Message:Small group and a terrible start. We were at DefMod-7 for first Phase A of encounters. (Only minus four max applied to any table.) Over the course of reaching the climax, we brought that to minus one. All three of us leveled, but we have two vicious wounds. But I should start at the beginning (of the session).
Reed, an Abbot working for the Calvinists, approached us to be the outfitters and security for an ecumenical conclave, a meeting of French bishops to discuss changes to the church doctrines regarding the sale of Indulgences. We might be able to address what historically the Church was unable to do. Can we avoid (or delay) the Reformation? The event took on greater significance by a Campaign Event (pair fives) where French King and Pope have asked for success. By the way – All three characters are Royalists. One is Papist and another is a Reformist.
The wife of the Ironmonger, Maurice, bullied her husband. She wants him to reclaim his honor by stopping us. Maurice was DefMod-3 of our penalty. He also has Gelignite, which made Ships and Duels DefMod-3. IronPax said it was hopeless and wanted to quit (repeatedly nagging chorus).
We overcame the Gelignite by events and finding an apothecary to describe what we are facing. We also neutered Ironmonger’s forces en route. Leaving us w/ penalty DefMod-1 from our Patron’s overconfidence. God Wills it!
Among the events: We fought a Boarding w/ Mop-Up x2. We defeated three caravels in Ship to Ship, barrage cards. We got lost by randomly fluctuating Setting and encountered the Colossus of Rhodes come to life (says IronPax) fighting one Ace card flip of Animal Attack on that Leviathan. Faced a duel where we had to all escape (not hurt a youth pretending to be the Major but was actually a drummerboy). But even as all selected Defensive, we all had Dispatch, after Dispatch, after Dispatch. IronRed finally gutted the upstart from behind, angering the true company Major. In Phase C we went off the roads in a land that none of spoke the language; the Brawling Fray was inevitable. Jolly Umlauts prevailed; IronPax KO and IronDave ran a sequence of twelve forced cards, Majors and Minors, swapping attacks, random Method, back to Irregular, one more twist, to slay the enemy leader before IronRed got even a chance to get a card to check Ignoble.
Lots of Majors in encounters making things oddly fun.
Along the way we collected eight I&R, most of which will be here and gone at mission end. Few are up for grabs as reward. The actual Assembly is not focus as much as defeating directly the Main Rival before he causes strife.
Mission eight continues into climax with Barrier Fortress, Gelignite Exploding Martyrs opposed to Church Compromise and Facing Maurice in a Duel to his Death (his -3 DefMod status truly out of our campaign). Very Cutlass affair.
Yours,
IronRed
19-Apr-2026