December 11, 2008

Fear Rules (Optional)

According to the 7th Sea GM's Guide,
When Heroes encounter a creature with Fear, all who view the creature must make a Resolve Roll against the Creature’s Fear Rating x 5. Those who fail lose a number of unkept dice from each roll equal to the creature’s Fear Rating while facing it.
After looking over the rules, they seem kind of weak. If you have fear rules it's because you want the players to fearful of these creatures. So a creature with a rank 1 fear has a TN of 5 to avoid. A player with Resolve of 2, is almost guaranteed to succeed in their roll. A player with a resolve of 1 has a 60% chance to succeed. In the GM's Guide they gave an example of Ghost with a Fear rank of 3. So a ghost should be pretty scary. But the TN to avoid the fear is 15. A Player with Resolve of 2 has 28% to succeed. Where a Player with 3 Resolve has a 66% to succeed. The average person would probably be scared, but someone with just a little more will, is likely uneffected. The other problem I have with the rules is the you fail is the all or nothing effect. So here is the new rule I came up with.
When Heroes encounter a creature with Fear, all who view the creature must make a Resolve Roll against the Creature’s Fear Rating x 10. Those who fail lose 1 unkept dice + 1 unkept dice for every 5 you failed the roll by upto the creature’s Fear Rating while facing it.
Example: The party encounters a ghost. The ghost has a Fear Rating of 3, meaning the Party must make a Resolve Test against a TN of (30). Reme rolls a 32, he succeed and therefore has no effect. Gregor rolls a 27. He loses 1 unkept dice to all of rolls while facing the ghost (1 because he failed the roll, but not more then 5). Jean-Marie rolled a 7. She loses 1 unkept dice, but because she failed the roll. Now because she fail by 23 she loses 1 unkept dice for every 5 (that would have been 5), but because the ghost has a Fear Rating 3, she only loses 2 more unkept dice, for a total of 3. Equal to the Fear Rating of 3.

If a character has a Fear Background, then that player has to roll for fear equal to Rank of the background when face there fear. If the nature of their fear also has a Fear Rating. Then they add their Background Rank to the Fear Rank.

Example: Einhardt is afraid of snakes. He has the background at Rank 1. When he encounters snakes he must roll Resolve vs. TN 10. But let's say he is fighting a really large snake that has a fear Rank of 2. The snake now has a Fear Rating of 3 to Einhardt. The other Players Roll Fear vs. TN 20, while Einhardt has to roll Fear vs. TN 30.

June 4, 2008

PC's

Montgomary D'Vore (Monty)
Montaigne Noble and Explore set on discovering the secrets of the past races that once inhabited Theah.

Dmitry Ekatnava Shkolnikov v'Novgorov
Ussuran swordsman cast out at the age of 6 and took to a life on the seas.

Rebecca Deveraux du Mons
Montaigne Noble, Scholar, Painter, and Porte Mage thats looking for her Father's killer.




Einhardt
Eisen Street Urchin and Second-story Man, sent to follow and help the group by his patron.

May 21, 2008

Pfeil und Kugel Brigade von Steinhelm

Bolt and Shot Brigade of Steinhelm
or
Pfeil und Kugel Brigade von Steinhelm

Pfeil und Kugel Brigade von Steinhelm. A Cavalry Crossbow and Artillery mercenary group out of Heilgrund 's Königreichen.

Flag







Banner






Originally called the Pfeil Brigade and were only a Mounted Crossbow group. But with the advent of Artillery, the group branched out to include and support Artillery Units and changed its name to reflect that change.
Original Shield / New Shield


Leaders
General Lance von Volhard
Captain Waltraut von Reichmann (Captain of the Crossbowman)
Captain Arthur Erich von Haas (Captain of the Artillery Units)

Artillery
6,500 Men
100 Cannons

15 men per cannon
8 Horses per cannon
50 Crossbowmen per Cannon

5 Cannons per Unit
20 Cannon Unit

Crossbowmen
(Those Units separate from the Artillery Units)
15,000 Crossbowmen

50 Crossbow men per unit
300 Units

Totals

21,500 Men
20,800 Horses

Current News:
No new commissions to report. Currently in negotiations with the Commanding General of the Castillian front.

Schwarze Eber Firma von Breydinberg

Black Boars Company of Breydinberg
or
Schwarze Eber Firma von Breydinberg
Schwarze Eber Firma von Breydinberg. A Landsknecht mercenary group out of Pösen's Königreichen. Although currently it's headquarters are in Freiburg.

Flag






Banner




Leaders
Commander Rowland Von dem Knesebeck
Captain Wilhelm Behnke, Captain of the Pikemen
Captain Georg von Frundsberg, Captain of the Doppelsoldner
Captain August Feldman, Captain of the Musketeers

Roughly 40,000 men, 120 Units.

120 Units containing 325 men,

Doppelsoldner carry Zweihanders.
50 Doppelsoldner = D

Pikemen carry Boar Spears, Shield on back and shortsword at side.
100 Pikemen = P

Musketeers carry Muskets with plug bayonet.
175 Musketeers = O

Typical Formation of a Schwarze Eber Firma Unit

Current News:
The Black Boars are in commission to the Montaigne Army fighting in Ussura.

Lance's Deal

The following is a short story depicting a crucial event in the life of Einhardt:

LANCE’S DEAL

Einhardt mutters to himself. “I hate religion.”

He shakes his head while staring at the ground in regret.

“I really, really do.”

The Year is 1667, and barely a year has passed since the conclusion of the War of the Cross. The thirty year war was costly, leaving a bloody and broken Eisen in its wake. The war ended without a clear victor, with nearly a third of the population having died in vain.

Einhardt sits down on one of the old battlefields where he can still hear the screams and shouts of the dead. His mind continuously tormented by the senseless slaughter, screaming souls, and the torture of yesteryear.

“At least what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger., ” He sighs.

What doesn’t kill a person makes him stronger indeed. If this horrible war can be considered a learning experience at all, it has taught the Eisens much about tolerance. The thirty years of bloodshed have turned many Theans from proselytizing, and even faithful Vaticines have adopted a more tolerant stance toward Objectionists.

“But the war is far from over.- Very far from over.”

The war that the rogue speaks of is of a new sort. As he lies his head back on a flat rock face, some of the most radical members of both religious groups have already began preparations for a new battlefront from behind the scenes. It is a much smaller war, but the rogue intends on keeping it that way. It is also a great way to pay the bills.

Einhardt reflects on the night before, as he closes his eyes to remember what Lance had revealed to him.

“100 Guilders a month.”

100 Guilders per month to interfere in the plans of religious fanatics? The words sent a chill of ecstacy down the rogue’s back.

Einhardt reflects further back, a week ago, when a friendly guildsman tipped him off to where this Objectionist noble lives. According to this source, a radical group of Objectionists were planning on something real big. Einhardt, naturally, lives for this sort of excitement. The one thing that has kept him alive during the war, the only thought that keeps him going everyday, is the thrill of putting down yet another religious freak. After all the lives that were lost during the War of the Cross, the least he can do is ruin the plans of anybody that may be looking to do it again.

As Einhardt steps out the door, with feather cap on, pouch, and rapier at a second’s notice, the only thoughts in his mind are to study this new threat, apply violence if necessary, and maybe, just maybe, grab a few souvenirs for good measure…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rogue stands before a metallic fence that towers before him. The estate is so enormous that the distance to the front door makes the mansion look like a dollhouse.

Einhardt pauses to study his surroundings as he looks for any security. Suddenly, he raises an eyebrow as a couple of dark figures suddenly appear from the darkness

“Aha! This is the nightshift Now let me tippy-toe all quiet like and jump right when they turn their back” Einhardt whispers.

With their backs turned, the rogue leaps up and over the other side of the enormous fence. He lands on his feet as quietly as a mouse.
“Now it’s my turn.”

Using the shadows cast by the various shrubs, gargoyles, and fountains, Einhardt effortlessly and swiftly slides his way into the heart of the estate before making a quick stop.

“Boy, was that ever close,” Einhardt stops himself as he stands over a trap. With rope in hand, Einhardt spots the overhead balcony and aims for the railing. The rope neatly knots itself around its destination as the rogue swings to the ceiling in one fell motion.

At that moment, one of the guards, having heard a noise, spins his head around and heads back towards Einhardt’s direction. As the footsteps near, Einhardt climbs around and hangs on to the ceiling waiting to put the drop on this guy.

“I thought I heard something.” Mutters the guard as he tosses his head to the left and then to the right. Satisfied he begins to make his way back when a great weight falls on top of him as he plummets face-first to the ground.

He didn’t even get to scream.

“That should put him to sleep temporarily. Now where was I? Oh yeah, the balcony.”

Lance was snoring in his bedroom when he awoke to a large crash.

“Wa? What? What was that? Lance blabbers.

The noble hastily puts on his robe and grabs his musket.

Einhardt stuffs his pouch filled with objects worth many Guilders but he still hasn’t found what he was really looking for – Information on any Objectionist plans and how to stop them. Just then, he hears footsteps draw near the living room, where he is located. The rogue pulls out his rapier, adopts his favorite stance, and waits by the door. As the person walks in, Einhardt drive the rapier in that direction..CLASH!!

The rapier contacts metal instead as the estate’s butler - carrying a tray filled with silverware- falls over, dropping the utensils everywhere.

“Guards!”

“Ooops..Time to get out of here.” As he knocks the butler out.

Lance approaches the front exit as the loud clashes of metal get louder and louder. And then, the sounds begin to fade gradually.

*Thump*
*Thump*
*Clash*

*Thump*

The sounds of battle disappear completely.

Standing before Lance is a lone man with a feather-tapped cap in standard Eisen peasant attire standing over a pile of fallen guards.

“Does somebody need to take out the trash?” Quips Einhardt.

Lance gives out a confident grin as he pulls out the musket from behind him.

“So who are you?” Inquires Lance.

“It depends. Who are you?”

“Who gives you the right, peasant to be asking ME questions? But very well. I am Lance, a nobleman, and I believe you are trespassing in my estate peasant and..”

Einhardt interrupts. “Are you an Objectionist?”

Lance looks surprised at the question and hesitates.. “Well, yes.”

“Then I am your worst nightmare.”Einhardt lowers his head, squints his eye, purses his lips, and rests his hand impatiently on his blade.

After having witnessed how quickly this peasant had dispatched some of his best guards, with a pull of a trigger he could easily end this dangerous threat right here and now, but Lance thought better of it. After all, the influential noble could use someone of his obvious abilities.

“Enough of this!” Einhardt demands boldly. “Wasn’t the war enough? Just what are you Objectionists up to now?”

“My my. Aren’t you just a bit paranoid. You are in no position to make demands.” As he readies his musket into position.

Lance sighs. “Look, my friend, I am not sure how you find out about me or why exactly you are here..”

“You know why I am here..” Einhardt snips coldly. “I came here to end whatever conspiracy you Objectionists are up to.” Lance looks on intrigued. “I am not going to let you nor the Vaticines destroy Eisen. No! I’d rather die first..”

“I am sure we can arrange that,” The nobleman smiles.. “However, that is not my intention, believe me.”

The rogue pauses waiting for Lance to continue..

”You see, my friend,” as Lance stares at the disheveled attire worn by the rogue, “Let me assure you that there is no underground Objectionist plot. “

Einhardt looks on in disbelief.

“No realty. The war has left both us and the Vaticines lacking the infrastructure necessary to coordinate something as big as another between us.” Einhardt affirms.

“What goes on nowadays is petty squabbling and bickering of large egos. The days of massive bloodshed are gone.”

Einhardt still looks on in disbelief.

“However, let me tell you one thing.” As the nobleman stares as the rogue’s dirty clothes. “I need to make sure that it STAYS that way. “ Lance pauses, “Let me tell you what. You scratch my back and I scratch yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will hire you to infiltrate the living areas of my political rivals, and even , some of my Vaticine ones. “ As Lance forces a grin. “My sources explain to me that a, Sir Rowland, a Vaticine rival of mine, may be trying to build up for the future. I need you to check what that means. The pay will be good of course.”

Einhardt knows of Rowland, the outspoken critic of Objectionism. He doesn’t exactly believe Lance, but while he is friendly and willing to pay him then he might just go along with it for now. Besides, this would be another opportunity to see just what the Vaticines are planning, if anything. After all, it’s an excuse to put the hurt on either the Vaticines, Objectivists or both. And if it presents itself another opportunity to cripple or humiliate them in some way or fashion, and pays the bills in the process, then all the better. That is what this rogue lives for, otherwise, it is back to sabotaging Mass services again.

‘How much are you paying me Lance?”

“100 Guilders now, then 10 Guilders a month.”

“Sounds good. Very well, I accept.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Einhardt leaves the estate safely, willing to play Lance’s game.. for now. Ideally, what he really wants is to stop some bad guys.. He won’t complain however. At least it pays the bills and he can always double-cross him later with Rowland or whoever else that may turn up a better deal.

Sounds a bit like the attitude of the close buddy that betrayed him?

As for now, Lance is Einhardt’s buddy and patron. Let’s see how long that lasts.

April 18, 2008

Savate (New Swordmans School)(Optional)

Introduction
About a year ago, I was looking to create a new swordsmans school based off the real-world French Fighting Style of Savate. Then a friend of mine found Poisoned Shadow's version. Well, I really liked it, but it added a bunch of new Knacks, some that seemed like old knacks with a little twist. Personally I not a big fan of new knacks, especially went it could be cover by an already existing knack. So with that in mind, I created my own Savate School. Here it is. Enjoy.

Savate
Country of Origin: Montaigne

Founded: 166? No one knows for sure, but started gaining popularity in 1667

Description: With the social divide ever growing, Montaigne has become a more and more harsh place to live. Especially among the commoner class. This has caused a new breed of street fighter to emerge. It is believes to have started with the sailors and dock workers of Paix, but has spread quickly to every port in Montaigne. It is now making its way to other ports around Theah. Freiburg for one has embraced this new style. There is no formal schooling, it's students learn from the school of hard knocks in alleyways, pubs, warehouses and basements from other Savateurs. No one knows who the first savate fighter was, but many believe there was more then one creator and is believed that it has adapted many of its techniques from the Crescent Empire and Cathay fighting styles. It's main focus is using; kick, punch or whatever you have at your disposal until the fight is over. It tends to focus more on kicks because a well placed kick can do more damage then a punch, and a kick can be delivered to move places more easily then punches can, like knees and ankles. Most recently Savateurs have started using a staff or cane as part of their fighting style. The stick is used to steady a fighter during one of it's many kicks. Or it can be used as an improvised weapon.

The most obvious weakness of Savate is that its attacks are extremely aggressive, requiring a great deal of energy to deliver. A Savateur may tire quickly, and cagey opponents will use this to their advantage. Furthermore, the primary weapons of Savate—a variety of kicks—are always delivered with the leading foot (that is, the one closest to the opponent). This requires the Savateur to shift his weight to his back leg before striking, a telltale cue that an attack is forthcoming.[1]

Basic Curriculum: Dirty Fighting, Pugilism
Kick is consider a Basic knack at Hero Creation, Free rank to any Swordsman's knack (No membership to Swordsman Guild),

Swordsman Knacks: Corps-a-corps*, Beat**, Kick***, Exploit Weakness (Savate)

*Coup de pied bas - ("low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe, performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only

**Fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the instep), high, medium or low

***Typically the "Revers" kick (frontal or lateral "reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high, medium, or low) but does not have to be, can be any type of kick.

Apprentice: Savate students start by learning how to kick faster, more accurately and harder. Your leg is strong then your arms, but can make you unbalance if your not careful. By practicing kicks they learn how to deliver kicks without sacrificing their balance.
Kick Attacks are made without calling two raises.

Journeyman: Savateurs have learned that just because you have knocked your opponent to the ground, doesn't mean the fight is over. They learn how to deliver a quick kick to the person laying on the ground to "encourage that they stay there".
When you succeed at a corps-a-corps attempt, you can immediately make a kick attack with a -10 penalty.
You gain one rank of Kick. This can raise your rank to 6. If it does not, you can later raise your rank to 6 by spending 25 XP.


Master: Chassé (side or front piston-action kick), high, medium or low. The Chassé kick as it is called, is a series of quick kicks delivered one right after the other.
You can do a series of kick attacks on one action. The first attack is at –5. If you hit their Passive Defense (even if they succeed in their Active Defense), then you can attack again at –10 to hit. Repeat with an additional –5 each time to hit until you miss their Passive Defense or decide to quit. Each hit does damage separately.

Reference
1. Taken from the Poison Shadow description of Savate's weakness.

March 24, 2008

NPC's

Here is a list of NPC's the Characters have encounter and will probably encounter in the future.

Vincent Berndavore
Headmaster of Explorer's Society

Dominique du Montaigne
Youngest Daughter of L'Empereor. Secertly hired PC's to delivered a message to her Husband that the Ussuran invasion was scheme to kill him.

Anna
Handmaiden and Fate Witch to Dominique

Unknown Vodacce Swordsman
Guard to Anna in her trip to Carleon.

Captain Charles du Chevalier
A captain of Musketeers now chasing after the PC's in our story.

Crew of the Golden Hinde
"Lucky Nick"
Captain of the Golden Hinde. His true name is unknown to most and he prefers to keep it that way. When a name is needed, Nicholis Talbot is the one he uses.

William Amory
QuarterMaster/Purser

Calum MacDonald
Boatswain
He always wears his kilt and a claymore is strapped to his back. He is large but quite unless he needs to be heard. Calum and the Captain have been friends for a long time and Calum is the one of the few that knows the Captains true name.

Henri Paix
Master of the Tops

Jarvis Binder
Master Gunner

Tomas Diaz Villalba
First Helm

Charles Russell
Second Helm

Peter Medard
Third Helm

Jean Criex
Steward

John Cordis
Surgeon

Samuel Baily
First Watch Commander

Casey Murphy
Second Watch Commander

Jack Baker
Third Watch Commander

Gregoire LeClair
Marine Leader

February 26, 2008

Time line of Théah: 1574 AV - 1668 AV

I pulled the time line of Théah from the Temple of the Rose and Cross website before it went down. Here it is.

Our scholars have recently unearthed a corrected timeline of events in Theah that in some parts contradicts doctrine as laid out in the great book of the 7th Sea. Where this confusion occurs, this tome should be considered the correct dating and information.

1587 Imperator Weiss III takes control of Eisen and forbids the persecution of Objectionists and so eases tensions in the nation.
1598 The Jenny's Guild is formed. The Explorer Society is founded by Cameron MacCormick.
~ 1600 The merchants of Vendel form into a number of Guilds that start to challenge the dominance in trade by the Vodacce.
1600 A revolt on la Palabra de Dios, now known as "la Bucca", kills ninety percent of the inmates and a third of the guards.
1608 The first microscopes are invented by an anonymous Vendel scholor.
1610 Church scholars led by Caspar Gallus finish their "map of the Interior of the Human Body".
~ Birth of Leon XIV of Montaigne.
1613 Plague threatens Castille. Methods of quarantine are developed, quickly ending the treat.
~ The majority of Théah abandons the short sword and buckler for lighter weapons.
~ Montaigne faith in the Vaticine Church declines.
1614 Richard IV becomes King of Avalon.
1622 Richard asks the Hierophant for permission to divorce his wife and is refused. In responce, Richard passes the Act of Supremacy so creating the new Church of Avalon with him as its head.
~ King Leon XIII of Montaigne dies. His wife and her lover, the Cardinal Maurice d'Argeneau, govern the nation for six years until Leon XIV comes of age. The young king is cruelly mistreated under their ministrations.
1627 Birth of Alcide Mondavi.
1628 Leon XIV turns eighteen. He immediately banishes his mother to exile in the country and dramatically reduces the influence of Cardinal d'Argeneau in court.
1631 King Leon marries his first wife, Estelle.
1632 Birth of Faulk Fischler.
1636-1666 Imperator Weiss, a moderate in religious matters, dies. The new Imperator Riefenstahl is fanatically Vaticine. His religious policies ferment open revolt in the southern baronies and trigger thirty years of war in Eisen.
~ The Vendel League use the Eisen conflict to vastly expand their economic power. The Vodacce Princes finally realise the threat to their power and start a quiet economic war.
1637 Objectionist armies under General Stefano Wulf defeat Eisen Vaticines at the Last Battle of the Stein, breaking the absolute hold of the Vatacine's in northern Eisen.
1638 The "Gentleman Pirate" Philip Gosse retires to a hidden island paradise.
1639 Syrneth ruins are discovered in the Vodacce Mountains.
~ General Wulf retreats from the Stein, leaving the once mighty fortress in ruins.
~ Queen Estelle of Montaigne dies, having born Leon five daughters and no sons.
1640 Leon marries his second wife, princess Rosa Velasquez de Sandoval of Castille.
1643 Birth of Katerina Fischler.
1644 The Swordsman's Guild is founded.
1645 Queen Rosa Velasquez dies, having born Leon three daughters and again no sons. Relations between Montaigne and Castille sour considerably.
1648 The corsair Kheired-Din makes his first raids on western shores.
~ Birth of Dominique du Montaigne in the fall of the year.
1649 Eisen fisherman Faulk Fischler finds a dracheneisen vein near the Sudenlach and so is granted a Barony by Reifenstahl. The act further destabilises Eisen.
~ Birth of Ilya Nikolovich, son of Gaius Nikolai Nikolovich. At the child's birth, the Gaius tricks Matushka into promising that Ilya will become the next Gaius. The sucession of a noble breaks the age long tradition of the Gaius coming from the peasant class.
1650 The Inish rise up against the oppresive rule of "Iron" Queen Margaret.
1651 The O'Bannon returns once more and begins to lead the Inish against the Avalon rulers.
1652 Good King Sandoval is born.
1654 The death of Queen Margeret of Avalon leaves no clear line of sucession, giving rise to yet another civil war. The Highland Marches declare independance.
1656 Margaret's half-sister Elaine reappears with the Graal. The powers of Glamour are also restored to Avalon.
~ Jack O'Bannon calls for a cease-fire in the war against the Avalons.
~ Theah's first newspaper, the Steinhalt Gazette, is founded. With the coming of Niklaus Trague in 1664, it changes its name to the Freiburg Gazette.
~ Improved microscopes lead to the science of entomology, while the Inquisition's power grows in Castille.
~ Ilya Nikolovich sees a portrait of Katerina Fischler and is instantly smitten. Katerina travels to Ussura and agrees to marry the young boy when he comes of age. In exchange, her brother recieves a lucrative food-for-arms deal.
1657 The Royal Fraternity for Scientific Minds admits its first female member, Ravenhild Hibbot. The organisation then changes its name to the Royal Association.
1658 Elaine succeeds in uniting Avalon under her rule. Inismore and the Highland Marches swear allegiance to her, creating a Triple Kingdom of linked yet autonomous nations. She also moves the capital from Luthon to the newly restored Carleon.
~ First reported sightings of the Crimson Rogers.
~ Gaius Nikolai dies under mysterious circumstances and his son becomes the new leader. The boyars take the boy and torture him mercilessly for the next seven years, in an effort to break his will.
1659 Niklaus Trague discovers a dracheneisen mine in the mountains of Eisen. He asks for the ruins of the Stein as his barony.
~ Salvador Aldana, King of Castille orders the construction of an armada to sail against Avalon. The fleet is sunk by a large force of privateers under the general leadership of Jeremiah Berek.
~ A Castillian doctor writes the first medical description of typhoid fever.
1660 A pencil factory is built in Castille, marking the first use of mass-production.
1661 Avalon scientist Jeremy Cook writes "The Rational Chemist", denouncing alchemy and advocating Empiricism. The books causes a huge controversy and the Inquisition demands his death as a heretic.
~ Franz Deleboe publishes a new map of the body and denounces the humour theory of medicine. He is burned at the stake by the Inquisition, although they do not admit to their role until 1668.
1662 Jeremy Cook invents the air pump, but is killed by the Inquisition before he can reveal it to the public. A group of scholars calling themselves "The Invisible College" manage to save his notes.
~ Castillian scholar Maria Alverado uses a large ball of sulfur to generate a static charge.
1663 The current Sultan of the Crescent Empire is crowned as Timur Aslan Cihangir having been born in the auspicious presence of a new wolf cub.
1664 The guilder is introduced by the Vendel as a way of dominating Thean currency. The act escalates the unspoken trade war between Vendel and Vodacce.
~ Niklaus Trague completes repairs on the Stein. He renames it as the city of Freiburg in the hopes of attracting new trade.
~ Crown Prince Javier of Castille dissapears from the royal palace shortly before the death of his father.
~ King Leon of Montaigne declares himself a sorceror after 500 years of silence, and that all other practitioners will have safe haven within his borders.
~ Gaius Ilya escapes from his captors into the frozen wilderness around the city of Sladivgorod. He recieves a visit from the legendary Firebird, who shields him from the elements and allows him to survive.
~ High King Salvador Aldana de Sandoval of Castille dies.
1665 After months of debate, the Church crowns the thirteen year-old Salvador Bejarano de Sandoval as King of Castille. His church advisors deny him the due title Rex Castillium, severely hampering his power.
~ The first appearance of El Vago, who rescues a peasant girl named Lucinda Garcia from being burned at the stake.
~ El Vago joins Don Andres Aldana in defending Good King Sandoval from an assassination attempt.
~ Gaius Ilya comes of age and takes formal control of Ussura. He has the men who tortured him put to death and the chief persecutor fed to his own hounds.
~ The Crimson Rogers sinks the Highland Piper, an Avalon mercenary ship, near the Midnight Archipelago. Captain Bonnie McGee escapes the destruction and returns to port in a life boat. She is the only known survivor of an attack by the Rogers.
~ Several outbreaks of White Plague are noted in Avalon, Castille and parts of Montaigne. The disease passes before church scholars are able to diagnose the cause.
~ "Antonio", a Vodacce astronomer, discovers rotation periods of Guer and Re, while midwifery forceps are invented in Avalon.
~ The Luthon Weekly newspaper enters print.
1666 A weakened Eisen is invaded by Castille and Montaigne, leading Riefenstahl to cede land to the two rival nations at the Treay of Weissburg. This effectively ends the War of the Cross.
~ At the order of Cardinal Verdugo, a Church army attacks Montaigne but are repelled at Charouse by troops lead by a corporal named Montegue. In response to this action, King Leon declares himself l'Emperor and makes Montegue his High General, marrying him to his youngest daughter Dominique.
~ The Hierophant also dies this year under mysterious circumstances, shortly after the Montaigne Cardinal dissapears without trace. Without a Hierophant to guide them, the Inquisition rapidly gains power and research slows.
~ Castillian scholar Alvara Archiniega discovers the spectrum of light with a series of homemade prisms. The Inquisition attempt to hang him, but he is a skilled swordsman and defeats those sent to take him and escapes to the countryside.
~ Prisoners on the island of la Palabra de Dios stage a successful revolt and declare themselves as a sovereign nation known as the Brotherhood of the Coast.
1667 Montaigne begins to use a new weapon known as the 'grenade'.
~ Imperator Riefenstahl hangs himself, leaving the nation divided between the factionous Eisenfursten.
~ Under the orders of l'Emperor Leon, Montegue begins an invasion of Castille. The coastal fortress of Barcino is opened to the advancing army by betrayal of a local Don. The forces make fast progress down el Camino del Sol but are stopped by General Montoya and the recall of Montegue.
~ A Castillian bureaucrat named Diego Torres de Zepeda del Castillo debunks the medical quack Jaspar Wellfellow in a series of sharply-worded letters to a periodical.
~ Gjæving Asbjornsson stumbles into a mystic cave, which marks him as the new High King of the Vestenmannavnjar. He refused to acknowledge his position and tells no-one what has happened.
~ Spring. General Montegue launches an invasion of Castille, quickly seizing thje majority of Rancho Torres.
~ Late Summer. Montegue is recalled from Castille and ordered to begin an invasion of Ussura. He seizes the port city of Odyesse and marches slowly towards Pavtlow, moving forward despite Matushka's supernatural efforts to stop him.
~ Late Fall. Castille's General Montoya stops the Montaigne advance at La Muralla al Ultimo.
1668 The Inquisition announces they killed Franz Deleboe in 1661, having gained sufficient power to declare scientific experimentation to be heresy.
~ Secundus. Alvara Arciniega invents the reflecting telescope.
~ Wolffron von Hazel, a young Eisen composer, begins touring Montaigne seeking a patron.
~ Jeremiah Berek is apparently lost in a clash with Captain Reis of the dreaded Crimson Roger.

Time line of Théah: 1 AV - 1574 AV

I pulled the time line of Théah from the Temple of the Rose and Cross website before it went down. Here it is.

Our scholars have recently unearthed a corrected timeline of events in Theah that in some parts contradicts doctrine as laid out in the great book of the 7th Sea. Where this confusion occurs, this tome should be considered the correct dating and information.

AV (Anno Veritas, "Year of Truth")
1 AV The first Prophet preaches of a single deity and against the rise of sorcery. He is smuggled into the Senate building where the Senators arrest him for cedition.
2, 2nd of Quintus The First Prophet is martyred, but the work of his teachings speads and forms the beginnings of the Vatacine Church.
32 The Numans are defeated and driven out their acquisitions in the Cresent peninsula. First use of the term 'Empire of the Crescent Moon' by Numan scholars.
98 The forces of the II Legio stop a barbarian invasion from the wastes of Ussura just short of Numan territory.
~ The Numan holdings split into Eastern and Western Empires as the barbarian raids continue, with Imperators and capitals at Numa and what will become San Christobal. Generally considered as the end of the Old Empire.
~ The kingdoms of Rurik and Somojez embrace the teachings of the Prophet. Pagan dissenters led by Vladimir Aryov emigrate to the lands around the Azov forest, where they found the kingdom of Veche.
105The Eastern Empire recognises the Faith of the Prophets, the West soon follows suit.
130 Most noble families in Numa now practice some form of sorcery. Magic has become genetic, passing from parent to child with each successive generation.
202 Establishment of the Caliph as a single elected voice for the tribes of the Crescent Empire.
203 Eastern Imperator Danatius coverts to the Faith of the Prophets, forcing the sorcerous Senatorial families to flee.
240 A brief civil war in Gallegos province is ended when woman en mass refuse to give comfort to their husbands leading to mass desertions from both armies.
297 Fall of the Numan Empire. The Brutomanni tribe from the north sack Numa, killing the Imperator and causing the fall of the Eastern Empire. The kingdom of Rurik absorbs Somojez and parts of upper Vodacce, forming a bulwark of civilisation against the Eisen and Tumen barbarians on each side.
299 Castille is united under King Josémaria de Castillo, a descendant of Senator Castillus.
305 The Second Prophet appears from the East, preaching a message of piety and calling for the great pilgrimage.
306, Primus 1 The Second Prophet having escaped from captivity in Numa dies on the edge of the Crescent Empire with his followers, triggering years of militant crusades.
~ A coup within the Crescent Empire claims the life of the ruling Caliph.
~ Warlord Jaala Khan of the Kosar tribe unites the Tumen raiders beneath his rule and launches a war of conquest. He quickly takes Molhyna and upper Gallenia, preparing to move against the passes in the Bolshoi mountains.
~ Jaala Khan's advance is halted at the Battle of Demetrian's Pass. The Tumens gradually become known as the Kosar, a name that has remained to the present day.
312 Following the crusades, Imperator Corantine conquers the remnants of the Old Republic. He declares the Faith of the Prophets as the official religion of his Empire.
313 The Kingdom of Castille and the Caliphate of the Cresent Empire are united under the rule of Alonzo Al-Mahmud de Josémaria. This marks the beginning of seven centuries of co-operation between the two nations, although the king's powers are severely limited by the Imperator and his people bitterly divided by the Crusades.
325 The Corantine Convention presents the Vaticine Credo to Cornatin, combining the various strands of the faith into the Reformed Vaticine Church and forming the position of the Hierophant.
~ The Knias of Rurik travels 1,800 miles to the Corantine Convention, only to spit at the Imperator's feet and renounce the teachings of the Second Prophet. He is executed, but his scribe escapes and his tale marks the beginning of the Ussuran Orthodox Church.
326 Grand Duke Vsevolod declares his city of Sousdal a safe haven against the newly founded Vatacine Church. The Church sends an armed force to take the city, but it is defeated in a viscious battle lasting two days.
~ 327 The Ussuran Orthodox Church is formally founded with its capital at Sousdal.
347 The Order of the Knights of the Cross, known as Die Kruezritter, is recognised by the church.
376 The aged Corantine dies. His three sons divide his Empire between them, but their lesser kingdoms quickly fall.
~ 400 First appearance of the White Plague.
446 Following a period of slow decline, the Kommenian family seizes control of Rurik.
452 The Molhyni tribe ferment a revolt against the ruling Kosars. They usurp power following a fierce battle at the city of Goroduk, founding the nation of Molhyna.
492 The peasantry of Rurik rise up against their rulers. When Somojez responds by declaring independance, it effectively destroys the kingdom as a viable political entity.
520 Koschei Pietrov becomes ruler of Molhyna.
522 Matushka confronts the incestuous Saska Tomiech, ruler of Veche, in an epic battle of sorcery. The Little Grandmother defeats Saska, imprisoning her and her infant son in a coffin of ice beneath the Tomiech palace.
523 Eisen soldiers under General Johann von der Velde invades Ussura, only to die in a freak ice storm in the middle of summer.
525 The five kingdoms of Ussura are united on the command of Matushka into a single political entity. Matushka chooses a ruling Gaius from the peasant class, with a council of ruling kings known as the Knias Douma to advise him. This system of government has existed essentially unchanged for over a thousand years.
600 Carleman conquers most of western Theah, what will later become Montaigne, Eisen and Vodacce.
609 Carleman is declared as Imperator by Vaticine Church. Also this year the city of Tara in Inismore falls under a powerful curse.
~ Years later the O'Bannon breaks the Curse on Tara.
~ For centuries Castillian's mingle with Crescents.
~ Crescents build the city of Hil'al, which is now known as San Christobal.
654 Imperator Carleman dies, leaving his kingdom split between his three sons: Charles, Stefan and Iago.
659 Charles, son of Carleman, dies and his wife Isabeau of the Montanus family renames the kingdom as the nation of Montaigne.
686 Dracheneisen is found, stengthening the rule of Stefan and securing against any agression from the other nations.
~ Iago, son of Carleman, is overthrown by the former Senators Delaga, Lorenzo and Gallili who split up the land of Vodacce between them.
691 The nation of Eisen is official founded by Stefan, son of Carleman.
782 Eisen Imperator Gottschalk I conquers much of northern Vodacce and grants the Vatacine Church with land surrounding Numa, so establishing the Holy Republic.
818 The barbarian raiders of the northern seas are united under the name of Vestenmannavnjar by Gunnef Ravenhaired. She then launches a series of raids against the Avalon Isles, which continue for centuries.
~ Construction of Thingvallavatn in Vestenmannavnjar.
~ 900 Gunnef Ravenhaired dies and is replaced as the Vesten High King by Ash Dagfinnrson.
900 - 1300 The White Plague spreads across Theah, killing a full third of the population. Castille is spared much of the suffering due to the actions of the church.
918 The inbred von Drachen family are destroyed in a popular uprising, taking the art of Zerstörung with them to Legion. Their lands are taken by Sieger and become part of Eisen.
972, 15th of Primus The Third Prophet is born.
~ 1000 Highlander Leila MacDonald travels to the Vesten Isles. Legend holds that she translated the Grumfather Cycle, a text which might explain countless aspects of the nation's past, into Thean but no copy has even been found.
1000 The Third Prophet appears in Castille at the site which will become the Vaticine City. He deposes the ruling family of sorcerors with the backing of the church.
1002 A Vatacine bishop is murdered in Malaca by a Cresent mob. The Third Prophet calls for a Crusade to drive the Cresents out of Castille resulting in civil war.
1004 The Inquisition is formed by the Hierophant to deal with threats to the church.
1009 The High King Garcia and the remaining Cresents are defeated at the Battle of Malaca, bring Cresent influence to an end in Theah.
1010 Vodacce nobles and crusaders are defeated at the Battle of Los Llanos del Sangre ("Plains of Blood").
1011 The Lorenzo family is destroyed trying to manipulate fate to destroy the Cresent forces. The entire island dissapears. The Crusade effectively end, with the forces of the church to depleted to engage the Cresent armies, although sporadic fighting continues.
~ The Crusades sputter to a halt, with Vodacce in disarray and the Vatacine forces too exhausted to continue the attack. Fighting will continue sporadically for the next three centuries, depending on the zeal of the Hierophant.
1012 - 1019 The Hieros War. A conflict erupts between Castille and Vodacce after the Prophet moves to usurp the Numa Papacy and move the seat of the church to Castille.
1014 Roman Sandoval is declared High King of Castille for his actions during the Hieros War. This starts the rule of the Sandoval dynasty.
~ The O'Bannon returns to Inismore and forces the Vesten towns to swear fealty to his rule.
1019 The decisive defeat of an attacking Vodacce army ends the Hieros war and the Third Prophet declares Castille to be the new seat of the church. Construction of the Vaticine City begins.
~ The Lightning Guard of the Montaigne Kings formed after the church's destruction of the sorcerer kings of Castille
1021 Abdicating the throne, O'Bannon returns to wandering and Inismore is taken by the powerful O'Toole family after a period of infighting.
1028 Henri du Montaigne sucessfully invades Avalon and defeats King Athrwys at the Battle of Three Roads. He goes on to also annex the Highland Marches and Inismore. The Sidhe flee, taking the Graal and the power of Glamour with them.
1030 The Third Prophet dies in his bed.
1034 The Eisen launch another invasion of Ussura, however a series of freak earthquakes and blizzards force the army to retreat before it is destroyed.
~ Sorcery is hidden for over 500 years.
1088 Documents from the Great Library at Alexia are donated by the five Cardinals of Vodacce to the Hierophant, they are placed in Numa and so consolidate their power base in the church.
1099 - 1312 The New Crusades succeed in conquering a portion of the Crescent Empire Rise.
1118 The Order of the Poor Knights of the Prophet is established by Hughes Allais du Crieux to help defend the weak Crusader states.
1153 - 1175 Queen Elaine of Montaigne declares her husband dead in the Crusades and marries the King of Avalon. Her rule is ended when her brother-in-law Charles executes her for treason.
1157 Robin Goodfellow is born.
1170 Ewan O'Toole dies, leaving Inismore in chaos and open to subjugation by the Avalon lords who rule into the fourteenth century.
1175 The Serrano family falls into financial ruin, one of the Lorenzo line of Vodacce. Their island fell to the Caligara family.
1177 - 1199 Robin Lovaine returns from the Crusades and as Robin Goodfellow fights against the tyranny of King Charles. He is eventually killed in a skirmish with the King's men, but his legend lives on.
1207 Eisen launches a third invasion of Ussura. As before, disasterous weather inflicts heavy casualties and forces the army to retreat.
1215 After a defeat by Montaigne in which he loses claim to all holdings on the continent, the Council of Free Nobles forces King Charles of Avalon to sign an agreement that limits the power of the monarchy.
~ Robert the Dark rises to power in the Highland Marches.
1216 The true King of Avalon returns from the Cresents and deposes his uncle Charles.
1218 Robert the Dark defeats the Avalon forces at the Battle of Dun Vahl and is declared as High King of the Highland Marches the following year.
1267 The Hierophant announces the Declaration of Deference. The Stein, a military fortress on the Rostrom river, is built at what will become Freiburg on the order of Stefan III.
~ 1300 The Vodacce renaissance sees a blossoming of artistic and scientific thought, forming the basis of a great merchantile empire that dominates Theah up to the rise of the Vendel.
1308 The Poor Knights of the Prophet are condemned as heretics and destroyed. This marks the end of Western control over Crescent lands.
1347 Another outbreak of the white plague happens across Théah, with the isle of Avalon particular badly hit.
1348 Eisen try yet another invasion of Ussura, this time under the leadership of General Ernst Heilgrund. He advances to the Ekaterina River, before a massive flood destroys the entire force. The Imperator issues an edict forbidding further invasions.
1349 The Crescent Caliph arranges the marriage of his daughter to a minor noble of Somojez in Ussura. Although a kidnapping prevented the marriage a treaty was formed between the nations.
1355 The infamous pirate captain Justin Rogers dissapears in the western seas while being pursued by the Montaigne.
1360 Murakhan al'Tazir becomes the first Sultan or supreme ruler of the Crescent Empire.
1386 The entire Castillian royal family dies at San Christobal from an outbreak of the white plague, launching a flurry of political infighting for the throne.
1389 Rebel tribes are defeated by Crescent forces at the Battle of Razgrad. Sultan Murakhan is killed and suceeded by his son Bayazed.
1394 The treatise "Means to Ends" is published by Cristoforo Scarovese in Vodacce, forming a core to the nation's political system.
1398 - 1400 The Bianco family are destroyed by the Vestini, their strange and demonic powers unable to hold of the relentless assault. The knight Andare destroys their capital at Quattro Alle.
1402 Christobal Gallegos leaves San Christobal in an effort to sail around the world. He is never seen again.
1411 The die Kruezritter are destroyed at the Battle of Tannen by the forces of Imperator Arvid I.
1413 - 1422 David III becomes King of Avalon and leads a number of successful actions against Montaigne and claims several western provinces. On his death, his ten-year old son David is forced to deal with internal disputes.
1425 Avalon is forced to relinquish its claims to Montaigne territory.
1438 The printing press is invented in Pösen, Eisen, by the monk Tobias Vogel in order to spread the Book of the Prophets.
1444 Mehmet ben Seliman is named heir to the Crescent Empire when he marries the daughter of the Sultan and becomes the first in a new dynastic line.
~ 1460 The well-known knight Bastion dies, so beginnning the Fall of Chivalry.
1473 The merchant guilds humble the king of Montaigne.
1501 A small Vesten village starves to death because their Jarl took their grain to feed his warriors. In responce, a trader named Inger Holmstrom calls a great gathering of the Vesten underclass. They agree to travel from the isles to learn about trading in order to improve their standard of living.
1513 The Villanova family force the rival family of Aldo Caligara to renounce their heritage and take the lesser name Caligari. They become bitter rivals.
1516 Inger Holmstrom forms a de facto council of the Vesten farming class (carls) and serfs (thralls), which effectively seizes political power from the Vesten warrior kings, many of who are away on raids.
1517, Octavus Mattias Leiber posts his ninety-five questions in south Heilgrund, unintentionally beginning the Objectionist Movement. At the Diet of Castille Leiber is arrested for heresy, but escapes back to Eisen with the help of Imperator Franz II.
~ Ussura gives up on the shieldwall.
1527 An unsuccessful assassination attempt on Richard Lovaine by Henry IV, known as the "Bloody Boar", turns the nobles against the King leading to another civil war.
1528 The growing power of the merchant classes forces a change in name of the north islands to the nation of Vendel over the protest of many of its militant tribes.
1531 Defeat for Henry at the Battle of Bedgrane brings the Avalon civil war to an end, with Richard II taking the throne and launching an invasion of Inismore.
~ Richard II launches a fresh invasion of Inismore.
1541 The last Inish resistance is crushed leading to a new period of Avalon rule for the island nation.
1547 High King Eindridi Utterstrom dies to be replaced by the intolerant Ulf Hövsgaard, who challenges the Vendel council and questions their actions at every turn.
~ 1548 Vincenzo Caligari is born.
1552 - 1563 Cardinal Alfonso Ordunez plans and builds the island prison on la Palabra de Dios.
~ 1565 High King Hövsgaard dissapears following an argument with a powerful Vendel merchant. He is the last Vesten King to publically declare his crown.
1570 The Firework Dam incident. A group called the Rilisciare destroy a new dam being constructed by the King to create a fishing lake.
1571 A Crescent pirate fleet attacks the Vodacce island of Amozare and is defeated.
1574 The Seliman dynasty of Sultans ends and the Meklis Kabal'e chose the Muradin family to start a new line.

Time line of Théah: 1 AUC - 774 AUC

I pulled the time line of Théah from the Temple of the Rose and Cross website before it went down. Here it is.

Our scholars have recently unearthed a corrected timeline of events in Theah that in some parts contradicts doctrine as laid out in the great book of the 7th Sea. Where this confusion occurs, this tome should be considered the correct dating and information.

AUC (Ab Urbe Condita, "After the Founding of the City")

1 AUC The founding of the city of Numa near the mouth of the Tigres river in what would later become Vodacce.
102 - 228 AUC The Old Republic begins in earnest with a series of conquests of neighboring states, including the Vodacce peninsula and the southern islands.
213 AUC Outnumbered Numan soldiers defeat a superior Cresent force at the Battle of Pulo di Olimpia.
228 AUC Priscus Tecpatus of Numa signs a mutual trade agreement with Acraga, but relations deteriorate over the next few decades.
236 - 255 AUC A series of unsuccessful campaigns are launched by XI Legio against the northern tribes to placate the area that would become Eisen. In the end a large wall is built along the banks of the Trade River.
~ 250 AUC Several primitive Vestenmannavjar tribes fight a war for dominance over the eastern Vesten isles. The losers, known as the Novgod, are exiled to the north coast of Ussura.
268-344 AUC The Acragan Wars. Following discovery of precious metals, the Agragans are subjugated by the armies of Senator Castillus, the final destruction of their capital of Marina Linda brings most of the peninsula under direct Numan rule.
365 AUC The Novgod tribe, with the support of primitive Ussurans, fight a massive battle against invading Eisen barbarians on the fields west of modern Donskoy. The invaders are soundly defeated, and the Novgod change their name to the Novgorod.
366 AUC The Novgorod found the city of Ektar, later Ekaternava, as a bulwark against future Eisen invasions.
~ 375 AUC Founding of the kingdoms of Rurik and Somojez.
424 AUC Avalon is conquered by the forces of General Julius Caius representing the height of Numan rule in Theah. He returns to Numa and attempts to take control of the Senate.
425 AUC Following the assasination of Caius, his son Tigranus demands retribution and takes power in Numa. This begins the Age of the Imperators, turning the Republic into an Empire.
502 - 508 AUC A series of huge barbarian raids destroy the Numan colonies in Eisen.
573 AUC The isle of Avalon is shrouded in a thick fog, all contact is lost and no new Numan actions are authorised against the supposed cursed nation.
581 AUC A popular uprising restores the power of the Senate over the control of Clementes the Mad, bringing the Age of the Imperators to an end.
623 AUC The storms around Avalon cease. The inhabitants have not aged a day and are unaware that anything has happened.
698 - 724 AUC Imperator Gaius Philippus Macer seizes power with a military coup. Senators respond by seeking out a method to unseat him.
724 AUC The Bargain. A small group of senators make contact with an unknown supernatural entity. They bargain for magical powers, forming the foundations of Theah's modern sorcerous bloodlines. With their newfound abilities, the senators force Gauis to give up his authority, and rule with absolute power for another fifty years.
~ Matushka awakens from her slumber. According to Ussuran Orthodoxy, she has a conversation with the First Prophet ( "The True Prophet" ) some fifty years before his arrival in Numa.
734 AUC Senator Edwardus Ajaz Gallen flees Numa in an effort to escape his sorcerous peers. He and his followers found the kingdom of Gallenia near the distant land of Cathay.
735 AUC The Firewall rises on the eastern Gallenia border, apparently the result of Cathayan sorcery. The towering barrier traps numerous savage Cathayan tribes, collectively known as the Tumens, on the western side.
736 - 740 AUC The Tumens commence a brutal invasion of primitive Molhyna, conquering it and driving the native Zakut tribes far north.
~ With Molhyna as a base, the Tumens launch a series of attacks against the newfound Gallenia. Bolstered by Numan tactics, the Gallenians defeat the Tumens at every turn.
774 AUC The calander of the Old Republic ends.

January 31, 2008

Destiny Spreads

In the Player Section of all the Nation books there is a Destiny spread. You roll some dice and you are randomly given a little insight into you characters Past, Present and Future as well as a little bonus. Here's an example of one from the Avalon book. "You come from a very stubborn and headstrong family. Once you decide on a course of action, nothing short of death can change your mind. You receive the Indomitable Will Advantage for Free." Sometimes you get a Skill, Advantage, Background or something else.

Originally I was thinking about not using the Destiny Spread, but I've changed my mind. If you want to use it you may. You'll roll twice for your Past, and choose the one you like the best. Then you'll roll twice for your Present and keep the one. Lastly you roll twice for your Future, but I pick what will happen in your future.

If you need inspiration for a character you can roll the Destiny Spread and see what you get.