I-II. Kingston, Jamaica. Monday, January 1, 1725 Anno Domini

• Having just returned to Kingston from visiting Old Tom and learning valuable information, the crew have discovered that Billy, Sir Randel’s contact who pointed them toward the old coot, is dead. Artegal attempts to discern some clues from the corpse, but alas, he learns little more than the man has been murdered. The local gendarmes cart away the body and the crew return to the Graceful Dame wherein they are reunited with “Claude” who has been watching the ship.
• That night, they make plans. Their next likely destination is Île-à-Vache, so they agree that during the following day, Artegal will assist Hayden in gathering supplies for the journey, recalling the rest of the crew, and perhaps seeking out some cargo. Hayden also plans to reach out to the captain of the Nijmegen to network. While this is going on, the other four shall dive for the Coin.
• The dive takes all day as there is a great deal of territory to cover and it’s all underwater. Around midday, Sir Randel’s rival-enemy, Maurice Boissonade is rowed out to treat with him, presenting a document from the governor insisting that anything discovered in the graveyard rightly belongs to Boissonade. As his crew is not searching in the graveyard (having learned from Old Tom that the Coin is not there), Sir Randel is only too happy to comply, though he does make an effort to “accidentally” tip his rival into the bay. After some difficulty, they are successful and return with the Coin.
• With Artegal acting as interpreter, Hayden manages to get word to the Dutch captain of the Nijmegen who comes ashore later; the two discuss recent events, with Hayden pressing his fellow captain into carrying some non-secret letters to the Admiralty back in England. They part, not as friends, but certainly as warm associates.
• Artegal ends up enlisting Sir Randel’s aid in seeking out cargo and/or passengers to Île-à-Vache, no matter the latter’s utter disinterest in this part of the job. Hayden and Rogers handle receiving their supplies and getting the ship to rights as the hired crew trickle back on. While this is going on, Davino is visited by Jacob, the man who attended the now dead priest the day earlier, and relates to the Venetian some information about The Gun (aka Misericordia) – it is the weapon of Hunters, mean and women who seek out and destroy supernatural entities. This weapon is said to be able to kill anything it hits. Clearly not really buying into Jacob’s explanation, Davino effectively blows him off and goes back to work.
• Time passes as they ready the Dame for sail. Early morning on the 4th, as Artegal is on watch with Isaac Bold, the doctor notes something odd in the bay approaching that appears to be a barrel … with men swimming alongside it! Artegal calls out to the men, who freeze (evidently in surprise), then there is a small light atop the barrel. Isaac calls out for a gun, having identified this as a threat, but Artegal (who has clearly spent too much time in Sir Randel’s company) reacts without thinking and dives into the bay, intent on snuffing out the fuse. This unexpected action causes some confusion – one of the would-be saboteurs attempts to swim away while another is accidentally kicked by Artegal while swimming. Having been roused, Rogers thinks quickly and has the cockboat lowered so he and some of the men can set out to capture the momentarily stunned saboteur.
• Once Artegal is recovered, along with the now safed barrel of what turns out to be lamp oil, the crew interrogate the captured saboteur and learn only that they were hired by “the man on the docks” to cripple the Dame. Quickly determining to take the cockboat to shore and try to find the “man on the docks” to get some questions answered, the crew start preparing…
• And then, in the distance, alongside the La Dame Blanche, there is a gunshot followed by an eruption of flame…

Player Notes:

• Long, long overdue recap. I have no one to blame … but work. And my own laziness.
• The Skill Challenge worked out rather nicely. Probably one of the best versions of that we’ve seen.
• We gave Gigermann a bit of crap for the confusing time line.

See the Daniverse Blog for the GM’s post-game debrief.