Game Log

Time for Troubles

Game Date: 05/26/06
Beatrice Caligari is spooky and not terribly helpful.

Redi, Quartus 21

Marco finally manages to best Renato in one of their training bouts.

Voltadi, Quartus 22

Nearing the Mondavi/Caligari border, Salvador spotted a trio of Eisen clad in the slashed-and-puffed garb of mercenaries. They waved at the oncoming carriage, and the Donatis slowed to see what they wanted. They wanted employment, of course! Times were dangerous, and the carriage seemed under-manned. Salvador assured the Eisen that they had all the protection that they needed. But... was this all the guards there were? the Eisen wanted to know, apparently unconvinced that their services were unneeded. Well, yes, they were only a small party.

The Eisens' smiles widened in a singularly unhealthy fashion, and they gave a guttural war-cry that summoned fifteen more of their fellows from hiding. The carriage was ambushed! Their targets were clear - two groups tried to pull the ladies from their horses, while the rest tried to wrest control of the carriage from the drivers.

Francesca buried a knife into one of her attackers before seeing their intent; with a nudge of her foot and a tug on the reins, she commanded her horse to nimbly step out of the way. Marco moved to interpose himself between the Eisen and the horse, his blade out. Before the Eisen even had a chance to react, he had dropped the remaining five. None would be getting up again.

Don Salvador cut down two of the treacherous bandits who had been speaking with him, but four of their fellows laid hands on Lady Donati and pulled her from her horse. Gianina reached a hand to her veil, meaning to intimidate them, but they found their attention commanded rather more by Renato Vasari. The Knight was more than they had bargained for, and soon three were lying on the ground, clutching various bloodied parts of their anatomy.

The carraige rocked as six bandits clambered aboard. Pietra squeaked when a grubby face suddenly leered through the window; a few seconds later, her little poinard flashed out and the man dropped off the running board. Father Donati locked the doors and held on. Sure enough, after the bandits threw one of the coachmen from the drivers' seat, the other lashed the horses into a run to try and escape. It rolled away in a cloud of dust. Salvador, seeing it go, urged his own horse to a run to follow. Picking off the remaining bandits while on horseback was an interesting challenge! Once they had been taken care of, he rode up alongside the carriage horses and leaned out to take their reins and slow them down.

Gianina's last attacker found himself suddenly all alone, facing both an unveiled strega and a man who'd just dropped three of his companions without breaking a sweat. "Let me go," Gianina said curtly, and he hastened to do so. "Get my horse," she further commanded. He jogged to where the animal stood placidly but then, with a quick look over his shoulder, threw himself up onto it and tried to ride off. But Francesca was still nearby and on horseback; riding up alongside, she balanced carefully and let another dagger fly. It took him square in the shoulder and the sudden shock of it sent him flying from the horse.

Lady Donati retrieved her horse and prepared to use one of her prone attackers as a mounting block. Pausing, she looked down at him. "What is your name?" she asked. At first, his name seemed to be something along the lines of "Please no kill me, mercy, very hungry men, not hurt ladies just trade for monies, Theus's mercy, please!" Gianina indicated that she wasn't going to kill him, and asked his name again. Weakly, he answered, "Franz." Looking at him, she repeated it three times and started to stoop - but felt a hand on her shoulder. Renato Vasari was looking at her - looking her in the eyes, even - beseechingly.

She gave him a wink - she didn't intend to actually bother cursing this bothersome creature - but his solemn face didn't change. This was no joking matter. Somewhat chastened, Gianina replaced her veil and let the Eisen know he was lucky before she planted a foot on his chest and remounted her horse.

The carriage was busy repositioning itself; Father Donati got out to walk among the Eisen. Were they Vaticine or Objectionist? One, spitting blood, defiantly answered that they were Objecionists and proud of it. The father shrugged, looking at the men who were dead or dying. "I won't offer you Last Rites, then."

Soldi, Quartus 23

After Mass, Marco produced a novelty for Francesca's entertainment: a book of Avalonian fairy stories Renato had lent him. He would read to her as she rode and he walked alongside. The rest of the travelers were quick to express an interest, and the book soon started making morning and afternoon rounds between the riders and the carriage.

Gianina was still occassionally amusing herself by stepping her horse more quickly up to the front to see how Salvador was, then returning to the carriage to check on Pietra and Angelo, and then finally falling back into line. Renato was still keeping up (with some effort) and didn't say a word to her about it.

Amordi, Quartus 25

The night before, the group had finally reached the city of Numa. Full of towers and lights, it made quite an impression, but the Donati were in something of a hurry. They would linger longer on their return trip and properly see the sights of the great city. For now, though, they would get clothes suitable for presenting themselves before their prince. Renato Vasari proved himself useful here as well, directing the tailors to assemble outfits that were at the leading edge of fashion and well-suited to each of the Donati.

Feast of the Miracle of Wheat, Quartus 30

In the days of Malak the Second Prophet, thousands gathered in the early spring to hear his words of divine wisdom. The Witnesses grew concerned. "O Teacher," they said to him, "many thousands have gathered here, to travel with us to your homeland. But the wheat in only newly in the ground, and there will be no food for them all for many months." And he said, "If Theus will provide for the birds and fodder for the cattle, will he not also provide for His children?" And the next morning when they rose, lo! The wheat had already sprouted, and grown, and was ready for the harvesting.

After a day of pious reflection on the Miracle of the Wheat and Theus's providence, Salvador went off with Countess Odessa to a heathen fertility festival, which was infinitely more diverting. He left her travel token in care of one of the coachmen, and only told Marco that "something had come up" and he'd meet up with everyone the next day.

Soldi, Quintus 1

The Donati were concerned with Salvador's sudden disappearance. The coachman, overhearing, hoped to help out by telling them that the young lord had given him this strange coin just before he apparently left. Francesca recognized the travel token quickly, and Father Donati took charge of it. When Salvador returned well after sunset in company of the countess, the priest bid her a good evening then lambasted his brother for running off without telling anyone. Salvador shrugged it off and the countess, bemused, returned home, taking her token with her.

Redi, Quintus 6

The Donati arrived in Estivo della Verde in Falisci lands. The port, a busy shipyard and home to the closest thing Vodacce can call a navy, featured beautiful tall ships, grimy, tar-footed sailors, and the maimed and crippled veterans of naval warfare. Gianina discreetly passed Father Donati a few coins to disburse to them, to which he added a few of his own.

The carriage, horses and coachmen were left here, with an allowance and instructions not to gamble it all away in one night. Then the group found one of the small, well-appointed vessels that specialized in making passenger runs to Reinascienca on Caligari Island.

Salvador found sea travel uncomfortable; Renato found it almost intolerable. The ladies had traveled by ship to Vestini Island, a few years back, and had enjoyed the experience then. Marco was positively enthusiastic. He'd spent much time as a boy on ships, and the smell of the salt air was like coming home. Somewhat embarassed, he showed Francesca something he'd bought in the port just for the trip: a bag of stale bread. Sea birds often followed these ships, hoping for just such treats, and he liked to watch them dip and manuever to catch thrown bread. After demonstrating a few tosses (rather unnecessarily, if you think about it), he offered her the bag and stepped back so she had a clear shot.

Luckily for Salvador and Renato, the trip took less than a day. They arrived at the tiled terrances of Reinascienza near sundown. Passing the ancient bronze statue of Senator Delaga, the Donati ascended the stairs that would take them into the upper levels of society. The outrider, now on foot, hurried ahead to find suitable lodging. That night, Don Salvador wrote and sent letters to both Beatrice Caligari and to her husband, Aldo Falisci, requesting an audience.

Voltadi, Quintus 7

Aldo Falisci's reply came early. The rambling, wine-spattered missive indicated that "Beatrice Caligari's husband" would be pleased to have them for lunch that very day. It was poorly composed and negligently written, but the author didn't seem offended.

Caligari Palace was wonderful in its own right. The prince's obsession with the Syrneth was plain, from the guards toting unearthly silver muskets to the children chasing strange clockwork whirygigs through the courtyard. Inside, mundane windows and candles were supplemented by stones that glowed with soft colored light.

Aldo's chambers were (perhaps thankfully) fairly pedestrian. Well-appointed, of course, as befitted the husband of the prince's adopted daughter. Clear, high windows offered an excellent view of the island and surrounding ocean. The furnishings were fine and the carpets and wall hangings of first quality. Aldo himself lazed in a large chair, attended by no fewer than four courtesans: Bimba, Auretta, and BellaDonna, all bottle-blonde Vodacce, and Helga, a thick-limbed Eisen import with long platinum locks. They giggled (well, Helga chortled) and waved when introduced. After some inebriated pleasantries, Aldo called everyone to table - and then realized that someone was missing. He called for Vanya, who hurried to make her appearance. In a sleeveless dress, sans chemise, with barbaric golden armlets and long yellow braids, she was the very picture of a Vesten raider's woman.

Except to Salvador, who had last seen her in fine Vendel fashion, spitting mad, leaving the university and his life. They both froze but, after a slight bobble in the conversation, everyone sat down to lunch - Vanya sitting on Aldo's lap. The Falisci was thrilled that his guests had brought a bottle of his family's best from Estivo della Verde and prompty had it opened. He was clearly enjoying the company, and Francesca made an excellent impression telling him amusing stories and generally paying attention to him. Finally, though, after several hours, he regretfully brought the conversation around to their reason for coming. He tried to dissuade them from seeing his wife - people died doing that - but if they insisted, she was down a long corridor, that way. Father Donati, Pietra, Francesca, and Gianina went, while Salvador stayed behind, determined to discover what Vanessa was doing here. He asked Helga about how she came to the island and expressed admiration at the cosmopolitan nature of Aldo's seraglio. Flattered and thinking that Salvador was hinting, Aldo played the good host and offered him the pick of the courtesans as company while in Reinascienza. Salvador was quick to pick "Vanya," despite Aldo's attempts to talk him into another girl. "Just for dinner," he assured the Falisci, because he was interested in the Vesten isles.

Beatrice Caligari lived a good ten minute walk away, practically on the other side of the palace. The hall to her rooms was utterly empty of people - no servants passed, no courtiers loitered to goissp in private nooks. Things looked a little dusty, a little abandoned.

The door to her suite opened when Father Donati knocked upon it. The room beyond was dark, with all the curtains drawn. It contained only a loom, an embroidery stand, and a single chair in which sat a beautiful, heavily veiled woman. Her veil was covered in so many black pearls that they clicked softly against each other when she moved her head, which she did slowly, surveying her guests.

The strega also saw her strands - the many black strands that waved slowly about her, stretching toward her vistors and seeming to sniff at them like curious animals. Gianina swallowed hard but, at this point, she was nearly accustomed to black strands. Pietra, on the other hand, moved close to Father Donati, eyes very wide.

Caligari jumped in a most undignified manner when Father Donati introduced himself. Her veiled head turned in the direction of his voice and pulled back when the strega realized that the man had no strands. Caligari lived among the strands, knew the strands, knew what they meant, and knew the people that they moved. She didn't know this man. The Atropos was too sure of herself to be frightened, but it was certainly a cause for wonder.

She saw the Fate Knot right away. The delicate but intricate work was Angela Donati's, she was sure. But that wasn't the first thing her visitors asked after. Strange activity in Agitazione... brother-in-law's friend's strands... she followed the links, tracing more degrees of separation than any strega would have said was possible. There was the little knot that would be this friend, and there was his Queen of Cups, and there... there was the snarl that was tugging the fabric askew. She was satisfied to notice that it looked as she had predicted such a feature must look; her theories, so far, were correct. She would have to study the ramifications of this tangle, the different ways it could be smoothed back out without undue damage to the...

Oh. These people were still in the room and of course, they couldn't see what she saw. In a soft voice, unaccustomed to speech, she verbalized her gratitude for the benefit of those who couldn't see it forming. They, with their bright webwork of Cups and Swords and Rods spun out between them - an old pattern, she thought - left, all but the Knotted child and the Unbound.

What was she supposed to do? What did he want? She couldn't tell, not without... Oh, how simple. He spoke and told her: could the Knot be undone? Was that really what he wanted? What underlay the question? She looked it over again. Donati's work, and sealed with her death. Strong, well-tied, and binding many of the girl's other strands. But yes, it could be undone.

Would she do it? It made no difference to her, although there was something about the Game and its rules... not that rules had ever applied to Caligari. Almost too late, it occurred to her that she didn't know, really, why he was asking. He might be fond of the girl. There were ways, she knew, that other people determined that kind of thing, without seeing strands, but Caligari had never had a use for them. She thought: yes, it was likely that if he wanted to prevent her death at the hands of her grandmother, he wanted to prevent her death, period. That was a common enough pattern in the threads. She voiced her doubt, that this solution might not be acceptable. To her relief, the Unbound simply thanked her, collected the child and left. She returned her attention to the strands, the world of jeweled light and dark void that was her only true home.

Continue to next game.