1 2 3 Credits Chris Handley Acknowledgements The World of Darkness, Changeling: the Lost, Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Forsaken, Mage: the Awakening and White Wolf are all trademarks of CCP North America. This book is a fan written project that makes no claim to the intellectual property of the trademarks above. All work within this ebook are the work and views of the writer, inspired by the trademarks above, and in no way should be thought of as accurate, credible or real. The supernatural elements of this book are fictional and intended for the purpose of entertainment. Within the book are mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. 4 Table of Contents Prologue: Acqua Alta Introduction Chapter One: The Fairy City Chapter Two: Behind the Mask Chapter Three: The Carnival Chapter Four: The Red Priest 5 Introduction Broken Masks, Splintered Dreams Venice, La Serenissima, a city of lust, greedy, mystery, magic and dreams. It is the fairy city of man sat up ever rising waters. Venice sits at the gateway of the classical and medieval world, ancient nexus now nothing more than a city sized, water logged, museum of the renaissance. However, Venice may no longer be a centre of the mortal world, but it has remained the centre of the world for those that live behind the shadows. Venice has a dynamic, colourful and sordid history since the fall of the Roman Empire and has always been influenced by those other beings that take an interest in human affairs. One particular group is the Lost. Just as the original founders of the city fled the invading Huns, so did the Lost flee from the captivity of Keepers. And Venice is the place to which they flee. Theme: The Carnival The Carnival is integral to Venice. In the Christian calendar it marked the lead up to Lent. Because the six weeks of Lent would be spent fasting and being pious, and no wine or rich food was to consume in honor of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, all of this food and wine had to be used up. For this reason there was a long party to do just that. The Carnival. Carnival, like many Christian rites and festivals, has many traditions that predate the church. In many ways Carnival is similar to the festivals of Saturnalia and Bacchanalia held by the Romans. There are also a number of pagan rites involving masked figures. Due to the pagan rites traditionally related to Carnival the clergy adopted the celebration rather than prevent it, but introduced more Christian elements. Though the tradition of Carnival took place all around the Christian world, the Carnival of Venice was one of the most grand and extravagant. Typically the Carnival would start soon after Christmas and end the week before Lent on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). The term Carnival has a disputed origin but possibly has its origin in the Greek for meat, carn, or the Latin carne levare, or “to remove meat”. It may also mean “farewell to meat”, carne vale. This of course is a double meaning. Not only do they say goodbye to meat, but also they let go of their everyday self and succumb to the celebrations. The Carnival of Venice was first recorded in 1268, and masks have always been a central feature of the Carnival. Carnival begins the 26th of December on St Stephen’s Day. However masks were also a part of the celebrations during Ascension and from October the 5th. For this people were able to spend a lengthy period of time in masks. For there were many attempts to ban the wearing of masks in Italy for the subversive nature they allowed. The mask makers, or mascareri, were able to take advantage of this and formed guilds and their own laws and had an important position in Venetian society. The Carnival has always had a sordid history, with tales of men dressing as women and entering convents, other wearing masks so to hide from their creditors, or others wearing them to commit acts of murder. The people of Venice loved masks, but the rulers and the church came to loath them, with laws being created to ban the wearing of masks, cloaks and indecent attire. 6 For the Changelings of Venice the Carnival is life, it is death, is revelry, it is survival. The Carnival is all seasons and none, a Court of its own. For the setting of Venice this is the theme of ‘Carnival’. Changelings wear masks in many ways; to hide from their Keepers, to hide from other things that would hunt them, to hide their motives in Court, to hide in the shadows and strike out at others. The mask allows a dual life for the Changelings. On the one hand they may cavort in their Grand Balls, weaving their Glamour, indulging in the emotions of others. But also masks allow for Changelings to hide, to conspire, lurking in the dark. The Carnival really does mean “farewell to the flesh”, for it represents their freedom from the Gentry. But the Carnival also represents that last celebration before giving it all up in order to brave the desert. It is the last deadly dance and at the end all have a price to pay when the masks have to come off. Mood: The Fairy City of the Heart “The Fairy City of the Heart”, so Lord Byron named Venice. But was does that mean? Venice is both beauty and decay, a dying flower. The modern Venice is not very different to how it was at the height of its power. However, the average tourist misses the breath taking vistas on offer that can simply be seen if they took the time to look up from the windows of gaudy Murano glass jewelry, or took a route off the beaten path. Behind each corner, above each shop, down each canal, Venice, the ‘Fairy City’, awaits to capture the love of another traveler. The city is bittersweet to its roots and is not unlike many of the Gentry. Palazzos and apartments twists and lean over the small waterways, and during the acqua alta the city meets its dark reflection in the high waters. The mood of Venice is simple that, a city that is a true embodiment of all that is Fae. And so for all its beauty creeping dark thinks are not far away. For every precious thing that lies in Venice, it sits nestled with its darker twin, the price of sin that must be paid. Venice is thus a city that does not forget consequences. For every great work there is a fall, a sin. This is Fortuna, the life blood of Venice. Venice_Masquerade_Speedpaint by ~Kozivara 7 Chapter 1 The Fairy City “This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty - this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.” - Lord Byron History From the Ashes of an Empire Venice has stood for since the end of rulers of Ravenna, were then ousted by the the Roman Empire, and was founded by Franks, led by Charlemagne, who assumed the refugees who fled the invading Huns. The title of emperor of the Western Holy Roman people of the north east of Italy fled their lands Empire. Venetians were caught in the middle. and took boats out into the lagoon and settled On the one hand they had their loyalty to in on the marshy islands. These survivors of Byzantium, and on the other they had a new the Western Roman Empire were ruled over Emperor on the border to their duchy. by the Byzantine Emperor of the Eastern The current Doge, Obelario, courted Empire, and in the 8th century the first Doge both parties, and together with the Duke of of the lagoon was elected, Orso, who was Dalmatia they travelled to the Frankish capital recognized by the Byzantine Empire. Orso and claimed to ignore Byzantine authority successor and son, Diodato, moved the seat of while asking for their lands to be seen as power of the region to the isle of Malamocco. independent. However, this was seen as an This move to Malamocco was a sign of affront to Byzantium and in return a fleet was Venetian’s wanting to become unimpeded sent from Constantinople to the Venetian traders while be able to defend themselves lagoon. The Doge surrendered claiming it was from pirates and invaders. Venetians were all the fault of the patriarch of Grado. With looking for autonomy. Not too much but Venice between two rival powers the isles and enough so that they were masters of their own their people were split by internal bickering trade. and conspiracy. In an attempt to once more Venetian control of the lagoon and the dominate the region Charlemagne sent his son, Adriatic continued easily for the next few Pepin, King of Italy, to the Adriatic at the head decades, undisturbed by the fall of Ravenna, of a large fleet. Ravenna and Dalmatia fell, but the seat of Byzantine rule over the ports of the the march of Pepin’s forces was halted at Adriatic. However, the Lombards, the new Malamocco where the Venetian forces were 8 focused. The refugees of the conflict fled to until the church was built that was grand the centre of the lagoon to Castle Olivolo enough. which stood in the Rivoalto ‘high ground’ Venice grew and soon was more than a (later contracted to Rialto) islands.