presents...
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Intermezzo
Game Date: 09/08/06
Julius 25 The Tessatore, two of them, plus Lady Rosina Masacci, wanted to talk first with Lady Donati, then with Donna Pietra, then with Donna Anna. Their conversations were interrupted by the arrival of Prince Mondavi and his wife, Mea. She had recovered from her illness - apparently the strand tensions which accompanied the "hole to hell" in Agitazione were aggravating her condition. She thanked each of the Donati who were responsible for bringing that to the attention of the proper people. Over the next few days, Lady Donati was kept hopping between consulting with the Tessatore, assisting her husband, and entertaining the principessa. Prince Mondavi took the time to meet with his son's future father-in-law, telling Angelo that this proposed marriage to Beatrice Caligari was not something he would look kindly on right now. However, he would be willing to re-examine the issue in a few more months, when things were more settled. Julius 27 The Tessatore had heard and seen enough and departed. They found no cause to punish Pietra Donati past the lashes she had already taken. However, they are concerned that she has too much power and insufficient school in its proper and moderate use. They instruct Lady Donati to see that this schooling takes place. Eisenfurst Erich Sieger arrived in Monfalcone, apparently to entreat Prince Mondavi for more food charity. Julius 28 Not to be pushy, but Ellen was getting worried over her engagement. She had understood the paperwork to only need Angelo's nod, and all would be official. She looked him up, to see if she could assist in smoothing over any provisions he had found objectionable. Angelo tried to hedge by telling Ellen about the upcoming war. She didn't see the revelance. He was looking out for her best interests by stalling - if he died, she wouldn't be the widow of a possibly notorious family. In her mind, she'd already agreed to the marriage, and that was for better or for worse... was he implying she would run away from such a problem? The Vodacce and Avalonian worldviews did not make the conversation easy, and Ellen finally fully explained herself to the "meat-headed" priest that she thought that she'd fallen in love with him. There was a great feast that night for the prince and the eisenfurst, and afterwards, Elsa met Erich Sieger. Julius 29 Angelo asked his former baby brother to please "distract" his fiancee at the formal ball that would mark Salvador's arrival as viscount tonight. Angelo was hoping that Ellen's affections could be transferred elsewhere, to lessen the blow when he eventually married Beatrice as he planned. The ball was quite grand. The prince barely reacted to the redecorations and the staff; the princess seemed to disapprove. Cristoforo unfortunately recognized Mario, even in a doublet and hose, but the chief of staff had the big capo quickly distracted by his girls before his colorful alter ego was brought to the attention of the proper wives and ladies in attendance. Ellen had a fine time chatting with a visiting noblewoman who had apparently grown up in Breg, too, until she realized this was the same Countess Blanchard who had invited her and her father to a Boltan fire. Suddenly uncomfortable, she went looking for other company. Corantine 2 Skipping a holy day and Soldi, Palazzo Visconti threw another ball, this one for gentlemen and their lady companions only - no wives or other women of gentle birth. Once the stories started to get out and the rumor mill got done with them, Salvador found he had a nice bit of notoriety going for himself. Father Giulia Masacci had preached several sermons on temperance. Count Barozzi was officially not making an issue of it, but his wife seemed somewhat disappointed in her former favorite courtier. Attilo Masacci, along with many other young (and older) lords in Monfalcone and the surrounding countyside, all suddenly wanted invitations to Salvador's. Corantine 5 The Mondavi and Sieger leave. Corantine 7 The young Lucani strega who was shuffled into the Palazzo Visconti among the bustle of the inaugural balls was quietly shuffled out and across the river. Corantine 8 Lucia asked Lady Donati to examine her husband's strands. Bernardo has changed over the past few months, working later hours, carrying a blade, and suddenly more self-confident. Lucia almost suspects an affair, but Bernardo has never shown the inclination before. Lady Donati, peering at her brother-in-law during church, could see nothing terribly out of place. Corantine 10 Lucia found Father Angelo at Santa Sophia and asked him if he would speak to his brother and find out if anything was wrong. Corantine 12 Angelo corners Bernardo for a chat. After an initial resistance, Bernardo is almost glad to confess to something that's been consuming him for years. Since a macabre encounter with the body of Vedette's* killer in the garden shed when he was a boy, he's suffered from increasingly violent fancies. He tried to keep it suppressed for as long as possible, channeling a desire to control the life and death of others into a passion for criminal justice. At least it would be bad people he was condemning to death as a judge. But the Eisen bandit who would've fingered Angelo for attempted matricide just had to made to go away. Bernardo killed him, and has since gone on to personally execute a condemned man at least once a month since Quartus. (He convinced Countess Morena that, in certain circumstances, the executions ought to be private rather than public out of concern for the human dignity of the criminal. He pays off the executioner and strangles the condemned himself.) After an initial moment of shock, Angelo congratulated his brother on being chosen by Theus to be his willing tool of justice in the world, and enjoined him to continue to cleanse the world of evil men. *Vedette was the rarely-heard name of Vittorio Donati's favored, Lorenzo-blooded courtesan. She was Antonio's mother. "Vedette" was also the name Capt. Vincente Favero gave as his mother's at Teodora's funeral. Corantine 15, Feast of Justice Vanessa Janssen posted a letter to Salvador. Beatrice Caligari has had her marriage to Aldo Falisci annulled, and so Falisci is returning home. He wants to take his "girls" with him. "Vanya" has no interest in Aldo at all; she would firstly want to remain on Caligari Island, to continue her espionage, but (since she can see no way to do that), she wants out, hopefully without making a Falisci lord angry with her. Salvador had mentioned that he could possibly assist her in this, and she's willing to take him up on the offer. Her own escape strategies have run into problems. Corantine 18 Brother Jacopo - the occultist who helped to debrief Angelo on Mondavi Island - paid his promised visit. He asked after Angelo's goals and plans, which the priest admitted weren't as clear as they once were. He wanted to marry Beatrice and held out a vague hope that somehow, that wouldn't sabotage his career plans. Jacopo offered another avenue. He worked for a secret church order that functioned as the invisible hand of the Hierophant. Angelo's charm and quick-thinking (and of course his Unboundedness) made him an excellent candidate for membership. Angelo, who had intended to make a study of the occult anyway, thought that this was a good idea. Corantine 20 Beatrice Caligari posted a letter to Angelo, confirming that her marriage was annulled and that she would be leaving for the mainland on Corantine 23. Corantine 23 A courtesan trying to escape from the long reach of a Villanova man slips into the Palazzo Visconti. Corantine 27 Both Vanessa and Beatrice's letters arrive in Monfalcone. Salvador replied immediately. The Villanova courtesan, rested after her long and perilous journey, left in the company of two other women. Corantine 30 Dinner as usual at the Palazzo Donati. Antonio's mood was very comparable to that on the evening of Quartus 8. According to later reports, Caligari Island sank sometime during the night. Septimus 1 Around dawn, Gianina and Elsa awoke to unexpected sounds downstairs. Antonio was being escorted by two lieutenants and his doctor out of his office and to his room. Following, they saw the doctor treating him for bloody wounds before he noticed them in the doorway. He ordered his lieutenants to close the door but assured Gianina that he was fine. Later, one of the Donati couriers was sent on a fast ride to Profeta Chiesa. Septimus 2 In the afternoon, the Eisen started to break camp in Le Tende. Septimus 3 Countess Odessa, sporting a bandage on her arm, appears in the Palazzo Visconti and curtly informs Salvador that, after many years of a good relationship between their families, Antonio had overstepped himself and abused her good faith in him. Alliances were likely to shift, and it would be good for Salvador to know which side he would be on. Septimus 4 Salvador went to ask Antonio about Odessa's cryptic pronouncements. Antonio was adamant that he did not injure her, but slid around directly replying when Salvador asked if he knew how she acquired it. Her anger and the coming split was apparently news to him. He declined to speculate on what had upset her. Septimus 5 The news that Caligari Island sank (or disappeared, or was blown up in a volcanic eruption, or was vaporized by a Syrneth artifact) arrived in Monfalcone. Angelo went to speak to Antonio, concerned about the family fortunes. How could they eliminate the Caligari family when they were already gone? It didn't seem to bother Antonio much - the deal was done. Would the Donati take credit for it? Angelo wanted to know. Antonio asked if he really wanted the burden of an answer to his question; Angelo decided that he did not. The Eisen began to march west. Septimus 6 A letter appeared in Santa Sophia for Father Donati. It was from Gabrielle, dated Septimus 4, only two days before. She said that her loyalty to her husband's brother was far greater than that to his killer, so she wanted him to know that Mateo Bianco had been released - apparently on Antonio's orders. She didn't know why. Angelo instantly guessed "assassination." The question was - who would be the target? Himself? Prince Mondavi? Prince Caligari, who was rumored to have survived the cataclysm? He began to confer with Salvador, and later with Lady Donati and her bodyguard Elsa when Gianina came to him in confession with some concerns about what she'd seen at dawn on Septimus 1. The first thing they needed to do, they decided, was see what they could learn from the Countess Blanchard. Continue to next game.
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