7th Sea: Blood Sails – Session 8

Flashback to the day the Ruby Star sailed away from Arisent. Mary inquired with Captain Nathan Hawke as to their next destination and he gave her a heading but nothing further. She pressed for more information but Hawke told her he would tell her more when the time was right. He alone had the coordinates to Black Skull Isle and he wanted to keep it that way until he learned more about his new passengers. He recruited the ghost of Captain Jon the Black Rose to help with the investigation.

Julianne tended to Don Diego’s more serious wounds and Isabella began engratiating herself with the young nobles. It never hurts for one of Sophia’s Daughters to have strong political allies. Besides Jacques and Julianne were quite pleasant.

Later, the captain came above decks to inspect his new crew and make the rounds. Everyone knew Mary already put them through their paces. She wouldn’t have let them step foot on the Ruby Star if they weren’t worthy, but it was customary for the captain to have the final say. Even if they were already at sea, an unworthy sailor can be tossed overboard. That’s what they get for displeasing the captain!

For a few days, the sailing was smooth. Then a storm rolled in damaging the ship which led to more dire adventures. See the events from Session 7.

The journey continued. Captain Hawke, Don Diego de la Vega-Borgia, and Jacques-Louis had a bit of fun practicing their aim and fencing above decks. Hawke had seen what a proper duelist could do in a fight.

Eventually, Hawke decided to let Mary and his passengers in on the next phase of their journey. He did not reveal the exact location of Black Skull Isle but he hinted at the voyage west from Theah and it would be a long one. This came as a surprise to everyone. Common legends of Black Skull Isle placed it somewhere in the Widow’s Sea but perhaps this is why no one could find it now. They were all looking in the wrong place. The captain shared wine with the others (while drinking rum himself) and asked them questions. He had taken this job at the request of The Benefactor and they had already enjoyed some adventure but the next part of the voyage was going to be long and dangerous. He wanted to know what he was really getting himself into.

Jacques detailed how their families had not intermingled their blood for centuries due to a curse/omen spoken long ago. Should the bloodlines mingle, their union would be barren and fruitless. They could have no children. Jacques and Julianne met by chance and fell in love. Their families could not keep them apart and many wondered if the old family stories were nothing more than myths. Maybe an old grudge that became something more in the telling? So they were allowed to marry. However, they found they could not conceive a child. Jacques was already studying the origins of his family and now their quest to uncover the nature of the curse redoubled their efforts. He found an ancient object in his family stores, a relic of the Syrneth, perhaps a map but there was a cipher on the information on the artifact which his family did not possess. His search for the cipher led to information about Black Skull Isle which drove his new obsession to find the mythical isle.

Don Diego and Isabella listened, intrigued, and Hawke had sympathy for them. These young nobles were not typical of Montaigne, one could even say they were “good.” Mary deferred to the captain but informed him they had left port in such a rush they were short on supplies and only a half-crew complement. She also reminded him they had been on the sea for a good long time, later noted as a full year, and if they were going on such a voyage, it would do the crew good to see their families before they set out. She suggested they set a course for Five Sails, their home port. Hawke agreed and gave the order.