Carnevale - Session Eight: The Printing Press
Matilde's player was unable to make the previous session! She's also moving away, so Session 8 will be her last adventure with the group. I ran a one-off with her to explain what she'd been doing while she wasn't around in the previous session, and to wrap up her personal plotlines.
While her siblings were looking for Marco in the Dwarf Gate district, Matilde was off upon a different mission. As the sun was rising that day, she heard a whisper from fifty miles away on the wind - the voice of Professore Orlando Mestriniano of Padova.
Studiosa, he said. Essmerelda is here, and we see disaster in the stars for Vanzenia. Find the man called Niccolo Defusah immediately to avert an evil fate.
By a strange coincidence, this was the very man with whom she'd just spent the night! But what evil fate was this about which she was warned? She took Chiara aside and told her - though Matilde was the oldest, Chiara was the family's unofficial leader - and soon she, under the protection of the loyal family dog Naso, was hurrying to Niccolo Defusah's manor.
The handsome merchant was relaxing in bed when she arrived. He was just as surprised as she was that he was in any way connected to 'an evil fate'. Matilde didn't think that it was anything about himself - both she and Naso liked and trusted him. She decided to accompany him for the day. They had breakfast at a nearby cafe, before going to a business appointment. Niccolo had received a letter from one Giovanna Buoncastello, a goldsmith, asking him to invest in a profitable scheme involving the book that he had written about his travels.
Matilde, Naso and Niccolo met Giovanna at her shop, where the gnomish goldsmith showed off her invention: a press for printing written material, using metal letters that could be rearranged. She explained how using this 'printing press', she would be able to create five or more entire copies of Niccolo's book in a single day. She could create far more copies, at a higher quality, for a much cheaper price, than hand-written books ever could. Matilde and Niccolo marvelled at the invention - it seemed too good to be true! Matilde started thinking about how it could be used to print spellbooks, or educational material, making it available to everyone - or how it could be used to print fliers to organise the resistance to Morignus' tyranny! The one catch was that Giovanna had gotten into considerable debt to create the press, and needed more money to pay off her creditors.
While the two were looking at the first ever printed book, a beautiful copy of the Storia, the front door opened. Matilde gaped as she saw her former lover Heinrich, whom she had not seen for nearly two years, enter the shop. He had been a student with her at Padovia, and had learned magic with her. But he had vanished, and the last she had heard from him was a confusing letter asking her if she had 'found the baby.' Now, here he was, looking haggard and giving no sign of recognising her. Heinrich attacked them. He had grown significantly more magically potent, and paralysed them all with an incantation causing supernatural terror. While they were unable to do anything, he seized the printed Storia and left. Matilde broke free of the spell and gave chase, trying to use her own magic against him, but he struck her down and left her senseless in the street, before making his escape.
Giovanna and Niccolo took Matilde into the shop to recover. When she regained consciousness, she explained to the others who Heinrich was. She re-read the letter than he had sent her, which she'd kept all this time. He seemed so different - was he possessed? Niccolo read the letter too, and pointed out that there were phrases in it characteristic of southern Tirenia. But Heinrich had never been there, had he? And what did he want with the Storia, the most common book in the world? It was something about this copy that was important, but what? Whatever it was, Matilde was sure that this was involved with the dark fate of which she had been warned.
Naso picked up Heinrich's scent, and they tracked him across the city to a church, abandoned since Morignus had arrested all the priests. They entered, and found Heinrich's lair upstairs in the bell tower. The Storia was there in an occult circle, as well as Heinrich's diary, but he himself was gone. Matilde flicked through the diary. It certainly read as if he were insane, or possessed. He was obsessed with finding 'the baby' and saving Matilde. Since his divinations had been unable to find out the baby's identity, he had stolen the first printed Storia so he could use it in a bibliomantic ritual. Matilde repeated the ritual, and found the phrase, "But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God." It made her think of the city orphanages, but she was not sure.
Niccolo, however, had an idea. They went to the market and purchased an exotic fowl, before going to the city's slums. There could be found, it was rumoured, a witch who could help people. Madre Elena was a horribly ugly old woman who welcomed them in. After eating the fowl while it was still alive, she offered to perform cartomancy for Matilde. In her reading, Madre Elena revealed that everything that was happening in the city had its roots in Gustavo di Benicio's actions many years ago. Heinrich was trying to avert fate, but his divinations were failing because he had misread the signs entirely. There was no 'baby' that had just been born. The evil fate that Matilde was trying to avert was simply the horrible death - or worse - of some poor innocent newborn. Knowing the stakes, it simply increased Matilde's desire to defeat Heinrich - somehow. Madre Elena then offered Matilde a bargain. She had a magical item, a black rod that seemed to absorb light. It would absorb any magic that Heinrich used against her, and she could use the energy of that magic to fight him back. And the price would only make it easier to strike him down. All Madre Elena wanted in exchange were all of Matilde's twisted, tangled feelings about Heinrich. Matilde hesistated, conflicted. But she decided to refuse Madre Elena's offer. Her feelings would be the source of her strength in the coming battle.
The group rushed to L'Ospedale della Pieta, Vanzenia's public orphanage. There, they learned that an unknown woman had arrived the previous day. She was in labour, and early that morning had died giving birth to a baby girl that the nuns called Ana. Only a few hours ago, Heinrich had forced his way in and kidnapped Ana.
Night had closing in, and mercenary patrols were out to enforce the curfew. Matilde, Naso and Niccolo dodged the patrols and made their way back to the abandoned church. Matilde went in to talk to Niccolo, while Naso and Niccolo, with the help of her familiar Enzo, stealthily rescued Ana and replaced her with an illusionary copy. Matilde told Heinrich how he had been wrong, and pleaded with him to turn back from his current path. Heinrich revealed what had happened to him. He had read Matilde's horoscope and seen bad omens in it. In an attempt to learn more and save her, he had used necromancy to consult ghosts and allowed the ghost of a dead warlock to possess him. Matilde pulled out the pocket watch that Heinrich had given her long ago and used all of her magic to repair it, and then gave it back to him. It was not too late for him to be repaired either.
Her words were persuasive. Heinrich realised what a fool he had been, and through an immense force of willpower cast the ghost possessing him out. The ghost laughed at them and went to possess Ana - only to pass through Niccolo's illusion. Thwarted, it howled and attacked. Niccolo burst into the room to help. A terrible battle ensued. Niccolo's knife was incapable of causing any real harm to the spirit, while Heinrich and Matilde were exhausted and incapable of using anything but the simplest magic against it. When it seemed like they would fail, Matilde had a brainwave, and started ringing the church bells. Their holy sound hurt the ghost. With its last strength, it attempted to possess Matilde. However, before entering the church, she had used her protection magic to ward herself and the others against any possession. Thwarted, the ghost broke apart and dispersed, fading back to Purgatorio.
In the wake of the battle, Heinrich had been prematurely aged with fear upon encountering the ghost. He told Matilde that he had been a fool, and that his love for her had been selfish, controlling, and brought nothing but misery. Perhaps it was for the best that he leave now. Niccolo decided to go back to Giovanna, return the Storia, and pay off her debts. The printing press, he had decided, was the future. Matilde took Ana back to the orphanage, but when they arrived, Matilde realised that she did not want to return the child. Instead, she decided to adopt the girl, renaming her Felicitas Ana di Benicio, and leaving her in Niccolo's care for the time being. Right now, it was time to rejoin her siblings. Freed from the baggage of her past, it was time for her to face the future
While her siblings were looking for Marco in the Dwarf Gate district, Matilde was off upon a different mission. As the sun was rising that day, she heard a whisper from fifty miles away on the wind - the voice of Professore Orlando Mestriniano of Padova.
Studiosa, he said. Essmerelda is here, and we see disaster in the stars for Vanzenia. Find the man called Niccolo Defusah immediately to avert an evil fate.
By a strange coincidence, this was the very man with whom she'd just spent the night! But what evil fate was this about which she was warned? She took Chiara aside and told her - though Matilde was the oldest, Chiara was the family's unofficial leader - and soon she, under the protection of the loyal family dog Naso, was hurrying to Niccolo Defusah's manor.
The handsome merchant was relaxing in bed when she arrived. He was just as surprised as she was that he was in any way connected to 'an evil fate'. Matilde didn't think that it was anything about himself - both she and Naso liked and trusted him. She decided to accompany him for the day. They had breakfast at a nearby cafe, before going to a business appointment. Niccolo had received a letter from one Giovanna Buoncastello, a goldsmith, asking him to invest in a profitable scheme involving the book that he had written about his travels.
Matilde, Naso and Niccolo met Giovanna at her shop, where the gnomish goldsmith showed off her invention: a press for printing written material, using metal letters that could be rearranged. She explained how using this 'printing press', she would be able to create five or more entire copies of Niccolo's book in a single day. She could create far more copies, at a higher quality, for a much cheaper price, than hand-written books ever could. Matilde and Niccolo marvelled at the invention - it seemed too good to be true! Matilde started thinking about how it could be used to print spellbooks, or educational material, making it available to everyone - or how it could be used to print fliers to organise the resistance to Morignus' tyranny! The one catch was that Giovanna had gotten into considerable debt to create the press, and needed more money to pay off her creditors.
While the two were looking at the first ever printed book, a beautiful copy of the Storia, the front door opened. Matilde gaped as she saw her former lover Heinrich, whom she had not seen for nearly two years, enter the shop. He had been a student with her at Padovia, and had learned magic with her. But he had vanished, and the last she had heard from him was a confusing letter asking her if she had 'found the baby.' Now, here he was, looking haggard and giving no sign of recognising her. Heinrich attacked them. He had grown significantly more magically potent, and paralysed them all with an incantation causing supernatural terror. While they were unable to do anything, he seized the printed Storia and left. Matilde broke free of the spell and gave chase, trying to use her own magic against him, but he struck her down and left her senseless in the street, before making his escape.
Giovanna and Niccolo took Matilde into the shop to recover. When she regained consciousness, she explained to the others who Heinrich was. She re-read the letter than he had sent her, which she'd kept all this time. He seemed so different - was he possessed? Niccolo read the letter too, and pointed out that there were phrases in it characteristic of southern Tirenia. But Heinrich had never been there, had he? And what did he want with the Storia, the most common book in the world? It was something about this copy that was important, but what? Whatever it was, Matilde was sure that this was involved with the dark fate of which she had been warned.
Naso picked up Heinrich's scent, and they tracked him across the city to a church, abandoned since Morignus had arrested all the priests. They entered, and found Heinrich's lair upstairs in the bell tower. The Storia was there in an occult circle, as well as Heinrich's diary, but he himself was gone. Matilde flicked through the diary. It certainly read as if he were insane, or possessed. He was obsessed with finding 'the baby' and saving Matilde. Since his divinations had been unable to find out the baby's identity, he had stolen the first printed Storia so he could use it in a bibliomantic ritual. Matilde repeated the ritual, and found the phrase, "But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God." It made her think of the city orphanages, but she was not sure.
Niccolo, however, had an idea. They went to the market and purchased an exotic fowl, before going to the city's slums. There could be found, it was rumoured, a witch who could help people. Madre Elena was a horribly ugly old woman who welcomed them in. After eating the fowl while it was still alive, she offered to perform cartomancy for Matilde. In her reading, Madre Elena revealed that everything that was happening in the city had its roots in Gustavo di Benicio's actions many years ago. Heinrich was trying to avert fate, but his divinations were failing because he had misread the signs entirely. There was no 'baby' that had just been born. The evil fate that Matilde was trying to avert was simply the horrible death - or worse - of some poor innocent newborn. Knowing the stakes, it simply increased Matilde's desire to defeat Heinrich - somehow. Madre Elena then offered Matilde a bargain. She had a magical item, a black rod that seemed to absorb light. It would absorb any magic that Heinrich used against her, and she could use the energy of that magic to fight him back. And the price would only make it easier to strike him down. All Madre Elena wanted in exchange were all of Matilde's twisted, tangled feelings about Heinrich. Matilde hesistated, conflicted. But she decided to refuse Madre Elena's offer. Her feelings would be the source of her strength in the coming battle.
The group rushed to L'Ospedale della Pieta, Vanzenia's public orphanage. There, they learned that an unknown woman had arrived the previous day. She was in labour, and early that morning had died giving birth to a baby girl that the nuns called Ana. Only a few hours ago, Heinrich had forced his way in and kidnapped Ana.
Night had closing in, and mercenary patrols were out to enforce the curfew. Matilde, Naso and Niccolo dodged the patrols and made their way back to the abandoned church. Matilde went in to talk to Niccolo, while Naso and Niccolo, with the help of her familiar Enzo, stealthily rescued Ana and replaced her with an illusionary copy. Matilde told Heinrich how he had been wrong, and pleaded with him to turn back from his current path. Heinrich revealed what had happened to him. He had read Matilde's horoscope and seen bad omens in it. In an attempt to learn more and save her, he had used necromancy to consult ghosts and allowed the ghost of a dead warlock to possess him. Matilde pulled out the pocket watch that Heinrich had given her long ago and used all of her magic to repair it, and then gave it back to him. It was not too late for him to be repaired either.
Her words were persuasive. Heinrich realised what a fool he had been, and through an immense force of willpower cast the ghost possessing him out. The ghost laughed at them and went to possess Ana - only to pass through Niccolo's illusion. Thwarted, it howled and attacked. Niccolo burst into the room to help. A terrible battle ensued. Niccolo's knife was incapable of causing any real harm to the spirit, while Heinrich and Matilde were exhausted and incapable of using anything but the simplest magic against it. When it seemed like they would fail, Matilde had a brainwave, and started ringing the church bells. Their holy sound hurt the ghost. With its last strength, it attempted to possess Matilde. However, before entering the church, she had used her protection magic to ward herself and the others against any possession. Thwarted, the ghost broke apart and dispersed, fading back to Purgatorio.
In the wake of the battle, Heinrich had been prematurely aged with fear upon encountering the ghost. He told Matilde that he had been a fool, and that his love for her had been selfish, controlling, and brought nothing but misery. Perhaps it was for the best that he leave now. Niccolo decided to go back to Giovanna, return the Storia, and pay off her debts. The printing press, he had decided, was the future. Matilde took Ana back to the orphanage, but when they arrived, Matilde realised that she did not want to return the child. Instead, she decided to adopt the girl, renaming her Felicitas Ana di Benicio, and leaving her in Niccolo's care for the time being. Right now, it was time to rejoin her siblings. Freed from the baggage of her past, it was time for her to face the future
Art: 'The Invention by Gutenberg of Movable Type printing.' J. L. Beuzon, c. 1925.
Comments
Post a Comment