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  Flames in the Night
  NOM Adventure 4
  Adventure Overview
  The adventure begins with the Heroes having a meal
  in a small town in Castille. A group of the Castillian
  military sweeps through town, attempting to press all
  able bodied men into service to fight against the
  Montaigne. The Heroes Put up a valiant fight, but are
  rescued by a group of women who distract the
  military, and lead the Heroes in a secret tunnel
  beneath the city to safety.
  Once there, the Heroes discover eight other
  women, hungry and battered, who claim
  to be the only survivors of an Inquisition
  attack against their boarding house.
  Their leader, among others, was
  captured and hasn't been seen since
  the attack. Since they did a favour for
  the Heroes, they would like one in
  return. Their sister house may be in
  danger, and they would like for the Heroes
  to evacuate it and lead the women to safety.
  Once the Heroes arrive at the sister house,
  they must defend it against the Inquisitors.
  After the battle, it is discovered that those
  who were previously captured will be
  burned at the stake as heretics. The Heroes
  must now seek out and save them from a fiery death.
  Scene 1 : A Close Call
  This scene opens with the Heroes relaxing in a small
  inn having dinner. They were travelling through
  Castille, and stopped for siesta in a small village, not
  far from La Pasiega. The inn is relatively large, and is
  filled almost to capacity with patrons who have come
  to eat, drink, and enjoy the entertainment.
  A small band of female musicians take their place
  beside a small stage near the back of the inn. When
  they begin to play, the curtain
  opens, 
  and 
  and 
  beautiful
  Castillian girl slowly strides into
  view. Her flowing raven hair
  sweeps just past her waistline, as
  her coal black eyes quickly scan
  the audience. Wearing a tight red
  dress slit up the left side, she slowly
  begins to dance. Any Castillian Heroes
  recognise it as the Zarabanda, a
  controversial folk dance labelled by the
  Vaticine church as obscene.
  The girl eventually takes her show
  into the audience, approaching the
  Hero with the highest Panache, and
  pulling him from his seat. She
  whispers in his ear to stand still, and
  slowly dances around him, making
  intense eye contact the entire time. If
  the Hero places his hands on her, she
  will playfully slap them away with such grace
  that it seems to be part of the show.
  Suddenly, a loud crash is heard as both doors of the
  inn burst open, and the room fills with Castillian
  soldiers. Most are young men, armed to the teeth, and
  brandishing rapiers at the patrons. Near the rear door
  stands one squad of riflemen, their guns loaded and
  
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  aimed at the crowd. The girl slips behind the Hero she
  was dancing with, using him as a shield against the
  intruders.
  A rumble goes through the crowd, but the patrons, are
  too afraid of the soldiers to make a ruckus. A man
  wearing the uniform of an officer strides to the
  forefront of his men, bows mockingly, and begins to
  speak. "I am Captain Lopez of the Castillian Army.
  As you know, our war efforts have been hampered by
  a lack of volunteers to fill the ranks left by those who
  have fallen. As of right now, all able bodied men in
  this room may consider themselves 'volunteers.' For
  your selfless decision to join our ranks, you have the
  Army's gratitude"
  The soldiers fan out, and begin the arduous process of
  moving the men outside to be conscripted. Captain
  Lopez, upon seeing the Heroes, swaggers over to
  their table. "Greetings Gentleman. You all have the
  look of able swordsman, quite a find among this
  rabble. Unfortunately, we have no officer positions
  available, but I'm sure you will make excellent
  soldiers. Who knows? Perhaps one of our front line
  officers will fall in the near future, leaving an
  opening. I'll keep my eyes open." Lopez cracks a
  wicked grin.
  The Heroes are then surrounded by a large group of
  veterans, intent on stripping their gear and taking
  them outside. The Heroes must fight if they want to
  retain their freedom. If they resist, they will be
  attacked by Captain Lopez and one brute squad per
  Hero. The soldiers have the following stats:
  Threat Rating: 3
  Weapons: Rapiers (medium) Muskets (firearms)
  TN to hit: 20
  Special: Roll and keep one extra dice when attacking
  After two rounds of combat, more soldiers flood into
  the inn at the rate of four Brute Squads per round (2
  squads per entrance), to a maximum of twelve Brute
  Squads. At a particularly dramatic moment,
  especially if the battle is going badly for the Heroes,
  one of the female musicians (an Ussuran shape-
  shifter) transforms herself into a bear and lunges into
  the fray. The soldiers scatter, fleeing towards the
  nearest exit. During the commotion, the dancing girl
  grabs the Heroes, dragging them backstage. She then
  takes them down into the cellar where she reveals the
  entrance to a secret tunnel. Urging them to follow,
  she flees into the tunnels darkness.
  The Heroes follow the dancing girl through a tunnel
  system beneath the village, which eventually deposits
  them into another cellar. Here, they join a small group
  of women, dirty and battered, who are tending to each
  other's wounds, mending clothing, and preparing
  meagre meals. Shortly thereafter, the female
  musicians enter the cellar behind the Heroes, slightly
  dishevelled, but no worse for wear.
  The Proposition
  The dancing girl, introduces herself as Martine and
  explains their situation to the Heroes. They are all
  members of an unofficial finishing school for women,
  and unknown to most, the school encourages the
  practice of sorcery. The school, known as the
  Academy of Women's Arts (AWA), was attacked two
  nights ago by the Inquisition. Many women were
  killed, 
  and 
  several 
  more 
  captured. 
  Their
  Headmistress, Belicia de Savino, was among those
  taken away by the Inquisitors for interrogation. Since
  then, those who escaped have been hiding here in this
  cellar, while the able bodied attempt to earn enough
  money to relocate.
  
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  This is the problem: there is a sister school nearby,
  and many of those captured know its location.
  Martine fears that someone will divulge its
  whereabouts during the torturous interrogation of the
  Inquisition, and it will suffer the same fate as the
  AWA. Martine pleads with the Heroes to go to this
  school and help them evacuate, or protect them if
  necessary. If the Heroes resist, she reminds them that
  she and her girls saved them from military
  inscription. They have nothing to offer the Heroes
  except their gratitude, and the satisfaction of doing
  the right thing.
  Scene 2 : Defending the Meek
  Martine tells the Heroes the location of the second
  Academy house, and swears them to secrecy. She
  loans them a pendant to give the headmistress when
  they arrive, and a letter penned by her own hand. She
  explains that the pendant bears the symbol of the
  Academy, and the letter is a factual account of the
  incident with the Inquisition.
  The Heroes must journey two days, to a small village
  near the coast. Here they find the Academy a few
  miles out of town in a mid-sized, twenty-room estate.
  Upon inspecting the letter and pendant, the
  Headmistress, 
  Vanya, 
  welcomes 
  the 
  Heroes,
  supplying them with a warm meal and rooms for the
  night. Regardless of how adamant the Heroes are
  about evacuation, she insists that preparations can
  wait until morning. From here, Heroes may defer to
  her judgement, and go to sleep if they wish as they
  are tired and road weary. Smart Heroes will at least
  post one guard to protect the estate. Do not suggest
  this to the players, however; let them come up with it
  on their own. If they do not specifically mention the
  posting of guards, skip to An Open Target below.
  Guarding the Estate
  If the Heroes post a guard, then sometime in the early
  morning he will see the torches of the Inquisitors in
  the distance. It takes ten rounds for the Inquisitors to
  arrive, giving the Heroes that much time to evacuate
  all of the women, and/or make preparations for the
  coming onslaught. Fleeing into the night would be
  pointless, as the Inquisitors will surely follow, but
  Vanya explains that there is a dry well nearby which
  was recently converted to a shelter for such an
  occasion. The Heroes may evacuate the women to the
  well, and still have time to prepare their defences. If
  the Heroes prepare an ambush, they will receive two
  free raises to surprise the Inquisitors. If surprised, in
  addition to the normal benefits, they will not have
  time to prepare their pistols, and all will fight with
  medium weapons. There are a total of three Brute
  Squads plus two additional Brute Squads per Hero.
  Ramirez attacks the most dangerous looking Hero,
  backed up by two Brute Squads. The Brutes have the
  following stats:
  Threat Rating: 2
  Weapons: Rapiers (medium)
  TN to Hit: 15
  Attack (Fencing) +1
  Special: Due to their fanatical zeal, Inquisition Brutes
  require 2 Hits before they go down
  An Open Target
  Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the
  Inquisition makes a sneak attack. They creep up to
  the estate and set it ablaze with everyone inside.
  Then, they surround the house to shoot those who
  flee with their pistols. This is an excellent place to
  build tension for the Heroes. The house contains
  eighteen women, and at least half remain crouched in
  their rooms, too terrified to move. The Heroes must
  round them all up and seek a way to exit the house
  without being massacred. Within six Rounds, the
  
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  house will be completely consumed and anyone still
  inside will burn to death. Let the Heroes come up
  with their own plan for escape.
  Outside, there are three Brute Squads with pistols,
  who will immediately open fire on anyone who exits
  the building. In addition, there are two Brute Squads
  per Hero, each carrying medium weapons. One of the
  Brute Squads is lead by a young priest named
  Ramirez. Anyone who survives the initial onslaught
  of bullets, is set upon by Ramirez and his Brutes.
  These Inquisitors are fanatical, and will all fight until
  Knocked Out. They have the following stats:
  Threat Rating: 2
  Weapons: Rapiers (medium) Pistols (firearms)
  TN to Hit: 15
  Attack (fencing) +1
  Special: Due to their fanatical zeal, Inquisition Brutes
  require 2 Hits before they go down.
  At some point during the fighting, Vanya flees into
  the open where she is caught by one of the
  Inquisitors. He throws her to the ground and draws
  his pistol with the intention of shooting her. The
  Heroes witness this, and have mere seconds to save
  her life. If the Brute feels threatened in any way, he
  will not shoot Vanya, but instead shoot the object of
  the threat. If the Heroes rush into the open to save her,
  they will be fired upon by the musket and crossbow
  squads. Encourage them to be creative in their efforts
  to protect her. If the Brute is interrupted in his attempt
  to kill Vanya, she will use Pyeryem to transform into
  a rabbit, and flee into the forest surrounding the
  estate.
  After the battle, it should be easy to evacuate the
  survivors. The Heroes may do whatever they wish
  with the Knocked Out Inquisitors; however, outright
  killing them isn't a very Heroic thing to do. Their best
  bet is to tie them up and leave them by the road. If
  Ramirez is searched, they will find a letter which was
  sent to the leaders of all the local Inquisition cells. It
  states that the "Fate Witch" and her troupe of heretics
  will be burned at sunrise in the Village of San Rosario
  on on the coming day of Soldi. The Heroes realise
  that this reference is to Belicia de Savino, and they
  have only one day to reach the village. Vanya
  demands that the Heroes go to Belicia, stating that she
  is capable of leading her girls to safety without them.
  Scene 3 : Hellfire and Brimstone
  When the Heroes arrive in the village, they notice
  Belicia tied to a stake in the centre of town square,
  with wood, kindling, and pitch at her feet.
  Surrounding her in a semi-circle, are four other
  women tied to their own stakes in a similar fashion.
  The townsfolk have gathered to watch, some
  throwing rotten food, others chanting "Burn them
  all!" Each stake is surrounded by a group of hooded
  men, waiting for the signal to light the fire.
  Upon a raised dais some fifty feet from the pyres,
  stands an elderly yet powerful man wearing red
  Vaticine robes and bearing a book of Theus (he is a
  Monsignor). He is pounding the podium before him,
  preaching of the evils of sorcery, and how those who
  practice it will bring about the downfall of humanity.
  Theus demands that all those who consort with
  demons be punished to the fullest extent of his will.
  He insists that he is saving the souls of these women,
  for he is driving out their demons by burning them in
  the cleansing fires of Theus. If the Heroes attempt to
  interfere with the burning by speaking up for the
  women, they will be attacked as heretics. The
  Monsignor saying that the women must have
  bewitched them, and the only way to free their souls
  is to be cleansed by fire. The Heroes have several
  
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  options on how to rescue the condemned women.
  Two possibilities are detailed below, but do not feel
  limited by them.
  The Heroes go Straight for the Women
  If the Heroes rush straight for the women in an
  attempt to free them, a dozen Brute Squads descend
  on the area, blocking the Heroes and fighting with
  fanatical zeal. The Cardinal gives the order, and the
  pyres are set ablaze. The Heroes have four rounds to
  free the women (while being attacked by the Brutes)
  before they are consumed in flames. The Brute's stats
  are:
  Threat Rating: 3
  Weapons: Rapiers (medium) Pistols (firearms)
  TN to Hit: 20
  Attack (Fencing) +1
  Special: Due to their fanatical zeal, Inquisition Brutes
  require 2 Hits before they go down
  If the Heroes manage to free them, and there are still
  Inquisition Brute Squads standing; the Inquisitors
  attempt to attack and kill the women. Assume the four
  unnamed women have twos in all their Traits, and
  their Footwork Knack. If the Heroes choose to flee,
  use the chase rules in the Game Masters' Guide.
  The Heroes Attack the Monsignor
  If the Heroes attempt to reach the Monsignor, the
  Brute Squads converge on him in an attempt to
  intervene, but do not light the pyres. The women are
  all but forgotten as the Brutes attempt to protect their
  leader. If one of the Heroes slip past them and puts
  the squeeze on the Monsignor, then all of the Brutes
  stop in their tracks. The Brutes will do anything, short
  of committing suicide, to keep the Monsignor from
  being harmed. If the Heroes demand it, they will
  release the women immediately and will even provide
  a coach or wagon for their get- away. As soon as the
  Monsignor is released, the enraged Brutes converge
  on the Heroes with death in their eyes. The best
  course of action available to the Heroes is to take the
  Monsignor with them and release him a few miles
  outside of town. They may kill him if they wish, but
  will earn the following 3 point Background: Hunted
  (Inquisition). They have a good enough head start that
  the Brutes cannot to catch them.
  Scene 4 : A Goodbye Kiss
  Once the Heroes reach a safe distance from the
  village, Belicia becomes curious about her rescuers
  and begins to ask questions. When the Heroes explain
  the whole story, she will ask to be taken to Martine
  and the others. Once reunited with her sisters, she
  thanks each Hero personally, kissing each one on
  both cheeks. Belicia's kiss bestows a Blessing Die
  upon each Hero. The type of blessing depends on
  which strand the Hero's personality is most closely
  associated with. If you prefer, you can randomly
  determine the strand by drawing from a Tarot deck or
  rolling a die.
  Reprinted from the Player’s Guide
  Blessing Dice
  A Hero who recieves a Blessing Die rolls one extra Kept
  die with every roll linked to the appropriate strand. How-
  ever, this die cannot exploded. For example, a Swords
  Blessing would give the Hero an extra die to roll with ev-
  ery roll involving a conflict. The die remains until it rolls
  a 1, then it is discarded.
  E.g. Antonio has a Cups Blessing. Whenever he makes
  rolls involving passion, romance or emotion, he rolls his
  Blessing Die and adds the result to the roll. Under normal
  circumstances, Antonio can only keep a number of die
  equal to his Trait, but the Blessing Die doesn’t count to-
  wards that total. When Antonio’s Blessing Die rolls a 1,
  he adds one to his total and then discards the die.
  
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  Important NPC's
  Captain Lopez
  Brawn 3, Finesse 3, Wits 4, Resolve 3, Panache 2
  Advantages: Castillian (R/W), Commission, Toughness
  Commander: Strategy3, Tactics 4, Ambush 3, Leadership 4
  Fencing: Attack (Fencing) 4, Parry (Fencing) 3
  Firearms: Attack (Firearms) 5, Reload (Firearms) 5
  Captain Lopez is a typical Castillian military officer.
  Fined with enough ambition to single-handily win the
  war, Captain Lopez will do anything to hurt the
  Montaigne war effort, even if it means subjugating
  his own people. He is well known among his peers
  for being able to turn a rag-tag band of commoners
  into a force to be reckoned with.
  Vanya
  Brawn 3, Finesse 4, Wits 3, Resolve 3, Panache 3
  Advantages: Ussuran (R/W), Thean, Sophia's Daughters,
  Noble
  Doctor: Diagnosis 3, First Aid 4, Surgery 2, Veterinarian 4
  Hunter: Stealth 3, Survival 4, Tracking 3
  Pyeryem (Apprentice): Speak 5, Man 3, Animal Form:
  Rabbit 3
  Vanya is the Headmistress of a
  Sophia's Daughters chapter house in
  Castille. Originally from Ussura,
  Vanya joined the Daughters at a
  very young age and excelled in her
  duties to the order. She served her
  apprenticeship in Freiburg, and after three
  years was sent to Castille to open her own
  chapter. One of her duties as Headmistress is to
  single out women who have the potential, the
  dedication, the strength of will, and the leadership
  capabilities to one day take over a chapter house and
  further the cause of the order. She found those
  qualities in Belicia de Savino. After only a month,
  Belicia was appointed as Vanya's assistant where she
  excelled beyond expectation. Within two years, and
  after the chapter house had grown to capacity, Belicia
  was allowed to take a small group of newcomers and
  open a sister chapter in a nearby village.
  Belicia de Savino
  Brawn 2, Finesse 3, Wits 5, Resolve 3, Panache 3
  Advantages: Vodacce (R/W), Thean (R/W), Membership
  (Sophia's Daughters), Noble
  Background: Betrothed
  Courtier: Dancing 4, Etiquette 5, Fashion 4,  Oratory 5,
  Sincerity 5
  Merchant: Cooking 3, Seamstress 3, Tailor 2, Weaver 3
  Sorte (Adept): Arcana 4, Coins5, Cups4, Staves4, Swords4
  Belicia grew up a Vodacce noblewoman who wanted
  more out of life that her place dictated. As a youth,
  she was betrothed to a powerful Vodacce merchant
  who believed that women should know their role, one
  of subservience. As the date of the wedding drew
  near, she became frightened and fled. Luckily, she
  was quickly befriended by a member of the Sophia's
  Daughters, who smuggled her out of the
  country. She was sent to Castille to
  undergo her apprenticeship in the
  order, and was appointed as
  assistant Headmistress in less that
  thirty days. Serving under Vanya for
  the next two years, she learned the
  day 
  to 
  day 
  operations 
  of
  maintaining and managing an
  estate. Now she is the Headmistress
  of a Sophia's Daughters chapter house
  under the guise of a finishing school known
  as the Academy of Women's Arts. There she
  trains her girls reading, writing, scholarly arts, and
  helps them to develop their sorcery skills.
  
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  Brother Ramirez
  Brawn 3, Finesse 4, Wits 3, Resolve 4, Panache 3
  Advantages: Castillian (R/W), Thean (R/W), Faith,
  Ordained
  Priest: Oratory 3,  Philosophy 4,  Writing 3,   Mooch 4,
  Theology 5
  Spy: Shadowing 4, Stealth 5, Conceal 3, Interrogation 4,
  Poison 3, Sincerity 4
  Aldana (Journeyman): Feint (Fencing) 4, Riposte
  (Fencing) 5, Tagging (Fencing) 4, Exploit Weakness
  (Aldana) 4, Exploit Weakness (Valroux) 3
  Fencing: Attack (Fencing) 5, Parry (Fencing) 5
  Ramirez is a High Priest of Theus, and one of the
  many fanatical soldiers serving the cause of the
  Inquisition. His youth and enthusiasm more than
  make up for his lack of experience, and his skills as a
  swordsman make him an excellent field agent for the
  Inquisition. When he was but sixteen years old,
  Ramirez joined the Castillian army in order to defend
  his country. When he was wounded in action and left
  for dead, his faith in Theus never wavered. Upon his
  recovery, he joined the Vaticine church and became
  an ordained priest. While still an acolyte, his
  devotion and fanaticism did not go unnoticed, and he
  was offered a position in Theus' elite service: the
  Inquisition. Quickly rising through their ranks, he is
  now a High Priest of Theus and is in command of his
  own Inquisition cell. His direct superior is one of the
  reigning Cardinals who has been corrupted by the
  Inquisition.
  Monsignor Rios
  Brawn 2, Finesse 2, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Panache 3
  Advantages: Castillian (R/W), Thean (R/W), Faith,
  Ordained, Miracle Worker (1 die)
  Priest: Oratory 5, Philosophy 3, Writing 4, Diplomacy 5,
  Theology 5
  Spy: Shadowing 2, Stealth 3, Conceal 4, Forgery 4,
  Interrogation 5, Sincerity 5
  Knife: Attack (Knife) 4, Parry (Knife) 4, Throw (Knife) 2
  Monsignor Rios is the leader of several local cells of
  the Inquisition. Rios wages a personal war against
  those who would use sorcery. Travelling often as a
  youngster, he watched his father die at the hands of a
  Fate Witch, because he had the audacity to meet her
  gaze while speaking a kind word. Orphaned, he
  joined the Vaticine Church, where his hatred for
  sorcerers made him a perfect candidate for the
  Inquisition. Now, he scours the countryside of
  Castille, sniffing out and burning to death anyone
  with sorcerous blood or heretical ties.
  7th Sea and all related marks are © and ™ Alderac Entertainment Group Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  Format and layout by Mark Stanton Woodward © 2004
  Original material written by Ray Yand
  Official Alderac 7th Sea Site - http://www.swashbucklingadventures.com/
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/7th Sea [multi]/1st Edition/09 NOM Related Materials/04 Flames In The Night.pdf