kingtycoon | 7th Sea Campaign session 1

Here’s the story that transpired.

They all started not knowing each other – which is how I roll DM-wise. The story was they join the crew of The Madrigal Gallows a lightly notable ship on a few of the 7 Seas. Early in October the ship could be found in Oslo – Captain Castaneda desperately seeking crewmen. So desperate in fact that he was willing to take on the giant northman Niklas, the stormy-eyed and ferociously bearded. Niklas’ Castillian being nonexistent – he only grudgingly joins the crew as the first and only member in the opening minutes of the campaign. It being early October the ships out of Oslo are all desperate for crewmen, and poor Captain Castaneda cannot be picky – what with the peculiar mystery of his voyage.

You see, ports throughout Europe have word of the Madrigal Gallows – that no one knows where it goes and that no one knows how, but that it’s crews all retire early, or start their own ships with the proceeds. That’s the word anyway, that Capt. Castaneda pays well as long as you don’t ask questions. Niklas’ language barrier helps him fit the mold, but the captain, disheartened, has to go to fill up the ranks – so he sails on down to Copenhagen where he manages a little more luck, but not much – gaining only Gunnar, the silent, powerfully build Teuton and Otto, the hostile, capable Prussian. Otto immediately determined that he would be the second in command, and proceeded to push around the two other crewmen, who stoically ignored him.

From there to Portsmouth where the crew was joined by old veterans of the Madrigal Gallows - Francis, the fantastically hirsute and profane Irishman and Gustavo, the alarmingly super-mario like sicillian.

Not until putting into port at Marseilles did any of the PCs with any sailing or boating or ship experience get jumped into the crew – the flamboyant and affably arrogant Rene and the secretive and the secretive and mysterious Esteban, lately of Mallorca. These old salts had some sense about them, noticing that the fabulous price offered by Captain Castaneda – a very highly educated individual, a graduate of the university of Castile no less. More than that, they noticed the ship was very low in the water, very clearly filled with cargo, and they had heard rumors from many that the Gallows was a fine and successful ship, but that no-one in Europe knows of its destinations.

So after taking on enough player-characters the ship sets off into the 7^th sea, the one that encircles Europe – the only continent. On the first day at the end of the second watch a storm was sighted by the vigilant Gunnar, while Esteban, the Rascal explored the hold, or tried to – only to find it very securely locked by several chains and padlocks. Curious but not yet suspicious the crew’s confusion was increased by the captain’s insistence that they make for the storm and do their best to sail into it. Refusing that his men face danger Castaneda orders them to quarters, and then for safety locked them inside. Only the stubborn Niklas, giant of the North refused, wanting to see the storm himself. He watched the captain send an iron rod attached to a metal cable up the mast and then sail into the storm and then he stumbled and nearly fell clear of the ship as it neared capsizing. Fortunatly the patient and goodly captain rescued the northman and secured him in his own peculiar quarters for the night. In the morning the crew was at last released from their soggy quarters and immediately went about their shiply duties, making excellent time. The Prussian Otto’s complicated personality flaws manifested and he did his best to belittle and provoke as many as he could, only succeeding in shaming himself. Meanwhile the ship finds a good slot and makes excellent speed. Speed for where? No one knows and they begin to question their quick agreement to join the crew.

On the third day another storm was found, far to the north in the seas around mythical Thule. Again Castaneda heads for the storm, again he locks the crew away for their safety, again he raises the lightning rod – but this time, there is lightning. No one observes what the captain is up to, but they discover in midafternoon when at last he releases them that the ship is in ruins, the masts all broken, the sails flung to the winds.

“Now,” Castaneda informs them, in his tight churchman’s voice, “we show our true colors.” And with that, he hangs a white flag off the bow. Meanwhile the ever perceptive Gunnar has noticed a pod of whales heading for the ship and a strange and persistent thrumming from below. The Rascal Esteban, taking this as his cue, uses the distraction of the uncharacteristic whale attack to force the doors to the ship’s hold. Gunnar and Niklas man the harpoons and drive off one whale, who tips the ship to spite them, knocking poor Gustavo off, he is in turn nearly eaten up by one of the leviathans – only narrowly saved by the superior panache of Rene who is quick with a rescue line. All the while Esteban has finally found what secret lies in the belly of the Madrigal Gallows – merely rack upon rack and row upon row of what appears to be brandy. Brandy of a strange vintage, for all the casks quiver and there is scratching coming from within them all. As Gustavo is saved he is simultaneously doomed – for Esteban, curious to a fault, opens one of the casks, to reveal a pickled man! His eyes and mouth sewn shut and soaked through in brandy – he nevertheless stands up and begins lurching toward him. Taking the initiative Esteban flees the hold and locks it up behind him.

He takes to the deck to accuse the captain of imagined and inhuman villainy – but the Captain only tells of his practical plan, one that he has engaged before. Posing the Madrigal as rich and crippled, he nears port until he is waylaid. Then the casks are delivered to whatever pirate vessel has accosted the Gallows and when the pickled men arise – revivified by lightning –they do the hard work of capturing the predatory ship.

No one likes this plan, and when the Captain learns that one of his men has been freed he is horrified. “They are trained to free each other!” He cries, and heads for the longboat. The others join him, failing to rally and the whole crew takes to the longboat’s safety – abandoning ship.

For grim hours they wait, and watch as the storm is once again upon them. Making a fateful decision they commit to returning to the Gallows to live or die there, and hope that the reanimate corpses do not escape the hold.

The ships lone gun is trained on the hatches, the crew, in mutinous rage forces Castaneda to remain on the longboat, to be prey to the avenging Whales of God (again) or to die in the storm that the ships are slipping into, ever closer, ever closer.

When at last the pounding on the hatches turns to the splintering sound of wood giving way under the undead fists of the pickled men – the ship has fallen into the dark spiraling tempest, and as the first crowd of the undead reaches the deck they are prey to the ship’s lone piece – as grapeshot explodes them. But there are more behind, many more, and the brandy ignites in the fusillade or in the lightning strike – as torrents of rain wash the gore from the decks and the valiant, terrified crew plan their next move – to be decided next week.