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7th Sea Primer
This is meant to be a simple introduction to "7th Sea". The most simple way to classify things is to consider Earth's own 17th Century and realize that most aspects of the 7th Sea world of Theah are based on historical counterparts. 7th Sea is far more simple in many respects and lacks a lot of the subtle nuance of reality. For example, in the case of religion, instead of having the numerous world religions Theah only offers the Vatacine faith, a very basic Christian version of things for the most part. Theah is the continent where most everything in the game will occur, in effect, it is the known world. There are several signifigant differences between the real world 17th Century and Theah, here is a brief outline. To get a good intro into the world and a basic overview of things check out the 7th Sea Homepage. Make sure to take a look at the gallery and check out the World Map!!
Sorcery
Sorcery in Theah has very real effects. Only those individuals with noble blood can ever hope to learn sorcery and the nobility from every country practice their own brand of it. The effects of sorcery can be very subtle or quite obvious in effect and but even the most basic of sorcerous powers do not really compare with the classic "mage" of most fantasy games. The abilities tend to be more limited in scope and power, but at the same time can be incredibly useful and world shaping if used with intelligence.
The Seventh Sea
The Seventh Sea is a mythical sea where the stars move backwards, the sun and the moon share the same horizon and strange cries can be heard from beneath the waves. It may be more than myth however, as there are too many reports of it's existence to easily discount.
The War of the Cross
Theah has only recently emerged from the thirty year long "War of the Cross, " a struggle which involved nearly every world power. The majority of the war was fought within the boundaries of a single nation - Eisen. The war drove the Eisen Imperator to suicide and splintered his country into small kingdoms. Other nations, however, profited greatly from the conflict, a lesson the Eisen will never forget. One poet wrote, "The War of the Cross will be the last religious war Theah shall ever see." Many Theans pray that he's right.
Cabals, Cults and Secret Societies
The Explorer's Society
One of the most prominent "Gentlemen's Clubs" in Theah is the Explorer's Society, a multinational organization dedicated to studying Theah's past and discovering her geography. The Explorers have spent the last few years delving into the lost Syrneth cities, rescuing her artifacts from mercenary archeologists. Collecting artifacts has become quite a hobby of Thean nobility, who hire rogue "diggers" to acquire them at any cost.
The Invisible College
Two years ago, the Hierophant of the Vaticine Church passed away under mysterious circumstances and the Inquisition took control. Since then, all scientific research within the Church universities has come to a complete halt. However, some scholars within the Church still perform experiments, even under the shadow of the Inquisition. The College communicates through underground journals and secret meetings, using pseudonyms to protect the identities of its members. Despite the efforts of the Inquisition, the College has sucessfully smuggled hundreds of research reports out to its members.
The Knights of the Rose and Cross
While the Knights of the Rose and Cross are a very public organization, they are still a very secret society. They are an indenpendant order, accountable only to themselves and their secret code. While on the surface they appear to be a gentlemen's club of adventurers, it is whispered that they are really an occult organization seeking the downfall of the Church. It has also been said they are a Church organization seeking the downfall of the sorcerous bloodlines. The truth may never be revealed. All that is known for certain is that the Order was founded by gentlemen and ladies of noble standing who stood to inherit little or nothing from their dynasties. It is claimed these nobles founded the Order to bring reputation and prestige to their names with acts of daring and courage, signed with the familiar symbol of the rose and cross. Since then, the Order has grown into an international brotherhood, seeking to bring justice to the unjust and to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
The Rilasciare
This secret society has so many different names, it was originally thought to be many different organizations with an identical goal. Best known as the Free Thinkers, the Rilasciare promote free will and self-determination with extremely unorthodox tactics. In addition to distributing fliers espousing their philosophy, some of their more famous exploits include substituting town criers, freeing "criminals" whose only crime was speaking against those in charge and adding subversive sentences to a priest's hand-written sermon. While the Church's public opinion of the Rilasciare is "a group of meddlesome troublemakers", the Inquisition's private opinion of the Free Thinkers is far less approving.
The Vendel League
Two hundred years ago, the King of Montaigne refused to pay for a pair of shoes he commissioned from a cobbler. The very next day, every cobbler in Montaigne closed his doors. The day after that, every cooper closed his. The day after that, every blacksmith let his forge darken and go cold. It didn't take long for the King of Montaigne to return to that shop, pay the cobbler for his work and apologize. Such is the power of the Thean Guilds. Often referred to as "The Vendel League" (because of its headquarters and its fraternal unity), the Guilds control almost all of Theah's economic strength and hold its fiscal future in their hands.