7th Sea Noble Intent.pdf

Noble Intent

An adventure for 4-6 Heroes in the world of Théah . . .

Introduction

This is a new adventure which I’ve recently put together and run. It should take about

two quite sizeable sessions to run, depending on the amount of legwork the characters

become involved in. Having said that it’s got quite a few scrapes in it, which may draw

things out. The adventure is based in Montaigne, and has no party-requirements other

than some able fighters, but will probably gain if you’ve got wily, or paranoid players on

hand.

It’s designed to be run on a “no-holds-barred” basis, or as Revenant & Co. might say ...

“We’re playing Prison rules now boys”. So take no crap from the players and let them feel

the heat for a change.

The Tale

The scenario starts with the players traveling out from Hoeught, a fairly affluent town in

northern Montaigne. At present they have no specific tasks at hand and are probably

seeking further exploits. As they head towards the town of La Jute, they encounter an

ambush laid for them. The protagonist has watched their activities in Hoeught and believe

they may be the tools most appropriate for his task. And so the ambush is sprung ....

Overview

Theme ~ Intrigue & Adventure

Story ~ To thwart the plans of a dastard noble and rescue innocents from

harm

Act I - Machinations

Scene 1 ~ Ambush

Scene 2 ~ Journey to darkness

Scene 3 ~ Dark designs

Specifics - The Real Story . . .

Act II - What are we to do?!

Scene 1 ~ Frustration

Scene 2 ~ La Jute

Scene 3 ~ Possible leads

Scene 4 ~ The mirror

Act III - The miners

Scene 1 ~ The miners

Scene 2 ~ Ruin monster!

Scene 3 ~ Rescue?

Act IV - Stolen Heirlooms

Scene 1 ~ It’s a riot!

Scene 2 ~ Sneaky, sneaky . . .

Scene 3 ~ Counter attack

Act One Scene 1

The characters should be just beginning to wind down after a previous adventure, this’ll

work best towards the end of a session when they may be getting complacent. As they

wind along a cobbled road out of town and pass through some undulating and wooded

countryside they are jumped by around 3 Brute Squads and a Henchman. For this I used

Jacques Fleur with some pretty tough Highwaymen. He’s been sent to capture the players

and won’t take any trouble whatsoever. Use him to convey to the players the feeling that

they are now getting involved in some serious and nasty business. If the fight goes the

player’s way then have the second Supporting Villain show up; I used Marie Seville for

this purpose with more of her select Brutes. Lots of Firearms generally does the trick (and

I had a party of 6 with 1 Dracheneisen, 2 Swordsmen & an Ussuran Shape shifter!!).

Act One Scene 2

Once you’ve got their attention it’s time to start getting downright dirty. Jacques will

shoot any horses amongst the party, then rob them to pay off his Brutes for their work.

They’ll be allowed to keep swords, but that’s about it. He then proceeds to have them trek

across the evening countryside for around about 6 miles. He’ll listen to their complaints

and be reasonable but is in no way stupid. He understands better than the characters what

he has to loose should he fail Jules d’ la Jute. Generally give an overview of the area and

the sense of foreboding as they approach a poorly illuminated coach-house just back from

the road. It should now be late evening, yet only a few lanterns give any indication of

occupancy at the Inn. This is where Jules d’ la Jute currently resides, along with his sizeable

retinue. Wagons and Horses are all round in the stable yard, and there are several Brutes

keeping an eye out on the road. Jacques will only answer questions regarding events that

have taken place, such as the murder of the innkeeper and his staff and their subsequent

burial in the nearby woods.

Act One Scene 3

Once the characters are led to the second floor of the dim Inn they are faced with two

Supporting Villains, some Henchmen and a number of Brutes, plus a powerful Villainous

Noble, one Jules d’ la Jute. This is the main protagonist of the story, and should be portrayed

as an aloof, scheming sociopath. Jacques will have them sat in a large smoking room in the

tavern and given meager refreshments before Jules enters and begins to expound upon

his designs for the players. This must be done carefully, the sense of power which Jules

holds must be seen as absolute. At no time should the characters be seen to be anything

more than his pawns. If this fails and the characters attack him then it’s all over.

Jules explains that two children ~ one of the innkeepers and his Brother’s nephew ~ are

trussed up and will be mercilessly killed unless the characters carry out his demands with

skill and speed. He then tells them that they are to travel to the town of La Jute and find

the home of his brother, the Comte Marc d’ la Jute, and kill him without the knowledge of

anyone else. The body is to be returned to the Inn for proof. Of course they are twins.

Additionally, he requires that a large standing mirror is stolen and brought back. If the

players push for more information or seek to bargain with him, then he treats them ruth-

lessly. He has no care if it seems impossible, or they need rest or medical help first, or more

time. That’s the reason he’s chosen to use someone other than his normal allies ~ remember

that as a sociopath, he has trouble relating to the emotions and needs of others.

The Real Story

Okay, so far this probably doesn’t make much sense, and you’re thinking “I’ve got to run

this? but what’s going on?!” So here’s how it all comes about ....

The initial plan to have Comte Marc assassinated and his brother replace him is an obvious

ploy for power, one which the players will see through and hopefully betray. Doing exactly

what Jules d la Jute wants them to. What no-one knows is that the families history is full of

dark little secrets and betrayal.

Jules & Marc are twins, and Marc was born first and recognised as the family heir by their

father. Of course some say that it is because of the ochre stain on Jules’s right arm which

led the father to chose Marc. Jules ran from is home at a fairly early age and entered into

fierce study, soon coming to the attention of Legion cultists as a source of valuable

knowledge and a tool to perform research for them. The family never spoke of him again.

Some years later the father was cast out of favour in the court and his popularity waned.

Now Marc has had a similar fate befall him; the fickle Montaigne nobles have perceived

some slight and he finds his social calendar rapidly deteriorating. Conversely the Grand-

father of the twins, one Louis-Duchamp d’ la Jute and a bold Musketeer Captain, found

wealth and fame in his exploits in the service of the Montaigne royal household. He

disappeared soon after a celebration in his honour by the King ~ rumors were that uprising

merchants had tried to sway him and use him as a mouthpiece against the nobility. His

body was never found. In fact he was murdered and his ghost trapped in a mirror by poor

Noble Porte Sorcerer’s who sort the wealth of the developing merchants. This mirror now

resides in the basement of the Comte’s manor.

Jules d’ la Jute has discovered the various faction’s involved in his past and seeks to bargain

with the spirit of his dead grandfather and reclaim his rightful place as the heir to the d’ la

Jute estates and title. Ancient texts lead him to believe that he can free his grandfather and

return him to the body of a blood relative ~ i.e. Marc. Which is where the character’s come

in to things. Jules has killed the innkeeper and his wife, and is now using the daughter’s

life as a bargaining chip with the characters. The young boy is in fact his own illegitimate

son, but the player’s will only work this out if they cotton on to the fact that he is referred

to as Marc d’ la Jute’s Nephew, which would make him Marc’s brother’s son . . . Jules’s

son. Additionally, there is an old mine shaft which the miners have recently fled due to a

“ruin monster” driving them out. Jules’s is now using this to hold the children and to

retreat to if the players try to trap him at the inn prematurely. Jules’s creates an Homunculus

to watch the characters. For this adventure I would use the two Villains, Jacques Fleure

and Marie Seville as the Henchman.

As far as Jules d ‘la Jute goes .... I’ve provided no stats for Jules, mainly because he’s pretty

nasty and should be judged against your own GM style and character’s strengths. He

could be a member of the Celebrant’s of Night’s Dawn ~ but it’s probably best to just give

him one quirky cultist power rather than make him a fully fledged nutter. Making him a

Valroux Journeyman is probably a must, as are any skills which strengthen the link to his

Musketeer grandfather. Enjoy!

Now it’s time to get back to the adventure ....

Act Two Scene 1

Without much more to go on the characters should be shoved out into the night and told

in no uncertain terms to get on with it. If they still balk then Jules will kill the innkeepers

daughter (Note; I threw in the son of a character’s Patron & had Jules’s shoot him in the

head ~ that went down really well!) just to illustrate his point. Remember he can’t go any

further as the other child is his son, and he’s not that much of a bastard; this is his last

gambit and you’re on your own if it fails.

Hopefully it won’t happen and the characters should take the first opportunity to leave

the Coach-house which gives them the chance to get away and begin their own counter-

plotting. In this Scene they’ll probably check out the Inn and then reluctantly head out

towards La Jute to at least how the land lies in that direction. The players should realise

that things aren’t going to be easy for them now, and they’ve got to think carefully about

how to get around the situation.

Act Two Scene 2

The town of La Jute is about 15-20 miles North-east of their current location and the

surrounding terrain is hilly and verdant. Further East are the nearby mountains and the

Eisen border, plus the foothills below are used by miners to gather resources and wealth

from the rich seams below ground. La Jute has grown wealthy over the years on the profits

from such mining and the current Comte ~ Marc d’ la Jute ~ has been enjoying a rich and

popular life until recent months. I.e. since his fallen from grace within the Montaigne

courts.

As the players approach the town they pass through lush farmland and into the peasant-

occupied dwellings that skirt the town proper, which is walled. The characters enter what

it pretty much a typical Montaigne town. It’s got a large proportion of peasants, one Vaticine

Church, which sees little use, several taverns and houses of ill-repute, plus a high propor-

tion of skilled physicians and herbalists. One such surgeon’s home is actually a Knights of

the Rose & Cross safe-house. Other items of note include the large amount of itinerant

miners who roam the streets and taverns, plus there are several members of a Vendel

Guild in the town - the specifics of these are left up to you, but they may provide a means

of access to Comte Marc, should the characters not be able to provide one themselves.

Act Two Scene 3

As the characters go about La Jute they will no doubt uncover the following;

The miners in town are now itinerant due to a mine, 3-4 miles away in the foothills, being

abandoned.

The mine was abandoned because a dormant “Ruin Monster” was uncovered.

Someone else (Jacques Fleure) was asking about the “Ruin Monster” some weeks ago.

No-one under the age of about 50 has heard of the Comte every having a brother.

Comte Marc is delirious and probably mad, and although he has a fine bedroom actually

sleeps in a servants room on the third floor.

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