Talk:Rome: Chapter 1 – Fiora Cavazza

Black Market Text Dump

Since any editing I make usually ends with an edit conflict (evidently many people are trying to edit at the same time) and my browser losing whatever I wrote, I'll just dump the text here; could someone else put it in the article and format it?

Black Market

I have served the Borgia for years now. Done horrible things. Seen the fantastic. I regret none of it. A war has made its way to Roma, fought in the streets, the senate, the churches. Cesare has tasked me to coordinate his shadow army.

The Price of Faith

I have brought flesh for Brother Ristoro's appetite. New girls eager for experience. In return, Ristoro has prepared church documents and trinkets for Cesare's agents. I have avoided the worm since my time at the Rosa in Fiore. I hope he has forgotten my face.

He does not even glance at the other girls. He walks right to me and puts a hand on my cheek. Tells me I was always his favorite. I kick him between the legs and threaten him with Cesare's wrath! He whimpers.

Ristoro opens several drawers and produces religious icons and amulets. He believes they will be useful to Cesare's plan. I am not convinced, but I take them.

I exaggerate Cesare's request. A little extra coin for myself. Payment for having to gaze upon this wretched man.

Ristoro hands me a stack of documents. He says it is filled with pardons and payments for Cesare's contracts. Officially sealed by the Church. Why anyone would give this man such power is beyond me.

Ristoro provides me with various pieces of religious gear. Junk. I am not sure that I can put any of it to use, but I take it anyway. Perhaps he toys with me.

As I turn to leave, Ristoro tries again to touch me. The girls move into his path and pull him away, giggling. They have a long night ahead. I almost feel guilty leaving them behind.

Go-To Girl

Lia de Russo. Smuggler. She is not at our meeting point. She never is. I wait several minutes and then turn to leave. Suddenly, she steps into my path. I follow her into a locked shop that she has apparently claimed as one of her storehouses.

I try to make conversation. She is uninterested. She hands me some blood-stained relic and smiles.

I cannot fathom why Cesare would want any of these random objects.

Now this is a treasure! Not one I particularly need, but I cannot imagine where she obtained it. She does seem proud.

How did she get this past the guards? Of course. Cesare owns the guards. Is there nothing out of this woman's reach?

The room smells of death. Heavy with insects. It would not surprise me to find the previous owner's body on the other side of the counter.

I manage to collect the requested items from Lia and pay her the coin. She keeps her palm open. Good girl. I give her the rest of her payment and she clucks her disapproval. I tip her.

...And The Beast

Cesare employs his own blacksmith, Auguste Oberlin. An [sic] former Swiss mercenary and weaponcrafter. I knock on his shop door. My my. Aren't you an ox of a man? Then he speaks. Articulate. Intelligent. I am shocked.

He slaps me on the shoulder as I enter his shop. It stings! He offers me a drink.

He shows me a wide range of standard weaponry. I relay Cesare's requests and have Auguste deliver the weapons to my helpers outside.

I notice small drawings covering most of one wall, starting with crude designs at the top and progressing to beautiful, intricate revisions near the bottom. Auguste explains that he distributes Borgia propaganda in Roma. How do such large hands produce such fine detail?

Auguste asks about Cesare's more bizarre requests. I tell him what I know. Cesare has several renowned inventors and engineers in his employ. Rethinking weapons of war. Creating new ones.

The smith's wife tells me I have overstayed my welcome. Demands that I leave. Auguste shouts back at her. The two growl at each other like wild dogs.

Auguste urges me to visit to him again. Carrying the last box of supplies, I push through the door. I promise him I will return. His wife scowls and I reply with a challenging wink.

Spare Parts

Requirements: 12 AP, Inventor's Tools, Modified Arquebus, Gold, 2 Copper, 2 Zinc

Gaspar de la Croix. Engineer. Marksman. Recluse. He frightens me, but his technical skills are unprecedented. His workshop is humble but overfilled. It is difficult to navigate without knocking over his myriad tools.

?

The engineer is distant. He barely acknowledges me. Most of the parts he has repaired are already packed nicely into boxes.

He asks me uncomfortable questions. Have I ever witnessed death? Is death driven by fate, chance, or choice? I do not answer him.

He tinkers with a weapon. Aims it towards the clouded window. Squints at the shadows of people as they pass on the street outside. Sighs. Puts it back on the table and adjusts it further.

I offer Gaspar his payment, but he tells me it is not necessary. I leave it on his workbench anyway.

I thank Gaspar for his help. He answers with a subtle shrug. A haunted man. I am careful to avoid his front window as I walk away from his workshop.

Underground Army Text Dump

Self-explanatory.

Underground Army

Cesare's personal collection of misfits and miscreants grows, their only purpose to create strife within Roma. I am to meet with his key soldiers. Coordinate plans. Provide supplies. Study his animals in the wild.

Hired Muscle

The condottiero Rocco Tiepolo collects warriors. Prides himself on acquiring exotic mercenaries and tactics. He is expensive, but the Borgia have no shortage of money. When I arrive, he is waiting for me. Food on the table. He pours wine.

I pick the mercenaries with obvious battle scars. A clear sign that they know what to expect. Says all of his men have slain countless rivals, so those without scars are more impressive.

Some men show off their weapons. Brag about their exploits. Tease. I look for the silent ones. The serious faces.

Tiepolo instructs two of his mercenaries to fight for my favor as we dine. They are brutal. Each draws blood from the other. No small wounds, either. When they are finished, I tell Tiepolo I am not interested in damaged mercenaries. We both laugh.

The mercenaries ask them where they will be sent to fight. I tell them I suspect Roma will be their battleground. They protest, but Tiepolo silences them.

Tiepolo shows me paintings of his own exploits. He has only lost two battles in decades of combat, but he commanded neither. I ask if he is for sale. He tells me Cesare will have to send more coin for that. He asks if I am for sale and I tell him that I have already been purchased.

Tiepolo invites me to stay longer. Tempting, but I decline. He hands me a signed contract for each man I have selected and I pay him with a pouch of Cesare's coin. The mercenearies are eager for battle. I promise them they will find one soon enough.

The Heedless Horseman

Donato Mancini is Cesare's finest horseman, perhaps better than Cesare himself. The Borgia have gathered for a private race today. The Circo Massimo. I am to bribe Donato to let Cesare win. Threaten him if he will not.

Donato is a confident man. His horse is completely under his control as he approaches and bows. I signal my men to present him with a gift. Exceptional armor. He dismounts and orders his assistants to help him fit into it.

I relay Cesare's threat to Donato. He is not surprised. He tells me the winner will win the race. There are no other factors.

I sit beside Lucrezia Borgia. She refuses to look at me. Thinks me a plaything for Cesare. Perhaps I am. The race begins! Cesare rushes ahead of Donato. Is Cesare is [sic] the better rider?

Donato advances, but is blocked by one of Cesare's officers. I hear Lucrezia mutter to an acquaintance. The rider is Teodor Viscardi. One of Cesare's henchmen.

Teodor produces a blade. Thrusts it at Donato! Donato leans away, then kicks his horse to blaze past both Teodor and Cesare. The crowd gasps! Donato wins! Silence as he rides past us to claim his victory.

Rake

Cesare has sent me to meet with the Cento Occhi. Thieves. Many of them young. Lanz is their leader and Cesare believes he has led an attack on a Borgia carriage. He provides me with evidence. Tells me to make a deal with the gang.

I find Lanz outside a church, counting coins from a pouch he nicked. He does not look up, though he knows I am here. I throw a crude dagger into the dirt near his feet. Wide eyes. Apologies. He realizes I represent the Borgia.

He reclaims his ugly weapon. Sheaths it. Offers to return the stolen money. I tell him he will do that and more. His gang will serve Cesare.

Lanz tells me he has already spent the coin, but he will deliver a portion of it today. Good faith. He asks me to watch him work... if I can keep up.

I watch him bump into a merchant in the crowd. He is gone before the man turns. Next, a noble woman. A priest. He steals from five people before he is spotted. The man calls for guards!

A mounted guard charges into the square and Lanz pushes his victim beneath the horses' hooves. The rider falls. I lose sight of Lanz for a moment, then realize he is halfway up the side of the building beneath me.

Before Lanz leaves, I check my pockets. Everything seems to be in place. I believe Lanz will deliver payment. He fears Cesare.

Close Shave

Cesare has employed a master spy. Baltasar da Silva. He hides behind the guise of a barber, though I am told he has no skill at it. Together, we will stalk Cesare's enemy - a league of assassins. There is much to learn.

Cesare has thrown one of his own senators to the lions. A high profile man with big ambition, notorious for corruption. The senator barely survived an attack this morning, yet Cesare has afforded him no guards. We follow him, waiting for the Assassins to strike again.

The senator remains indoors most of the week. Under Baltasar's lead, we are never spotted.

The senator finally heads for the market. His walk is brisk. Paranoid. Eyes everywhere. Suddenly, a shadow overhead. The assassin is above us!

The assassin leaps! As he lands upon the senator, a weapon protrudes from his wrist. Pierces his victim's neck! The cloaked killer mutters a few words and vanishes. We give chase! Gone.

Baltasar grins. Though I feel failure, he is pleased by what he has learned. He takes notes.

Though we lost sight of the assassin, we have learned much. The garb. The hidden blade. The technique. Baltasar will continue to stalk these cloaked killers and report back to me.

Oddities Text Dump

Oddities

Cesare has put together an army of misfits. Cretins. I begin to doubt that he actually has a plan for Roma. It seems he has opened a cage let wild animals loose upon the city [sic]. Why has he chosen me to tame them?

Center Stage

I am dealing with fools! Two of them. Cahin and Caha. French. Brother and sister. Ridiculous costumes. Appropriate, I suppose, for this type of celebration. Our target has some claim to foreign royal blood, which they plan to spill.

The fools put on an animated performance. They flip. Dance. Pretend to punch each other. Both fall down. The guests cheer!

Caha begins to juggle. All eyes follow her. Cahin moves behind his victim, careful to keep attention on his sister.

I draw my blade, waiting for the right cue. I lean towards the guest next to me.

Cahin stabs a man through the back of his chair! A moment of confusion, then panic! Caha throws two of her juggled blades into the throats of two guests!

The final guest screams and flees! I chase her down, tackling her over a chair! She begs for her life. To let her live wouold cost me mine. I finish her quickly.

Cahin laughs his way through the door. Caha tips over a candelabrum before tumbling out behind him. I remain convinced that they are totally mad... yet fun!

Gallows Humor

They call him Il Carnifice ["The Executioner"]. Everyone assumes that executioners love their work. It is easier to accept that way. Make them the villain. They wear masks to avoid this stigma when the mask comes off. Not Il Carnefice. He loves the work as well as the mask. He sense my distaste. Enjoys it.

Il Carnefice has been busy. His executions so commonplace that his crowd is dwindling. A few beggars and a handful of guards wait as he prepares the next rope.

I hand him Cesare's condemnations. He flips through them briefly and replies with a serious look. Says my name is on the list! Flashes his axe! I am stunned. He smiles and then tosses the list to the side. Tells me he cannot read.

The dead man hanging is an old client of mine. A friend. Did Cesare intend me to witness this?

A bound man is escorted onto the platform. Head covered. He pleads with Il Carnefice. Proclaims his innocence. Il Carnefice comforts him. Says it is good because the innocent get to go to Heaven.

He puts on a show! Cheering with his audience. Showing off the body parts he hacks from the bodies of the condemned. I vomit and he mocks me for the crowd.

My time with the executioner is done for now. I take it for what it is. A warning from Cesare. I am more disgusted than intimidated by Cesare's beast [that's what she said].

Spider

Silvestro Sabbatini. Claims to be noble. Dresses the part, but poorly. He is a panderer, buying his way into social circles. Speaking with a black tongue. Cesare lopped off his left arm for failure. I am to deliver his second chance.

Sabbatini is the spider. In this small gathering, every person is potential prey. He senses every subtle social vibration. Always on watch. Listening. I am the new insect, stepping onto his web. I receive his full attention. I feel his mandibles twitch.

He approaches, eyes wide and grin exaggerated. I hand him the monstrous mechanical arm.

Sabbatini directs me to a back room. He actually believes none of these people have noticed his disfigurement. The replacement arm will only bring more attention to him. Still, I follow.

He is disappointed in the device, despite the masterful craftsmanship. He wanted more jewels. Rare metals. I offer to return it to Cesare for him and he snatches it from my arms!

The arm is awkward. Clumsy. He tests the sharpened claws and engages a hidden surprise. A blade pops from the center! A sinister weapon, but is it practical? Not my concern.

I leave Sabbatini to his games. He immediately pulls up a chair next to an attractive young woman and reveals his new arm. She flinches and leans away from him, but he strokes her cheek with those menacing claws. I shudder!