The New (Ar)rivals
Erik Hanson talked about starting an Ars Magica campaign. Since Josh liked the idea, but not the magic system which is the heart of the game, the campaign has been dubbed Ars Mystica. Magic exists, but powerful Magi are rare and mysterious.
GM: Erik Hanson
Players:
Joshua Kronengold: Ippolito Sforza, a 12 year old noble
Lisa Padol: Roggerio, a wandering musician
Lee Painton: Vincent di Giovanni, a nobleman from another city trying to set up trade in Florence, eager to gain the favor of the Sforzas
Matt Stevens: Rafael Marancini, a Jewish Cabbalist, advisor to Ippolito. In true gaming fashion, I believe Matt is the only non-Jewish player in the game (The GM is not Jewish either.).
Rachel Tang: Bella Ziani, midwife and visionary
Prominent NPCs:
Ippolito's Uncle: Sebastiano Sforza
Christian Alchemist: Lorenzo
Innkeeper of the Inn of the Four Winds: Simon di Peruzzi
Russian Hero: Ilya Ilyanovitch
Spirit of Ancient Russian Hero: Ivan the Bull's Son
Roggerio received a music lesson from the English monk, Brother Cedric.
Erik: You notice that Brother Cedric is playing out of tune.
Roggerio: Is something wrong with my ears? It sounded as though you were out of tune.
Cedric: Good. You are learning to listen. Now, what would you do if you were playing with other musicians, and you were in tune while they were out of tune with you, but in tune with each other?
Roggerio: Is the Sforza in the room?
Cedric: First answer the question as if he were not, the as if he were.
Roggerio: If he were not in the room, I would adjust so that I were in tune with the other musicians.
Cedric: Good. Now, if he were in the room?
Roggerio (fervently): Pray for a miracle!
Cedric (dryly): It is good that you are so devout. However, what you would do is cue your fellow musicians to follow your lead.
Ippolito Sforza has perfect pitch, which, as Josh pointed out, is not an advantage. But while Roggerio referred to him as "the Sforza", he isn't, being merely fourth in line for the title.
The Sforza is actually Ippolito's uncle, Sebastiano. Sebastiano decided that Ippolito should take his place in the day's session of court. Ippolito did so, his advisor and musician attending as well, to fulfill their respective functions.
The first petitioner was Vincent di Giovanni, a noble from another city come to request that his family be allowed to buy property and start trade in Florence. He was annoyed to find himself presenting his case not to Sebastiano but to the Sforza's 12-year-old nephew. Still, he presented Ippolito with a Chinese puzzle box as proof that the Giovannis had access to the Silk Road.
Ippolito was fascinated by the box, and, unable to open it, handed it to Rafael. He gave Vincent a non-committal answer. Vincent pressed for a warmer one, coughing so regularly for emphasis that Rafael offered to give him something for it. He declined, and Ippolito graciously told him that he could await the return of Sebastiano.
As Vincent was about to leave, Bella Zianni, an herbalist of no small talents and many idiosyncrasies, burst into the room.
Bella (ebulliently): Where is the baby?
Bella had been summoned as a midwife, as one of the maidservants was about to give birth. She had delivered Ippolito, and had absolutely no awe of the Sforzas.
Rafael and Roggerio were in awe of her, however. Bella has both Venus' blessing and Venus' curse. This means that the worse someone is for her, the more she is drawn to him, and, I believe, vice versa. Rafael, still mourning his wife, and very Jewish, nevertheless found himself drawn to the utterly inappropriate gentile. This was an inspired move on Erik's part to give Matt more to do. I think it worked. Although Matt does not forsee a romantic entanglement, Rafael is likely to be quite protective of Bella.
Roggerio was also drawn to Bella.
Erik: Ippolito, for some reason, Roggerio is staring at Bella, playing the same chord over and over again.
Ippolito (softly): Roggerio. Music.
The flustered musician hastily resumed his duties. Ippolito was immune to Bella's beauty, being a bit young and generally seeing her more as a household fixture. Vincent found her intriguing, but not because of her beauty. He discovered, while waiting in the antechamber, that she can converse with the spirits of the dead. Vincent, a necromancer, took a professional interest, though he declined her offer to give him something for his cough.
Meanwhile, Lucio Terzini made a petition. His family, had borrowed money from the Sforzas, but had defaulted on payment. He wanted a second chance, something not generally granted.
Ippolito: This will make how many missed payments?
Terzini (through gritted teeth): Five.
Ippolito said that he didn't see how the Sforzas could grant more time unless the Terzinis could either give them something in return or give an explanation for how they would be able to make their payment the following month, an explanation better than "relying on God's good grace". Terzini reminded Ippolito of his family's loyalty to the Sforzas.
Rafael fidgeted with the puzzle box throughout the conversation, shouting, "Milord, I have it!" at one point. Terzini was not impressed or amused, nor mollified by Ippolito saying that he would refer the matter to Sebastiano. Terzini stormed out, hinting, if not outright saying, that if loyalty to the Sforzas had no better reward, his family would become their enemies.
Roggerio suggested to Ippolito that the two problems be thrown at each other. The Terzini needed money. The Giovanni wished to buy land near the docks. Did the Terzini have such land?
The final petitioner was Francesco Escobaldi, a merchant. While not noble, he was loyal to the Sforzas and unlikely to seek a hearing without real cause. Ippolito's instructions were "Handle with care."
Escobaldi explained that, as the Sforzas knew, businesses in Florence paid protection money to the Perruzi family, which had a grudge against the Sforzas. But a new family, the Belci family, now also demanded protection money. The Peruzzis and Belcis had come to blows in the street, and the city guards (many bribed by the Peruzzis) were nowhere to be found in such exchanges. Ippolito promised Escobaldi that the Sforzas would look into this.
When Sebastiano returned, he asked for a summary of the day's events. Ippolito said that Vincent had seemed annoyed to find him rather than Sebastiano presiding, and Roggerio mentioned Vincent's cough.
Sebastiano: Well, it was a mild insult, but he is a foreigner in our city, and he must learn patience. Still, I will meet with him, and that will mollify the insult.
Ippolito said that he'd told Terzini he would refer the question of debt to Sebastiano. Sebastiano said that was a valid stalling technique, but Ippolito should not rely on this alone. Ippolito mentioned Roggerio's suggestion.
Sebastiano thought about this, and said that while the Terzinis did not have land on the docks, they did have land, and a complex transaction could be worked out whereby the Giovannis bought Terzini land, giving the Terzinis much-needed cash, then sold it to the Sforzas or somehow otherwise exchanged it for land near the docks. Sebastiano apologized to Roggerio, but said that the credit for this idea would have to go to Ippolito. A practical man of his time, Roggerio had expected this.
The matter of the Belcis concerned Sebastiano, and he said the name sounded vaguely familiar.
Sebastiano summoned Vincent, explaining the complex land arrangement, and asked how much he was willing to do for the Sforza's goodwill.
Vincent (with unusual frankness): Quite a lot, actually.
Sebastiano explained the Peruzzi-Belci turf war, as well as the enmity of the Peruzzis for the Sforzas. Simon Peruzzi ran the Inn of the Four Winds, where foreigners tend to stay. Did Vincent yet have a place to stay?
He didn't, and saw where Sebastiano was heading. He offered to stay at the Inn of the Four Winds and act as the Sforzas' spy.
Sebastiano (making the obvious joke): Don't tell them I sent you.
Vincent left. Bella arrived and announced that the child had been born, a son. She read his cards and determined that he had a powerful destiny, but would be a willful child if he did not have proper guidance. She recommended priestly guidance. Sebastiano agreed, and gave Bella a permanent postition in the household.
Roggerio, offered to help, wanting to be near Bella. He said that he could help with herbs, though he needed to be sure of the dosages. He, Bella, and Rafael discussed herblore. Bella, despite taking many strong drugs herself, was quite careful to proscribe only appropriate sedatives for the mother, who, she said, needed rest. Roggerio noted with approval that she was using herbs under Venus' influence and avoiding those under Saturn's. Rafael rolled his eyes at Roggerio's superstitious take on things. Bella told Roggerio to play soothing music to the mother and religious hymns to the child. She and Rafael spoke privately about her capacity for strange drugs and her ability to converse with spirits. They paid a visit to Lorenzo, Rafael's alchemist friend, who was impressed by Bella's talents, her appearance, and her prodigious capacity for drugs.
Ippolito spoke to his uncle about Bella. In view of her effect on men, he was concerned she might be a disruptive influence. Sebastiano's response was to place Bella under Ippolito's authority, making it Ippolito's problem.
Roggerio sought, and was granted, an audience with Sebastiano.
Roggerio: It is about Bella.
Sebastiano: Remarkable how you and my nephew seem to think alike. He, too, wished to speak to me about her.
Roggerio was concerned about Bella's card reading. He'd asked her where her power came from, and she said, simply "From my mother." He asked Sebastiano for further details. Sebastiano said, "From God."
Roggerio apologized for asking, explaining that, while he'd served the Sforzas only a short time, already he'd seen things that should have made his hair turn white.
Sebastiano understood, and explained that, since Bella was capable of conversing with the spirits of the dead, they sought her out, especially those who died violently or with something left undone. Roggerio, shaken, noted that Bella must be kept very busy. Sebastiano agreed.
Out of character, I asked Rachel if she'd seen The Sixth Sense. She hadn't.
Vincent ingratiated himself at the Inn of the Four Winds, and learned when and where the next Peruzzi-Belci skirmish would be. He sent an unsigned note to Ippolito.
A Sforza servant gave the note to Roggerio, clearly Ippolito's favorite. Roggerio first mixed Bella's sedative for the new mother, gave it to her, and played for her and the baby. His lute seemed more difficult to play when he tried religious hymns. Odd, that.
Mother and baby asleep, Roggerio delivered Vincent's note to Ippolito, who took it to Sebastiano. He sent the two out with Ilya, instructing them to place magical stones in a certain pattern as they approached the site of the skirmish.
Roggerio: This magic too is of God?
Sebastiano: Yes.
The three stone-placers ran into Bella and Rafael, who were on their way back from Lorento's shop, and brought them up to date. Bella worried the men by revealing that she had visited the Inn of the Four Winds, told Simon di Peruzzi of her connection to the Sforzas, and accepted a drink from him. She had taken no ill effect from this, and, as I guessed, Simon was also enthralled by her charm. He treated her to a drink of Dorvinian wine. It is said that men would kill for a sip of Dorvinian wine.
Erik pointed out that Bella got her drink before revealing her connection to the Sforzas, but the PCs don't know this, not having asked the right questions.
The PCs hid, as did arriving Sforza men. Unknown to the other PCs (or players), Vincent was on the roof with a bow.
The Peruzzis and Belcis clashed, the former greatly outnumbering the latter. However, the Belcis had a very odd sword and dagger fighting style. A Belci would make an odd gesture with his dagger, and a Peruzzi sword would go flying out of its wielder's grasp. The Belci would then stab the unarmed Peruzzi. The Peruzzis were losing men fast.
While Erik had been prepared for any reaction, and was willing to roll with things when looked as if none of the PCs would get to the fight, he was mildly surprised that, without discussion, the PCs unanimously decided that the Belcis had to be taken down. Ippolito found their tactics dishonorable. Roggerio was horrified by their use of what Rafael confirmed was diabolical magic. Rafael figured that weakening both sides was a good thing, and since the Belcis were winning, they were the obvious target. I'm not clear on Bella's motives. Perhaps they were random, as Rachel was drawing tarot cards during the fight to determine her PC's actions. Vincent wanted control of the underworld to pass to the Giovannis, so, like Rafael, he was in favor of attacking the stronger side. Moreover, while a necromancer, he is no diabolist, and disapproves of such dark magics, particularly when they are used by untrustworthy amateurs, i.e., anyone other than the Giovannis. While the PCs are not esp ecially adept at hand to hand combat, they acted effectively.
Ippolito turned to Ilya, who carried the sword of Ivan, son of the Bull, infused with Ivan's spirit. Ivan expected Ilya to perform great deeds with it, and Ippolito suggested that now might be a time for such a deed. Ilya charged into the melee, and the Belci daggers proved unable to affect Ivan's sword.
Seeing this, the Sforza men charged the Belci, trying, with little success, to avoid being disarmed by the daggers. Roggerio tossed rocks with enthusiasm, if little skill. Rafael tried to counter the Belci magic with his own, while Bella waded into the melee, telling everyone to stop. (Rachel had drawn the Empress card.) Vincent shot the leader of the Belci troops, reanimated his corpse, and made it run away.
That spooked the other PCs, who had no idea that it wasn't the Peruzzis who shot the arrow nor that the Belcis themselves hadn't raised the corpse. I didn't even know out of character for a few minutes. The Belcis, who'd wanted to finish off the Peruzzis before the watch arrived, were taken aback by the reanimated corpse and ran after it. Vincent had it evade them and later questioned the spirit of the deceased.
The watch finally arrived. One man picked up the dagger dropped by the man Vincent shot. It seemed drawn to his armor, and Rafael warned that it was enchanted with diabolical magics. Ippolito requested the dagger, and the watch turned it over to him. It had strange symbols carved on it.
And there ended the session, as Victor prepared to interrogate a corpse, Rafael to investigate the symbols on the dagger, Roggerio to pray, and Ippolito to figure out what to do about Bella's disruptive effect on men.
