The Reign in Spain

GM: Erik Hanson

Players:

Beth Bartley: Liliana Scarpelli: 15 year old Genoese noble seeking to marry into the Sforza family of Florence.

Joshua Kronengold: Ipolitto Sforza, a 12 year old noble

Lisa Padol: Roggerio, a musician and ex-diabolist with an unwanted, but not entirely undeserved, reputation for intrigue, in Ipolitto's service

Lee Painton: Vincent di Giovanni, Venitian nobleman and Necromancer, spying for the Sforza while trying to take over the Florentine criminal underworld.

David Siegel: Jebril, displaced Moorish architect with a talent for geomancy, in the service of the Sforza family.

Matt Stevens: Rafael Marancini, Jewish Cabalist and advisor to Ipolitto.

Rachael Tang: Bella Ziani, midwife and visionary

Lee, Rachael, and Dave missed the session, so Vincent and Bella stayed in Florence, while Jebril took ill en route to Spain.

Prominent NPCs:

Sebastiano Sforza: Ipolitto's uncle, head of the family, Duke of Florence. He recently discovered he has a living son.

Horatio Sforza: Ipolitto's oldest brother, presumed heir until the revelation of Sebastiano's heir.

Ciacco the Hog: Genoese merchant who earns his nickname. Boorish, gross, and ruthless.

Duke Ferdinand Coranzon VIII: Spanish noble, raconteur, and gambler.

Quillmaster: He serves Duke Coranzon, writing down -everything- that transpires around him in complete detail.

Ipolitto, Liliana, Rafael, and Roggerio were heading to Spain to bring back the newly revealed Sforza heir. While in Spain, they hoped to speak to a former Sforza servant, now a nun, who might know something about the circumstances surrounding the heir's birth. They also hoped to speak to Duke Ferdinand Coranzon VIII and his Quillmaster about finding a griffin feather, a vital ingredient to counteract an addictive wine which kills its victims when they stop taking it.

This wine was used by the Dorvinians to addict most of the powerful nobles and clergy of Florence; variants had been used to addict such people in other cities. Some cities were still free of the Dorvinian influence, including Liliana's home city of Genoa, where everyone paused before heading to Spain.

Liliana and her family had much to think about. An alliance with the Sforzas, while still useful, was less valuable than before, while Liliana's value to the Sforzas had increased. There was also the question of which Sforza she should marry. While not a romantic, she was tempermentally suited to Horatio Sforza, previously presumed to be Sebastiano's heir. She knew nothing of Sebastiano's newly revealed son. Then there was Sebastiano himself, far older, but not distasteful.

Ciacco the Hog was definitely distasteful; however, he too was interested in marrying Liliana. And, he explained to her parents, he had reached an agreement with Leo Dorvinian. If Liliana married Ciacco, neither her family nor her city need ever fear the Dorvinians. Ciacco did not expect an immediate answer, only that the Scarpellis think about it.

This they did, to Liliana's concealed horror. They were not eager to accept Ciacco's offer, but explained to the others that Ciacco controlled much of what Genoa had in the way of a standing army. Josh asked if the concept of Danegeld had yet been introduced, intending to explain it in character if it had. Somehow, this resulted in him, Beth, and me giving an impromptu recital of Kipling's "Danegeld", and Erik joked about Roggerio writing it as a small ditty for the occasion. He decided Liliana's father would be inspired to add the following lines:

And though Ciacco may try, Genoa's not yet a sty, So we will not pay off the Hog."

Roggerio also noted that Ciacco was not necessarily the most even tempered of men, and that, when angered, he might commit acts that he later regretted but could not undo. It was also noted that Ciacco wore a ring that belonged to the Conte di Ciprano, a foe of the Dorvinians. The Conte had given it to his servant Carlos because it had protective powers. It ensured that Carlos did not die when Dorvinian men shot him full of crossbow bolts. Leo Dorvinian took the ring when Carlos was captured, and he gave it to Ciacco. The Scarpellis decided to stall, and in the meantime, they contacted the Conte di Ciprano to tell him where his ring was.

Our Heroes took their leave of Genoa, boarding a ship for Spain. The dice determined that Ipolitto and, to a lesser extent, Liliana were uncomfortable on their first sea voyage, while Rafael and Roggerio found their sea legs quickly and enjoyed the voyage. Matt and I posed like sailors and pretended to sing sea chanties.

Upon disembarking, the party was met by Duke Ferdinand Coranzon VIII's men and accepted their invitation to go to his estate. There, they saw Moors and Spaniards living in harmony, despite the recent conquest. Erik explained that this harmony would be somewhat unnerving, as the PCs had "never seen "foreigners" treated with such apparent lack of hostility before."

Speaking with the Duke and his remarkable Quillmaster, they learned that this harmony existed because the Duke used the information provided by the Quillmaster, who recorded the identity of every single subject of the Duke's, to ensure that all of his subjects were treated as they should be. This confirmed Roggerio's subconscious conviction that people like Renier and Vincent are wrong about nobility not being a matter of birth. The Quillmaster said that he would give information about getting a griffin feather in return for information about a haunted tower and its library. No one who had gone into the tower had returned. Ipolitto and the others agreed to go.

Roggerio spent the night with an attractive widow. When she learned his plans, she urged him not to go to the tower. Her own husband had set but one foot over the threshold before deciding to turn back. With a week, he died, his neck broken when he fell from his horse.

Roggerio was not unmoved by this tale, but was not about to explain to Ipolitto's uncle that he let the young Sforza walk into danger without him. He relayed what the widow had said. Liliana guessed, correctly, I think, that turning back once the threshold was crossed would be fatal, but pressing onward gave one a chance.

Ipolitto, Liliana, Roggerio, and Rafael entered the tower. As Dave missed the session, Jebril had taken ill on the ship and was recovering at the Duke's estate. We all recognized that we were in a Ravenloft scenario, but, as I've said before, knowing the source doesn't keep me from enjoying the session. Quite the contrary, if anything.

Once inside, Roggerio played his enchanted lute while Rafael used True Sight and Ipolitto looked through an enchanted monocle. They were granted a vision of a beautiful Moorish woman standing on the balcony, helping Roggerio stick his neck in a noose hanging from the chandelier. She then guided him as he walked off the balcony.

Ipolitto decided to lower the chandelier. Everyone trekked up to the balcony to help, though Roggerio protested that it wasn't safe. Sure enough, the chain proved slippery, and the chandelier lowered far too quickly, nearly braining everyone. Folks ducked hastily, and somehow, the chain wrapped around Liliana's throat, hauling her off her feet. Afraid of heights, she started screaming.

Ipolitto climbed the chain to reach her, being the only one small enough to do it without risking strangling her. Also, we'd figured that, if Liliana wound up in a pleasant marriage of convenience with Horatio, Ipolitto should fall in love with her, creating a love triangle. This was a prime opportunity to lay the foundation for that, and, to Matt's amusement, as soon as I mentioned this, Josh eagerly announced that Ipolitto was scrambling up the chain.

Liliana was rescued, and the chandelier fell. After catching their breath, folks decided to start entering rooms from the top of the tower.

The first room had a lovely woven carpet which attracted Liliana's attention. It was very detailed, and the more people moved the more lifelike it became, with snakes hissing and writhing. If folks stopped moving, it became dormant, but then, the pictures on the wall became more real. They showed a battle scene, with a Spanish man carrying off a Moorish woman. Somehow, everyone got out of the room without falling into the pictures or getting bitten by the snakes. Roggerio played his lute, asking how they could help. Words of blood formed on the door of the room they'd left: End my loneliness.