Game Log

An Engagment with Danger!

Game Date: 01/20/06
Angelo and Ellen are engaged; plots fly fast and thick in Monfalcone.

The day started early for Father Donati and Lady Ellen; after thinking things over for most of the night, Ellen had only three main questions and one concern. First, given that she would be supporting Father Donati through all of his skullduggery, could she expect similar consideration from him? He said that he would certainly make efforts to defend her life. Second, since the life of a foreign woman in Vodacce is often a lonely one, did he think that they could be friends? He thought that they could. And finally, would she be allowed to pursue her work in chemistry? Yes, she would be. Finally, she reminded him that she was not by nature a skilled liar, although she was known to simply omit truthful statements from time to time. That was acceptable to him. Contingent final dowry negotiations, the engagement was contracted!

Antonio was delighted with the news, even to the point of answering Angelo's questions about the family benefits of the marriage. There was a rice deal apparently in there, along with the hopes of Unbounded children.

News of the engagement spread quickly, even to the Barozzi palace by mid-morning. Salvador assumed that was what was so dismaying the servants, but paid it no further heed: he had engagement present shopping to do! He did make time to elegantly insult Don Tigran on his way out, departing before the Mondavi could retort.

In the women's quarters, Gianina was called away to do a Sorte reading for Antonio; Francesca summoned Marco to take down a letter home for her. After dictating a friendly, family letter full of reminisces, she asked him about his own mother, father, and early life. Marco paused and stammered quite a bit, trying to answer honestly while not speaking ill of either of his parents. Zola, his mother, was a landlady in her own right; Marco seemed especially embarassed to say that aloud to the noblewoman, even though it was hardly a secret. He'd spent a lot of time as a boy with his mother and then, as a youth, alternating between his mother's home and the Palazzo Donati, depending on how tensions were at the time. He spent some time on the family guard about four years ago, but friction with Cristoforo put a quick end to that. Francesca said how she'd like to see Cristoforo get what was coming to him; Marco said that he was afraid the bully would one day go too far and there'd be a fight, "and then I'll be away again." Francesca hoped that wouldn't come to pass; after an awkward pause, they suddenly both agreed that it was time Marco got the letter to the post.

Gianina was meanwhile doing her reading; it spoke mostly of a glowing future, with good business decisions, fruitful marriages, and the like, but ended on an ominous note indicating that vigilance was needed. Antonio thought the reading was good: his decisions were clearly good ones, the marriage would be a boon, but his latest project would need watching or else there would be danger. He told Gianina that he'd need her to examine a man who was coming to see him that afternoon; if there was any treachery in him, it could be deadly to their interests. This man and his friends wanted to establish a "clubhouse" in Mondavi lands, from which they might cause michief to either Villanova or Caligari. So long as they were strictly hands-off of Mondavi intrigues, this was entirely amenable to Antonio. It was a risky proposition: done correctly, it could certainly damage Mondavi enemies. Done incorrectly, it could damage Mondavi interests and the repercussions to the Donati would be... severe.

The petitioner, Renato Vasari, was the self-same man who had two days earlier pressed a letter into Gianina's hand! And today, he presented that rumpled paper to her husband. As they spoke of the "clubhouse" ("Chapterhouse, Renato dared to correct Antonio), Gianina looked at the man's strands - and found them surprisingly hard to make out. She could see his Loyal Arcana and a big Rods strand going south, and a new one tentatively forming between him and Antonio; it was some time before she was satisfied that there was no Swords strand between the two men. Antonio closed with suggesting that all things might go more smoothly if a Donati were allowed into the "club" and Renato failed to commit to anything, but said he would see what could be done. After he left (without, apparently, recognizing Gianina under her veil), she gave her report to Antonio and he was quite satisfied.

Father Angelo said the noon mass, giving an excellent sermon on the theme of "all things in their time," carefully choosing his words to reassure his brothers, put the fear of Theus into his mother, acknowledge Ellen and smooth things over with the adoring members of the Rosary Society.

Afterwards, many members of the parish wanted to congratulate him on his engagement; Teodora could wish him "every happiness" but would not speak to Ellen directly. Gianina and Francesca offered the Avalon woman kind words; Salvador made an especial point of elaborately congratulating her before Angelo. He presented the couple with his gift - a pair of wine glasses etched with their names and the flag of Avalon, and several bottles of wine besides. Ellen's face froze momentarily at the symbol of the "new Avalon" and Queen Elaine's power, but she recomposed herself to genuinely thank Salvador for his kind thoughts. Father Donati excused himself to hear confessions - many of the ladies of the church were heavily burdened, it seemed, with envy and possibly lust.

Salvador, having been given a note from Countess Morena, excused himself to see her in her court. She told him that the disturbance among the servants this morning had been because of the murder of one of them - a young woman found brutally killed out by the stables. Without saying so directly, Morena clearly indicated that she blamed Don Tigran, even though there would be no way to do anything about it. She wanted Salvador to undertake to ruin the man, or reduce his influence and power. He agreed to try, but would need time to think of a plan. In the meanwhile, he suggested having the young woman's funeral at Santa Sophia, with Father Donati providing a moving eulogy.

Back in the confessional, Tomasso Donati confessed his deep envy to his brother (but not his wrath of the previous night, when he's belted Gabrielle for dressing too provocatively; Francesca had noticed something amiss and had tonic water, salts and cool cloths sent up earlier in the morning). He was ready to do something about his mother, who he felt was styming his every move; and also, something about Cristoforo, who he worried would expose them. He actually hoped to set Cris up to damage the family name so that Antonio would have to move against him; when Angelo pointed out that this could mean Cristoforo's death, Tomasso did not seem particularly affected. Knowing that his eldest brother would move on with things with or without him, and unwilling to see his revenge upon his mother be done by another, Angelo invited Tomasso back to Santa Sophia later that evening - to meet Pietra.

Continue to next game.

Administrative Notes: Players expressed a desire to link together in a more typical "party" format, or at least connect somehow to inspire common goals and trust. A quick scan of the current subplots on the table indicated that the "Tigran marrying Anna" one would best serve to do this; ergo, the timetable on that will be advanced to bring it in-game as soon as possible.