounded by a group of Montaigne immigrants led by one Jan de Wees, Nieuwehoop
is a bustling university city humming with life. Charming brick-paved streets and tall
rowhomes border form concentric circles around the city center and church. Canals dug
throughout Nieuwehoop ferry goods from the flour and fabrics mills out to ships to be
exported all over Théah. There’s always something to do in this diverse city, which welcomes visitors
from all over Théah.

Where is the City?
Built atop reclaimed marshlands on the western
coast of Vestenmennavenjar bordering the
Trade Sea is the wealthy city of Nieuwehoop,
the home to Théah’s largest population of
Reformed Objectionists (also known as
“Winterists”). Nieuwehoop is a modern city
with deep roots in faith.
Three Descriptors
Wealthy
Faithful
Cut off
people who leave them to worship as they see
fit, as long as they respect Vesten law.
To that end, Nieuwehoop welcomed its first Jarl,
Ubbe Ericsen, two years ago after his marriage
to the town’s mayor, Sanne de Kerk. By joining
forces, the two cemented Jarl Ubbe’s control over
the region and ensured the Winterists freedom for
years to come. After the marriage, Nieuwehoop
continued to grow until Montaigne blocked the
city’s port cutting it off from the rest of Théah.
Now, Nieuwehoop is not the thriving city it once
was, people are trapped, food is running short,
and if something is not done soon everything its
citizenry built up will be destroyed.

What is the City’s

City Name
The Winterists who came here 200 years ago
left Montaigne when their faith came under
scrutiny by the Vaticine Church. They bought
a large piece of overpriced swamp land from
the Vendel League and spent the next two
decades constructing a large dam with various
smaller fail-safes to turn what was one an
expensive piece of mud into arable farming land.
Accordingly, they christened their new home
Nieuwehoop (new-wuh-hope or “New Hope”).
The ample farming land drew in Vesten
unable to make their fortune in other parts of
the nation and thus the city of Nieuwehoop
formed. Despite clear differences in beliefs, the
Winterists live peacefully among the Vesten
Biggest Problem?
Religion. More specifically, fanatical devotion to
religion. These factions are driving the city apart
and unless the Heroes do something, they will
succeed in that goal.
Montaigne
Jan de Wees taking his followers and leaving
Montaigne was a humiliation for the monarchy,
although they’ll never admit it. They just
managed to save face by levying taxes on the
Winterists and never had any intention of
stopping. When Nieuwehoop declared itself
independent from Montaigne, it opened old
wounds, and before they could feel the painful

7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 181

 social humiliation of one of their vassal state’s
leaving them, L’Empereur decided to attack in
order to save face.
The loudest voice of criticism spouting
Montaigne’s inability to bring Nieuwehoop to
heel comes from Castille, which has an equal
but very different reasons to hate the city.
Nieuwehoop is rife with a large population of
Reformed Objectionists who spit in the face of
everything the Vaticine Church teaches. Before
the founding of Nieuwehoop, the faith was all
but dead, but the city gave it new life among the
Vesten. It only took two of the slightest political
jabs by the Hierophant to send L’Empereur into
a tail-spinning rage culminating in his attack
on the city. No matter what happens in this
conflict, Castille wins. If Montaigne crushes the
city, the use of such extreme measures reflects
poorly on them. If the Montaigne are ousted
from the region their humiliation deepens. It’s a
win-win situation, and the Castillians revel in it.
L’Empereur has no intentions of letting either
scenario occur. While it’s true he may have lost his
temper, a few short years on the throne is more
than a lifetime of political education anywhere
else. He had long expected the Winterists to break
from Montaigne at some point and he had already
spent time buying the loyalty of various city
officials to funnel him information when needed.
His advisors work with the three spies they
brought to see the city fall.
Just in case his spies fail, L’Empereur aides
lobby the Vendel League to ensure no Vesten
relief is sent to the city. He’s paid large bribes
to the League in the form of trade deals to
ensure the city is alone in its conflict. Now, all
L’Empereur has to do is wait for the privateer
captain Le Chat to do her job and the city will
once again be his.
182 Nieuwehoop
Old Grudges
Two centuries ago, a Winterist called Jan
de Wees and a group of his followers left
their Montaigne town. Sick of the decadent
Montaigne monarchy’s corruption and the
constant refusal to recognize their faith, the
founders fled north and purchased a considerable
piece of land from the Vendel League on
Vestenmennavenjar’s shores. However, the
Montaigne government sent tax collectors—
along with troops—to Nieuwehoop, insisting
the residents were still Montaigne citizens and
owed taxes to their home government. The
implication was clear: Pay taxes or we will invade.
And, for the next two centuries, the people of
Nieuwehoop paid up.
However, few months ago, on Niewuehoop’s
second centennial, the city’s mayor, Sanne
de Kerk, declared her city independent from
Montaigne and refused to pay any further tariffs
Montaigne levied on the now-wealthy city.
De Kerk claimed that not only was payment
to Montaigne absurd, but paying money to
support a monarchy flew in the face of the
Reformed Objectionist faith. Now, Montaigne
privateers, led by a pirate captain known as Le
Chat, surround Nieuwehoop, strangling their
trade and cutting them off from supplies. Half
the privateers broke from the fleet moving
inward to cut the city off by land and the rest
remained at sea. They refuse to leave until the
mayor agrees to pay tariffs again.
Le Chat makes good work of keeping Vesten
forces at bay by reminding the Vendel League
they do not want a full scale war on their hands.
As her troops spend their time between the
brothels outside Nieuwehoop in Zondarsmeer
and harassing merchant vessels, Le Chat wines
and dines the League’s officials ensuring they
do little to help the starving city. Jarl Ubbe, who
was stranded outside his home when Montaigne
invaded its waters, is the city’s last hope. Rallying
troops from his own allies, he aims to retake the
waters of Nieuwehoop and drive Le Chat back to
Montaigne once and for all.
The Price of Piety Reformed Objectivisim
To make matters worse, the night the privateers
blocked Nieuwuehoop’s port marked the first
(What Makes the City
of many grisly murders to strike the city. The Different?)
first person murdered was none other than a
Reformed Objectionisim (also known as
city deacon, Laura de Witte. A kind, pious and
“Winterism”) is an unrecognized offshoot of
wise woman, Niewuehoop’s skalds say her death
Vaticine faith. Founded by Charlotte Winter,
shook the faithful of Nieuwehoop and sorrow
the Reform Objectionist faith holds the Creator
hung so heavy in the streets that it pulled rain
alone is sovereign. It rejects the idea that anyone
from the sky. No one knew why someone would
could be a prophet as it is impossible for mere
murder the deacon until Mayor de Kerk’s guards
mortals to know the Creator’s mind. People
found the deacon’s journal, stating she suspected
can save themselves through good works and
agents of the Inquisition have infiltrated the city.
adherents to the faith believe each person’s fate is
After spilling blood for the first time, the predetermined by the Creator even before their
secret Inquisitors have become more brazen
in their attacks and they leave notes on their
victims demanding the Winterists renounce
their faith. Not only this, but they have started
killing sorcerers in the city. Like clockwork, a
new citizen is found murdered every week and
there are no signs the Inquisition is slowing
down. Working double duty to protect the city
from privateers and investigate the murders, the
city guard has not rooted out the Inquisitors.
Whoever they are, they keep their identity a
secret, they have wormed their way into the
community and are taking it down from within.
To protect her city, de Kerk made the heart-
wrenching decision to close the city’s church
in a time when people need it the most, in an
attempt to not give the Inquisition any more
potential victims. People worship in hidden
rooms, cellars and only with friends or family…
praying they are not the next victims. The most
recently murdered was the Johansson family, a
group of outspoken converts to the Winterist
faith. Harald, the family’s father, refused to
hide his worship and prayed openly in his living
room each night. In return, his entire family
was locked in as their house was burned down
around them. The family’s death not only
struck the Reformed Objectionist community,
but the Vesten population in the city. People
are enraged by the deaths, starving from the
blockade and looking for answers.

183
 own conception. Most Winterists take their faith,
their work and their family seriously. They speak
directly and to the point, which has earned them
the stereotype of being cold and uncaring.
Winter was born in Eisen and after seeing
the horrors of her homeland traveled to Castille
seeking answers from the Vaticine faith. As a
priest, Charlotte found beauty in the written
words of the Creator, but was disillusioned by
the bloated decadence of the Vaticine Church.
Not only was the Creator’s word manipulated
by lazy priests, but it was corrupted by
the Inquisition, which used the faith as a
springboard for bigotry to cruelty. Charlotte left
Castille determined to see faith changed for the
better and began spreading what would become
the Reformed Objectionist faith.
Reformed Objectionisim has some
similarities with the Objectionist faith, but
the two are incorrectly lumped together
by Vaticines who gave them their name.
Reformed Objectionisim is in fact older than
Objectionisim itself, though many outside the
faith believe the reverse to be true. Reformed
Objectionists often call themselves Winterists
to denote the mistake made by the Vaticine.
Tenets
The first of Winterists’ three tenets is the belief
that the Creator is Sovereign. This means the
faithful do not believe in a holy right to rule
for any queens, priests or other leaders. In
fact, because a person’s fate is determined by
the Creator from before they were born, every
person has the duty to rebel against unjust rule
and subjugation. Your afterlife is determined
Winterism and the Adversary
Winterists do not believe in the Adversary.
They believe such teachings are propaganda
put forth by the Vaticine Church. Whether
this is to deliberately mislead humanity or an
honest misinterpretation is up for debate.
184 Nieuwehoop
and therefore you can only improve your life in
this world. Furthermore, this concept extends
to the Prophets themselves, whom Winterists
believe never heard the word of the Creator, but
interpreted the Creator’s words for themselves.
Most Reformed Objectionists respect the First
and Second Prophets for their revelations on
the words of the Creator but reject the Third
Prophet’s teachings as they go directly against
what the Creator set out for the world.
The second precept is that everything in this
world was intentionally made by the Creator.
While this tenet takes many forms its most
obvious divergence from the Vaticine faith is
with magic. Nothing in the holy scriptures
specifically outlaws magic, this was added by
interpretation by Vaticine priests and therefore
not recognized by Winterists. Magic is a gift
from the Creator and should be celebrated, not
hidden or discriminated against. If people abuse
magic, that is a human problem stemming
from the shame imparted on the gift by society.
Reformed Objectionists treat magic-users as
they would any other person and applaud them
when they use their gifts to help.
The final tenet is known by Winterists as
Utter Corruption. It states that left on their
own, all humans take the easiest path, even if
it is morally wrong. This is not because they
are evil, but because they are animals like every
other creature. What elevates people from
animals is the Creator who elevated humans
by giving them the ability to love. The Creator’s
love allows humans to try to be better than
themselves—to work hard, to reject decadence
and to persevere against insurmountable
odds. Reformed Objectionists do not do good
because it is the Creator’s will or because they
will be saved if they do—they do good because
it is a gift from the Creator and it is pointless to
squander a gift.
Districts
Nieuwehoop has five districts with an additional
swath of farmland around the city itself. Since Le
Chat’s harassment of the city began the outlying
farmers fled their homes, flooding into the city
for protection. Many farmers tried to hold out on
their homesteads, but when privateers threatened
their lives, they decided to abandon their farms
rather than face certain death. The city’s districts
now swell from the sudden influx of people and
Kraaienburg, the city’s poorest district, buckles
under the pressure.
Weespoort
Named after Jan de Wees, the founder of
Nieuwehoop, Weespoort lies directly on the
waters of the Trade Sea. The port itself is
massive, bordering nearly a fourth of the city’s
outer walls with various fisheries and store
houses sprouting up around it. The most notable
landmark of Weespoort is a giant Winterist cross
mounted some ways out to sea. When merchant
ships come home having lost a crew member,
they send out a sloop to tie the dead crew
member’s kerchief on the cross as a memento.
Over the years the cross has built up a multitude
of kerchiefs, standing as a silent sentinel of
memory welcoming Nieuwehoop’s ships home.
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 185
 Once a bustling port, it has been brought to
a standstill by the Montaigne privateers just
outside its waters. Sailors used to life on the sea
now sit in ships with nothing to do but wait for
the siege to be over. Boredom sets in and crime
is on the rise in the once-lively port.
Worse, many foreign ship captains made
deals with Le Chat early in the siege to be
granted freedom when departing. When the
ships weighed anchor, they took goods with
them with no intent on returning any time
soon. A few captains of local ships consider
doing the same to save themselves and make
a few guilders in the meantime. People are
willing to pay a hefty sum for escape and more
unscrupulous captains have no qualms about
starting a bidding war amongst desperate
people wanting to flee the city.
Hoogstad
Forming a ring around the city center Hoogstad
contains the city’s university, shops, and guild halls.
It’s built high with houses of learning and dotted
with student societies dedicated to the pursuit of
knowledge. Before the blockade students ran from
building to building, merchants cried across the
streets hawking their wares, and heavy-laden carts
rattled down the cobblestone streets.
Now, Hoogstad is a more somber place,
merchants have closed up shop and University
classes are closed until further notice. Yet
it’s impossible to truly quash the spirit of
Hoogstad, which is carried in the youthful
hearts of its students, many of whom who have
taken to other pursuits to pass the time. The
most popular being small-press publications.
Most students pursuing journalistic pursuits
print pamphlets and small books placed for free
on the counters of many stores in town. These
pamphlets contain everything from musings on
recent findings in the University or even bawdy
poetry frowned upon by most Winterists. A
smaller, more select group of students uses these
pamphlets to share covert information between
themselves in codes hidden in the pamphlets.
186 Nieuwehoop
Some of these call for students to join the
Invisible College, while others organize small-
scale actions to antagonize Le Chat’s land troops.
Kraaienbrug
Kraaienburg (Crow’s Bridge) is the city’s second
largest district named after the long bridge
leading from this district to De Mand that is
often covered in crows. Many Vesten remark on
how the crows on the Nest (the name given to
the bridge by the locals) were sent from their
gods to watch over the Winterists and make
sure they still know how to laugh. The typical
Winterist response to this is a good-natured
comment on how lucky they are the Creator
gave them free will to ignore poor jokes.
Kraaienbrug is a large residential district
housing most of the laborers who work in the
mills, the storage houses and on the docks
of the city. It is the poorest district in this
busy city, but Kraaienbrug is relatively safe as
Nieuwehoop flourished and its wealth was
shared amongst its population. A mixture of
Reformed Objectionists, Vesten migratory
workers who come into the city for seasonal
work and a few Vesten communities all
make their homes here. The three groups get
along quite well and compared to the rest of
the city where the split between the Vesten
and the Winterists is quite clear—people in
Kraaienbrug are more relaxed. Vesten neighbors
are invited to Winterists houses for Sunday
dinner and Vesten harvest celebrations are
a reason for the entire community to come
together and celebrate.
The recent influx of farmers to Kraaienbrug
strains this relationship not between the people
in the community who have banded together,
but between them and everyone else. Many
in Kraaienbrug blame the city’s leadership
for getting them into this predicament and
demand answers for what’s happened. They
see the Mayor as greedy for not wanting to pay
Montaigne’s taxes and demand she give in to
L’Empereur’s demands before anyone else has
to suffer. They’re less than welcoming to the
farmers now residing in the district, with some
gangs of young people going so far as to harass
the farmers making it unsafe for them to leave
their homes at night, lest they are attacked.
De Mand
Just over the Crow’s Bridge from Kraaienbrug is
De Mand, Nieuwehoop’s worker’s district, the
largest district for its size alone. The two largest
industries in Nieuwehoop are textiles and
grain represented by two giant mills. Smaller
stores, mills and dye houses dedicated to all the
different products stemming from these two
goods surround the de Jong Textile Mill and the
Mollenaar Mill—each named after the family
that owns it.
De Mand is in a constant state of movement,
all production for the city takes place here and
the majority of business as well. The Vendel
League’s official hall is located in the city center,
enjoying all the prestige that it offers, but
everyone knows the real deals are done in De
Mand. Merchants normally travel to the district
to sample wares and speak to producers; students
from the University run from Hoogstad down
to De Mand for their accounting apprenticeship;
buyers haggle with sellers in a ringing cacophony
that rises about the buzz of the mills and
gives the district its unique music. There is no
mistaking life in De Mand. Which is why its
current silence is so deafening.
Without materials to process and merchants
to buy goods, work in De Mand ground to
a halt. Having just released a large shipment
of grain to greater Vesten for the winter, very
few goods were left in the Mollenaar Mills.
What was left was seized by the mill workers
a month into the siege of Nieuwehoop. Sanne
de Kerk, with assistance of Carl Arne de
Koning, managed to strong-arm the matriarch
of the Mollenaar family into distributing the
remaining grain stores among the population
of the city. When the mill workers heard this,
a large contingent of migratory Vesten workers
rallied behind Gorm Ulfsen, their foreman,
refusing to see their hard work exploited by
the Winterists who they believe never truly
embraced Vestenmennavenjar.
Together with his fellow workers, Ulfsen
barricades himself in the mill and keeps it
secure under threat of destroying the entire
cache of wheat if forcibly removed. If the grain
stores were to be divided amongst the people
of Nieuwehoop, it would only mean they could
last roughly a month more under extreme
austerity—but a month is all de Kerk needs.
She has a plan to liberate her city, but there is
no point enacting it if there is no one left when
she is done. De Kerk calls on Ulfsen to negotiate
with her, but each time she does, she is rejected.
If Ulfsen does not speak with her soon, she’ll be
forced to attack the Vesten workers to claim the
grain, whether she wants to or not.
Zondaarsmeer
Just outside the walls of Nieuwehoop, on its
bordering lake, is a small town of boats and
barges hosting every activity deemed illegal by the
Reformed Objectionist faith. From brothels to
bars hosting bare-knuckle fights, just about any
vice is found in Zondaarsmeer (Sinner’s Lake).
No upstanding citizen of Nieuwehoop would
dare admit they have ever visited Zondaarsmeer,
but cadres of students are seen swerving over the
planked streets after a night of heavy drinking and
more than one or two of the district’s prostitutes
claim members of the city council as their patrons.
Nothing in the Reformed Objectionist
faith preaches against sex itself. Men, women
and others are born equal and are free to
love whomever they want as long as they’re a
consenting adult. Where Winterists run into
problems with sex is in the form of excess, as
they believe an excess of anything to be bad.
Sex and alcohol are fine in moderation, but too
much of a good thing (except for the Creator) is
absolutely wrong. Zondaarsmeer is about sheer
joy and more for more’s sake—running it afoul
of everything Reformed Objectionists believe.
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 187
 Madame Mayor
Zondaarsmeer’s leader, known to the locals
as Madame Mayor, is Lotte Ingesdatter who
runs her business out of moored-ship-turned-
brothel called de Kooi (the cage). The daughter
of a lapsed Winterist and a Vesten warrior,
Lotte always lived in two worlds and chafed
under the buttoned-down diligence of the city.
She wanted more out of life than service to her
fellow humans—she wanted adventure, she
wanted wealth, she wanted passion and all the
things the church preached against. So, Lotte
spat in the face of society and opened a brothel
out of her home with her best friend, Sten.
Their business quickly built up steam
until they were both arrested by the local
constabulary and thrown in jail. At Lotte’s trial
she brazenly accused every judge of hypocrisy
for charging her and Sten for something many
people were already enjoying behind closed
doors. This landed her and Sten in jail for an
extra two months, the first of many stints in
prison. Finally, Lotte and Sten were banished
188 Nieuwehoop
from Nieuwehoop forever. The two were
banned from being within 50 paces of city
limits under threat of life imprisonment…so
Lotte founded de Kooi 51 paces outside city
limits and the Zondaarsmeer district grew out
from there.
Zondaarsmeer’s relationship with the city
was always adversarial, but turned to ice when
Sten died. Sten was sick for a few agonizing
months before he died and in that time Lotte
repeatedly petitioned Nieuwehoop to allow
him back into the city to see the University’s
doctors. Her pleas were rejected, and though
she got him the best doctors money could buy,
Lotte blames the city council for Sten’s death.
Her rage radiated to all the residents of the
district who mourned Sten’s death and love
their Madame Mayor. Sten had become a pillar
of Zondaarsmeer’s community and his death
rallied the community. While Nieuwehoop
higher-ups still visit Zondaarsmeer, anyone
doing so openly is tarred, feathered, and thrown
at the city gates waiting in excruciating pain
until someone comes to fetch them.
An Unlikely Peace
Zondaarsmeer is not technically part of
Nieuwehoop and governs itself, but if push
came to shove, the city would protect the
inhabitants of the lake if only for the fact that
any number of their citizens visit Sinner’s Lake
at any given time. To that end, Madame Mayor
enshrined a few loose laws so Nieuwehoop
never has an excuse to refuse aid. The first law
is simple—no murder in Zondaarsmeer—
whatever you do outside it is up to you. The few
laws protect the prostitutes and ensure nothing
truly heinous happens under the watchful
eye of Madame Mayor—all sexual acts must
happen between consenting adults and anyone
under the age of consent is strictly banned from
the Sinner’s Lake. Finally, the Madame has final
say in all matters.
Because of its independence, Sinner’s Lake is
a neutral ground between the Montaigne forces
and the people of the city. Under Madame
Mayor’s watchful eye, the streets are strictly
patrolled by her loyal guards who ensure the
sanctity of sin is respected and politics are left
outside the district. Whether they like to admit
it or not, both sides enjoy Zondaarsmeer and
neither is willing to anger Madame Mayor and
have their privileges revoked.
Zondaarsmeer would make a perfect place for
peace negotiations and Sanne de Kerk has gone
so far as to ask Madame Mayor to consider the
possibility. So far Lotte refuses to hear what de
Kerk has to say as she’s still deeply hurt by what
happened to Sten. Lotte’s grief runs so deep it
blinds her to what may need to be done and she
refuses to listen to reason. If de Kerk wants a
neutral ground on which to speak to Le Chat,
she can build one herself.
Landmarks
Great Hall
Nieuwehoop’s Great Hall is a new building two
stories high with grand carved wooden pillars
depicting all manners of ferocious beasts. Jarl
Ubbe runs the region from this hall situated
directly across from city hall (which controls
Nieuwehoop itself.) Nieuwehoop did not have a
Jarl for just under two centuries until the mayor of
the city fell in love with the Jarl of a neighboring
group of towns. Their marriage cemented
Nieuwehoop as a major power in the region and
the Great Hall was not only built as a testament to
their love but to the strength of their union.
Many Vesten remark that the Reformed
Objectionists have too much say in what goes on in
the Jarl’s Great Hall, exemplified by the influence
his wife has over him. While those in the region are
happy with the arrangement the two have, outside
Jarls find Ubbe’s actions as a betrayal to their ways.
As such, not many visit Nieuwehoop’s Great Hall
and the few that do, do so out of curiosity.
The isolation suits the Jarl just fine, as long
as his neighbors are not planning on invading,
he does not much care if they are unhappy
with him. The Jarl’s advisors tell him most are
probably just sour they gave the land to the
Winterists in the first place given how fertile
the land is now, and though they may not want
to deal with the Winterists they often have to in
order to buy grain from them.
For all its beauty, the Great Hall is a far cry
from the functional buildings of the Reformed
Objectionists. Many find the structure gaudy for
all its carvings and unnecessarily large given its
purpose, unable to understand the importance of
a jarl of Ubbe’s stature needing a proportionally
impressive hall. A single saving grace of the
recent troubles is the city’s slow acceptance of
the Great Hall. When Montaigne established
their blockade, Vera Ubbesdatter, Jarl Ubbe and
Mayor de Kerk’s eldest daughter was left behind
by her father to care for business in his stead.
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 189
 Aided by Carl de Koning, Vera established
the Great Hall as a point where people could
go when in need. For the first month it offered
food and shelter for the city’s poor and now
more and more of the hall is taken over by a
growing infirmary of people suffering from
various ailments from malnutrition. Vera
coordinated the University’s doctors to come to
the hall, and she always seems to have a sack or
two of food around for those who need it. What
most do not know is Vera is slowly selling off
her family’s riches to pay the Red Boat crew to
smuggle food into the city, but she’s running low
on heirlooms and her debt to the crew’s leader
Four-Fingered Gunilla grows ever larger.
The Red Boat
The Red Boat is the largest and most luxurious
brothel in Zondaarsmeer boasting a multi-level
establishment with two full bars and just under
twenty rooms. Music roars from every deck at
all times of the day, though most locals remark
that it is only to mask what happens within the
pleasure rooms. Nearly every taste is catered to
on the Red Boat, though those with more severe
tastes would be better serviced on de Kooi.
It’s possible to spend a week on the Red Boat
without sampling everything it has to offer
and many come onto the boat with a month’s
earnings only to leave a few days later dazed
without a guilder to their name. The game on the
boat is gluttony and excess, making it infamous
in Nieuwehoop itself. Many younger University
students make pilgrimages to the Red Boat to see
what all the rumors are about, though most stay
within the first three levels where they can have
a bit of harmless fun moving between gambling,
drinking, and one or two pleasure rooms.
Deep within the bowels of the most sinful
boat in Zondaarsmeer, the Red Boat’s madame,
Four-Fingered Gunilla, manages a gang of
pickpockets and smugglers: the Red Boat Crew.
The crew does not limit themselves to smuggling,
but deals with anyone causing a ruckus in their
home base. Gunilla and her crew skate the line of
190 Nieuwehoop
what is acceptable under Madame Mayor’s laws
and often test her patience with their actions.
However, Lotte cannot just kick the gang to the
curb, they earn so much money she would take a
significant hit if she did.
The Reformed
Objectionist Church
The Reformed Objectionist Church sits
next to the city hall of Nieuwehoop. A large,
plain building there is very little adornment
on its outer walls aside for the typical quaint
architecture people have come to know from the
city, such as a stepped gable and long light lines
embedded into the structure’s facade. The inside
is no different, exceptional in its plainness there
is nothing within to distract from worship.
The true wealth of this church is shown in the
Winterists’ devotion to the Creator.
Despite the church’s stark appearance, a
singular piece of beauty within comes from the
worshipers themselves. Reformed Objectionists
are for the most part quiet devotees, but song is
allowed in worship. Pure and unaccompanied
by organ or other instruments, voices ring clear
in their devotion to the Creator. Winterists
see song as a form of meditation and by
focusing on a song’s lyrics are able to ponder
their connection to the Creator and work on
their own inner resolve. Music is not made for
beauty’s sake, but for self-betterment.
To that end, many rounds of songs were sung
within the church in the past weeks as fear
gripped the city and the Inquisition’s murders
were on the rise. The final song sung within the
church was on the night Mayor de Kerk shut
it down until the Inquisition’s are caught. A
mournful song rose from parishioners leaving
the building and spread through the entire city
as Nieuwehoop united in sorrow for the closing
of one of its most important buildings.
The Mayor’s decision to close the church to
protect its people infuriated Deacon Johan de
Boer who claims she had no right to close the
church in the first place. He’s threatened multiple
times to open the church and de Kerk is willing
to send city guards (she cannot really spare)
to stop him if he does. For now, the Deacon
bides his time holding services on the steps of
the church for those loyal enough to come. The
mayor has not disallowed this yet, there are
not that many people attending and she would
lose even more popularity if she did so, but the
Deacon tests her patience on the daily throwing
around anti-Winterist rhetoric and blaming
everyone but the church for the city’s problems.
Nieuwehoop University
Universities in Théah are run by the Vaticine
Church, but that is not the case in Nieuwehoop.
Once the city’s land was reclaimed from the
sea, the citizens built the church, then the town
hall, and finally the University. It was Jan de
Wees’ sincerest wish that Nieuwehoop become
a center for trained thought and study, separate
from the Vaticine Church, and therefore
Nieuwehoop University became the first secular
University in Théah. Freedom from the confines
of religion has allowed the University to flourish
and invite great scholars from all over the world
to lecture in its halls.
The university’s campus is spread all over
Hoogstad, encircling the city center. Its original
buildings to the east of the city quickly became
too small to house the number of students
coming to study and the campus grew until
nearly every corner of the city hummed with the
debate of students and promise of education.
Nieuwehoop University specializes in medicine
and law, though there is a reasonable number
of students dedicating themselves to the
study of archaeology and ancient artifacts.
The archaeologists would perhaps rival the
number of medical and law students if not for
the fact that every archaeology student is sent
away by the dean a minimum of once a year to
participate in digs and exploration.
The Protector of Knowledge
The current dean of the University is Demir
ibn Kaan, a scholar from Anatol Aye in the
Crescent Empire. After many years learning in
his homeland he moved to Nieuwehoop after
hearing of its University, wanting to see what
unique knowledge Théah had to offer. He ended
up enjoying his time in Nieuwehoop so greatly, he
stayed. Now a decade into his stay, he’s become a
pillar of the community and a beloved teacher.
A devout Dinnist, Demir understands the
need to keep the University purely secular to
ensure it is a welcoming learning environment
for people of all faiths and beliefs. His staff
includes lecturers from all over Théah and a
handful of teachers from Ifri and the Crescent
Empire as well—now all trapped in the city
due to the Montaigne blockade. What many
do not know is Demir is in fact an uncle of
the Empress Safiye of the Crescent Empire
and a word to her could do much in mounting
political pressure against Montaigne.
However, Demir is in no mood to think
of politics. His dearest friend in the world,
Deacon Laura de Witte was murdered and as
he mourned her passing, he heard worse news:
her position was being filled by Johan de Boer,
a foul snake of a man if he had ever met one.
Demir would frequently visit Laura in her
church and over a cup of strong kaffee (Demir
always has a store), debate the finer topics of
faith and the Creator. Their good-natured
debates would stretch far into the twilight
hours and was always a challenging discourse
he enjoyed deeply. Sometimes during these
exercises and challenges of bias, Johan joined
the debate.
Unlike Laura, Johan’s words were never kind
nor thought out. At times he was purely bigoted
and express thoughts no priest of the Creator
should. All these topics were veiled under
a snake’s smile and promise that Johan was
only playing devil’s advocate and while Laura
believed him, Demir knew better.
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 191
 de Boer now controls the church and in the
two months he’s been in power, it’s changed for
the worse. Recently, Demir heard of a Dinnist
student who stopped to hear a song led by
Deacon Johan being chased from the scene by
enraged Winterists. Not because of anything the
student did, but because the Deacon deemed
the student unworthy of hearing their holy song.
Demir knows this is just the beginning and if
something is not done to expose Deacon de Boer
for the villain he is, the Reformed Objectionist
faith will change for the worse.
Secret Societies
The Invisible College (Growing)
The Invisible College makes it home in the
great University of Nieuwehoop deep within
Syrneth catacombs of the University. The
catacombs were discovered when the Winterists
dammed the marshlands the city now rests on.
Access to the catacombs is forbidden as they’re
exceedingly dangerous and prone to cave-ins
due to the shifting marshlands. Members of the
College know the safe paths to take in order to
avoid danger and work tirelessly to fortify their
base against natural wear and tear.
Many assume Demir ibn Kaan, the
University’s dean, is the leader of the Invisible
College in Nieuwehoop, but this is not true.
While Kaan knows of the College’s existence
and activities on campus, he’s in no way
connected to them other than a passing fancy
that one day he could discover their leader and
learn what secrets they have learned. Instead
the real leader of the Invisible College in the
city is the University’s groundskeeper, Gertrude
Fridasdatter. Always seen pushing around a
wheelbarrow of leaves or fixing a leaking roof,
it’s nigh inconceivable a woman so busy could
head a secret society.
But Gertrude is not alone, she’s aided by
many students with more appearing every
month. With their help, she continues her
192 Nieuwehoop
exploration of the catacombs that extend deep
under the city. The College uses bookstores to
spread information they have learned to the
public through various pamphlets and hidden
notes. What the College’s exact goal remains
unknown, the College’s tidbits of archaeological
study are a welcomed break from the misery.
Gertrude’s real motivation for digging so deep
into the ruins comes from a few bits of archaic
knowledge she’s gleaned from the walls. They
spell out a prophecy where a great city will
meet its doom during a time of tragedy when “a
sheep removes its skin.” She believes the great
tragedy refers to what is currently happening
to Nieuwehoop and if she can uncover more of
the prophecy and who the sheep might be, she
could help the city. Unfortunately, the deeper
the College digs, the more mishaps befall
them—walls that appeared secure buckle, lamps
dim, explorers become impossibly lost and a
ghostly chill hisses through the catacombs—
almost as if something does not want them to
find the full prophecy.
The Brotherhood of the Coast (Declining)
When Jan de Wees led the Winterists
from Montaigne they were smuggled out
aboard vessels of the Brotherhood of the
Coast. From then onward, the Brotherhood
and Nieuwehoop have maintained a healthy
relationship. Most importantly, without a fleet
or privateers of their own, the city used the
Brotherhood of the Coast as protection for
their merchant vessels.
When the mayor married Jarl Ericsen,
protection by the Brotherhood of the Coast
became unnecessary. While a few merchants
still use the Brotherhood’s services, most
are happier to use the free services Ericsen’s
raiders provide. This angered more than a few
Brotherhood captains, and when Montaigne
invaded, rather than staying to fight, the
Brotherhood withdrew what ships it had left
from Nieuwehoop’s waters. All the captains
agreed—let the city feel the sting left behind
when they reject the Brotherhood.
 Carl Arne de Koning, born and raised in
Nieuwehoop, found it folly to dismiss the
Brotherhood and their recent refusal to aid
the city proves it. He grew up idolizing the
Brotherhood as gruff heroes who protected his
mother’s merchant vessels and would like to
see their power restored in the region. While
Jarl Ubbe petitions his brothers for help, Carl
Arne reaches out to the Republic of Pirates
hoping to set a covert meeting with them in
Zondaarsmeer. If he can convince the pirates to
help the city, it will go a long way to restoring
their power base in the region.
Die Kreuzritter (Strong)
Winterists embrace magic and those who
possess arcana. If a sorcerer commits a crime,
it’s because they have performed an evil act and
not because magic is inherently evil and just as
with normal human crime, those with magic
have just as much potential to abuse it. The City
Council has long since understood, as people
without magic, they have little to no ability to
police those who do. Therefore, as a solution
to their problem they openly welcomed Die
Kreuzritter into Nieuwehoop.
Unlike in Eisen where Die Kreuzritter hide
their membership, the Order in Nieuwehoop
has a central office in Hoogstad with a known
membership and agents who openly investigate
cases as needed. Agents from Nieuwehoop are
sent to Vestenmennavenjar to investigate cases
of monsters and joining the ranks of the society
earns a person a wealth of respect. Knights of the
Order train in Vesten fighting methods with Vesten
weapons setting them apart from the larger society.
The Order is overseen by Markus Kraus,
a knight who emigrated from Eisen to
Nieuwehoop over two decades ago. The old
battle axe of a man is a hardened warrior who is
deathly intimidating until he opens his mouth
and his boisterous voice fills the room with
his warmth and force of personality. Markus
has currently dedicated a large majority of
his Knights to the City Council to aid in the
search for the Inquisition members murdering
Winterists and sorcerers alike. While his job is
to hunt down monsters and those who abuse
sorcery, he also believes in protecting those
innocent arcanists who could be next on the
killers’ list.
Aside from his altruistic motivations,
Markus also volunteered his forces, because
he fears a few of his knights could be in
league with the Inquisition members. It’s nigh
unthinkable to the old man that this could be
the case, but eager new recruits from outside
Vestenmennavenjar came to his office only a few
short months before the killings began. If they
have anything to do with the killings, he hopes
the investigation outs them quickly and he can
put an end to the tragedies.
Power Brokers
Detailed below are just a few of the important
people who make the city what it is today.
Sanne de Kerk
The Face - 2 Points
Sanne de Kerk was born in Nieuwehoop, the
fourth child of six, to parents who earnestly
hoped she would go to University, become a
doctor and make them proud. However, Sanne
rarely did what people expected of her. She was
slower to walk than all the other children and
it took her a great deal longer to learn basic
concepts others grasped quickly. It was not long
before people started to whisper to her parents
that they should not expect much from her.
All of this was absolutely fine with Sanne
who was surprisingly self-possessed for her
age and knew everything she was destined to
accomplish. Yes, school was hard for her, but
Sanne always believed in herself and knew one
day she would become something far greater
than anyone expected. She quietly worked at
mastering skills that took her longer than other
children, and with the help of her older brother
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 193
 Hans, she was able to read and write just as well
as anyone else by the time she left school.
With all Sanne accomplished, her parents
renewed their hopes of her attending University,
but again Sanne disappointed them. The
thought of sitting in lectures all day bored
her and the idea of cutting someone open for
surgery repulsed her. Instead, Sanne thanked
her parents for doing what they could for her,
gathered up her belongings and struck out to
find her fortune.
Through sheer tenacity she earned
herself a clerk position in city hall, then an
apprenticeship with a city official, and by the
time she was in her late twenties, she was the
youngest elected city official in the history
of Nieuwehoop. As her peers rested on their
laurels, she took what she learned as a child
and worked doubly hard to ensure her dreams
came true. This determination earned her the
no-nonsense hard-working reputation that
everyone attributes to her today.
And while both these facts are true, Sanne
is not all what she appears, for under her
hardworking exterior is a keen political mind
that knows how to maneuver nearly any
situation to get what she wants. She uses
people’s expectations to get what she wants and
is such a smooth talker, people normally thank
her for it afterward. A person with Sanne’s
skills could run the city with a velvet glove while
bending it to her own selfish wills, but Sanne
genuinely wants what is best for Nieuwehoop
and does whatever is in her power to ensure her
city thrives.
Which is why the current situation with the
Montaigne sits so badly with Sanne. She made
the ultimate decision, with support of the City
Council, to split from Montaigne and refuse
to pay their taxes. Everything that’s happened
from that moment she carries on her shoulders
and refuses to remove it until the situation is
solved. Unfortunately, Sanne is slowly losing
support of the city as it starves and her own
resolve wears thin.
194 Nieuwehoop
Her most pressing concern is the fact that
she’s learned there is at least one Montaigne
sympathizer on the council, but does not know
who it is. This person is supposedly funneling
information to Le Chat’s forces quashing any
hope the city has to defend itself. Sanne needs
to uncover the traitor quickly and before her
husband Ubbe Ericsen returns with his fleet if
she has any hope of driving Montaigne away for
good.
Jarl Ubbe Ericsen
Political Influence - 2 points
Jarl Ubbe Ericsen grew up in the jarlship
bordering the city, the eldest child of three. He
inherited the title of Jarl when his father passed
away. Of his three siblings, Ubbe had the worst
personality for the position. He was gruff, never
had a head for politics and preferred life on the
open waters to being cooped up in meetings all
day. However, Ubbe kept the jarlship because
he would not force his siblings to take the
burden for him and would not see his father’s
title go to someone else. His sister was already
an established Vesten Raider and his brother
had fallen head over heels in love with a skald
on the other side of the Nation, thus Ubbe did
what was required of him.
And while his temperament was ill suited for
the position thrust upon him, he was surprisingly
good at it. Accepting he would never truly be
happy, Ubbe threw himself into his work and
became a true servant of his people—and they
loved him for it. He won battle after battle and
his lands grew as more people flocked to his
support. He was not happy, but he was satisfied
and perhaps that was enough.
When there was nothing left in his region to
conquer, Ubbe set his sights on Nieuwehoop
under suggestion of his Carl, Brigit Tovesdatter.
As with the other jarlships in the region, Ubbe
first requested to sit down with the city’s mayor
to see if maybe she wanted to relinquish control
of her city peacefully. Sanne agreed to meet.
 The mayor was nothing like what Ubbe
expected and by the end of the night, not only
had he agreed not to attack Nieuwehoop, but
he was pretty sure he agreed to marry Sanne.
In fact, stumbling out of the meeting, Ubbe
was love drunk and smitten with the mayor—
something he had never dared dream could
happen to him. Ubbe and Sanne were married
the next summer and their love and devotion
has only grown for one another since.
Sanne naturally took to the work Ubbe so
loathed in his position and their love stabilized
the region. This freed up Ubbe to spend time
on the waters, teaching their children the ways
of the water, enjoying freedom for the first time
in his life. The last trip Ubbe took with his
children to the frozen north was cut short when
he learned Montaigne invaded his lands and
besieged Nieuwehoop.
Ubbe now sails with his warriors around
Vestenmennavenjar, communicating with his
wife via carrier pigeon, trying to gather support
for his lands. A few jarls promised warriors and
ships to Ubbe’s cause, but many turned him
away citing Nieuwehoop was not their problem.
Ubbe suspects they are excited to see the city
fall, for if it is does perhaps one of them can
swoop in and pick through the scraps. Ubbe’s
one true hope lies in finding his sister Inge and
her raiders who are bound to help him reclaim
the city. But the raiders are elusive and finding
Inge has been exceedingly difficult, which is a
surprise to Ubbe, because as children she was
known as Ubbe’s shadow.
Once he has Inge’s support, Ubbe will enact
Sanne’s plan to take back the city. Ubbe’s forces
will break the dam flooding Niewuehoop’s lands
and forcing the Montaigne ships back to sea.
Simultaneously, his sister’s raiders will flank Le
Chat and crush their forces or allow them to
surrender in humiliation. Time is running out
for Sanne’s plan though, food shortages and an
unhappy populace mean if Ubbe does not find
his sister soon, all could be lost.
Carl Arne de Koning
Economic Influence - 2 points
Arne’s parents were Vesten migratory workers
who came every season to Nieuwehoop for
work. Unable to properly care for him, his
mother left him at the city’s orphanage in hopes
that he would have a better life without his
parents. The orphanage raised him well enough,
but life was lonely and Arne yearned for a
family to call his own.
When he came of age Arne got a job working
in a local grain house. A quiet man with an
unparalleled work ethic he soon caught the
attention of the grain house’s owner Imke de
Koning who took the young boy under her
wing. Imke was the mother Arne never had
and with no children of her own, left the grain
house to Arne when she died. In honor of his
surrogate mother, Arne adopted her name and
though his hulking, blonde figure betrays his
Vesten heritage, he’s a devout Winterist through
and through.
Eventually, Arne became Carl of Nieuwehoop
before the city began turning real profit. No
one wanted the position because the Winterists
were exceedingly “difficult” to deal with. Arne
saw the lack of subterfuge as a strength and
when he was appointed Carl worked to find the
right trading partners for the city until it started
to turn a real and very impressive profit.
Far past the age of retirement, all Arne wants
is to play with his grandchildren and enjoy
a quiet read to himself, but he cannot leave
his position yet. There is simply too much
trouble in Nieuwehoop and he cannot leave
with so many responsibilities on his plate. He’s
searching for a worthy successor to his position,
hopefully in time for him to enjoy a few years of
retirement before his soul passes to the halls of
his ancestors.
7th Sea | Nieuwehoop 195

Four-Fingered Gunilla
Criminal Influence - 2 Points
A few souls grow up spiteful without cause, but
Four-Fingered Gunilla is not one of them. She
had a terrible upbringing in a devout Reformed
Objectionist home with a father who showed her
the worst the religion had to offer. When she was
ten, she tried to run away from home by stealing
her father’s horse, but came home a week later
hungry and having lost the horse. In return for her
disobedience, Gunilla’s father removed one of his
daughter’s digits so she would focus less on stealing
and more on right deeds. Gunilla left her home the
first chance she got and never looked back.
When Madame Lotte founded Zondaarsmeer,
Gunilla was one of its first inhabitants. Using the
cache of money she saved from petty crimes in the
city, she opened a brothel and transformed herself.
Now a dashing woman with a starling smile, she
owns the Red Boat, the most successful brothel
196 Nieuwehoop
on the lake. Ask anyone from the brothel—guards
to prostitutes–and they’ll tell you Gunilla is an
understanding woman who only wants the best
for her employees and patrons.
But they do not know the real Gunilla.
The woman behind the gleaming smile is a
cold, calculating business woman who runs a
smuggling business out of the hold of the Red
Boat. She moves anything from one place to
another with no questions asked and is very
good at her job—it’s a rare case when someone
knows something is missing before Gunilla’s
smuggled it half way across Théah and is paid
handsomely for it. When anyone fails to pay,
Gunilla has one of their fingers removed. If they
fail again, she removes another. And another.
Every finger on their hands a ticking clock
leading to their eventual death if they do not
get Gunilla her money. She learned early on the
value of the guilder, you need it to survive, and
she will never be left without again.
Gunilla’s business has significantly changed since
Montaigne’s blockade. Rather than smuggling illicit
goods, the majority of her business is taken up
by getting the bare necessities into Nieuwehoop
right under the nose of Le Chat. Make no mistake,
Gunilla and her crew are paid handsomely for the
goods they bring in—who knew starvation is all
it would take to trade a sack of flour for a priceless
painting?—but the Red Boat crew are quickly
becoming a group of unlikely heroes everyone did
not know they needed.
Some say the recent work has made Gunilla
soft. When one of her men gave away a bag of
supplies without payment or a finger, rather
than kill him on the spot, she only beat him
down and this weighs heavily on the woman.
She had given up trying to be good a long time
ago and no one deserves to be taught a lesson
more than the pious, hypocritical Winterists…
but something about the whole situation does
not sit right with Gunilla. She remembers
the hunger she felt when she ran away, the
desperation at having to return home, no…
something about this situation is not right at all.
Deacon Johan de Boer Gunilla: Hero or Villain?
Spiritual Influence - 2 points Cutting off fingers as punishment for lack of payment
is not exactly a heroic activity. However, Gunilla is also
Johan de Boer is a staunch believer in the Reformed helping the city…at a price. She could be a Villain who
Objectionist church. He believes in it because it gives is just on the edge of turning into a Hero. Perhaps a
him power, and Johan loves power. From an early age little nudge could push her all the way over.
Johan knew he was not like other children. He knew
he was better than them. His days were spent pitting
friends against one another and bullying weaker and show no signs of stopping. Since Johan knew
children into submission. Not through physical only one member as a point of contact, and the
intimidation but social isolation. The older he man disappeared, he needed a new tactic quickly.
got, the better he became at manipulating people, To save his city, and his position as deacon,
and the more power people gave him. Johan loves Johan hopes to raise tensions between the
other people—they’re so stupid. Winterists and outsiders. If enough outsiders are
One of the people who was not as stupid as all dispensed of, eventually the Inquistion will be
the other sheep was the former deacon, Laura among them and Johan’s position will be secured.
de Witte. She identified Johan’s games early Some innocent people will get caught in the wave
and rather than oust him, tried to change him. of hate he hopes spreads of the city, but they
She would invite him for dinner, give him the are worthy sacrifices. With the Inquisition’s and
latitude to learn the Creator’s word in his own Montaigne’s nooses tightening around the city,
way, anything she could to change Johan for the people are all too happy to listen to Johan’s words
better—and for a time even Johan believed it was and take out their frustrations on others.
working. Laura had this persistent aura of light
that was hard to escape, even for the darkest souls.
Sadly, all good things must end and it did when
Johan realized he had never get Laura’s position
in the church unless she died. Johan had grown
to care for Laura enough that he would never
disgrace her name in the eyes of the others. No,
she had to die. Johan was smart enough to realize
he was not skilled enough for an outright murder
attempt so instead he concocted a plan.
He contacted the Inquisition and helped
them establish themselves in the city. Soon after,
Laura was the Inquisition’s first victim, and they
continued their murders from there. The new
deacon decided rather than mourning Laura’s
death—he would ensure it meant something by
gathering as much power as he could and until
now, he’s made good on his promise.
What Johan did not expect is to lose control
of the Inquisition. Like a pack of rabid dogs,
the Inquisition cell has a taste for the blood of
Winterists and cut off communication with
Johan. They now murder without his approval

197
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 Paix
Where is the City? as a useful method of transportation for goods
arriving into the port of Paix. The population has
Situated on Montaigne’s south coast, the city of increased as the city has grown in significance, but
Paix plays a significant role in foreign relations the war with Montaigne has also brought a lot of
and diplomacy. It is located in the small province poor and displaced people to Paix.
of Surlign and houses L’ambassade de Montaigne
Originally a walled city, Paix has extended
(The Montaigne Embassy, known colloquially as
outward as it has grown, and now much of it
Le Labyrinthe). Built in 1633, the Embassy is a
exists outside the walls. The city walls were
sprawling complex with twisting corridors and
built to protect the Embassy and the city’s
palatial rooms, where delegates negotiate treaties,
populace, but with the ocean to the south and
trade agreements and other matters of a political,
the river passing through the city, the walls
legal, and on occasion, financial nature.
serve little real purpose other than to offer a
The city is a well-known playground for false sense of security. The city gates are still
the rich, where balls and parties are common closed each night at sunset, but for those in the
entertainments, and visitors enjoy its warm know there are ways into the city via the river,
weather and beachside views. Paix also has the sewers and the coastline.
a close proximity to Castille, and this has
made the city less enticing to the wealthy of
Montaigne than it used to be, despite efforts Three Descriptors
at preserving neutrality and serving as a safe Political
meeting place for foreign diplomats.
Overcrowded
As the city of Charouse has sunken further
Intrigue/espionage
into decadence, many residents of Paix have
taken a step back to look at the larger picture.
There are more nobles in Paix with political What is the City’s
status and connections than in other Montaigne
cities with the possible exception of Charouse. Biggest Problem?
Some nobles realize their country is headed in War
a concerning direction should nothing change. Refugees
This has made them question whether they can
do something about it, and Paix is one of the Greed
few places they can work in a positive direction.
Their stance also has the potential to play into What Makes the City
the hands of Rilasciare. The group has a strong
presence in the city. Different?
Paix has grown in size since the Embassy’s Politics
formation and now extends as far as the
Montaigne south coast, where it has absorbed the
village of Algerrone. The Trade River intersects
the city, and when the current is slow, it serves

7th Sea | Paix 199

 Districts
Administrative District
This district is best known for the Embassy,
Le Labyrinthe, but many of the buildings in
the district handle matters of bureaucracy
and finance and the running of the city. Some
significant organizations, including The
Duelist’s Guild and the Explorer’s Society, have
their chapter houses there.
L’Empereur has representatives who may
act in his stead, and they are housed in the
administrative district. L’Empereur does not
visit the city himself. His choice is believed
to be in response to the city’s hedonistic
reputation, but no one is quite sure. Some of his
representatives have wide-reaching powers and
may seal agreements in L’Empereur’s name.
Wealthy District
There are a large number of fine properties in
this district and most are owned by nobles and
foreign diplomats who have settled in the city or
who work long-term at the Embassy. This district
offers close proximity to the Embassy as well as
the coastline with its sought-after beaches.
The weather is mild, the water is warm and Paix
has a lively social scene. It is known for parties,
balls and events, and outside of the Embassy,
these most often take place in the wealthy district.
While their frequency has lessened with concerns
over the war with Castille and the deteriorating
state of the country, they are still a common
occurrence. The district is patrolled by mercenary
guards hired by the rich, who attempt to keep
outsiders away. There is no law or legal precedent
on their side, but they often succeed at their task.
In effect, they’re bullies.
Old District
Most of the original buildings still stand in this
older area of the city. Many date from before the
Embassy was built and before the city became
the political and trading hub that it is today.
200 Paix
The reality is even the Old District is not that
old; the changes that have overtaken Paix have
mostly occurred in the last thirty years.
The Old District is a home to most of
the common residents of the city. It appears
different from the wealthier districts, and
comprises shops and marketplaces, homes,
taverns, cafes and churches. As with the
Remembered Church, some of the locals still
tend to the closed churches in defiance of
Montaigne’s excommunication, and they pray
there, as they refuse to be parted from their
faith. At first the guards attempted to keep
people away from the churches, but now they
have given up trying.
Merchant District
This district includes the area where the village
of Algerrone once stood, and most of its
buildings have been replaced or rebuilt with
sturdier counterparts. The Merchant District
features more than the largest marketplace in
the city and a business area, it’s a transport hub
for goods brought in through the port and it’s
the manufacturing center of the city.
The Merchant District has also employed a
large number of workers who were forced out of
their homes and have come to the city in search
of a better life. There are few jobs available in
the current political climate, and more people
arrive each day in search of jobs that are not
there. Crime has increased in the city and
there is growing discontent due to the lack of
opportunities in Paix at present.
The Outer District
Over the years, Paix has grown beyond the wall
that was constructed to protect the Embassy
and the city’s occupants. More newcomers:
commoners and minor nobles (who typically
received their nobility from war service) arrive
each day, seeking work and escape from abject
poverty. The Outer District began as a shanty
town and has developed into a fully fledged
district that surrounds the city on three sides.
With a lack of accommodation and jobs in
other districts, the majority of the homeless
and desperate find their way there, and the city
grows larger all the time.
The Outer District has homes, taverns and
marketplaces like any other district. However,
the quality of architecture is generally poorer
than other areas of the city, as though hastily
built, and more solid buildings are sometimes
interspersed between poorer shelters, cabins and
tents. It is a part of the city filled with narrow
alleys and criminals who prey on the unwary.
The Port
It can be found at the south of the city. Boats
at anchor are a common sight on the coast,
with goods frequently transported ashore to
warehouses near the docks or by boat along the
Trade River. There are fine beaches to the west
of the port, which are particularly enjoyed by
the wealthy. So too are there beaches to the east,
which are more easily accessible to residents of
the Old and Merchant Districts.
The coastline that runs along the south side
of the city is a notable weakness in the city’s
defenses, as it could be used by an attacking
force, especially over water. So too is the
northern exit of the Trade River where it
breaches the city wall. Despite its weaknesses,
the coastline and the port that serves the city
plays a significant role in its livelihood, as
well as a means of transport for visitors to the
Embassy, Le Labyrinthe.
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 The Sewers
The sewers were initially built below the Old
District and they were expanded as the city
grew. The sewage flows out into the river and
onward to the sea. There is a complex sewerage
system beneath Le Labyrinthe, but despite grills
intended to prevent anyone from entering, there
are ways around them and secret passages were
created when the infrastructure was installed.
Le Labyrinthe has escape tunnels that lead
out into the sewers, but they’re well hidden
and would go unnoticed even upon a close
inspection. The walls are especially thin where
the escape tunnels reach the sewers, and boxes
of tools sit in readiness in the escape tunnels,
awaiting use. There are several other passages
leading into the Embassy, which were not part
of the original design and were later added by
Georgette Deneuve du Surlign. They have been
used by spies and assassins on occasion, and
might be used should a diplomat need to be
brought into the Embassy in secret.
The tunnels are occasionally checked and
flooded to prevent their occupation by unwanted
parties. In the Old and Merchant Districts
in particular, the tunnels have been used for
smuggling black-market goods, and they’re
occupied in places by the poor who have nowhere
else to live. For those who live there, there is
always the danger of flooding, as well as rats and
sewer snakes, which can grow quite large.
The City Wall & Gates
The city wall was built around Paix in 1654.
A considerable proportion of the city now lies
outside the wall. It’s a stone wall approximately
twelve feet high with watchtowers at regular
intervals. The wall is seldom patrolled, other
than a regular detachment of two or three
guards at the Northern, Eastern and Western
gates as well as the River Gate. The guards close
the gates each night at sunset and open them
again at sunrise. As many people living in the
Outer District work within the walled section
202 Paix
of the city, there is often a queue of people
waiting for the gates to open in the morning.
While it might make sense to simply leave
the gates open, they’re widely considered a
useful measure to help protect the Embassy and
wealthier districts of the city. The reality is they
could be easily breached in battle. There are also
certain individuals in power who want to hinder
the freedom of people living in the Outer District.
Some believe it might cut down on crime, despite
the fact residents of the Outer District could stay
within the walled districts overnight.
The Trade River flows through an opening in
the wall to the northeast, and there is a River
Gate that is opened to allow boats to pass.
While the Trade River flows down toward the
ocean, when the weather is fine, the river is
placid enough that it can be easily traveled in
either direction. The guards maintain a presence
at the River Gate throughout the night. This
is to discourage the transport of black-market
goods, tax evasion and to prevent outsiders
from entering the walled districts of Paix. These
guards are sometimes susceptible to bribes, in
order to allow people or goods to pass through.
The Trade River
This river cuts through the city and allows for
convenient transport of goods arriving on ships
into the p. It snakes down through four districts
to reach the sea—the Outer District outside the
city gates, the Old District in the northeast of
the city, the Merchant District to the southeast
and along the side of the wealthy district in the
southwest. The Trade River has a subterranean
source and is by its nature placid, but that can
change at times of heavy rain.
This means there are occasions when goods
cannot be transported up the river, but much
of the time it is possible. It’s believed the Trade
River connects with another waterway northeast
of Rogne, but goods can only be transported as
far as the highway depot east of Rogne. This is
sufficient to allow transport of goods toward
Charouse and other major cities in Montaigne.
 Goods are typically transported on brightly-
painted barges, and river boats are an occasional
sight taking passengers northward, where they
are often met by other forms of transport to
continue their journey. A small trading post
has been built on the highway where the River
narrows, and carts, carriages and horses can
usually be obtained there.
The Trade River has also proven a means of
smuggling goods into Paix and has been used to
transport people surreptitiously at times when
the city gates are closed. While it is a potential
weakness in Paix’s defenses, it also forms part of
the city’s livelihood and is one of the reasons it
has prospered to the degree it has.
Paix’s sewerage system flows out into the
river in each of the districts it passes through.
Ironically, the Trade River is most polluted as
it passes by the Wealthy District and reaches
the port. While the river is used for transport,
it typically is not used for fishing; instead,
fishermen favor the coastline for that. Since the
war began, more bodies have turned up in the
river and along the coast, and underworld crime
is believed to be responsible for the most part.
Landmarks
The Montaigne Embassy their designs are all either native to Montaigne
(Le Labyrinthe)
The Montaigne Embassy is located in the city’s
administrative district. It comprises over a
dozen buildings; all luxurious to some degree,
connected by winding walkways, well-tended
gardens, bridges, underground passages and
discreet paths. It is said few people know the
full Embassy inside and out, even after working
or serving there for years. The Embassy has
its own garrison of guards to protect it and its
occupants from threats and disturbances.
Many of the gardens have fountains, and
individuals skilled in politics or intelligence know
why. The sound of gurgling water prevents one’s
words from being heard at a distance, and Le
Labyrinthe offers many places where people can
speak privately, or so it would seem.
The Deneuve family has presided over the
Embassy since it was built. The original matriarch
was Lillian Deneuve du Surlign, who managed it
well until her death by poison in 1662. Her cousin
Georgette Deneuve du Surlign took over the
running of the Embassy shortly afterward, and she
is particularly well-suited to the task. Little escapes
her quick intellect and knowledge of politics and
intrigue, and she deftly manages her network of
spies with the help of two retainers.
The more significant rooms in Le Labyrinthe
have a gemstone theme. The Onyx Ballroom is
one of the grandest and it’s typically used for
official functions. It’s decorated with wallpaper
of black and gold leaf; its floor is polished teak,
and ornate golden chandeliers grace the ceiling.
These are decorated with onyx stones, from
which the room gets its name. Cherrywood
double-doors open from three sides into the
ballroom, while at the back there is a more
discreet servants’ entrance.
All the ballrooms have leadlight windows,
each decorated in bright colors that catch the
light during the day and are more subtle at
night. These have been created to complement
its location, and the flowers incorporated into
or have a symbolic connection to the royal
family. For instance, lilies have long been
associated with the Montaigne crown, and
they’re a common sight in its windows and
decorations. Fresh lilies can often be found in
rooms throughout the Embassy.
The Malachite Room is the most prominent
reception room in the Embassy. Its walls are
papered a dark green. Pillars throughout the room
are studded with the semiprecious stone, just
below ceiling-level, while tall ornate candelabras
keep the room illuminated at all times. Fine
armchairs and furniture create an atmosphere that
is at once rich and welcoming. This room provides
the first true insight into the Embassy’s grandeur
and how much wealth is on display.
7th Sea | Paix 203
 Ambassadors of the major foreign powers
each have rooms at Le Labyrinthe, where
they and their diplomats can carry out their
work. The only people who typically live on
the premises are its staff, including Georgette
Deneuve du Surlign. Ambassadors and
diplomats with long-term or permanent
presences at the Embassy typically live in
the wealthy district. Most temporary visitors
stay in the administrative district, where
accommodation is provided or easily arranged.
Le Labyrinthe plays an important role in
foreign relations. Unlike Charouse and other
areas of Montaigne, its province, Surlign, is
committed to providing a safe meeting place with
foreign visitors, even during a time of war. This
enables diplomatic and trade negotiations where
otherwise visitors may anticipate attack or arrest.
By traveling by ship to the port of Paix and
flying a blue diplomatic flag, visitors can make
their intentions known and reach Paix without
traveling through other areas of Montaigne. It
is a rare sign of respect for the Deneuve family
and the effective functioning of the Embassy that
L’Empereur has allowed this. Leon Alexandre is
known for his mercurial nature, and it is a ruling
he could choose to rescind in the future.
Common Political Roles at Le Labyrinthe
Diplomats: These are public servants who
are assigned by their respective governments or
guilds to conduct matters of diplomacy on their
behalf. They focus on matters including foreign
relations, treaties, trade and commerce, and
strategic agreements. Each country might have
multiple diplomats in a host country—but only
one ambassador.
Ambassadors: These are high-ranking
diplomats who are typically representatives
of their own government but who reside in
another country or territory. In this case, they’re
residents of Montaigne, and they’re the ranking
representatives of their countries. They may
serve on temporary or long-term assignments.
204 Paix
As there is only one embassy in Paix,
the Ambassadors do not each have an
embassy. Rather, they have rooms at the
Montaigne Embassy, where they do their
work. The ambassadors and their diplomatic
staff are afforded diplomatic immunity,
and on L’Empereur’s word this cannot be
countermanded. The only way he could do
so is by changing the law. However, should
L’Empereur choose to do so, he could target
anyone through unofficial means.
The role of ambassadors is to serve their
country’s interests and help its citizens, most
particularly when they’re present in the host
country. There, they seek to create beneficial
treaties, handle foreign relations, and work
toward peace, prosperity and advantage for their
citizens. It does not always work that way, but
it’s their intention.
Diplomats of all ranks are not immune to
corruption, and many opportunities exist for it,
but most diplomats know what’s at stake and
what they would be placing on the line were
they to betray their country’s interests. However,
like anywhere else there are those who take
advantage—some foolishly take a chance, while
others are more calculating in their actions.
Courtiers: These are people who are
frequently found in the retinue of the Imperial
family of Montaigne or other foreign leaders.
Not all are members of the nobility; they can
also include soldiers, clergy, valets and other
retainers who have a role connected with
the court in Charouse or the running of the
Embassy. Some courtiers are in Paix with the
express purpose of gathering intelligence for
L’Empereur or carrying out his orders, though
most would not deal with him directly (they
would deal with an advisor in his stead).
Delegates: Individuals chosen or elected to
speak for others and potentially act on their
behalf. For example, they might speak for cities,
societies, organizations or groups of people.
A diplomat or a politician could be a delegate
attending a meeting, conference or event.
 Retainers: People in service to others or the service
of a family. For example, a noble lord may have
retainers including a valet, personal guards, a Duelist
to fight duels on his behalf, and a food taster if he
fears poisoning. A group of retainers accompanying
an important person is known as a retinue.
The Queen’s Arms Tavern
One of the best taverns in Paix, The Queen’s Arms
is known for its quality beers (many of which
are imported from Eisen), its varied assortment
of wines and its traditional Eisen architecture.
Situated in the center of the Old District, it’s a
tavern that outshines the others around it but was
built for the common people. That’s the way the
tavern owner, Jules Kelvert, likes it.
After marrying his Montaigne wife, he decided
Paix could use a decent drinking establishment
and that’s what he’s built. Even though his
tavern caters to the common classes, the wealthy
gravitate to it as well. Until recently it was not
unusual to see patrons leave class boundaries
outside. That’s changed since the war began
though, and nobles have become more cautious.
Even though poverty is rife in Montaigne, the
tavern still has plenty of patrons. Hearty meals
are also served there, but they’re on the higher
end in terms of price, so many more patrons
drink than eat. Visitors find The Queen’s Arms
to be a high-quality establishment without the
pomp, and a hub for beer enthusiasts.
The Riverside Theater
One of the oldest and grandest theaters in Paix,
The Riverside Theater overlooks the Trade River
as it meets the boundary of the wealthy district.
The theater is surrounded by fine restaurants
and wealthy homes. Plays, concerts and operas
are performed there, and the theater is owned by
Madame Cosette Desmarais. She traveled with
some of the most popular theater troupes in her
heyday, and now in her seventies, she occasionally
appears in the plays at her theater. She is well-
known in the city, and many people remember
her from performances when she was younger.
The theater is a tall, attractive building three
storeys high, it towers over the restaurants close
by, and is a social center for the wealthy in the
city. There has been a noticeable dwindling of
numbers since the war began, but Madame
Desmarais is dedicated to creating entertainment
to take people’s minds off more serious matters.
The theater is open every night, and has a fine
reception hall and smoking room, a bar with
beverages and one main theater with seating for a
thousand. While the theater attracts nobility, an
increasing number of theater-goers are wealthy
merchants and financiers.
The Remembered Church
(Vaticine Cathedral)
When the entire Montaigne population was
excommunicated from the Vaticine faith, its priests
were ordered to leave Montaigne, even those who
were citizens of the country. Some Vaticine churches
were boarded up to keep visitors out, and others
were merely locked and left to the elements. A few
have been taken over by the Objectionists in the city
despite widespread protests and disapproval, as there
are pragmatists who would not see them wasted.
Every abandoned church in Paix has been
pillaged to some degree. There are societies,
such as the Explorer’s Society, who are venturing
further into the crypts in search of religious
relics, knowing that if they do not acquire them,
then fortune hunters likely will. There are also
the desperate who seek the shelter and means to
survive that the church can help provide.
The Remembered Church is the former
Vaticine Cathedral of Paix, and it’s located in the
Old District. It is massive and ornate, and built
of stone with stained glass windows depicting the
prophets, angels and Theus himself. It’s called the
Remembered Church because the faithful still pray
there, light candles and maintain the cathedral in
defiance of the country’s excommunication.
It is a home to those people who will not turn
away from their faith, but there are no priests
to be found there. Some of the poor flooding
7th Sea | Paix 205
 into Paix have taken up residence in the former
priests’ accommodations nearby, and they help
with the upkeep of the cathedral. Some have
taken it upon themselves to help clothe and
feed those needing help, and in that way the
Remembered Church lives on and has become
the church of the people. Due to their devotion,
some of the formerly homeless have become its
unofficial clergy.
The Underground Market
Like any other major city, Paix has its seedier
side. The Underground Market is literally
beneath the city streets, located in a cavernous
section of sewers below the Merchant District,
which is no longer connected to the tunnels
206
around it. It’s a location where goods of a
dubious nature are sold and traded, including
stolen and black-market goods, relics, poisons,
drugs, weapons and information. There’s only
one visitor entrance into the Underground
Market, and that’s from the cellar of the
Bucking Horse Tavern, though there is a goods
lift accessible from a warehouse nearby. Its
doors are bolted shut when not in use.
The tavern is intentionally unclean and its
seats uncomfortable, with watered down ale
and food that’s seen better days. This keeps
discerning patrons away, so there are fewer
people to notice anything untoward from the
tavern’s more frequent visitors. So terrible is the
tavern, it’s frequently joked about by district
residents, but in a time when money is scarce,
it’s usually avoided. Those allowed to visit the
market are given a silver coin with a winged
horse on its surface, which they present upon
entry. Aside from the tavern staff, they’re the
only ones allowed to descend to the cellar,
where the market entrance is located.
The Underground Market is enormous with
dozens of stalls selling a dizzying array of
goods. Not all of their origins are shady, nor
are all of them illegal, but many are. A large
proportion of the black-market goods are
smuggled into Paix from trading ships but some
are locally manufactured. Members of secret
societies including Rilasciare and the Explorer’s
Society are frequent visitors to the market,
seeking out goods they can acquire.
A small militia protects the Underground
Market and keeps unwanted people out. To
date, the Underground Market has not been
raided, and this is because some of the city
guards are on their payroll. While there are
many small-time criminals throughout the city,
the Underground Market is more commonly
frequented by serious career-criminals, pirates
and terrorists.
The Sinking Marshes
Located to the northwest of Paix, The Sinking
Marshes can be dangerous to the unwary who
stumble into them. They are also home to a
number of native birds, as well as animals such
as the climbing panther and the marsh fox.
The marsh fox is a particularly sought-after
pet, as they’re highly intelligent and sometimes
used for hunting smaller animals. For this
reason, trappers are occasionally spotted around
the Sinking Marshes and there have been one or
two accidents involving inexperienced trappers
in the past. Some rumors say they were tricked
into drowning by their would-be prey.
Secret Societies
A number of secret societies have a presence
in Paix, and some are more subtle than others.
Rilasciare may be technically classed as a
terrorist organization, but they have a large
membership among the residents of Paix as the
city is a hub for international politics.
The nobility congregates in the city for many
reasons, from duty to personal ties, and this
may make them a target of some groups, while
some are members of others. The city’s distance
from L’Empereur also conveys a false sense of
security that words spoken are less likely to
reach the wrong ears. Open and established
societies such as the Explorer’s Society, The
Duelist’s Guild and the Knights of the Rose
and Cross also have chapter houses in Paix.
Rilasciare
The secret society with the most passionate
membership in the city is Rilasciare, and
their members are frequently stirring up
tensions among the populace. They have had a
presence in the city for as long as the Embassy
has existed, and their numbers are growing.
Rilasciare is looking for opportunities to bolster
its numbers, and as more newcomers flood into
Paix, they do not have to try very hard to recruit
new members and spread their ideals.
Many newcomers have a life of poverty; others
have watched their livelihoods dwindle, they
have lost loved ones to the war or they have
watched Charouse sink further into decadence
and corruption. It’s hard to deny the reality of
Montaigne’s crisis when people have experienced
it firsthand, and they cannot envision how the
future would be any better. Rilasciare knows how
to stoke the fires of rebellion to get their desired
results and they will not stop until they have a
revolution on their hands. It might be the last
thing Montaigne needs…or the only thing that
can save it.
The Explorer’s Society
The Explorer’s Society has long had a presence
in the city. Paix has proven a useful travel hub
for its members, particularly given its proximity
to Castille. It operates a chapter house in the
administrative district, near the West City Gate,
with an adjoining museum where members can
view some of the fruits of the society’s efforts.
There, they offer one of the largest Montaigne
collections of religious and Syrneth relics outside
of Charouse, as well as an extensive library with
both ancient scrolls and newer volumes in the
areas of archaeology, science, history and fiction.
Recently, the Explorer’s Society has been
eager to gain access to some of the Montaigne
churches containing relics they wish to claim
and preserve. Some parties see this as outright
theft or a desecration of their faith, but
members of the society are not easily dissuaded.
Their motivations are not financial, but they do
have the interests of the society at heart.
The Explorer’s Society has recently explored a
cave network on the eastern coastline of Surlign
Province, and they have successfully retrieved
a number of Syrneth relics. They have accessed
all the tunnels they could safely explore, and
placed temporary barriers inside the entrance to
keep out unwanted visitors. They have not given
up on further exploring the cave network, but
they’re studying how best to access the tunnels
and areas that cannot be safely reached yet.
7th Sea | Paix 207
 They know there are likely more relics to be
found deeper in the cave network, and those
discovered so far suggest a biological facility with
unique technologies and compounds that have
not been found among Syrneth relics before. The
tunnels also have an animal and wildlife presence,
so the society’s aim is to retrieve as much as they
can without putting their people at undue risk.
The Rose & Cross
Their chapter house is in the Old District near
the East City Gate. The house’s origins date back
to a time before the Embassy was built, and it has
not changed much in the last thirty years. It’s a
renovated mansion with training yards outside. A
stable lies behind the main chapter house. Knights
of the Rose and Cross have had their work cut
out for them lately, but despite the upheaval and
poverty rife throughout Montaigne and beyond,
they do what they can to uphold their lofty goals
and help the people who need them most.
The Venerable Order of
Esteemed Gentlemen
This is a group of some of the wealthiest men
in Théah who meet weekly in Paix. They have
a clubhouse of sorts in the wealthy district,
and it’s a massive, sprawling property that
takes luxury to an extreme. It overlooks one of
Paix’s finest beaches and has every convenience.
Members of the Order are notorious gamblers,
who frequently bet on outlandish adventures
proposed by members of the group or
individuals who seek their financial support.
If a goal is outrageous enough, an adventure
enticing enough and especially if members of
the Order can come along for the ride, they will
be more likely to support it. This might present
daring Heroes the chance to gain a wealthy patron
who is not afraid to take risks. If so, the person will
not necessarily be the one who achieved the goal
but who sought it out in the most entertaining
way possible. Members of the Order are by their
nature wealthy, bored and seeking entertainment.
208 Paix
The Duelist’s Guild
The Duelist’s Guild’s guild house is located in the
administrative district near the North City Gate.
Guild members visiting the city are expected to
register with the guild house as soon as possible
after arriving in Paix. Its location near the North
City Gate is for convenience, but dates back to
a time before the city extended all the way to
the ocean. A lot of visitors to Paix now arrive
by ship, and it’s a considerable journey to reach
The Duelist’s Guild’s guild house if undertaken
on foot. They’re usually more relaxed about
adherence to the registration rule than other
guild houses if it takes longer than usual.
The guild house is smaller than many of its
counterparts in other cities. It provides a common
room with a members-only tavern, employment
and legal services, sparring grounds and a stable
where Duelists can put up their horses free of
charge. Its focus is centered on the quick and easy
registration of Duelists arriving in the city and the
testing of new members. As dueling is a common
occurrence in the city, The Duelist’s Guild sees a
significant quantity of work.
Villains
Ambassador José Reyes
José Reyes is the Castillian Ambassador serving
at Le Labyrinthe. He has been tasked with
putting a stop to the war between Montaigne
and Castille, ensuring fair treatment of Castillian
prisoners of war and retrieving Castillian relics.
José Reyes is a thin, wiry man in his 40s with a
slightly-bent nose, which had once been broken.
He was not always thin, but the war has had a
negative effect on his well-being. He’s clean-shaven
and usually wears his hair tied back into a tail. He
has bushy eyebrows, and a kind face, but this is a
mask he hides behind. He was always somewhat
cold by nature, but the predicament he finds
himself in has further intensified those tendencies.
José Reyes is also a member of the Order of
Esteemed Gentlemen and extremely wealthy.
 José Reyes was sent to Castille as a replacement
for the previous ambassador, who was recalled
to Castille after failing to prevent the war. It
was hoped Ambassador Reyes would be more
successful in helping his people, but they’re so
far unaware that he is collaborating with the
enemy and making only a minimal attempt at
negotiations. He does only what’s required of
him; nothing more, and he knows it’s allowing
the current state of affairs to continue.
There are several reasons for this. For one, he’s
receiving significant payoffs from a contact within
the Imperial Palace in Charouse. It’s no secret that
L’Empereur has gained much by pillaging Castille
of relics and valuables, and some individuals want
this to continue without interference.
The other reason for his collaboration is the
assertion that he will not live long or remain in
his position as Ambassador if he works against
Montaigne interests. He’s all but decided the
continuation of the war is inevitable, and he can
either forfeit his life or grow riche. He knows
what he’s doing is wrong and he regrets it, but
he’s found a way to silence the voice in his mind
that tells him so—copious drink, though he
usually holds back until after hours.
Portraying Ambassador José Reyes
José Reyes is a quiet and serious man. He
always was to some degree, but it’s only
grown as the
war between
Castille and
Montaigne has
progressed.
He has a
kind face, and
while working
he projects an
impression of wealth
and competency. However,
there are moments when
his sadness seeps
through, and more
than that, shame.
He’s a broken man who tries to hide it. In his
own mind’s eye, he sees himself as a monster.
During the day, José Reyes usually can be
found in his rooms at Le Labyrinthe. After
hours, he’s a regular patron at The Queen’s
Arms or he drinks at home. He meets weekly
with the Order of Esteemed Gentlemen, which
he has found to be enjoyable company and
finds they distract him from thoughts regarding
matters of war and politics, if only for a while.
José Reyes was a good man once, but he’s
been twisted by the war, threats and the nature
of the political sphere. If provided with an
opportunity to help his people, he may take it
if he could be sure it would go unnoticed by
those paying him off. He’s certain they watch
him, and he has a nervousness bordering on
paranoia. However, he’s prepared to turn his
back on anyone or anything in order to remain
safe and in his position as Ambassador.
Story Hooks
• José Reyes has been kidnapped by an
unknown party and a ransom demand has
been left in his office at Le Labyrinthe, pinned
to his desk with a knife. Duchess Georgette
Deneuve du Surlign believes it may be a ploy
to sow distrust among arriving delegates at
the Embassy and not just a matter of money.
She asks the Heroes to get to the bottom of
it and help find the Castillian
Ambassador with the aid of her
forces.
• José Reyes learns of a plot to
blow up Le Labyrinthe, and unsure
of who he can trust, reaches out to the
Heroes for help. He tells the Heroes
he does not want to be seen as a
fool if he’s wrong, but he’s afraid of
becoming a target for the would-
be bombers. He anticipates
trouble if anyone realizes his
treachery.
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 Francine Paix
Francine considers herself a loyal Montaigne
citizen, but her rage has grown at the injustice
rife in her country—and even her city of Paix,
and the indulgences of the rich that occur as far
too many common people starve or are killed in
a war not of their choosing.
Her commitment to justice is understandable
and even admirable, but Francine’s fury has
grown. She believes the only way to rebuild the
new is to tear down the old. While L’Empereur
remains in power, that cannot happen. While
the wealthy nobility lose themselves in luxury
and bury their heads in the sand, Montaigne
suffers. She’s intent on changing the status quo,
but she knows that if you’re going to make an
omelet, you have to crack some eggs.
She believes that in order for Rilasciare’s greater
goals to succeed, she must help incite rebellion and
destroy what stands in their way. There are bound
to be losses—some on their side, some their
targets’, and some innocent people who are merely
in the wrong place at the wrong time. She has
ruled those acceptable losses if it means getting
the job done. That’s the only way she sees things
changing, and without increasing their strength
with more members, they do not stand any chance
of success.
Francine will see Montaigne reborn anew,
even if she has to tear Théah apart to do it. The
skills
she
brings
to bear
are those of
her cause, and she’s a
dangerous woman. She’s
also extremely attractive,
in her 20s, with long blonde
hair she wears in tousled waves.
It would be all too easy to lose
oneself in her steel gray eyes,
without knowing her true
purpose and capabilities. She
210
has a cell of five recruits and they’re planning a
major offensive in Paix. The wealthy are their
main target.
Portraying Francine Paix
Francine Paix is a young but very focused,
passionate woman. She also has a palpable rage
that ripples below the surface, manifesting in
a short temper and unwavering intensity. She’s
not one for small talk or insignificant matters.
She’s not one for love either, because she’s not
sure she’ll survive her sacred duty.
Despite her inherent loveliness and passionate
nature, she’s a murderer looking for more
opportunities to commit atrocities against those
she deems deserving. Even if it would not help
her to achieve her aims for the country, she
would still choose to kill those in power. Her
hopes for Montaigne are real, and she wants
to see great sacrifice bring about great rewards.
She’s consumed with vengeance, even though
the wealthy and noble of Montaigne have not
done anything significantly damaging to her.
Their existence and actions are enough.
Story Hooks
• One of the Heroes awakens in Francine’s
bed after a night of heavy drinking and
overhears her conversation with a stranger
outside the room. The Hero learns of their
plot to blow up the Southern Marketplace
in the wealthy district and must act to
prevent it from happening.
• A potential bombing of the Trade Ministry
in the administrative district is foiled by
the Paix guards. While the Heroes are
visiting a local tavern, a young woman stirs
up the passion and anger of the crowd and
claims the potential targets deserved it. She
then attempts to recruit the Heroes to the
Rilasciare cause.
Potential Rumors and
Mysteries about the City
of Paix
• A map has been found that suggests Paix
was built over ancient Syrneth ruins and
these can be accessed via the sewers.
• It is believed by some that the plague is rife
among the wealthy but they do not want
the residents of the city to know it.
• A number of bodies have been found dead
by the mouth of the Trade River. There
might be a serial killer on the loose.
• A marsh fox belonging to the Avalonian
Ambassador, William Brown, has escaped
in Paix and he’s offering a generous reward
for his pet’s return.
• An angelic apparition has appeared at the
Remembered Church on three successive
nights. There are those who believe it’s a
message from Theus.
• Shadowy figures have been spotted on the
rooftops of the Old District almost every
night, but no one has been able to discover
who they are or why they’re there.
• Thousands of coins from every nation have
been found at the bottom of a well on a
hillside east of Paix. No one knows how
they got there, but some people believe they
could have sorcerous origins.
• People claim to have seen body snatchers in
the Paix cemetery. There’s even a claim that
the buried bodies returned to life once dug
up. It has fueled vampire myths among the
city’s residents.
Beyond Paix: entry by treasure hunters. It forms part of the
The Province of Surlign
Surlign is a small province in Montaigne,
and while Paix is its only city, it encompasses
farms, villages, the Sinking Marshes and a cave
network with Syrneth origins outside the city.
Use of ‘Paix’ in Montaigne Terminology
A commoner from the City of Paix may use the city name
as their surname. For instance, Carla Paix might be a
commoner from the City of Paix.
The moniker ‘du Paix’ is a pseudonym taken on by those
who have chosen to conceal their real name, but do not
mind others knowing their decision not to use it.
If a Montaigne citizen wants to conceal their identity more
thoroughly, it would make sense to use another name
instead. ‘Du Paix’ tends to peak the curiosity of those who
understand its meaning.
Nobles who have found themselves exiled or disinherited,
or otherwise without a home in Montaigne might choose
to append ‘du Paix’ after their surname. For instance, Isolde
Valroux du Paix is the format for such a name.
Tamleau and Bastian
The villages of Tamleau and Bastian are the
largest villages in Surlign Province. Tamleau has a
population of 1,745 residents and Bastian has 602.
The famed Drayvere Winery is located to
the east of Tamleau. The winery goes back
almost 200 years, and many people would have
forgotten about the area’s existence altogether if
it was not for the winery.
A range of food crops are also grown around
Tamleau and Bastian, much of which finds its
way onto plates in Paix.
The Syrne Cave
A treasure trove of Syrneth relics was found
submerged in a cave network on the coastline
near the eastern border of Surlign province. The
cave mouth and its connecting tunnels is known
only as “the Syrne Cave” and an access tunnel
has been temporarily blocked to prevent further
vast cave network, some of which extends back
in the direction of Paix. Not all the caves have
been explored since many are underwater or
have collapsed. It’s likely more artifacts exist in
the caves, but for the moment those that could
be safely and easily accessed already have been.
7th Sea | Paix 211
 Anyone who bypasses the barriers and enters
the cave system does so at their own peril.
The Explorer’s Society has attempted to cover
up the cave’s existence, in order to minimize the
risk to visitors and preserve any relics that might
remain on the site. The cave itself is usually
deserted, but the Explorer’s Society frequently
has vessels sail past in order to keep an eye out
for unwanted visitors. There are warning signs at
the site that no one will come to rescue anyone
trapped in the caves due to their own foolishness.
As for the relics that remain at the site, most of
them are of a medical and biological nature. There
are blooms that never die, medicines that heal the
wounded and defy the laws of natural philosophy
and there is a small population of animals that were
originally bred for scientific testing. Mainly rabbits
and birds have adapted to their environment,
212 Paix
but some still show signs of strangeness from the
devices and concoctions tested on their ancestors
by the Syrne. Some have almost chameleonic
abilities in order to evade being seen, others do
not die, and some have a haunting shriek that
might draw visitors inside. Even from the cave
entrance, fluttering can often be heard within the
cave, but the source is seldom found.
Duchess Georgette
Deneuve du Surlign
Georgette is responsible for the day to day
running of the Montaigne Embassy (Le
Labyrinthe), ensuring its upkeep and that
matters are handled as per Montaigne law.
She is tall with long dark hair, which she wears in
impeccably styled tight curls. Her eyes are green—
that rare shade that leaves a lasting impression, and
she has a charismatic presence, though she can be
domineering at times. She favors simple silk dresses
in muted shades. She makes no attempt to stand
out, and yet she often does.
Georgette has a quick mind, but she does not
always show it. She allows people to make their
own judgments about her, and finds that people
often underestimate her, despite her profession.
Sometimes this gives her a small advantage, but
she already has a larger one. L’Empereur would
not have entrusted management of the Embassy
to just anyone. She’s more than up to the task,
but she’s often driven by the mental game that
politics presents. She also has her own network
of spies, which her retainers operate with the
goals of Montaigne’s prosperity in mind.
She has seen for herself the way the game
is rigged, including the game that is life. So
much depends on the hand one is dealt, so she’s
taken it upon herself to even the score. A few
words spoken in support can turn the tide, but
so too can the Duchess work against a cause
if someone offends her. She is typically fair-
minded, as long as she’s treated with respect.
Portraying Duchess Georgette
Deneuve du Surlign
Georgette has a dominant
personality and she’s quick
to engage others in
conversation, but
her deeper, more
significant words are
more thought out.
She’s perfected the
art of small-talk and
influencing people
through what
might seem
like mundane
conversation.
She’s an
excellent
listener, and in
so doing, she
encourages others to talk—about themselves,
their lives, their plans and intentions. She treats
others well regardless of their status or class.
Her friendly approach to information-gathering
is seen as social more than strategic, but the fact is
it’s both. Georgette is a social butterfly, but she has
the wisdom to tread carefully where she needs to
and reveals little about herself except for what she
intends to. Georgette’s mind is always active, even
when she appears relaxed.
Play Georgette as a friendly, professional and
slightly bossy individual who is not afraid to ask
questions and, in certain situations, act on that
information. While she will listen, it should be
much more difficult to get promises out of her,
as her plans are undecided until she makes a firm
decision. She has the potential to be a hugely
influential ally, but only if plans align with her
principles, many of which are a mystery.
Story Hooks
• War has ravaged not only Castille, but
Montaigne causing widespread poverty and
growing dissent. Georgette has come into
possession of information that the Castillian
Ambassador, José Reyes, is being blackmailed.
She wants to see the war end, but she knows
his situation is only contributing to its
continuation. Can the Heroes put a stop to it in
order to help the war end?
• Assassins have twice targeted delegates
who will be attending an upcoming peace
summit at Le Labyrinthe. After the Heroes
are known in the city, Georgette publicly
enlists their help to bring the assassins to
justice.
Georgette’s Web—The
Network of Eight
Duchess Georgette Deneuve du
Surlign has a web of spies who
supply her with information. While
a significant number are in Paix,
she also has spies and informants in
L’Empereur’s court in Charouse, and
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 other locations including Castille, Vodacce, Vendel
and as far away as Ifri. Georgette has gone out of
her way to ensure that they’re unaware that they’re
working for her. Instead, her spies are told they’re
working for “Montaigne interests, and those who
would like to see the war end.” It’s a sentiment
shared by many people in Montaigne and it has
helped in her agents’ recruitment of spies.
There are no instances where Duchess
Georgette deals with her spies directly. Instead,
she has two trusted retainers: Marcus du Lac and
Vincent Michel du Paix. They are effectively her
spymasters, but Marcus holds the official role of
International Relations Attaché and Vincent’s
official role is Domestic Relations Attaché.
Marcus is a man in his senior years, and he
operates the foreign aspects of Georgette’s
spy network. Vincent is a younger man and
manages the domestic network in Montaigne.
Both Marcus and Vincent have retainers of
their own, just as their retainers do.
Information gathered is passed along a chain
of contacts, using changeable locations at the
lower levels of the chain and set locations at the
chain’s higher levels. Lower-level contacts often
meet in gardens, backstreets, stables and by the
docks. Higher-level contacts exchange messages
through distinct locations, rather than meeting
in person, unless they serve at a location such
as a court or the Embassy. In the past, these
included churches, but they’re no longer used in
Montaigne. Tavern rooms, cellars, stores after
hours and administrative offices are most often
used for meetings, and dropping off and collecting
messages. Typically a signal is placed in plain sight
by another network contact, in order to inform a
spy that a message is waiting for retrieval.
Information acquired by spies is always put in
writing and re-transcribed before it’s passed further
up the chain. No letter or message is ever touched
by Georgette directly, because of the risk of contact
poison. Georgette is typically briefed each day by
her spymasters. There is frequent crossover in their
duties, so they work together on occasion, but she
also has them keep an eye on each other.
214 Paix
At present, she does not trust anyone else enough
to recruit further members of her spy network at
a high level. Each retainer farther down the chain
can hire no more than two retainers of their own,
and a strong emphasis is placed on assuring their
loyalty. There are eight levels to the chain. While
spies at all levels of the chain may passively acquire
information, greater risks are only taken by those
in specific placements and those spies at the lowest
levels of the chain. They undertake information-
gathering missions including riskier assignments
and dealings with outside contacts.
Even in Paix, Georgette attempts to adhere
to the eight-link rule. While it broadens the
number of people involved in the network, it also
helps ensure the security of those farther up the
chain. Any spy recruiting new members will be
at least five links from the top of the chain, unless
they have lost a retainer and chosen to replace
them. There is no means of progression through
the ranks in the network, and that’s just how the
Duchess likes it. Spies who prove themselves
worthy will receive more challenging missions
suited to their circumstances and skills, but they
will remain as far down the chain as they were on
day one. While it might seem counterintuitive,
it is one way of ensuring their commitment is to
the cause, and not just ambition or an attempt to
get closer to those in command.
The Chain & Feigned Death
Georgette learned of a small treasure trove of Syrneth
relics recovered along the Montaigne coast within her
province, which were subsequently brought to Paix.
Relics often take the form of devices, but these were
liquids, powders and stones. She used her network
to acquire samples of the recovered relics from the
Explorer’s Society chapter house, after learning some
had miraculous properties.
Scientists employed by her network have
managed to synthesize a toxin that simulates the
effects of death. She calls it,“Gray Silk.” Each
member of the network now has a small tablet of
this compound, which they typically wear in hidden
compartments of their jewelry, such as poison
rings and pendants, and even dagger hilts. Gray
Silk can keep the human body in a survivable but
unconscious condition for up to six weeks. After
this time, the person simply wakes up very hungry
and thirsty with symptoms similar to the tail end
of a cold. While under the effects of Gray Silk, an
agent needs no food or water and very little air. The
agent is immune to torture during this duration, but
they’re in an entirely vulnerable state and can still
be killed through an act of violence. Two local spies
in the network have been buried alive, but both
were successfully retrieved before the effects of the
compound wore off. This is the source of a rumor
about body snatchers in the Paix cemetery.
Directive One
Each member of the network in the five highest levels
has been assigned one specific order, in addition to
their regular duties. This is known as “Directive
One.” This asks that should any spies come within
direct access to L’Empereur, they should attempt to
poison him using Gray Silk. Georgette is not sure
yet that she would see him removed completely; if
anything, she would like to see L’Empereur educated
about the nature of non-Imperial life in Montaigne.
If a spy should succeed at poisoning him, they’re to
immediately notify their superior and if possible,
ensure L’Empereur is not found.
Story Hooks
• One of the Heroes is recruited into
Georgette’s network as a minor spy. She must
undergo a loyalty test when it’s discovered
that her recruiter has betrayed the cause and
must be assassinated for their treachery. If the
recruit refuses, they gain trust in the network.
• The Heroes discover a spy stealing
information from a diplomatic office in
Paix. When they confront the thief, he takes
the compound and appears to die, but a few
days later one of the Heroes sees him on the
street alive and well. Can the Heroes find
out how he’s alive and what he wanted?
• A Hero employed by the network is tasked
with helping transport a kidnapped enemy to
a safe location in Paix, with a claim that he’ll
supposedly face justice. It’s only when the Hero
arrives that they learn the man is L’Empereur
laid low by Gray Silk, and the spies want him to
discover life without Imperial privilege.
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