Rapiers of the Renaissance

A Role-Playing game set in Renaissance Europe 1450-1550

by Sheldon Stevens

Contents

Introduction: why role-play in the Renaissance? 1 Character Generation: Attributes, Luck Roll, Idea Roll, Background Skills 2 Professional Skills 3 Miscellaneous Skills, Virtues & Flaws 4 Money & Equipment, Renaissance Fashion 6 Character Templates 7 Designing Characters and Campaigns, Women as Player Characters in the Renaissance 21 Skills: Skill Tests, Standard Tests, Use of Attributes, Attribute Modifiers 22 Opposed Skills, Stealth, Read/Write, Attribute Tests, Opposed Attributes 23 Skills List 24 Combat Skills 29 Advancement 30 Combat: Timing & Movement, Initiative, Missiles 31 Missile Weapons 32 Shooting at Groups, Hand-to-Hand: Brawl, Grappling, Melee 33 Melee vs Brawl, Hand Weapons, Tactical Modifiers 34 Damage, Phs Bonuses for Combat and Stealth, Horses in Melee 35 Falls 36 Damage to Locations, Hit Locations, Hit Points per Location, Head Injuries 37 Fumble Table, Wound Infection, Wound Recovery 38 Duelling 39 Armour and Hit Locations 40 Poisons: 41 Disease: Exposure, Resistance Test, Incubation Period, Duration 43 Survival Test, Recuperation Period, Ailments 44 Afflictions 45 Plagues 46 Magic: Magic in general, Alchemy 48 Demonology, Necromancy, Witchcraft 49 Starting Spells, Magic Points, Spells 50 Demons 64 Elementals, Arcane Artefacts 67 The Renaissance World: Religion 69 Technology 70 Daily Life 71 The Renaissance in 72 Italy: Map 73 Bologna, Ferrara 74 Florence & the Medicis 76 , 77 78 , & the 79 Savoy 80 Siena, Venice, The Holy 81 The 83 The Fall of 84 The Ottoman-Venetian Wars 85 The of , The Conquest of Hungary, The , The 86 The Peasants’ War 88 Monastic Orders 90 Military Orders 92 Secret Societies 93 Renaissance Personalities: Popes 100 Emperors, Other Monarchs, Doges of Venice 108 The Borgias 109 The Medici 114 Other Merchant Princes 118 Generals 119 Artists 127 Women of the Renaissance 136 Philosophers 141 Witches & Wizards 144 Clergy 148 Physicians 150 Supernatural Characters 151 A Renaissance Timeline 152 Scenario: The Book of Fugger: Augsburg May 1517 157 Renaissance Price List 169 Bibliography 175

Introduction: why role-play in the Renaissance?

We happy band of brothers – and sisters – can role-play in almost any milieu. I have played, or know people who have done so, games set in the Stone Age, Bronze Age , Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, High Medieval Europe, the English Civil War (a friend’s home- made game), Victorian steampunk, Victorian Cthulhu, Call of Cthulhu in its classic 1920s period, various modern games, including Call of Cthulhu, Vampire, and Sci-Fi games ranging from immediate post-apocalypse such as Twilight 2000 or Morrow Project via Traveller 2300 to the far future of classic Traveller, Star Wars and Space Opera, as well as a vast range of entirely imaginary realms: D&D, Gloranthan Runequest, Jorune, Warhammer (Renaissance technology in a fantasy world) and, of course, Middle Earth. My apologies if I’ve overlooked your personal favourite.

Perhaps there’s a game I’ve not heard of but it seems the one ethos missing that begs to be explored as a role-playing milieu is Renaissance Europe. The more I think on it the more I find the omission distinctly odd.

Look at it: this era transforms medieval thought in to modern. The Catholic , having held the guttering candle of learning aloft throughout the Dark and Middle Ages finally sees its children leave, proudly bearing flaming torches of their own. Sailors from , Portugal, , England and the Netherlands sail west and east to create empires in the New World and the Far East.

Renaissance thought leads directly to the Enlightenment of the late 17th and 18th Centuries. Neither art nor science (and in the Renaissance the two are still indistinguishable) would ever be the same again. This is the era of Michealangelo and Leonardo da Vinci (the archetypal ‘Renaissance Man’ and arguably the most talented mind ever produced by our species). Men of learning rediscover the knowledge of the Ancient Greeks (and Islam and Persia) and so begin to question Truth, as given by the Church in Rome.

Speaking of Rome: this is also the time when a series of Popes show a degree of dissolution that would shame any age, even ancient Rome at its most decadent – this is the era of the Borgias – and the Pope heads a church that is largely (but not entirely) as corrupt as its popes. As men of learning question Papal authority, church corruption fosters the Reformation, provoking Luther’s 1517 proclamation and a wave of religious wars after: Reformation provoking Counter-Reformation.

This is when comes of age: cannon render castles obsolete and will soon do the same for armoured but those knights are still around and, though no longer the lone arbiters of battle, for another century they remain a crucial battlefield necessity – an army’s strength is still counted in terms of its lance-armed men-at-arms. Knights, their armour and heraldry provide a wonderful spectacle: anyone for a joust?

And off the battlefield, duelling probably reaches its apogee with a wonderful variety of forms. In the the nobility still with heavy knightly weapons while in Italy and Spain the appearance of the espada ropera (rapier) and similar lighter weapons transform the art of fencing in to the graceful battle of lunge, riposte and counter beloved of those of us who live to buckle the swash – and soon the wheellock pistol creates a new kind of duel.

But for those who prefer to play practitioners of the ‘subtle’ arts, remember that this is an era that believes in magic. Many men and women are condemned to burn as necromancers, demonists and witches; can all of them be innocent?

But apart from all this, surely what must really sell the Renaissance to any role-player is the chance to cross swords or words with some of the most wonderful personalities in history. Would you like to discuss politics with Machiavelli? Or art with Leonardo da Vinci? Or business with Jacob Fugger? Or poisons with Lucrezia Borgia? One drop or two? 1 Character Generation

There are 6 attributes defining the character in game terms: Physique [Phs]: a measure of size and strength. It effects hand-to-hand combat heavily; both prowess with most weapons and severity of inflicted wounds. Resilience to damage is also a partial function of physique. Some characters may be stronger or weaker than they look due to virtues and flaws. Athleticism may also be indicated by skills and virtues. Large size can impair stealth. Male Phs is typically 8-16, average 11, that for women is 5-12, average 8, as a rule-of-thumb.

Constitution [Con]: a measure of toughness, disease resistance and endurance. Hit points are equal to Con modified by Phs. Maximum normal lifespan is Con x 5 years + 2d3-4.

Quickness [Qck]: is a measure of manual dexterity and speed of reaction, physical and mental.

Grace [Grc]: is a measure of sureness and poise, covering the physical and social graces. Thus dancers, diplomats and debutants will all need this in abundance.

Intuition [Int]: is a measure of the character’s awareness of his surroundings: visual acuity, acuteness of hearing, etc, but also of his perceptions by other than his physical senses. It also affects guesswork and forms the basis for the Idea test.

Psyche [Psy]: is a measure of the power of the character’s mind, most important for using or resisting magic, especially offensive spells that target another individual. It also governs the character’s ability to maintain coolness in stressful situations, such as combat.

There are 72 points to place in attributes on a scale of 1-20. Human average is 10-11 so PCs are notably above the mean with an average of 12. More points may be gained through virtues and flaws (see below).

Luck Test = is rolled individually as and when needed. PCs can buy good luck as a virtue or have bad luck as a flaw. Idea Test = Int test, the difficulty depending on the obviousness of the idea.

Background Skills: all characters get one of the 6pt skill packages below. At the GM’s discretion, one or two of the skills may be exchanged for others suitable to the background. Selections labelled M or F are only available for men or women, respectively (except for a good role-playing reason). Noble and Rich backgrounds are only available to characters with the virtues of Noble or Wealth. Nobleman (M) Dance 1, Etiquette 1, Heraldry 1, Melee 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 1 Noblewoman (F) Dance 1, Disguise 1, Embroidery 1, Etiquette 1, Read/Write 1, Sing 1 Florentine Patrician † (M) Bargain 1, Etiquette 1, Oratory 1, Politics 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 1 Rich Townsman (M) Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Read/Write 1 Rich Townswoman (F) Disguise 1, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Listen 1, Read/Write 1, Sing 1 Average Townsman (M) Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Fast Talk 1, Gossip 1, Read/Write 1 Average Townswoman (F) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Gossip 1, Listen 1 Poor Townsman (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Hide 1, Listen 1, Sneak 1, Spot Hidden 1 Poor Townswoman (F) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Cooking 1, Gossip 1, Listen 1, Spot Hidden 1 Countryman (M) Animal Care 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Carpentry 1, Drive Cart 1, Gossip 1 Countrywoman (F) Animal Care 1, Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Gossip 2, Listen 1 Seminary * (M) 1, Listen 2, Liturgy 1, Read/Write 1, Sing 1 Convent * (F) Etiquette 1, Listen 1, Liturgy 1, Read/Write 1, Sing 1, Sneak 1 Jew Accounting 1, Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Listen 1, Read/Write 2 Stradiot Animal Care 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Jump 1, Melee 1, Ride 1 Turkish Noble Etiquette 1, Liturgy (Muslim) 1, Melee 1, Read/Write 2, Ride 1 * a seminary is a route to higher education for the poor. The child enters a monastery at age 8 but if gifted in intellect he may be sponsored by the church to study either Canon Law or Divinity at University. Women may enter convents but these are not conduits to higher education. † Florence does not have a noble class, the old nobility having all become merchants and bankers 2 Professional Skills: Now it’s time for the player to choose a career. Obviously some backgrounds are restricting (a Stradiot background demands a Stradiot profession, for example). Hard and fast rules are hard to make, however if the player can justify a character of a given background entering a particular profession then he should be allowed to do so but it is ultimately the GM’s decision.

As with backgrounds, selections labelled M or F are only available for men or women, respectively. But again these rules may be broken occasionally for good role-playing reasons (see Brunhilde von Stolberg in the templates as an example). The precise skills assigned may also be modified to suit a particular character’s back-story.

Characters intending to become lawyers, physicians or philosophers will need a university education. Bologna University actually allows women to enroll, though no other does. All characters desiring such careers must choose the profession of ‘University Student’ and are advised to take the virtue ‘University Education’. Women from well-to-do backgrounds can gain a comparable education from private tutors but these do not become ‘University Students’.

A university education costs money which is typically only available to nobles and rich townsmen. However an alternative route is for the character to take Seminary as his background and rely on the church to sponsor his education; but this does limit his choice of subject to Divinity or Canon Law.

Noble Careers (only available to characters with the ‘noble’ background) Monthly Income Black Sheep (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Fast Talk 1, Gambling 1, Melee 1, Seduction 1 Courtier Dance 1, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Oratory 1, Politics 1, Ride 1 Envoy Bargain 1, Etiquette 1, Language 1, Oratory 1, Persuade 1, Politics 1 Nobleman (M) Dance 1, Estate Management 1, Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Politics 1, Ride 1 Noblewoman (F) Disguise 1, Embroidery 1, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Listen 1, Play Instrument 1 Politician Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Oratory 1, Politics 2, Ride 1

Townsman Careers (only available to characters with the ‘townsman/woman’ background) Monthly Income Alchemist Alchemy 1, Arcane Lore 1, Gem Lore 1, Glassblowing 1, Herb Lore 1, Latin 1 Apothecary Brewing 1, Fast Talk 1, Herb Lore 1, Medicine 1, Poison Lore 1, Tend Wound 1 Artist (M) Appraise 1, Art 2, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Spot Hidden 1 Banker Accounting 2, Bargain 1, Carouse 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 1 Barber Surgeon (M) Barbering 1, Disguise 1, Fast Talk 1, Herb Lore 1, Surgery 1, Tend Wound 1 Bargello/Watchman (M) Listen 1, Intimidate 2, Melee 1, Read/Write 1, Spot Hidden 1 Bar(wo)man/Innkeeper Appraise 1, Brawl 1, Brewing 1, Carouse 2, Drive Cart 1 Bravo (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Dodge 1, Fast Talk 1, Intimidate 1, Melee 1 Courtesan (F) Carouse 1, Disguise 1, Gossip 1, Play Instrument 1, Politics 1, Seduction 1 Craft Apprentice (M) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Craft Skill 2, Drive Cart 1 Demonist Arcane Lore 1, Demon Lore 1, Glassblowing 1, Herb Lore 1, Latin 1, Greek 1 Duellist (M) Carouse 1, Etiquette 1, Melee 2, Oratory 1, Ride 1 Merchant Accounting 1, Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Carouse 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 1 Midwife (F) Birthing 1, Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Herb Lore 2, Tend Wounds 1 Mountebank Acting 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Fast Talk 1, Play Instrument 1, Sleight of Hand 1 Necromancer Arcane Lore 1, Glassblowing 1, Herb Lore 1, Latin 1, Greek 1, Theology 1 Notary (M) Etiquette 1, Latin 1, Law 2, Read/Write 2 Politician Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Oratory 1, Politics 2, Ride 1 Prostitute (F) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Disguise 1, Gossip 1 Rich Townswoman (F) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Dance 1, Disguise 1, Gossip 1, Play Instrument 1 Rogue (F) Carouse 1, Cutpurse 1, Fast Talk 1, Hide 1, Sneak 1, Seduction 1 Rogue (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Cutpurse 1, Fast Talk 1, Hide 1, Sneak 1 Servant Appraise 1, Disguise 1, Etiquette 1, Listen 1, Sneak 1, Spot Hidden 1 Town Wife (F) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Brewing 1, Carouse 1, Disguise 1, Fast Talk 1

Church Careers Monthly Income Priest (M) Etiquette 1, Latin 2, Liturgy 2, Read/Write 1 Choir Monk (M) Etiquette 1, Latin 1, Listen 1, Liturgy 1, Sing 1, Sneak 1 Cistercian Choir Monk (M) Etiquette 1, Latin 1, Listen 1, Liturgy 1, Physical Development 1, Agricultural Skill 1

3 Lay Monk (M) Etiquette 1, Listen 1, Sing 1, Sneak 1 (plus 2 agricultural skills at 1) Canon (M) Latin 1, Liturgy 1, Oratory 1, Persuade 1, Read/Write 1, Theology 1 Friar (M) Latin 1, Liturgy 1, Oratory 1, Persuade 1, Read/Write 1, Theology 1 Nun (F) Etiquette 1, Herb Lore 1, Listen 1, Sing 1, Tend Wounds 1, Treat Disease 1 Summoner (M) Fast Talk 2, Latin 1, Law (canon) 1, Liturgy 1, Read/Write 1 University Student Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Etiquette 1, Latin 1, Persuade 1, Read/Write 1

Rural Careers (only available to characters with the ‘countryman/woman’ background) Monthly Income Bargello/Watchman (M) Listen 1, Intimidate 2, Melee 1, Read/Write 1, Spot Hidden 1 Blacksmith (M) Animal Care 1, Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Blacksmith 2, Physical Development 1 Carpenter (M) Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Carpentry 2, Drive Cart 1, Physical Development 1 Farmer Animal Care 1, Bargain 1, Crop Lore 1, Drive Cart 1, Herding 1, Spot Hidden 1 Farmer’s Wife (F) Animal Care 1, Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Crop Lore 1, Herding 1, Tailor 1 Groom Animal Care 2, Etiquette 1, Leatherworking 1, Ride 1, Spot Hidden 1 Huntsman (M) Hunting 2, Missile Weapon (non-firearm) 1, Ride 1, Track 2 Labourer Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Drive Cart 1, Physical Development 3 Midwife (F) Birthing 1, Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Herb Lore 2, Tend Wounds 1 Miller Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Carpentry 1, Crop Lore 1, Drive Cart 1, Milling 1 Poacher Hunting 2, Missile Weapon (non-firearm) 1, Track 2, Trap Set/Disarm 1 Servant Appraise 1, Disguise 1, Etiquette 1, Listen 1, Sneak 1, Spot Hidden 1 Shepherd Animal Care 1, Herding 2, Sling, Bow or Latch Crossbow 1, Spot Hidden 1, Track 1 Trapper Conceal 1, Hunting 1, Spot Hidden 1, Track 1, Trap Set/Disarm 2 Winemaker Appraise 1, Bargain 1, Crop Lore 1, Drive Cart 1, Spot Hidden 1, Winemaking 1 Witch (F) Brewing 1, Cooking 1, Herb Lore 2, Poison Lore 1, Tend Wounds 1

Military Careers Monthly Income Cavalry Soldier (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Ride 1, Strategy & Tactics 1 Military Orders Noble (M) Etiquette 1, Heraldry 1, Melee 1, Military Engineering 1, Ride 1, Strategy & Tactics 1 Gunner (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Gunnery 1, Melee 1, Ride 1, Strategy & Tactics 1 Soldier (M) Brawl 2, Carouse 1, Leatherworking 1, Melee 1, Missile Weapon 1 Military Engineer (M) Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Delving 1, Melee 1, Ride 1, Military Engineering 1 Militiaman (M) Brawl 1, Melee 1, Missile Weapon 1 plus 3 pastoral skills at level 1 Stradiot (M) Brawl 1, Crossbow 1, Melee 1, Ride 1, Spot Hidden 1, Strategy & Tactics 1 Naval Officer (M) Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Ride 1, Seamanship 1, Strategy & Tactics 1 Seaman (M) Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Sailing 1, Seamanship 1

Prostitutes are generally women from poor town or rural backgrounds – Courtesans are from noble or wealthy backgrounds (with a few exceptions), sometimes becoming long-term mistresses of famous figures. (Vanessa de Catenei is the mistress of Pope Alexander VI and mother to Cesaré and Lucrezia Borgia; Lucrezia Donati is the mistress of Lorenzo de Medici.) Courtesans are typically very politically aware and many act as spies. Florence is also known for its male prostitutes.

Though the military professions are completely dominated by men, throughout history a few women have always found some way to serve as soldiers, usually by cross-dressing, so female PCs should be allowed to enter military careers provided they have adequate levels of Disguise skill.

Miscellaneous Skills: finally NPCs can be given a further 1-10 skill points which should usually be used to improve their cultural and professional skills, though other skills can be acquired.

However, PCs get 30 pts (instead of 1-10) to add to their background and professional skills on a 1 for 1 basis. However, the level in any particular skill must reflect how often it’s used. Generally, 2 is adequate, 3 is competent, 4 professional and 5+ expert. Often merely having the skill at a certain level will ensure success in mundane use, rolling dice is only necessary in dramatically appropriate circumstances and even then there may be modifiers, up or down.

For any particular skill, the player must justify why his or her character has learned it. Some are very easy to justify, others less so – why should a street thug know Etiquette or Heraldry, for example? Or why should a nobleman know Delving or Herding? 4

Once the GM agrees the skill is appropriate for the character, the player may choose to have as much of it as he wants…within reason. Levels 1-3 require no special justification but to justify having a skill at 4, a PC must use or practise it weekly; at 5+, daily.

Please note: skills may be used daily without rising above, or even to, 5 (in the modern day, few drivers are more competent than this, for example, most are less, despite spending a considerable amount of each day behind the wheel). No starting character should have a skill above 6 without a cast-iron reason (and usually an appropriate virtue – for which, see below).

Once all skills have been chosen the character must select one skill to be primary and six to be secondary. The relevance of this will be found under ‘Advancement’ at the end of the Skills chapter. These seven skills should be those used most frequently in his or her chosen career.

Virtues & Flaws: a player may also opt to give her character virtues. These may be quite mundane: extra skill or attribute points, for example, or they may be quite fantastic, conferring supernatural or magical talents. Each character may have up to 3 virtues, the power of which is entirely up to the player though she should be aware how the GM values them. For each virtue the GM assigns a flaw of equal strength. This is the GM's decision taken in consultation with the player. A 5pt virtue must be countered with a 5pt flaw, not a greater number of lesser flaws. Virtues may affect clothing and appearance. The list below is not intended to be exhaustive. Please note that a 3pt virtue or flaw is usually more than three times as powerful as a 1pt.

Sample virtues: Ambidextrous, Light Sleeper: 1pt Keen Sight or Keen Hearing: +1 per point of virtue on all perception tests using that sense Artistic Genius: cost depends on level, PC’s fame will rise to that level during the course of play, character also gains a +1 bonus per level of virtue on his Art skills. Church Office: the character starts in a position of influence: parish priest 1pt; archdeacon or prior 2pts; abbot 3pts; bishop 4pts; archbishop 5pts; cardinal 6pts – there may also be specific offices within the church (eg camerlengo or legate that give status and influence beyond the ordination level) Cronies, 1-6pts depending on numbers and reliability (6pts represents an army at your disposal) Disease Resistance: add virtue to Con test Extra Attributes: +4 = 1pt: +8 = 2pts; +13 = 3pts; +20 = 4pts; +28 = 5pts; +37 = 6pts Extra Skill pts: +3 = 1pt; +6 = 2pts; +10 = 3pts; +15 = 4pts; +21 = 5pts; +28 = 6pts Fair of Face: 1-6pts; the character is notably handsome or beautiful, adding +1/pt to social interactions with the opposite sex Famous: in town 1pt; county 2pts; state or city 3pts; kingdom 4pts; Empire 5pts; Christendom 6pts Facility with Attribute: + 1 per point of virtue on all tests with a specific attribute Facility with Skill: + 2 per point of virtue on all tests with a specific skill Friends in High Places: lord 1pt; viscount/altgraf 2pts; earl/count/reichsgraf/bishop 3pts; marquis/duke/archbishop 4pts; king/emperor/cardinal 5pts; Pope 6pts Good Luck: reroll 1 bad roll/day 1pt; reroll d4 bad rolls/day 2pt; reroll d6 bad rolls/day 3pts; d6 rerolls +1 sure success 4pts; d6 rerolls +1 superior success 5pts; d6 rerolls +1 outstanding success 6pts (sure successes cannot be used in combat) Immunity to Named Disease: 1 disease = 1pt; 3 = 2pts; 6 = 3pts; 10 = 4pts Immunity to Named Poison: 1 poison = 2pts; 3 = 3pts; 6= 4pts Knack for Languages: fluent in a month and starting points in languages are doubled, 3pts Magic: 1-6pts; any of this also confers 1pt in the Magic Sense skill – see chapter on magic

5 Noble Family *: gentry/ 1pt, lord/baron 2pt; viscount/altgraf 3pt; earl/count/reichsgraf 4pt; marquis/duke 5pt; king/emperor/pope 6pt; (knightly or better allows starting with full plate armour and a warhorse; all nobles get Heraldry at base 1 and must use the Noble cultural packages) Poison Resistance: add virtue to Con test Prodigy: PC starts with a specific skill at 6 for 2pts; 7 for 3pts; 8 for 4pts; 9 for 5pts; or 10 for 6pts (PC may spend all his skill points on other skills but he may not spend any on the specified skill) Office: the character starts in a position of influence: town bargello 1pt; county sheriff 2pts; senior officer of state or city 3pts; regent or ruler of kingdom or state 4pts; Papal Gonfaloniere 5pts Reading Personalities or Emotions, 2 or 3pts (an outright ‘detect lie’ ability is not allowed) Strong Willed: resist mental shocks, coolness under fire, etc, at +4, 2pts Supernatural Gift or Magical Artefact: cost dependant on power; see magic section True Faith: you genuinely believe in God, miracles happen! 4-6pts University Education: undergraduate (Latin 2, Trivium 1) 1pt; Bachelor of Arts (Latin 3, Trivium 2, Quadrivium 1) 2pt; Master of Arts (Latin 4, Trivium 3, Quadrivium 2) 3pt; Doctorate (Latin 5, Trivium 4, Quadrivium 3, +2 in one of Law, Medicine, Philosophy or Theology) 4pt; each extra pt adds +1 to all 4 skills (Note: character must have Read/Write at least equal to Latin skill). Skill pts may raise these further – [Note: female characters cannot go to university, with the possible exception of Bologna, but they may have an equivalent education from private tutors] Wealth *: richest (non-noble) in street 1pt; town 2pts; county 3pts; state 4pts; kingdom 5pts; Empire 6pts – character has money to buy stuff plus power and influence (Wealth 2 or better allows access to the Rich Townsman or woman cultural packages; at Wealth 4 PCs may opt to use the Noble cultural packages) * = the higher the score for these virtues the more likely they constrict the character’s origin – the richest family in Germany are the Fuggers of Augsburg, in Italy a 6pt PC would have to be a Medici or similar. Note: the 6pt virtue does not make you Pope, but the nephew, neice, son or daughter of the Pope.

Sample flaws: Amputation: eye or foot 1pt, hand 2pts, arm or leg 3pts, completely blind 5pts Bad Luck: GM forces reroll of 1 good roll/day 1pt; GM inflicts 1 bad roll/day 2pts; 1 fumble/day 3pts; d3 fumbles/day, 4pts; d4 fumbles/day, 5pts; d6 fumbles/day, 6pts Character Quirk: eg quick temper or innate curiosity: 1-4pts depending on how severe Code of Honour 1pt: you must choose a standard by which to live your life (eg never lie, refuse to attack foes unaware, always accept surrender of a defeated foe, never harm a woman, etc, etc). Coward: as a guide, Psy test (7) to avoid breaking ranks in the face of physical violence is a 1pt flaw, Psy test (10) is 2pts, Psy test (12) is 3pts, every point of flaw over this adds 2 to the difficulty Dark Secret: eg you are an unmarried woman but not a virgin 1-3pts (depending on circumstances); you are a practitioner of the dark arts, 1-6pts (depending on spells) Debt of Honour: you owe someone a favour: 1-4pts depending on how big the favour Deluded 1pt: you believe something important about the world that simply isn’t true, that your sword is magical, for example, or that your lucky rabbit’s foot will keep you free from all harm. Dependant(s): all PCs come from somewhere so this is a very common flaw, 1-4pts. Disfigured: face scarred; most social skills incur a penalty: -1 for 1pt; -2, 2pt; -4, 3pt; -6, 4pt Duty: you have an inescapable duty to a person, institution or task which demands your personal attention, 1-4pts, depending on impact Fealty 1pt: you have sworn fealty to a superior and must obey his orders (not the same as Duty). Feud, a bitter inherited dispute with another family: 1-4pts depending on how often you have to duel or dodge an assassin Hunted: by ordinary human, 1pt; lord, 2pts; count 3pts; earl or duke, 4pts; king or emperor 5pts; Pope 6pts – if the hunter is supernatural or has extra-ordinary abilities, increase value accordingly Illegitimate: the character is tainted by bastardy, this is a 2pt flaw in Italy, but worse elsewhere

6 Inability, with a common skill, eg illiteracy would be a 1pt flaw, unable to learn another language is 1-3pts depending on circumstances (Note: illiteracy means you cannot learn to read at all.) Inexperienced, fewer skill pts: -3, 1pt; -6, 2pts; -10, 3pts; -15, 4pts; -21, 5pts; -28, 6pts Infamous: in town 1pt; county 2pt; state or city 3pt; kingdom 4pt; Empire 5pt; Christendom 6pt Low Income: only a few coins, 1pt; no money and few metal possessions, 2pts; destitute, dressed in rags, 3pts Masterless: Renaissance Europe is a turbulent place; everywhere the old order is under threat. In such times, the preservation of hierarchy and good order is at a premium, and those who undermine it are regarded as suspect. Chief among these are the growing class of men and women who serve no master, and are under no obligation to any social or political superior. These people, when identified as such, suffer a penalty in all social interactions (Grc) with anybody exercising civil authority, from the lowest night watchman to the highest judge; -3 for 1pt, -4 for 2pts, -5 for 3pts and -6 for 4pts. Mental Affliction: neuroses, phobias, compulsions (eg, alcoholic, curious, vengeful), etc, cost depends on power Notorious: the character is widely known or suspected of a crime = burglary 1pt; assault 2pts; arson or rape 3pts; murder or incest 4pts; multiple murders 5pts; massacre 6pts. Obese: per point of flaw, the character gains +1 Phs (not affecting Strength), -1 Qck and -½ Con. Physical Affliction: leper is a 6pt flaw but lesser afflictions can be costed along the same lines as amputations; photophobia can be 2pts if it merely inflicts a -1 penalty in daylight or 2 in bright sunlight, alternatively an inability to enter sunlight at all would be a 5pt flaw. Religion: being a Jew is a 3pt flaw, being a Muslim is 4-5 pts, depending on the location; being a secret heretic would come under ‘Dark Secret’ but being a known heretic is a 4pt flaw (please note: the definition of heresy is ‘anything the Pope doesn’t like’ – examine the history of Giordano Bruno for an illustration); being an apostate Muslim or Jew is a 1-2pt flaw in Italy; being a professed atheist is a 2pt flaw (being a secret atheist is a 1pt Dark Secret) Serf: 2pts in England, 1pt in Italy, 3pts in France, Germany or Spain Supernatural Curse or Demonic Possession: 1-6pts Vengeance: someone (or more than one) has killed or dishonoured you or a member of your family, an act for which you must seek vengeance: 1-6pts depending on how difficult it will be to do this

Money & Equipment: unless an appropriate wealth virtue or poverty flaw is taken, assume a PC's income is around 2 guilders or 1 ducat/escudo a month, most of which is assumed to go on mortgage or rent, transport and food. Any starting character may be assumed to have clothing and equipment appropriate to his station and profession unless virtues or flaws dictate otherwise. He or she may have starting cash equal to a month’s wages.

Renaissance Fashion: male attire typically consists of a large linen or calico shirt, which may be embellished with lace by fashionable young men. The legs are covered by woollen hose which in late 15th Century Italy are joined together at the back (to form what today we would call tights). The opening at the front is covered by a triangular flap of material that, with the addition of padding, by 1500 is evolving in to the codpiece, designed to accentuate the wearer’s masculinity. The codpiece reaches its greatest popularity around 1540 and thereafter declines to become an object of ridicule by 1590. Over the shirt a woollen doublet is the typical addition to this basic ensemble. Fashion victims might have doublets of satin or silk for best wear but wool is very hard wearing and forms the basic essential. Doublets are tight fitting on the body but looser around the arms. After 1476 fashionable doublets are usually slashed to show off the lining (a fashion statement introduced by the ) but this isn’t done by the hoi-polloi who need a working garment. A cloak might be worn over this and the Italian fashion is for the cloak to be only waist-length, a fashion which takes time to reach northern Europe, where a cloak has to be an effective protection 7 against the cold. For the same reason the northern cloak is generally of thick woollen cloth instead of the lighter Mediterranean garment that catches the breeze. Fur is always a handy protection against the cold away from the Mediterranean but is still a valuable fashion statement in Italy and Spain. Women’s clothing consists of a long woollen gown to the ground, tight from the waist up but loose below, laced up either the front or the rear. When laced up the front a stomacher is used under the laces and made to match the dress. Under this is a chemise, essentially the equivalent of the man’s shirt and made of the same materials but more voluminous. Petticoats, underskirts of linen or calico, are also worn, providing a layered approach to protection from the elements. Just as fashionable men slash their doublets, so society women slash their dresses to reveal petticoats of coloured silk or satin. Robes might be worn by the clergy and by anyone else in colder weather. Underwear as we know it is a rarity in 1450 but can be found on truly elegant ladies of Italy and Spain. It spreads first around the Mediterranean and then in to northern Europe during the .

Character Templates: here is a far from exhaustive selection of more or less pre-generated characters to illustrate how someone of a particular background might look. Adolf, Brunhilde, Helga, Ludwig, Peter and Rodrigo are PCs intended to be used in the Book of Fugger adventure; the NPCs can be used directly or, by adding 9 attribute points and 20 points of skills (and possibly customising the virtues and flaws), can be used as ready-generated player characters.

All templates give sample attributes, typical skill levels, suggested virtues and flaws and typical clothing, goods and chattels. Further examples can also be found in ‘Renaissance Personalities’. (Aurelianus and Brian Duffy are characters from ‘The Drawing of the Dark’, Tim Powers’ novel set in the 1529 Ottoman siege of Vienna and a great inspiration for Rapiers of the Renaissance. Thanks to Neil Coates for Arlequino Galeotto, Gianni Pastoro and Rinaldo Ribaldo.)

Player Characters (all ready-to-play though the player may choose to customise the numbers to his or her own satisfaction – with the approval of the GM)

Adolf von Grunwald: sergeant of Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 16 15 15 10 8 14 18 d5 Virtues: Brave: +4 on all Psy tests for combat (2), Well Equipped (2) Flaws: Fear of Supernatural (2), Unable to learn new languages (2) Chattels: clothing, sturdy boots, plate cuirass, placart & faulds, sleeved buffcoat, padded morion + cheek-guards, gauntlets, 2 grenadoes: iron spheres filled with gunpowder, lengths of slow match and fuse, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, 6 guilders and 52 kreutzers in cash Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 4, Carouse 3, Climb 2, Drive Cart 3, Gossip 1, Jump 2, Leatherworking 1, Listen 2, Melee 4, Petards & Grenadoes 3, Physical Development 6, Ride 1, Spot Hidden 2, Strategy & Tactics 1, Swim 2, Throw 4 Story: Born in north Germany some time in the 1480s, Adolf has served with distinction as a landsknecht in Livonia, southern Germany and, most recently, Italy under George von Frundsberg, the father of the landsknechts. Adolf is brave and fearless and has earned his rank of sergeant. His pride and joy are two grenadoes – grapefruit-sized iron spheres filled with gunpowder stoppered with wooden bungs. To use them, Adolf must remove the bung, insert either a slowmatch (for a burn of several minutes) or a fuze (for a burn of a few seconds) and throw or place the item where it can do the most damage. With fellow landsknecht, Ludwig (a good man with an but a bit of a coward when it comes to close-in fighting), Adolf made his way over the to find adventure and pay before the next round of wars breaks out. For the moment you're both working as bodyguards for Jacob Fugger 'the Rich'.

8 Arlequino Galeotto: mountebank Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 10 15 14 12 11 10 - Virtues: +10 skill pts (4), Ambidextrous (2), Reading People † (2) Flaws: Masterless Man * (4), Notorious cutpurse in Sienna (2), Low income (2) † Arlequino is adept at reading personalities from faces and gains +4 Int in such situations. * Renaissance Europe is a turbulent place; everywhere the old order is under threat. In such times, the preservation of hierarchy and good order is at a premium, and those who undermine it are regarded as suspect. Chief among these are the growing class of men and women who serve no master, and are under no obligation to any social or political superior. These people, when identified as such, suffer a -6 penalty in all social interactions (Grc) with anybody exercising civil authority, from the lowest night watchman to the highest judge. Skills: Acting (commedia) 4, Appraise 1, Bargain 2, Brawl 4, Carouse (fellow showmen) 4, Charm 4, Drive Cart 2, Fast Talk (crowds) 4, Hide 2, Listen 3, Mimic (bodily functions) 4, Oratory 3, Play Flute 3, Sleight of Hand (coin tricks) 3, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 4, Tumbling (acrobatics) 4 Chattels: clothes (colourful but worn), arming doublet, dagger, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, 2 lire in small change, 3 wooden cups, a deck of cards, outlandish harlequin costume Story: Aged 24, Arlequino Galeotto (not his real name, Galeotto means ‘Jail Bird’, chosen with a degree of mocking honesty) is part of the emerging Commedia Dell’arte in Siena, a performance movement appealing to the common people through bawdy, ribald and frequently scatalogical humour. The comic plays of the Commedia consist of a number of set pieces (lazzi) connected by improvised action to form a satirical story employing acting, music, acrobatics and mime, all performed in grotesque and outlandish costumes and masks on ad hoc raised wooden stages (the ‘bank’ that performers ‘mount’). Common targets of these acerbic performances include avaricious merchants, corrupt civic rulers and braggart soldiers, but can also include the ignorant peasantry, foolish lovers or the gullible urban mob. Growing up as the youngest of twelve children born to an artisan family in Siena, Galeotto is suited to such scabrous employ, being by nature impudent and by nurture desperately hungry for attention. He embodies all that clerics, academicians, theologians and rulers fear as a consequence of the erosion of the old certainties; a creature dedicated to the pursuit of his own pleasure and desires. Galeotto is not a truly bad man, but daily he confuses freedom with licentiousness, rebellion with self-indulgence and the laughter of the mob with love. Every punishment that was ever meted out to him, from his father’s cudgel blows to his time in the stocks and gaols of Siena, only increases his burning sense of indignation. The louche, permissive world of the acting troupe, encountered by chance as a teenage runaway, is the only place he feels truly free. The Commedia, however, is not a steady source of employment. Periodically, when one of the troupes manages sorely to offend the rulers of the city, there is a ban on performances and the City Watch sweep the streets of Galeotto and his ilk, filling the cells beneath the Podesta’s for a week or a month. As a result, in common with many of his fellow performers, Galeotto is frequently to be found taking paid work as a barker for merchants or carnival amusements, attracting the attention of the passing crowd with displays of juggling, tumbling and salacious wit. There are many in Siena who suspect that the real purpose of this foolery is to serve as a distraction, allowing Galeotto’s unknown accomplices to relieve folk of their valuables, although, thanks to the mountebank’s good fortune, this has never been proved.

Brian Duffy: Irish Mercenary Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: English 16 16 15 12 12 14 19 +d5 Virtues: +13 attributes (3), Reincarnation of Arthur (4), +6 skills (2) Flaws: unrequited love for Epiphany (3), Reincarnation of Arthur (4), plagued by supernatural (2) Chattels: doublet, shirt, hose, woollen cloak, rapier, dagger, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll Skills: Brawl 4, Carouse 3, Dodge 3, Drive Cart 2, Fast Talk 2, Language: German 3, Language: Italian 2, Language: Latin 1, Leatherworking 1, Listen 3, Matchlock Arquebus 2, Melee 5, Navigate 2, Persuade 5, Read/Write 1, Ride 3, Sing 1, Spot Hidden 2, Strategy & Tactics 2, Throw 4 9 Story: Brian grows up in Ireland, in the English Pale. He enters a monastery as a youth but flees after a series of occult events (in one of which, witnessed by the abbot, a series of trees bow to the ground as Duffy passes). Brian becomes a mercenary on the continent where he fights with the landsknechts in the south of the Empire and in Italy. In 1526 he is one of the few Christians to survive the battle of Mohacs in Hungary. Recovering in Vienna, he falls in love with Epiphany Vogel, the daughter of a well-known local painter. But when she marries his best friend he creates a scene at the wedding and flees to Italy. Then in 1529 Aurelianus hires Brian to be the bouncer at the Herzwesten brewery in Vienna for the opening of the bock beer at Easter, just in time for the Ottoman invasion… Unknown to Brian, he is actually the reincarnation of King Arthur, called back from the dead one more time to aid the West in the coming battles with the East. Arthur has been called back several times before and is known as Sigurd and Sigmund in various legends across northern Europe. Arthur speaks many ancient tongues fluently, including Latin and Norse. Various supernatural entities readily recognise Arthur within Brian and may intervene to help or hinder him, including monstrous denizens of the Alpine passes, dwarves on the road to Vienna and various flying devils. When threatened by supernatural entities, Arthur is apt to take over without warning. Brian also has disturbing visions and dreams when he recalls his previous life or lives. Brian has no recollection of those periods when Arthur is uppermost and finds the visions deeply upsetting but eventually he and Arthur come to work together. [This is an example of a virtue being its own flaw.]

Brunhilde von Stolberg: tomboy Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 10 12 15 15 10 10 12 - Virtues: Noble family (4), 2 duelling pistols, +2 pistol skill (2) Flaws: Hunted: brother wants her home (4), Sensitive to honour (2) Chattels: Very good quality men's clothing, one posh frock, fine quality leather jerkin, mail shirt, knee length boots, light helm, rapier, dagger, brace of wheellock Pistoian , powder, ammunition, excellent warhorse and riding tackle Skills: Carouse 1, Charm 2, Dance 2, Disguise 2, Dodge 3, Embroidery 2, Etiquette 4, Heraldry 2, Jump 3, Language: Italian 2, Melee 6, Oratory 2, Pistol 4, Read/Write 2, Ride Horse 4, Sing 3 Story: Brunhilde was born in to a family of brothers. She grew up on a diet of knightly romances and dreamed of chivalrous exploits. But her eldest brother had very different ideas for his sister who ran away from home to avoid a political marriage. Already more adept with a sword than her brothers might expect, Brunhilde made her way to Italy to join in the wars in the guise of 'Bruno'. However, she found modern warfare a far cry from the romance of chivalry and without armour (as she could find little to fit her slender frame) the only place to be found in an army was that of a lowly page to a man-at-arms, which as the daughter of a Reichsgraf of the Holy Roman Empire she found not to her taste. Instead Brunhilde found her knightly ideal in the of honour prevalent in Italy with fencing masters willing to teach young Bruno the graces of the duel with the lighter rapier better suited to her slender frame. Brunhilde has gathered a small entourage of Peter von Thorn, a knight errant, Rodrigo, a Portuguese rogue and her ‘lady’s maid’, Helga, who as a practitioner of the ‘old ways’ has her own reasons for keeping a low profile.

Helga: peasant witch Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 8 12 12 12 12 16 10 -d2 Virtues: witchcraft – 6 spells, +1 Magic Sense (4), Can sense observation on a test of Int (5) (3) Flaws: Dark Secret – witch (4), Serf (3) Chattels: ordinary peasant clothing, good shoes, a mule, 1 dose of love philtre (needs final ingredient to complete), 6 doses of sleeping draft, 1 dose of lethal poison (bitter taste, conceal in strong wine), salt, herbs and material components for spells, tarot cards, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, 4 pfennigs in cash

10 Skills: Brewing 2, Carouse 3, Cooking 3, Disguise (cross-dressing) 3, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 2, Gossip 2, Herb Lore 3, Listen 3, Magic Sense 3, Occult Lore 3, Poison Lore 2, Ride 1, Seduction 3, Sleight of Hand 2, Spot Hidden 3, Tend Wounds 4 Spells: Call Mists, Create Love Philtre, Curse, Divination by Tarot, Evil Eye, Pentagram Story: Born a serf on the Stolberg estates on the Rhine, her mother placed Helga in the service of the Stolberg family. Since female servants are rare, Helga became the lady’s maid to Reichsgraf Stolberg’s only daughter, Brunhilde. Influenced by her grandmother, the village wise-woman, who taught her a thing or two about the powers a strong-willed and determined woman could wield in a man’s world, Helga has always been happy with her role as a woman. But tomboy Brunhilde eschewed feminine pursuits in preference for those of a knight, like her brothers. When the Old Count died, Brunhilde's brother became the Young Count and he told Brunhilde she was to be married. Brunhilde confided to Helga that she would run away disguised as a man with clothes stolen from her youngest brother. As well as marrying-off his sister, the Young Count also decided he would no longer tolerate the 'Old Ways' and sent his confessor to ruthlessly hunt out practitioners of 'evil, unclean practices' in the village. Helga's grandmother became a victim, hung from her own doorpost. Seeing this and knowing that all that lay in store for her was the brutal life of a serf, Helga gladly agreed to go with Brunhilde to see the World. In Germany, serfdom is pretty strict; a serf is regarded as livestock, worth about 1½ guilders (2 guilders if she's pregnant) and it's not a crime if Brunhilde kills her. Witchcraft is also discouraged; if found guilty a witch can be summarily hanged but many people won't wait for a trial. Brunhilde knows of Helga’s practices as a ‘wise woman’ but Helga is confident her mistress is to be trusted with such knowledge. She’s unsure about Sir Peter von Thorn and Rodrigo, though. Helga has a knack for disguising Brunhilde as ‘Bruno’.

Ludwig von Schlacht: arquebusier Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 12 15 12 12 14 8 16 +1 Virtues: +6 skills points (2), knack with fire (3) Flaws: coward (2), gambling addiction (3) Chattels: landsknecht clothing, sturdy shoes, sleeved buffcoat, padded morion, gauntlets, sword, dagger, arquebus, powder, ammunition, slow match, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll 2 guilders, 50 kreuzers in cash Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Climb 1, Dodge 2, Fast Talk 2, Gambling 3, Gossip 1, Hide 2, Jump 3, Language: Italian 2, Leatherworking 1, Listen 3, Matchlock Arquebus 4, Melee 3, Navigate 3, Physical Development 1, Ride 2, Sneak 2, Spot Hidden 4, Strategy & Tactics 2, Track 3 Story: Ludwig became a soldier out of a sense of adventure. He became a landsknecht but his first battle in 1510 (more of a skirmish actually) convinced Ludwig he disliked the intensity of the pike block. Scavenging a gun on the battlefield, Ludwig has since served as an arquebusier. As a skirmisher capable of riding a horse he is often asked to scout ahead of the army and frequently manages to avoid the actual battles altogether, returning just in time for the looting. With fellow landsknecht, Adolf (a brave man but a little dim and utterly besotted with his ludicrously dangerous grenadoes), Ludwig made his way over the Alps to find adventure and pay before the next round of wars breaks out. For the moment both are working as bodyguards for Jacob Fugger 'the Rich'. Ludwig has some savings but would have more if he were better able to avoid the gaming table. His most useful asset is a knack for lighting fires and keeping them lit and under control – an invaluable ability when juggling arquebus, powder and a lit match.

Sir Peter von Thorn: Prussian knight Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 17 18 15 10 10 10 21 +d6 Virtues: very brave, +4 Psy for combat tests (2), heirloom sword (2) knightly background (1) Flaws: follows chivalric code (2), can’t resist a pretty face (2), old equipment (1) Chattels: good quality clothes, full plate harness, visored bascinet, arming doublet & hose, superb longsword ‘Joyeuse’, dagger, lance, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, fine warhorse (destrier), riding tackle, a rather leaky and mildewed pavilion on a rather ancient mule; 8 guilders, 56 kreuzers in cash 11 Skills: Animal Care 3, Brawl 3, Carouse 1, Etiquette 3, Heraldry 2, History 1, Jump 4, Language: Italian 2, Language: Prussian 3, Melee 6, Physical Development 4, Read/Write 2, Ride 6, Strategy & Tactics 2 Story: Peter comes from old German nobility settled in Prussia for centuries under the Ordenstaat of the Teutonic Knights. Unfortunately, after the Thirteen Years War, the Peace of Thorn in 1466 cost the Ordenstaat all its lands in West Prussia, isolating it from the Holy Roman Empire. Many of the secular noble families of the Ordenstaat welcomed the new reality but a small handful remained loyal to the Order and these, including the von Thorns, were punished by King Casimir IV of Poland with the loss of their Prussian estates for their support of the Teutonic Order. This means that Peter, a second son, has been forced to make his own way in the World as a knight errant, serving as a mercenary in Maximilian's wars in Italy. During a lull in the wars Peter fell in with Bruno, a young German noble with a couple of servants. It was a shock a couple of weeks later to discover 'Bruno' was in fact Brunhilde, a young woman obsessed with duelling. Somewhat smitten, Peter has taken it on himself to be her bodyguard, though privately he admits she is well able to handle a blade herself. Nonetheless the World is a tough place for a young woman and unworldly Brunhilde needs someone to watch her back. Due to his family's impoverishment Peter's equipment is rather old and worn, not only drawing sarcastic comment but also not protecting him as well as a more modern armour (quite literally adding insult to injury). The one exception to this is Peter's sword, Joyeuse, held by family legend to have been Charlemagne's legendary longsword. Peter still dreams of riding with the Teutonic Knights against the heathen horse-archers of the east, whom rumour has it are again threatening Muscovy, Lithuania and Poland. Perhaps now these states will reconsider the position of the Ordenstaat, once Christendom's eastern bulwark against the evil gods of the Tartars? But for the moment Peter is torn between his ambition to join the Teutonic Order and to champion this daughter of the Reichsgraf von Stolberg.

Ramona Solario: Gypsy fortune teller Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Romany 10 10 14 12 14 12 10 - Virtues: +4 bonus on Grace skills (4), Magic: 1 spell (1) Flaws: Discriminated against as a Gypsy (4), fiery temper (1) Chattels: worn clothes cut to show off her figure, a deck of tarot cards, a knife, 1 lire and a few solidi in cash Skills: Acting 3, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Charm 1, Cooking 1, Cutpurse 2, Disguise 1, Drive Wagon 2, Fast Talk 4, Hide 3, Italian 2, Listen 3, Magic Sense 1, Sing 3, Sleight-of-Hand 3, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 2 Spell: Divination by Tarot Story: Ramona was born into a roaving family of Gypsies. Taught by her mother as a fortune teller, she possesses the uncanny knack of reading the future in the cards but she also understands telling the punter what he wants to hear. Unfortunately Ramona’s temper got the better of her and a flaming row with the head of the family led to her fleeing a beating. She’s now looking at joining a troop of wandering entertainers and mountebanks but her sense of adventure might lead her to anything.

Rodrigo del Puerto: Portuguese rogue Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Portuguese 13 12 13 16 12 8 14 +d2 Virtues: +3 on interactions with women (2), +15pts of skills (4) Flaws: foreigner (2), plagued by demon Azzarox (4) Chattels: normal men's clothing, good shoes, soft slippers (+1 Sneak), sleeveless buffcoat, leather cap, lute with spare strings, heraldic roll, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, pony 37 kreuzers in cash Skills: Acting 2, Brawl 4, Carouse 4, Charm 2, Climb 3, Cutpurse 3, Dodge 3, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 3, Heraldry 3, Hide 3, Language: German 2, Language: Italian 3, Language: Latin 1, Listen 3, 12 Liturgy 1, Melee 2, Play Lute 3, Read/Write 2, Ride 2, Seduction 2, Sing 3, Sleight of Hand 3, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 3, Thrown Knife 3, Tumbling 3 Story: Rodriguez entered a seminary to train for priesthood. However, one of his (many) faults is a certain inquisitiveness and he couldn't resist breaking in to the library at night to read books he was not allowed to touch by day. One tome in particular was kept chained on a lectern. Initially Rodriguez thought it a bible but on closer inspection it proved to be a very different sort of book indeed. The next thing Rodriguez recalls is waking in the infirmary where he was told that he had been found in the library, foaming at the mouth and flinging himself in a rage on the old monk come to prepare for the day's work. Rodriguez was given penances, which included flogging and overnight vigils, and at first seemed none the worse for his ordeal but as the weeks passed it became clear that all was not well. While before he had been as cheeky and naughty as any boy his age, now the least provocation could make him fly in to a violent rage. Eventually the abbot called in another priest who examined the chained book and observed that Rodriguez had inadvertently summoned a demon from Hell, Azzarox, which now sat at his back. Azzarox is a demon of wrath. Any demon seeks to ensnare a Christian soul through temptation by a deadly sin, in this case ‘wrath’. An exorcism was arranged but, under the influence of the demon, Rodriguez fled the monastery. He joined Lisbon's underground, earning a living by lute and song as a street entertainer or by stealth and theft when coins would not come more happily. But ever Azzarox forced his rage to come upon him and eventually he had to flee both Lisbon and Portugal, finding refuge in the turmoil of Italy's wars where wrath is something all too common. Ever a quick learner, Rodriguez quickly picked up the language of both Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. He also learned heraldry, serving as an interpreter and herald to all sides, as well as an entertainer and occasional thief. Rodriguez eventually fell in with a young German nobleman and his small entourage. It took him a week to learn that 'Bruno' was in fact Brunhilde, by which time she had saved Rodriguez' life and he had saved hers. Ever a lady's man, Rodriguez has frequently taken advantage of his looks and charm to get his way with the fairer sex, both for love and more mundane objectives. But the few times he's thought about settling down, always the demon comes between and he finds the object of his love has suffered at his hands, driven by the demon. The demon Azzarox even taunts him in his dreams. Now away from Italy, Rodriguez has also found strong prejudice against anyone speaking with a Mediterranean accent.

Shehzade Al-Hassani: Assassin Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Turkish 10 12 14 16 14 14 12 - Virtues: +21 skills points (5), +8 attributes (2) Flaws: Dark Secret – Ottoman spy and Assassin (5), devout Muslim – she prays 5 times a day (2) Chattels: an extensive wardrobe of fashionable dresses, also a collection of more dowdy clothes, including male, a small wooden box with half-a-dozens vials of poison, concealed knives and even a rapier, several hundred ducats in cash Skills: Acting 2, Assassination 4, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Disguise 4, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 3, Gossip 2, Hide 2, Italian 6, Latin 2, Listen 2, Liturgy (Muslim) 2, Melee 4, Poison Lore 4, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Seduction 3, Sneak 2, Spot Hidden 2 Story: Shehzade has been trained from birth as an elite spy and assassin for the Ottoman Empire. Her working cover is a courtesan in Rome under the sudonym of Laura Marchese – she has several cardinals at her beck and call. As well as her earnings as a courtesan she is supported by moneys sent from Venice by Janus Bey. She speaks accentless Italian and is adept at disguise and cross- dressing. Her mission is two-fold, to return intelligence regarding the Papal Curia and, on the death of the Pope, to influence the forthcoming election, if necessary by killing cardinals. As an assassin, Shehzade has been trained in the arts of close combat but she feels she has failed if things come to crossing steel with an opponent. Her preferred weapons are, in order: a well-placed whisper in the right ear; a discrete drop of poison or an artfully placed knife. 13 Non-Player Characters (all of which can be converted to player characters by adding 9 pts in Attributes, 20 pts in skills and extra virtues and flaws)

Antonio di : barber surgeon Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 10 12 12 11 8 10 +1 Virtues: none Flaws: none Skills: Bargain 1, Barbering 3, Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Disguise 1, Fast Talk 1, Herb Lore 1, Listen 2, Read/Write 1, Ride 1, Seduction 1, Sing 1, Surgery 4, Tend Wound 2; Chattels: fashionable clothes, knives, scissors, combs and brushes, potions of his own devising: to make hair shine, to prevent it blowing in the wind, to kill lice, a little something for the weekend; dagger, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll Story: Antonio was a good barber surgeon and a journeyman with the local guilds when he was pressed in to service in the wars. Since then he has gained marvellous experience of how to tend wounds but now he’s more than a little sick of war and wants to go home to Cremona.

Bartolomeo Gonzaga: Italian merchant Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 10 7 12 13 10 10 - Virtues: Wealth (3) Flaws: Dependants: wife and children (3) Skills: Accounting 1, Appraise 4, Bargain 4, Brawl 1, Carouse 3, Charm 2, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Persuade 2, Read/Write 2, Ride 1 Chattels: doublet, shirt, hose, woollen cloak, dagger, Rounsey, town house including shop Story: Bartolomeo is a very successful merchant in a local city, dealing in a variety of goods. But the French invasion worries him as he fears what war will do to business. He thinks selling victuals to the armies of either side might be a shrewd move but he’ll need to keep his wits about him as generals are happy to accept the price to get the goods but are apt to forget to pay later.

Bernardo Ui: drunken scholar Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 11 10 12 13 6 11 +1 Virtues: University Education (3) Flaws: weakness for alcohol (3) Skills: Brawl 2, Carouse 3, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Language: Greek 2, Language: Latin 5, Listen 2, Persuade 1, Philosophy 1, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 5, Trivium 3 Chattels: clerical robes, books, parchment and writing materials, including a knife Story: Bernardo has gained his Master of Arts and is working toward his doctorate, though his drinking is getting in the way of his studies. However his professors are astonished at how quickly he’s taken to Greek and he’s enthusiastic about discovering the learning of the ancients. If he’s not knifed in a drunken brawl he may one day make his name as a humanist scholar.

Emilio Andretti: Italian bravo Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 10 13 13 6 9 11 +1 Virtues: noble born (2) Flaws: fashion victim (2) Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 3, Carouse 3, Charm 2, Dance 2, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Gambling 1, Gossip 1, Melee 3, Read/Write 1, Ride 2, Seduction 1 Chattels: doublet, shirt, hose, short cloak, rapier, dagger, palfrey and riding tackle - all very good quality. Story: Emilio is a junior member of the Andretti family, supporters of a local political faction. With no need to earn a living Emilio spends a lot of his time hanging out on the streets with his friends. They have an ongoing low-level feud with youths from the opposite faction. He and his friends like to dress well and impress the girls. Emilio is secretly a dreamer and would dearly love to make a name for himself as a duellist. He’s already fought a couple of duels of honour but his family think he’s too immature and volatile for serious responsibility.

14 Gianni Pastoro: rural militiaman Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 14 14 10 7 8 10 16 d3 Virtues: Cronies (1) 1-3 fellow militiamen Flaws: Duty (1) service to the Aridosso commune Skills: Animal Care (sheep) 3, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Crossbow 2, Fishing (rod and line) 2, Gossip (camp rumour) 1, Hide 1, Herb Lore (edible plants) 1, Melee 2, Sneak 1, Spot Hidden 1 Chattels: rough clothes, jack, cervelier, latch crossbow, shortsword, eating knife, purse with 5 lire Story: Aged 22, Gianni Pastoro grew up in the small commune of Arcidosso on the chestnut- shaded western slopes of Monte Amiata in the Maremma, the son of a shepherd and a seamstress. From a young age he accompanied his father into the woodland that surrounds the town, tending to the family’s small flock of 30 sheep as they wandered in the shadow of the great castle that dominates the commune. As a result, Pastoro is intimately familiar with the wooded hills and valleys, the glades and paths, streams and pools of the parish; there is not a fishing hole, patch of wild garlic or game track within half a day’s march in any direction that he is unaware of. Arcidosso has, for decades, been under the control of Siena and, like all such communes, it is obliged to furnish men to serve in the city’s in times of war. Aged 14, Pastoro was selected by the Consuls of Arcidosso to serve in one of Siena’s interminable disputes with Florence. Packed off with a dozen other boys and young men from the commune to a camp outside Siena, the shepherd was given some rudimentary training in the use of the crossbow and the short sword, before being thrown into a series of bloody and inconclusive skirmishes in the contest for control of the -bearing hills of the Colline Metallifere. For each of the last three years, between April and September, Pastoro has been conscripted into Siena’s army, and each year his return to the woods around Arcidosso and to his father’s flocks brings less of a sense of homecoming. The young man has seen death and disease, to be sure, but he has also experienced comradeship, the brutish thrills of camp life and the exhilaration of fire and sword. Where once the ringing of the church bells on the first Monday in April, signalling the annual muster of the commune’s levies, was dreaded by Pastoro, now he finds himself fondly day- dreaming of the soldier’s life as, with growing impatience and boredom, he watches the sheep meander through the clearings.

Giulio Scarlatti: Ottoman agent Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 9 15 8 10 10 9 - Virtues: +6 skill pts (2) Flaws: poor – no money and few possessions (2) Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 4, Carouse 3, Cutpurse 2, Dodge 3, Fast Talk 2, Hide 3, Listen 1, Ride 1, Sleight of Hand 2, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 3 Chattels: rough clothes, eating knife Story: Janus Bey (qv) sometimes needs someone with a grasp of local affairs and Giulio is one of those people whose only loyalty is to money. Of course, someone so mercenary is unlikely to stay bought but Janus knows this and ensures Giulio knows only enough to do the job set for him.

Isabella Spadaio: merchant widow Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 9 9 12 12 12 8 -1 Virtues: +10 skill points (3) Flaws: Dependants: three children (3) Skills: Accounting 3, Appraise 4, Bargain 4, Brewing 1, Carouse 1, Charm 2, Cooking 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Listen 2, Persuade 3, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 2 Chattels: fair quality clothes, town house over the shop, fifty ducats in cash, ten times that in goods Story: Isabella is a merchant’s daughter and her marriage to Milo, though arranged by their families, was a meeting of minds and the two were a formidable business team. Alas Milo was killed by a footpad whilst returning from meeting a client and ever since Isabella has had to manage the business, a shop selling cloth, by herself. Fortunately, thanks to her family connections on both sides, she had no trouble gaining recognition with the local guild and her reputation as a businesswoman is steadily building. 15 Kostandin Kreshnik: stradiot Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Albanian 10 12 12 12 7 10 12 - Virtues: +15 skill points (4) Flaws: insane hatred of Turks and their collaborators (4) Skills: Animal Care (horse) 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Crossbow 3, Fast Talk 1, Hide 4, Jump 2, Language: Italian 2, Listen 2, Melee 2, Ride 4, Sneak 4, Spot Hidden 3, Strategy & Tactics 2, Tend Wounds 1, Throw 2 Chattels: hardwearing clothes with a splash of gold, barbute helm, cuirass and placart, mail shirt, sabre, short spear, javelin, shield, dagger, latch crossbow, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, a good quality warhorse suited to mountainous terrain Story: Kostandin (‘Kosta’ to his friends) entered Venetian service with Georg Castriot’s stradiots, the finest light cavalry in Christendom. Like most of his compatriots Kosta dreams of a homeland free from the Turks. Having witnessed the destruction of his village and the deaths of his family at the hands of the Ottomans, Kosta cannot abide Turks nor anyone who holds commerce with them. The only good Turk is a dead one and the only good death for a Turk is slow and painful…

Lucia Falconi: courtesan Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 8 11 12 16 12 12 9 -d2 Virtues: +8 attributes (2) Flaws: dependant: elderly mother (2) Chattels: good quality clothes, 15 ducats in cash Skills: Bargain 1, Carouse 3, Charm 2, Cooking 2, Disguise 2, Gossip 3, Listen 2, Play Lute 1, Politics 3, Seduction 3, Sing 3 Story: Lucia is the daughter of a cardinal. He ensured she was raised in the best society but when he died she was left with no income and had to follow her mother into the oldest profession of all to keep body and soul together. Ultimately she hopes her looks and her abilities can turn the heart of a wealthy husband but these are in short supply in Rome.

Contessa Maria Vitelli: Italian noble Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 6 10 10 13 12 12 6 -d4 Virtues: noble (4) Flaws: Dependant: heiress daughter (4) Skills: Appraise 1, Charm 2, Dance 2, Disguise 2, Embroidery 2, Etiquette 3, Listen 1, Persuade 3, Play Lute 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 2, Seduction 1, Sing 1 Chattels: palazzo with clothes, jewellery, guards, horses and servants – all of the best quality that money and taste can buy Story: Maria is a wealthy widow, still relatively young. While her husband was alive Maria was content to play the part of the noble wife, working carefully behind the scenes to enhance her husband’s reputation and career as a condottiere. But then he died in a stupid battle and she was left to manage the estate for their daughter, Sanchia. But amidst the tumult of the wars she also has to deal with unscrupulous condottieri pillaging the estates, a local nobleman who wants Sanchia’s hand for his wastrel son and several young men who would happily marry a wealthy and attractive widow to advance themselves with no thought for the consequences. When Maria can find some time to herself she likes to indulge her taste for the arts.

Martin di Cagliari: condottiere Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 14 12 10 6 10 11 14 +d3 Virtues: Well-equipped (2) Flaws: Reckless (2) Skills: Animal Care 2, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Jump 3, Melee 4, Ride 4, Strategy & Tactics 2 Chattels: doublet, shirt, hose, woollen cloak, longsword, dagger, barbute helm, full plate armour over arming doublet and hose, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, good warhorse (destrier) Story: Martin is a home-grown mercenary cavalryman. Though non-noble, he has taken advantage of his profession and acquired the chattels of nobility and a taste for the high-life through looting. 16 He’s ambitious and seeks to acquire more wealth and invest in a landed estate, possibly by marrying an heiress.

Ramon Velasquez: Spanish physician Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Spanish 10 12 7 13 12 9 12 - Virtues: University Education (4), +6 Skill pts (2) Flaws: hunted by the Medici (4), friends in high places – the Spanish of Naples (2) Skills: Arabic 2, Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 2, Gossip 1, Herb Lore 4, Language: Greek 2, Language: Italian 3, Language: Latin 6, Medicine 6, Persuade 2, Poison Lore 4, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Tend Wounds 4, Trivium 4 Chattels: good quality clothes, a copy of Avicenna’s ‘The Canon of Medicine’, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, rounsey, riding tackle Story: Ramon graduated from the University of Salamanca. Thankfully Spain’s Moorish heritage means its medical students gain something approaching useful knowledge of medicine. Ferdinand and Isabella greatly value university ‘licenziados’ and Ramon was employed as a physician to the Spanish army that landed in the . Along with much of that army, Ramon stayed in Italy. The immense wealth of Italy made for rich opportunities for a physician who actually knows what he’s talking about, especially when disease broke out during the . But then came one of those setbacks that God sends to plague those lacking in humility. Ramon was hired by Caterina Sforza, ruler of Imoli and Sforza, to tend her husband, Giovanni di Medici, after he fell ill with Camp Fever during a siege. Ramon tried everything he knew but was unable to save him and Giovanni died September 14th 1498. Irrationally, Caterina Sforza blamed Ramon for his death. Ramon fled Forli and has been running ever since, helped by a few people who recall his past ministrations. He’s since learned that Caterina has put a price on his head.

Rinaldo Ribaldo: summoner Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 8 10 12 12 12 7 - Virtues: Clerk (1); Read People (Spot the Gullible) (3) Flaws: Avaricious (Lust for gold) (1); Disfigured – pox scarred (3) Skills: Animal Care 1, Appraise (coinage) 4, Brawl 3, Carouse 1, Fast Talk (browbeat) 4, Gossip 1, Law (canon) 1, Language: Latin 1, Liturgy 1, Money Lore (purity) 1, Theology 1, Melee 1, Read/Write 1, Ride 1 Chattels: clerical robes, arming doublet, silver gilt mace of office, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, rounsey, riding tackle, purse with 5 ducats Story: Aged 23, Ribaldo was born into destitution on the edge of the vast, stagnant marsh, pestiferous and plagued with the mala aria, that was once Lake Prile in the western Maremma. Amid the stinking mud and brackish pools disease was rife, and Ribaldo bears the unsightly scars of a dozen childhood illnesses that have left his body a mass of welts and cracked, weeping sores. However, Ribaldo possessed two advantages; an acute intellect and an absolute desire to escape his fate. It was these qualities that led him to realise at a young age that people do not truly question what is going on around them, and that the outward form of authority is almost indistinguishable from the authority itself. Aged seven, watching his parents meekly lining up to pay tithes to the Benedictine monastery of San Pancrazio al Fango, Ribaldo realised that a new Cellarer was overseeing the collection, but that no-one had remarked on this. It was then he perceived that the monk derived his power solely from his black robes and the resulting willingness of the local peasantry to imbue him with power. It was obvious to the boy that he could never pass himself off as a Benedictine monk. However, Ribaldo noted that numerous clerks and lay brothers passed through his village seeking alms or selling petty indulgences and, under his keen scrutiny, they seemed shabby little men whose tattered vestments were transformed into holy raiment simply through a smattering of Latin and their scraps of indecipherable writing on grubby vellum.

17 Ribaldo began to pay close attention in church; he could soon parrot the Latin of the Mass and had committed to memory the major elements of the parochial liturgy. His quick wit led the parish priest to take him into service, where Ribaldo picked up the rudiments of literacy and Canon Law, particularly the disciplining of errant laymen. Aged 17 Ribaldo secured a position as a summoner for the Bishop of Grosseto, in which role he has developed a profitable modus operandi. Descending upon a village, sometimes with a genuine summons for someone to appear before the Bishop’s Court, frequently with a scrap of worthless vellum, he proceeds to extort money in return for returning to Grosseto empty handed. Anyone daring to question his methods receives a blow from Ribaldo’s silver gilt mace of office. Rinaldo is undoubtedly part of the corruption that infests the clergy but if ever he is tempted to have qualms about his behaviour, the memories of his miserable, penurious, childhood serve to force any doubts to the back of his mind.

Father Sylvio: dissolute friar Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 11 8 13 12 8 11 +1 Virtues: Friend in a high place - Cardinal (4) Flaws: inveterate lecher (4) Skills: Charm 1, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 3, Gossip 2, Language: Latin 3, Listen 1, Liturgy 3, Read/Write 4, Ride 1, Seduction 3 Chattels: clerical robes, warm woollen cloak, hat, licence to sell indulgences, 12 ducats in cash Story: Father Sylvio was an idealist when he joined the Dominican order but time, the corrupt world about him and one terrible weakness, have taken their toll. Truth is, he’s inwardly ashamed of what he’s become and were the church stricter in its supervision of its officials he would find it easier to be a good priest. But for Sylvio the spirit may (occasionally) be willing but the flesh is always very, very weak indeed. Sylvio’s big weakness is women; he just cannot keep his hands off them. He needs to make a Psy test (10) to avoid just trying to charm them. Luckily he manages his seductions in a fairly discrete manner (the confessional is a wonderful way to discover which women are approachable) and so far he’s kept his hands off women of station. And he has an uncle who’s a cardinal in the Papal curia who is willing to overlook his peccadilloes (after all, Sylvio’s depravities pale in comparison to the Pope’s own) and has also secured Sylvio a licence to sell indulgences, with which he earns money for himself and the church.

Tomaso Gigli: apothecary Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 9 12 10 13 10 8 -1 Virtues: +100 skill pts (3) Flaws: unsettling manner – Tomaso has an unclean appearance and shifty demeanour that make all his social interactions function at -6 Grc (3) Skills: Bargain 2, Brawl 1, Brewing 3, Fast Talk 4, Herb Lore 4, Language: Latin 2, Medicine 1, Poison Lore 3, Read/Write 3, Sleight of Hand 3, Spot Hidden 3, Tend Wound 2 Chattels: good clothes but outdated and stained, several vials of stuff hidden on his person, a shop smelling of strange chemicals, eating knife, purse with d12 ducats and 3d6 lira, another 50 ducats hidden in his shop along with a copy of The Book of Venoms by Magister Santes de Ardoynis. Story: Tomaso has a moderately successful business as an apothecary. Most ordinary people can’t afford the services of a physician (who in any case have a reputation for killing their patients). Tomaso is actually quite a good apothecary. He would probably be very successful indeed if it weren’t for his personal appearance and manner, which is dirty and unsettling, and this puts off many potential customers. He’s also avaricious and will always try to up the price to his customers for his concoctions.

Umberto di Camposanto: necromancer Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 6 12 6 6 15 18 12 - Virtues: Necromancer: 6 spells (4), University Education (4), +6 Skill points (2) Flaws: Dark Secret: necromancer (4), Mark of the Grave (4), Notorious as a grave-robber (2) Spells: Call Obscuring Mists, Hecate’s Binding, Hecate’s Children, Rite of Nekiya, Rite of Katabasis, Terror of the Grave 18 Skills: Arcane Lore 3, Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 1, Gossip 1, Greek 4, Hide 3, History 2, Latin 6, Listen 3, Magic Sense 4, Persuade 6, Philosophy 2, Quadrivium 4, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 3, Trivium 4. Story: born to a middle-class Florentine family, Umberto’s scholarship was noticed by Lorenzo de Medici who took him in to his household to be educated in the latest humanist fashion. There Mirandola introduced Umberto to Greek and the boy flourished in the rediscovery of ancient texts. But not all Umberto uncovered was passed on to his mentors. He found some very fragmented manuscripts dealing with the arcane arts dating possibly to Greece’s heroic period, fabulously ancient. These texts outlined how to communicate with the spirits of those who have passed from this mortal coil. The spells were incomplete but Umberto managed to piece together enough of one to make it work – to his terror and delight he found himself on a spiritual pilgrimage in to the Underworld where learned the complete versions of his fragementary texts from Hecate herself. Umberto has since become obsessed with learning more of the ancients’ lore by the simple expedient of raising the spirits of the dead and conversing with them. However, his novel form of scholarship has come at a price. He has acquired the Mark of the Grave: his complexion has developed a deathly pallor and his skin is dry and dessicated, like parchment. Furthermore his entire frame has withered to the point of seeming skeletal. His visage seems almost skull-like and most people shrink from his presence. He has also developed a reputation as a disturber of graves and his appearance counts against him whenever the accusations fly so he has to keep moving. Sooner or later the Inquisition will be seeking him out and Umberto fears he will have to flee abroad to avoid a hanging.

Vanessa Lazari: artist Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 12 12 16 14 13 11 -1 Virtues: +13 attributes (3) Flaws: discriminated against as a woman (3) Skills: Appraise 4, Art 4, Bargain 3, Carouse 2, Disguise 2, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, Read/Write 3, Spot Hidden 2 Chattels: fair quality clothing, including work clothes; a rented studio with painting gear, a few spare ducats in cash Story: Vanessa’s father, Girolamo, was a professional artist. An indulgent father, when Vanessa showed an interest in his work he instructed her in the techniques and she proved as good as any of his apprentices. But then Girolamo was struck down by illness and Vanessa inherited the business. She had to let go the three apprentices but she completed all the commissions left unfinished and went on to continue as a professional artist herself. She had to fight to force the guild to recognise her but a couple of her father’s friends supported her endeavour. She still has to fight prejudice against her sex and she keeps the business afloat by charging less than any man might for work half as good. She has had offers of marriage from several men impressed with her work who know her father’s name would enhance their own chances. Marriage would make a lot of things easier for her but Vanessa’s bitter fight for recognition has made her determined to succeed on her own terms.

Willekin Tunstall: English mercenary Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: English 13 11 10 12 7 10 12 +d2 Virtues: Keen eyes: +2 with visual skills, including shooting (2) Flaws: Notorious: English mercenaries are infamous in Italy for their rapacious behaviour (2) Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Language: Italian 2, Leatherworking 1, Longbow 4, Melee 2, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 3, Strategy & Tactics 2 Chattels: doublet, shirt, hose, woollen cloak, falchion, buckler, dagger, brigandine, kettle hat, longbow, quiver+24 arrows, eating knife, tinderbox, blanket roll, pony Story: Willekin was one of a company of English archers recruited to fight in the Italian wars. He’s become separated from the rest of his company and is frankly rather homesick but can’t afford a berth on a ship home. He wears a looted brigandine and kettle hat. He must nurse his arrows as it’s difficult to replace them in Italy. 19 Personalities (NPCs with the attributes and skills of player-characters) Aurelianus: ancient sorcerer Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: probably Welsh 10 14 12 15 18 21 14 - Virtues: Demonist: many spells (X), Demonic Psyche (X) Flaws: Dark Secret: demonist (X), Plagued by Demons (X) Skills: Arcane Lore 7, Astrology 6, Demon Lore 6, Drive Cart 2, Fast Talk 4, Glassblowing 4, Herb Lore 6, Languages: Arabic 2; English 8; French 8; German 8; Italian 5; Greek 4; Latin 8; Norse 5, Listen 5, Magic Sense 6, Persuade 5, Read/Write 8, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 7. Story: Aurelianus is an ancient mage, known in legend as Merlin. For more than a thousand years he has championed the mystic defence of the West. His magical powers, awesome Psyche and near immortal lifespan all come from his tainted blood. Over the centuries Aurelianus has travelled all over Europe and speaks most European languages to at least basic fluency. Essentially Aurelianus is a demonist. Aurelianus knows all demonist spells and the names of many demons. Obviously his magical arts are a dark secret and he is also demon plagued. When he needs to travel he gets a demon to transport him and his chattels practically instantaneously. He has prepared rooms in many Mediterranean cities and also in Vienna, London and Paris. He may very well have others. He has recently become the owner of the ancient Herzwesten brewery in Vienna. (Aurelianus should only be used as an NPC and no PC should come close to matching his powers.)

Janus Bey: Ottoman Ambassador Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Turkish 13 14 12 16 18 12 15 +d2 Virtues: noble (2); +13 attributes (3); +15 skill pts (4) Flaws: Bad Luck (1 success/day becomes a failure) (2); compulsion to micro-manage – Janus has trouble delegating some things best left to underlings, which is why he so often dresses in Italian fashion to enter the streets in disguise (3); prejudice – as a Turk Janus can expect the worst if caught on the street (4) Skills: Bargain 3, Charm 4, Disguise 4, Etiquette 4, Fast Talk 2, Hide 1, History 2, Language: Italian 6, Language: Latin 2, Listen 3, Liturgy (Muslim) 1, Melee 4, Oratory 2, Persuade 3, Politics (1), Read/Write 4, Ride 3, Sneak 3, Spot Hidden 3, Strategy & Tactics 2. Chattels: clothes, , guards and servants – all of the best quality money and taste can buy; while in Venice the Doge lends a palazzo suitable to his station. As the personal emissary of the Sultan, of course, Janus has a practically bottomless purse. Story: The Ottoman Sultan does not keep a permanent ambassador in any foreign court. Ergo Janus Bey has come to Venice (or perhaps another Italian city?) for a reason. Perhaps he’s here to negotiate a trade agreement (dear to the Doge’s heart) or maybe the Sultan wants another of Venice’s islands? Whatever the professed reason he almost certainly has a hidden agenda as well. But he comes bearing gifts and will doubtless be feted by the Venetians. Janus always greets official visitors in full Turkish garb but he’s equally capable of dressing in Italian fashion, speaks almost accentless Italian and you might not give him a second glance if you passed him in the street. (Janus should only be used as an NPC.)

More templates: cardinal or bishop, pardoner, abbess, civil lawyer, bureaucrat, estate administrator, Alchemist, gypsy fortune teller, gypsy rogue/horse thief – more women

Typical Man: Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Local 12 11 11 9 10 10 12 +1 Virtues: none Flaws: none Skills: as appropriate, typically 22pts and usually nothing interesting above 3-4

Typical Woman: Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Local 9 11 10 12 11 10 10 -1 Virtues: none Flaws: none Skills: as appropriate, typically 22pts and usually nothing interesting above 3-4 20 Designing Characters and Campaigns When planning a campaign it is useful to have a reason for the characters to come and remain together. The GM should ask for brief 'character outlines' before anyone starts thinking of attributes and skills. An outline might be ‘a knight who is a superb horseman’ or ‘a Lucrezia Borgia clone’.

The GM should ask for the outlines to fit his campaign, possibly following a theme. One possibility is a bunch of unemployed soldiers, ensuring most PCs have competent combat skills while allowing room for a merchant victualler, camp follower or other non-combatant hangers-on (many soldiers take their wives with them who cook for the men, sew damaged clothing, etc). Armies have a huge number of non-combatants any of whom might make interesting PCs in their own right.

Another possibility is a noble's entourage (in The Book of Fugger, 3 PCs serve a fourth), or an NPC master could recruit a variety of oddball PCs who wouldn't usually knock around together to serve him as a 'special operations' unit. This sort of thing was actually done at the time and Jacob Fugger or Agrippa could easily be used as patrons for a campaign starting with The Book of Fugger scenario. The possibilities are boundless: the PCs could be refugees from a local disaster: a lost battle, invading Turks, even plague? Or they could be on a pilgrimage to Rome?

Once the outlines are in the GM negotiates with the players to tweak their characters, ensuring they fit together as coherent group and are suitable for the campaign (and he may tweak the campaign to fit his players). Once these finer points are clear then everyone can move on to crunching numbers.

But there is an implied contract between the GM and each player: the player should ensure his or her character fits in with both the campaign and the other PCs – for example, it is not acceptable to demand to run a Turk when the focus of the game is about fighting the Turks. The GM, on the other hand, is honour bound to ensure that each character fits with his game and vice-versa.

Women as Player Characters in the Renaissance Regretfully, sexism is rife in the Italian Renaissance. Some, though not all, humanist authors pen mysogenist tracts urging women not be educated in case they seek to rise above their God-given lot. Nonetheless, many women are educated with several achieving wide intellectual renown at the time – Isabella d’Este even establishes a school for girls in Mantua to teach the new learning.

Player characters are, by definition, exceptions to the norm. Female PCs have to live in this sexist society but they should be allowed access to learning. Bologna, alone among universities, allows women to enrol as students and women of wealth or nobility may have private tutors. For the less privileged, a young woman might be lucky enough to find a mentor – Isabella d’Este, for example?

Then there’s the issue of thud and blunder. Women tend to be smaller and weaker than men and in reality few are inclined to indulge in violence. Rapiers of the Renaissance seeks realism but it is nonetheless a game of fantasy. Ergo, if a player wants her character to wield a blade she should be allowed to do so. The rules allow creation of a perfectly competent swordswoman without denying femininity. In the templates, Brunhilde von Stolberg offers one example for how this can be achieved and Catherine Sforza is a real-life example. I am sure GMs and players can come up with others. The military order of the Blessed Virgin Mary actually allows women to join as knights!

Finally there’s the issue of careers: those open to women are limited but choices are wider than you might think. A widow may choose to maintain her husband’s business, for example, and widows are generally more independent financially. Alternatively, two PCs could be husband and wife, or brother and sister. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that noblewomen have more independence than commoners – in many ways nobles of both sexes are severely constrained – but noble blood does lend authority and I recommend that at least one PC in any game is gentle-born. 21 Skills

Skill Tests: the GM decides the difficulty of the task and whether it needs an actual roll to test the skill. As a rule of thumb, the GM should only ask for a roll when a) there is a realistic chance of failure and b) when failure may add to the drama of a scene. Most simple tasks need no roll for skill ratings of 2+, riding at an unchallenging pace on a placid horse on a paved road, for example.

Skills can be tested in two ways, as standard tests attempting to demonstrate a certain level of competence, or in opposed tests where two or more characters attempt to outscore each other. Roll 2d6 for both types. If the roll is a natural double 6, roll one additional die and add it to the total. A natural double 1 is always a failure and may be a fumble. Very dangerous tasks may fumble on 2-3. Certain skills (especially shooting firearms or setting explosives) have automatic failures on 2-5, regardless of the shooter’s skill. Add the appropriate skill and bonus for the relevant attribute.

Standard Tests: the GM decides the number needed for success depending on how hard the task is. Remember that any result of a natural 2 on the dice is an automatic failure. As a guideline… Difficulty Easy Routine Difficult Hard Phenomenal Outrageous Unbelievable Target # 7 10 13 16 19 22 25

Note: the GM can choose a difficulty intermediate between two categories. Standard tests are usually written in the form Sneak (8) with the number indicating the required difficulty. If the rolled number plus bonuses reaches the difficulty level the test is a success, otherwise it fails. For a task where time is not an issue then unless the failure is catastrophic the character may try again – picking a lock, for example, or climbing a wall. Alternatively the GM may use the quality of the roll to determine the time taken to achieve success.

Use of Attributes: whether opposed or not, the character can usually add a bonus for a particular attribute. If the GM believes two attributes are involved equally he may base the bonus on the average of those attributes. For combat the attribute is usually Phs though it can be the average of Qck and Grc if the protagonist is using a light fencing weapon emphasising agility over strength. Note: the attribute involved may depend on the circumstances. For example, most social interactions involve Grc but if trying to Fast Talk in an instant high-pressure situation the GM may rule that Grc and Qck are equally important. Alternatively, the character may try to overawe someone physically in which case it might be Fast Talk with a combination of Grc and Phs. If attempting to browbeat him mentally, it would be Grc and Psy. If the character was merely observing another’s behaviour and making no attempt to interact himself, the attribute would be Int rather than Grc. Generally speaking the six attributes affect the following situations: Phs - any physical task involving strength, size, weight or reach; Con – anything involving endurance or resistance to physical hurt: pain resistance, wound recovery, poison resistance, disease resistance, long-distance marching or riding, etc; Qck - any task testing reflexes, speed of response and manual dexterity – any situation where a character is trying to beat another to the punch, pick a lock, etc; Grc - anything involving balance, hand-eye co-ordination or social interactions; Int - anything involving perception, observation or guesswork; Psy - anything involving willpower or mental resilience.

Attribute Modifiers: the GM states which attributes affect a skill in a particular situation, typically the greater the attribute the greater the bonus as per this table… Stat Each pt less 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Skill -1 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 The GM may adjust these bonuses upward where innate ability is more important than practised skill or downward if vice-versa. There may also be situational modifiers.

22 Opposed Skills: Where two characters oppose skills directly, each rolls 2d6 and adds his skill and attribute modifier; the higher score is the winner after adjusting for special circumstances. Any natural roll of double 1 is a fail and may be a fumble. For example, two contestants are racing their horses, each adds their Ride skill and Phs attribute bonus. If they are on horses of differing ability, the faster horse adds the difference in their horses’ gallop speeds. Any double 1 indicates a fall. In some cases two different skills may be opposed; Listen vs Sneak, for example.

Superior Results: if a character beats the difficulty by 5 or more (eg by rolling 12+ where the difficulty is 7), he achieves a superior success; if by 10+ he achieves an outstanding success; in these cases the GM may award a bonus to the result or allow him to complete the task in less time.

Fumbles: if a character rolls a straight double one (or 2-3 for very difficult tests) then the test has automatically failed and may be a fumble. Roll 2d6 and add the character’s skill with the same attribute modifiers. If the result is 10+ then the result is a simple fail. If this second test scores 9 or less then the failure is catastrophic. The result depends on the skill and the circumstances: a horse may go lame or throw the rider; a particular tool may break, etc. For combat there is a specific fumble table which can also be used for similar tests of agility or athletics.

Stealth: tests on stealth skills, especially Hide and Sneak, are special cases with a Grc bonus and a negative for Phs. For example, Rodrigo has Sneak 4, his Grc of 16 gives him +3 but his Phs 13 pulls him back by 1, luckily his soft slippers give him another +1 for a total of +7; meanwhile, Kosta has Sneak 5, his Grc of 13 gives him a +1 bonus and with Phs 10 his lithe build gives a total of +6.

Read/Write: reading usually uses Int as the appropriate attribute; writing is typically governed by Grc. Reading a good quality printed work in your native language is difficulty 7; good-quality manuscript is 9. With a language other than your native, the difficulty is increased by 6 minus your skill in the language. If your skill in the language is 6+ then the language is treated as if it were native. There may be further penalties if the quality of the written material is poor. If you have no skill in the language concerned then you cannot read it at all.

A straight success allows reading one page in about a minute. A page can be written in 30 minutes. Exceeding the difficulty level reduces the time spent by 10% per 2 points, to a maximum of 50%.

Failure to achieve the success does not mean it cannot be read, only that it takes longer and may be misunderstood. Each point of failure doubles the time required to read the work and at the same time it impairs the comprehension. The reader must make a comprension test of Read using Int with a difficulty of 10 plus the degree of failure of the initial read test. Failure means the reader has failed to comprehend something important and, depending on the degree of failure, may not comprehend it at all. A success in comprehension just means the process takes longer. Please note: comprehension tests are only needed when the initial read test is failed. If a read or comprehension test is failed then the reader can make another attempt to read the particular material after an interval equal to the time he spent trying to read it first time round.

Attribute Tests: sometimes a test is required that tests an attribute instead of a skill, this is usually written as Psy test (10), where the number given is the required difficulty. Roll 2d6 and add the appropriate modifier for the indicated attribute. Sometimes Qck/Grc test (7) indicates that the modifier is for the average of the two given attributes.

Opposed Attributes: where two characters oppose attributes (eg arm wrestling would be Phs vs Phs, casting a spell on someone is Psy vs Psy) the contestants roll 2d6 and add their attributes directly. For example, Helga casts Curse on Emilio. Helga has Psy 16 and Emilio is Psy 12 so Helga gets a +4 bonus on 2d6 to cast her spell. If she outscores Emilio, he’s cursed. 23 Skills List In the following list of skills, ‘0-pen’ is the penalty for trying to use a skill which you do not have. An X means that it simply isn’t possible to use the skill without a ranking.

Skill 0-pen Notes Accounting -4 The ability to make and understand money accounts; Italy is the World leader in this, double entry book-keeping having been invented there at the start of the 14th Century; it is impossible to have more than 2 in this skill outside Italy before 1500 and only 4 after. To have 5+ requires having served as a clerk in one of the major Italian banking houses. Acting -2 The ability to assume a false emotion or persona; if used in a pressure situation it must be combined with a Psy test (7) roll for the character to keep his cool. Alchemy X Knowledge of alchemical operations, must be tested with every alchemical process. Anatomy -2 How the parts of the body go together – knowledge more commonly found in artists than doctors, unfortunately Animal Care 0 How to care for animals; a very common skill indeed Appraise -1 The ability to judge the going market value of an item, commodity or purse of coins Arcane Lore X Knowledge of high level supernatural matters and events from the past Architecture -4 The ability to design buildings to a set purpose Armourer -6 The ability to fashion metal armour from raw iron using a smithy – never less than Blacksmith/2 Art -1 The ability to create works of art by painting, drawing and sculpture (cf artistic genius virtue) Assassination -4 The ability to wield a dagger, garrotte or similar weapon with terminal lethality against an unsuspecting opponent – if successful allows a normal wound to a location of choice, ignoring armour – the target number depends on the vulnerability of the victim, typically 7 for totally unsuspecting and unable to defend but more usually it is 10 and may be higher if circumstances favour the victim – normal damage rules apply Barbering -2 How to cut hair and shave beards to improve appearance without hurting the customer Bargain -1 The knack of haggling a price up or down in the character’s favour – note that merchants know the value of their goods and there will be an absolute minimum below which they won’t sell Blacksmith -4 The fashioning of metal implements using a smithy; a blacksmith can make tools, including knives, crude swords, mail and brigandines but plate armour and quality swords need armourer or swordsmith skills – all blacksmiths can shoe horses Bombes & Petards -4 The ability to use gunpowder explosives with fuse and match Brewing -2 The brewing of beer and wine; really good wine requires a high skill Carouse -1 The ability to get on with people, typically in taverns, etc Carpentry -1 Knowledge of types of wood and how to make furniture, wagons, etc using carpentry tools Charm -1 The ability to make people like you Climb -1 An ability to scale more or less vertical surfaces, trees, walls, etc – subject to modifiers due to circumstances 24 Conceal -2 The ability to hide people or objects from casual scrutiny Cooking 0 The ability to prepare food from basic ingredients using fire, etc Crop Lore -1 Knowledge of all aspects of growing crops Cryptography X The art of devising, using and breaking codes Cutpurse -3 The ability to relieve someone of their purse by discretely cutting the purse strings with a small sharp knife; can also be used to covertly rifle someone without their noticing; a bonus of up to +4 can be gained if the victim is distracted; a failure by 1-3 means the attempt has gone unnoticed, a failure by 4+ causes the victim to realise the attempt; a straight roll of double 1 is a fumble involving the tearing of the victim’s clothes (anyone looking for a Pickpocket skill must first find someone to invent pockets) Dance -3 Knowledge of courtly dances and how to perform them; these range from slow, stately dances (bassadance, pavane, almain) to fast, lively dances (galliard, coranto, canario); the ‘volta’ is the latest scandal, requiring the man to lift the woman by the waist and swing her through a circle, très racy Delving -2 Anyone can dig a hole but this is the ability to dig deep holes, mines, etc, including the use of props to prevent collapse, and recognition of where to dig (ie suitable seams of ores) Demon Lore X Knowledge of demons Disguise -2 The ability to alter someone’s appearance using cosmetics and clothes Dodge 0 The ability to hurl yourself out of harm’s away, usually to the ground but a success by 5+ enables the character to stay on his feet Drive Cart -2 The ability to drive a vehicle drawn by horse, ox or other draft animal Embroidery -2 A skill whereby well-bred women create decorative needlepoint Estate Management -2 Knowing how to manage a country estate Etiquette -3 Knowing how to behave in polite society Fast Talk -2 The ability to offer a convincing line of patter; tends not to work if the recipient has time to think Fishing -2 How to fish with a net or rod and line Gambling -3 Knowledge of various gambling games involving dice or cards and of betting on races, etc Gem Lore -6 Knowledge of the arcane properties of gems and their correspondences, also how to cut them Geography -6 Knowledge of the World, where each country and state lie in relation to each other Glassblowing X How to fashion items from glass using a glassblower’s forge, vital for apothecaries, alchemists, etc Goldsmith -4 How to fashion jewellery from gold, silver and gems Gossiping 0 The ability to chat amiably with people about local inconsequentia – good for extracting information along the line of ‘everyone knows that…’; this skill is unusual in that it works best between persons of similar status and background, inflict a penalty of -1 if person is of a different culture and greater penalties for really wide social gaps Gunnery -4 How to transport, load, aim, fire and care for cannon and handle black powder Heraldry -3 Knowledge of the rules of heraldry and the ability to recognise specific heraldic designs; functions with a significant bonus with local nobility and minuses for those from another country Herb Lore -2 The ability to find, recognise and use plants with properties suitable for cooking and medicines 25 Herding -2 The ability to make a herd of farm animals move in a desired direction Hide -2 The ability to hide from view using available cover and shadows with no previous preparation History -3 Knowledge of significant events and people in history; history of foreign parts or distant past is at a minus Hunting -2 Knowledge of how game animals behave and how to find and catch them (not noble hunting) Intimidate -1 The ability to browbeat another into doing your will – can be used with Phs, Grc or Psy modifiers, depending on method and style Jump -1 The ability to leap distances, vertically and horizontally – to do so at height needs a Psy test Language X The ability to speak a foreign language; any language related to one you already know is at base 0, otherwise they are base X; most people will pick up a base of 1 in a fortnight and achieve basic fluency 2 in three months but many people have no facility with languages and can never learn another (common flaw) Law -4 Knowledge of the law and judiciary (specialisations: Canon or Civil) Leatherworking -1 The ability to fashion, maintain and mend objects made of leather Listen 0 The ability to distinguish particular sounds from background noise Liturgy -2 Knowledge of (including how to perform) the Catholic liturgy including the sacraments: Mass, Confession, Baptism, Consecration, Ordination, Confirmation and Extreme Unction – and prayers Locksmith -6 How to fashion, repair and maintain locks using a locksmith’s tools – true locks are quite rare, however – most houses are barred from within Magic Sense X The ability to sense magical or other supernatural forces, either in an object or a spell Mason -3 The ability to work stone and fashion buildings from stone, brick and wood using mason’s tools; combine with Art to decorate stone buildings and with Military Engineering to build castles Medicine -2 Formal knowledge of the principles of medicine, usually studied at university, its main function is to allow the physician to diagnose a particular ailment, after which he can treat it Mental Development X A skill reflecting the increase in the intellect and will from frequent hard exercise, each point confers +1 in one of Grc, Int or Psy distributed as evenly as possible – this is only available to characters in very intellectual careers, such as scholars and some clergy Military Engineering -4 Knowledge of the principles of attack and defence as applied to architecture; this skill cannot rise above 4 until the mid-16th Century, when new principles are devised to counter cannon Milling -2 Knowledge of how to operate a mill to grind corn to flour Mimic -2 The ability to imitate a noise, be it a bird call, an accent or a particular person’s voice Money Lore -2 Knowledge of various currencies, rates of exchange, etc – a must for merchants trading abroad Navigate -1 The ability to find your way by referring to charts and dead reckoning Occult Lore -2 Knowledge of magic and matters relating to the casting of spells Oratory -2 The ability to address audiences and communicate using gesture to enhance voice projection, also includes rhetoric, knowing what to say Persuade -2 The ability to convince someone by reasoned argument – this is more persistent than Fast Talk 26 Philosophy X Formal knowledge of the Philisophy of the ancients: Aristotle, etc, usually studied at university Physical Development X A skill reflecting the increase in strength and vitality from frequent hard exercise, each point confers +1 in one of Phs, Con or Qck distributed as evenly as possible – this is only available to characters in very physical careers, such as labourer Pilot Boat -3 The ability to steer a boat of any kind Play Instrument -4 The ability to play a specific musical instrument Poison Lore -3 Knowledge of poisons: how to find the ingredients, prepare the poison and administer it to a victim; also gives similar knowledge of the antidotes (assuming they exist) and the ability to guess a poison from symptoms manifest in the victim Politics -2 Knowledge of politics issues, movers and shakers and current alliances, plots, etc Quadrivium X The university course of Master of Arts consisting of arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy Read/Write X The character can read and write any language he speaks; 2 is basic literacy; 4 means he can read without moving his lips (‘dumb as any stone’ – Chaucer). The vast majority of people, including a few nobles, are unable to even sign their own name. See the specific rules on Read/Write above. (A flaw of illiteracy is a common flaw for uneducated characters.) Riding -3 The ability to ride a horse or similar creature Rowing -2 The ability to row a boat Saddler -4 the ability to craft wood and leather in to saddles and other horsy stuff Sailing -3 Knowledge of how to deploy a sail to catch the wind Seamanship -4 Knowledge of the sea, sea routes, ocean weather patterns, how to work a ship at sea and in harbour Seduction -1 An ability to charm a member of the opposite sex to the horizontal – NOTE: the use of this skill may be severely limited by social circumstances, a duchess simply cannot be seduced by a peasant, and even if successful many young ladies of position would be unable to act on their desires; on the other hand Renaissance Italy is the most dissolute place on Earth Sing 0 The ability to sing in a manner an audience might appreciate Sleight of Hand -3 The ability to palm coins, cards and other small objects – allows the performance of the 3 cup trick Sneak -2 The ability to move with minimal noise – this skill is more likely than most to be modified by circumstances such as background noise, alertness of potential observers, etc Spot Hidden -1 An observation skill representing a character’s ability to note the deliberately hidden or accidentally unobvious Strategy& Tactics -3 An understanding of how troops interact on the battlefield, how an army is organised, logistics, the essentials of command, etc – all you need to know to win a skirmish, battle or war Surgery -4 The use of sharp instruments to perform basic operations on a patient, including the lancing of boils, setting of bones, stitching of wounds and amputation (it is recommended that any PC surgeons have knowledge of Muslim medical practise, including keeping instruments clean); surgery is usually unknown to university trained physicians but instead practiced by barber-surgeons, whose day job is shaving beards and the cutting of men’s hair 27 Swim -2 Pretty obvious really, but a surprisingly rare skill – most people, even sailors, can’t swim until the 20th Century Swordsmith -6 The ability to fashion swords from raw iron using a smithy – never less than Blacksmith/2 Tailor -2 The ability to cut and stitch cloth to make clothes to fit Tend Wound -1 How to treat a wound to enhance the recovery of a patient, including the staunching of bleeding (see remarks under Surgery) Theology -3 An understanding of God as revealed in the Bible and the teachings of the church – the really don’t like non-clergy reading the Bible but there’s a movement afoot all over Europe to translate it in to the vernacular, which should be hastened by the Reformation Throw 0 The ability to throw something to hit a target, including most thrown weapons, including grenadoes (but not a knife or javelin, which need special skills) Track -3 The knack of following a trail provided the substrate can take a footprint, useful when hunting Trap Set/Disarm -2 The ability to set or disarm all forms of trap, whether manufactured bear traps or simple wire snares Treat Disease -4 How to treat diseases so as to enhance the patient’s survival and recovery Trivium X The basic university Bachelor of Arts course consisting of grammar, logic and rhetoric Tumbling -3 The ability to perform jumps, leaps and cartwheels to entertain and amaze an audience (each 3pts of this skill gives a free +1 on Qck or Grc, to be distributed evenly between the two if 6+; characters cannot have stat bonuses for both Tumbling and Physical Development Weaving -4 How to operate a loom so as to produce useful cloth from wool

28 Combat 0-pen Notes Brawl 0 Unformed combat usually conducted on the floor, with or without hand-held weapons Melee -2 Formed combat usually conducted upright with weapons

Missile Weapon 0-pen Notes Assassin’s Crossbow -2 How to load, aim and shoot an assassin’s crossbow – includes basic maintenance of the weapon Bow -4 How to nock, aim and shoot an arrow from a bow – includes basic maintenance of the weapon Crossbow -2 How to load, aim and shoot a crossbow – includes basic maintenance of the weapon Javelin -1 The ability to throw a javelin so that it hits the target point first Longbow -6 How to nock, aim and shoot an arrow from an English longbow – includes basic maintenance of the weapon (this must be at least 2 for any non-noble, male, English character) Matchlock -1 How to load, aim and fire a matchlock , arquebus, blunderbuss or – includes basic maintenance of the weapon Pistol -3 How to load, aim and fire a wheellock pistol – includes basic maintenance of the weapon Stone or similar 0 see Throw skill Thrown Knife -2 The ability to throw a knife so that it hits the target point first

29 Advancement: Advancement points are gained usually on the completion of a chapter. The Narrator grants APs based on how challenging the chapter proved and how ably the heroes coped with those challenges. Very occasionally, the Narrator may award an extra point for truly breathtaking accomplishments in a particular scene.

As a working average, 3-5APs would be a good rule of thumb for a chapter; perhaps twice this if the chapter closed a Chronicle. Everyone involved should get the same number of APs.

Each character must select one Primary skill and six Secondary skills. These seven skills should be the skills most valuable and often used for his or her chosen profession. All other skills are Tertiary.

The choice of Primary and Secondary skills may not be changed unless the character involved makes a genuine change of career. It costs 10 APs to change a career. Under no circumstances should a ‘career change’ be used to simply shuffle a particular skill between Primary, Secondary and Tertiary, that would be a cynical manipulation of the rules. The GM has the right to veto any career change if he deems it inappropriate or unfeasible. It is not simply a case of spending the points and announcing that your condotta has just enrolled at University, for example.

The first skills bought in a new career must be those from the background package.

There are exceptions but APs should only be redeemed during Interludes as it reflects training, tutoring and research that takes time to accomplish. Typically, it takes a week of Interlude to redeem 1AP. The most likely exception to this is if the PCs are in a long journey within a Chapter, in which case it should take correspondingly longer to achieve the advance, 2-4 weeks/AP perhaps. Furthermore the availability of training, etc, is much more limited – a fencing master is unlikely to be found at sea.

The player should state what she wishes to spend her APs on. The GM must then decide whether it is possible and, if so, whether training is available. (However, a GM may choose to allow quicker training when it benefits the story.)

Raising Skills: the primary skill may be raised 1 level for 1 advancement point provided a suitable tutor is available who knows the skill to a higher level than the character. Without a tutor advancement costs 2 APs per level. A trainer or tutor can be a fellow player character but the tutor character cannot herself be trained while training others.

Secondary skills cost 2 APs per level with a tutor and 3APs without, save for the first point which costs but one and can be gained without a tutor.

Tertiary skills (ie all others) can only be gained with a suitable tutor (or a book of learning in the case of academic skills) and cost APs equal to the level aspired to (eg 4 APs will increase a skill from 3 to 4). In all cases, any given skill can only be raised by one point at a time.

If the PC has been involved in a Psy contest, then he or she may attempt to raise Psy. Subtract the character’s current Psy from 20 and add this value to 2d6; a result of 13+ is a success. A success gains 1 Psy, a success by 5+ gains 2 Psy and a success by 10+ gains 3 Psy. A straight roll of 12 always gains at least one point; similarly, any straight roll of 2 is a failure.

This is how powerful magicians gain such impressive Psyches but Psyche can also be used to power certain magical spells – for more information, see the chapter on Magic.

30 Combat

Timing and Movement: the combat round is 6 seconds long. There are therefore 10 rounds in one minute. In one round a character can move a distance based on his Qck in ‘normal’ movement. Normal in this instance means moving with drawn weapon and eyes open, ready for combat. Run distance is based on the average of Phs and Qck. A sprinting character can attempt no form of combat save a bodycharge and his combat score is halved for the purposes of defence. Note: the run score is the absolute fastest the character can sprint in the lightest of clothing. This will almost always be reduced for encumbrance and tactical considerations. A typical jog will be half the Run value and this can be maintained for Con minutes. Move (in yards): Attribute Each 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 pt less Move -1 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 Run -1 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Note: Any form of charge allows a bodycheck in the form of charger’s Phs vs average of Phs and Qck of the victim.

Mounted troops move faster, of course. Mount Walk Trot Canter Gallop Exceptional destrier 14 28 65 100 Exceptional courser 15 30 75 120 Ordinary destrier 12 24 60 90 Ordinary courser 13 27 65 100 Nag or mule 10 20 40 60 Any other horse 12 24 55 80 A skilled rider can get a horse from standing to full gallop in half the gallop distance, taking 1 round to do so. If in combat or a contest situation, this demands a successful riding roll.

Initiative: Each round a character may make 1 action, such as mount a horse, shoot a bow or engage in Melee. Some actions take no time (eg dropping a weapon). Where necessary, the timing of an action within a round is governed by an Initiative test, which is decided by rolling 2d6 and adding the character’s Qck modifier (adjusted for encumbrance – see armour). Subtract 3 from the roll for not having a weapon ready. Subtract 5 if completely surprised. Subtract 1 from the roll for each 2yds of movement needed to reach a target (assuming his movement will reach in 1 round). The highest initiative goes first, though he may opt to delay if that suits his purposes.

Missiles: missile weapon skills are bought separately; the base chance to hit with any missile weapon depends on the range, roll 2d6 and add the shooter’s Grc modifier and the appropriate Tactical modifiers. The difficulty level is dependent on the range Range Point-blank Short Medium Long Difficulty 9 12 15 18

Modifiers to roll: (only one from each of R, M and A)… Soft cover, smoke or other obstacle to clear view -1 per quarter of target covered Hard cover as above + parts covered cannot be hit R: Each extreme range increment beyond long, rounded up -1 M: Target static # +1 M: Target sitting duck # +2 M: for each 15 yds the Target moves this round -1 M: Target moving evasively (halves speed) -2 A: Shooter snapshooting * -2 A: Shooter taking normal aim * +0 A: Shooter taking careful aim * +1

31 Target airborn -4 Target mounted (or of similar size) +1 Target is small -1 Shooter loses cool ‡ -2 Shooting from horseback -2 (certain horse nomads ignore this) # = a static target is one that is not moving during the aiming process up to the moment of firing; a ‘sitting duck’ is one that cannot move at all and has no cover – ie a perfect target. * = Snapshooting is shooting with no more than cursory aim as soon as the weapon is loaded. Normal aim means you shoot at the end of the round. Taking careful aim requires an extra round of aiming before shooting – longbows cannot do this. ‡ = a shooter may lose cool if he’s being shot at, aimed at or threatened with imminent hand-to- hand combat or a similar threat and he fails a Psy test (9), (a soldier or other person used to being in combat gains a +2 bonus); a shooter who loses his cool cannot take careful aim.

Missiles/range point-blank short medium long extreme inc Damage* Reload 0-pen Mal Date Assassin’s Pistol 2 5 10 15 25 3 d8 1 min -3 2-4 1510 Duelling Pistol 5 10 20 30 50 4 d10 1 min -3 2-3 1500 Horse Pistol 6 12 25 30 60 4 d12 1 min -3 2-4 1540 Matchlock Musket 10 30 60 120 240 10 d30 † 1 min -1 2-3 1550 Matchlock Arquebus 8 20 40 80 160 8 d20 † 8 rnds -1 2-4 1490 Matchlock Handgun 5 15 30 60 120 6 d20 † 1 min -1 2-3 1380 Matchlock Blunderbus 5 10 15 20 30 2 d20 † 8 rnds -1 2-3 1550 Javelin - Sx1 Sx2 Sx3 Sx5 2 d8+S Q 0 - - Dart/Thrown Knife - S/2 Sx1 Sx2 Sx3 1 d6+S/2 Q 0 - - Stone - S/2 Sx1 Sx2 Sx3 1 d4+S Q 0 - - Grenado - S/3 S/2 Sx1 Sx2 1 6d6 Q 0 2-5 # 1467 Assassin’s Crossbow 2 5 10 15 25 3 d6 1 min‡ -2 2-3 1400 Latch Crossbow 8 30 60 90 200 20 d10 5 rnds -2 2-3 - Arbalest 10 40 80 120 240 20 d12 1 min -2 2-3 1400 Shortbow - 20 40 60 150 10 d6 1 rnd -4 2 - Composite Bow - 30 60 90 180 12 d8 1 rnd -4 2 - Longbow - 40 80 120 240 20 d10 1 rnd -6 2 1300 Blowpipe 2 5 10 15 20 1 d4 2 rnds -2 2 - Remember: any natural roll to hit for firearms of 2-5 is always a miss; for non-firearms this is 2-3. * = This is damage at point-blank or short range, reduced by 1 for medium, 2 for long and 3 for extreme range for all non-firearms. If the shooter beats the target number by 5+ he inflicts maximum damage or ignores armour; by 10+ he does both. † = Damage from long firearms is reduced by ⅓ at long and ½ at extreme range. ‡ = an assassin’s crossbow is carried in pieces and takes 2 minutes to assemble; it must then be wound and loaded before it can be used. # = grenadoes have a malfunction rate of 2-5 if thrown, 2-3 if placed by hand. Q = thrown weapons can be seized and thrown the same round if the thrower makes a Qck test (10) S = Phs + half the character’s normal damage bonus 0-pen = the penalty for trying to use a weapon with which you have no skill Date = the absolute earliest date the weapon can be encountered, many weapons may still be considered rare for some time after this date Mal = any (unmodified) roll to hit in this range indicates the weapon has malfunctioned. For all complex missile weapons the user must test his skill seeking 13: for all bows and crossbows success indicates a broken string, failure a breakage of the bow itself; for firearms a failure means the weapon explodes for damage to the shooter equal to the normal weapon damage; success indicates a simple misfire and the weapon must be completely reloaded – except wheellocks are prone to jamming or breaking on any malfunction, once broken, only a clockmaker or a very experienced gunsmith can repair one. For hand-thrown weapons, a failure means the weapon is dropped. All pistols are wheellocks, needing to be wound up with a special key as well as loaded to be ready for firing. There are some wheellock but they are very rare and expensive.

32 A skill with any long matchlock weapon allows use of any other matchlock at -2. Similarly any pistol skill allows use of any other pistol at -2.

Shooting at Groups: if shooting at a group‡, subtract -1 from the target number but roll randomly for the individual hit within the group. If shooting at a specific target within a group‡ or if others are in the same approximate direction as the target then obviously those other people are in danger. If the target is at medium range or less, then anyone in line* between shooter and target may be hit. At long range only people within ten yards of the target and in line* are at risk. Add +1 to the target number. If the shot misses due to this adjustment, a person in between shooter and target has been hit. If the target is missed altogether check each person beyond the target in order of distance: a 6 on a d6 indicates a hit. If anyone is hit then all those behind him (including the target) are now safe unless the missile passes right through the target (damage is more than twice the HP for the location hit), in which case anyone up to five yards behind him may also be hit, roll damage normally and then halve the result. If the target is mounted roll d6: 1-4 means the mount is hit, 5-6 hits the rider. ‡ = a group is 2+ people; military units or similarly large groups may subtract -2 rather than -1. * = ‘in line’ in this instance means on the line or within one twentieth of the range – eg 4 yards at a range of 80 yards or 12 yards at 240 yards; at less than 20 yards range the miss distance is always at least 1 yard.

Hand-to-Hand: comes down to brawling and melee. Brawl is usually unarmed or using small or improvised weapons: knife, bottle, etc. Weapons reduce skill but enhance damage. Melee is usually armed. Using weapons in melee usually enhances the skill and damage. Melee is usually limited to trained fighters and soldiers or anyone with a noble/gentry background. Anyone with at least Melee 2 can choose to have a single favoured weapon (eg a particular knife) and gain +1 when using that weapon in melee. Brawl always uses Phs modifiers, some Melee weapons allow use of Qck/Grc instead but most are also Phs based. Favoured weapon bonuses do not count in Brawl.

Brawl: is unformed and uncontrolled with a lot of rolling around on the floor. Each round both combatants roll 2d6 and add brawl skill and modifiers for Phs and Weapon. The highest roller hits his opponent. Roll damage for the weapon and add the wielder’s damage bonus for Phs. If the winner bests his opponent by 5+, he inflicts maximum damage or chooses which location to hit. If he bests him by 10+ he may do both. Continue if both still want to and are able, otherwise the higher roller has the option of breaking off the brawl. Any natural roll of 2 on the dice indicates a fumble (see below).

Grappling: alternatively a brawler can specify before rolling for combat that he’s trying to grapple his opponent. He must have both hands free to do this. If his brawl roll is successful he can test his Phs vs the defender’s choice of Phs or Qck to immobilise his opponent. Once immobilised, he can elect to throw his opponent in the next round or maintain the hold. An immobilised person can try to break the hold by testing Phs vs Phs again. A Throw needs another successful Phs vs Phs; the victim flies a d6 yards in a chosen direction and suffers d3 damage to a random location if he fails a Qck test (9).

Melee: is decided by opposed tests of Melee skills, roll 2d6 and add Melee skill and modifiers for Phs (or the average of Qck and Grc for some weapons), Weapon and Tactical situation. The highest roller hits his opponent. Roll damage for the weapon and add the wielder’s damage bonus for Phs. If the winner bests his opponent by 5+, he inflicts maximum damage or chooses which location to hit. If he bests him by 10+ he may do both. Continue into another round if both still want to, otherwise the higher roller has the option of breaking off the melee. Any natural roll of 2 on the dice indicates a fumble (see below).

33 Melee vs Brawl: when a brawler faces up to a melee specialist the contest usually starts as a melee, but in any round the brawler outscores his opponent the fight turns in to a brawl until both protagonists have separated and reformed. Otherwise, the fight remains a melee. Use melee modifiers for both until it’s a brawl. Hand-to-Hand Weapons brawl modifier damage guard melee modifier damage vs Cavalry HP Unarmed human - d3-1 - -3 d4-1 -5 random location Natural Teeth +2 as animal - -2 as animal -4 as head Natural Claws or Horns +3 as animal - -1 as animal -3 as forelimb Natural Teeth & Claws +4 as animal - - as animal -2 as forelimb or head Knuckle Dusters - d4 - -2 d4+1 -5 random location Broken Bottle -1 d6-1 - -2 d4+1 -3 3 Cosh/Blackjack/Nightstick -1 d6-1 - -2 d6 -3 10 Light Club/Poker or Hatchet -2 d6 - -1 d6+2 -3 15 Heavy Club -3 d6 - -1 d8+2 -2 20 Dirk/Knife * -1 d4+1 - -1 d4+1 -3 10 Dagger * -1 d4+2 - -1 d4+2 -2 12 Falchion or Machete -2 d6+1 - - d6+1 -2 15 Wood Axe/Hammer -3 d6+1 - - d8+2 -2 15 Gladius/Shortsword * -1 d4+1 - +1 d6+1 -2 18 War Axe -3 d6+1 - - d8+2 -1 15 Cutlass/Broadsword/Sabre/Scimitar-5 d4+1 ‡ - d8+1 -1 20 Longsword -5 d4+1 ‡ - d8+1 -1 20 Rapier/Epee * -4 d4+1 ‡ +1 d6+1 -1 12 Foil/Estoc/Tuck * -4 d4+1 ‡ +1 d6 -2 10 Hand-and-a-half Sword (1H/2H) -6 d4+1 ‡ -1/- d8+1/d10+1 - 20 Double-handed Axe N/A N/A - -1 2d6 +1 20 Greatsword N/A N/A ‡ -1 2d8 +1 24 Short Spear 6-8ft (1H/2H) N/A N/A - +1 d6+1/d8+1 +2 15 Long Spear 10-12ft (1H/2H) N/A N/A - - d6+1/d8+1 +3 15 Pike 16+ft (1H/2H) N/A N/A - -1 d6+1/d8+1 +4 15 Halberd/Bill N/A N/A - -2 3d6 +2 20 Maul N/A N/A - -1 2d8 +2 20 Large Shield or Pavise N/A N/A 24 - N/A +2 24 Knight’s Shield N/A N/A 18 +1 N/A +1 18 Target or Buckler N/A N/A 12 +1 N/A - 12 Parrying Dagger N/A N/A - +1 N/A - 12 * = these can be used with average of Qck and Grc rather than Phs in Melee. ‡ = these protect the sword-hand by 6pts if a full basket/bell-guard or d6 if simple quillons.

Tactical modifiers for Melee only: Height advantage +1 Falling back -1 Forced back -2 To shielded flank of opponent +1 (must be a proper shield) To unshielded flank of opponent +2 Behind opponent or he’s unable to defend +4 Opponent surprised or unable to see attacker +3 Fighting more than one opponent * -1 per opponent (eg -2 if fighting 2 opponents) Defending a low obstacle (knee high) +1 Defending a medium obstacle (waist high) +2 Defending a major obstacle (chest high) +5 (assuming combat is possible) Using a weapon wrong-handed -3 (unless ambidextrous) Using an off-hand parrying device +1 (must be appropriate for the opposing weapon $) Opponent using longer weapon -1 Fighting defensively † +2 (highly recommended for all PCs at start of a fight) Fighting recklessly ‡ +2 (the opposite of fighting defensively) Aiming blows # -3

34 * = this assumes opponents are in a position where they can be fought together and a weapon or shield can be interposed against both. Each participant rolls separately. The outnumbered person can wound any one of his opponents whom he beats but all those that beat him wound him. Alternatively the PC can choose to ignore one or more opponents, reducing the fight to 1:1 again but all those ignored gain +4 for ‘opponent unable to defend’. † = fighting defensively means you cannot hurt your opponent unless you beat him by at least +5. ‡ = a reckless attacker trying to hit his opponent with no thought to his own safety gains this bonus but his opponent automatically wounds him unless the berserker outscores him by +5 or more. # = a character must state at the start of the combat turn that he’s trying to aim his blow; he subtracts 3 from his roll but if he hits he may steer the location by 1 for every 2pts he beats his opponent (per 1pt if using a light fencing weapon marked * above). This option may also be used if attacking an unaware victim from behind. $ = for example, a parrying dagger is effective against a rapier but not against a broadsword

Damage: in melee or brawl, if the winner bests his opponent by 5+, he inflicts maximum damage or chooses which location to hit. If he bests him by 10+ he may do both. Any natural roll of 2 is a fumble, requiring a roll on the fumble table. Any natural roll of 12 is an automatic normal hit regardless of the opposing roll. Yes, it is possible for both protagonists to score simultaneous hits.

Attribute Mods: the GM states which attributes affect a skill in a particular situation, typically… Stat Each pt less 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Skill -1 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Phs Bonuses for Combat and Stealth: Phs 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Damage -d6 -d5 -d4 -d3 -d2 -1 0 0 +1 d2 d3 d4 d5 d6 2d3 d8 HPs -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 Combat bonus -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 Stealth +6 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -4 -4

Phs 20-23 24-27 28-31 32-35 36-39 40-43 44-47 48-51 52-55 56-59 Damage 2d4 2d6 2d8 3d6 3d8 3d10 4d8 4d10 5d10 6d10 HPs +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 Combat +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 Stealth -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14

Horses in Melee: horses don’t really like getting involved in mayhem and it takes a good horseman to control his mount in a fight. Every round the rider wants to engage in close-in fighting or faces gunpowder weapons he must test Ride (10) with the following modifiers…

Mount Normal Facing gunfire Riding an exceptional destrier +2 +1 Riding an exceptional courser +1 -2 Riding a destrier +1 -2 Riding a courser +0 -4 Riding a nag or mule -5 -8 Riding any other horse -3 -5 A simple failed role means the rider has to spend the round mastering his horse and doing nothing else; a failure by 5+ or a straight role of 2 means he’s been thrown or suffered a similar mishap.

Horses in melee (cavalry do not brawl) basically fight in two different ways – charging with lance and all other circumstances. In all circumstances other than charging with lance the rider will get a +2 advantage in melee with all infantry and is otherwise on an even par against other riders.

35 A charging horse is a fearsome combat opponent. If the rider tests Ride (10) an opponent on foot must make a Psy test to stand up to him. For close order infantry the difficulty is 10; for other infantry, including all skirmishers it is 13; for all non-combatants it is 16. Add the infantryman’s weapon bonus to hit cavalry. If in a formed unit, roll for the unit as a whole using the leader’s Psy. Infantry in a unit add +2 to their roll provided they outnumber the cavalry. If successful they stand firm (but skirmishers will always attempt to evade if possible). If the roll is failed the infantry will break. NOTE: a bunch of people standing together is not a unit, they must be a formal military formation with some sort of common training. Most PCs will not be in units during play.

Infantry that stand firm may shoot or throw missiles. They must make a Qck test (10) to both shoot/throw and have their melee weapons ready in the same round the cavalry hits, if failed they count unarmed on contact.

Really brave infantry can try diving to the ground in which case the rider can only hit them if he has a long enough weapon (lance or spear) but the horse may still trample them (chance is normally 6 on a d6 but rises to 4-6 if the rider makes the horse trample with a successful ride roll – damage is the horse’s DB but any fumble indicates the horse has injured a leg and the rider may be thrown if he fails another test of Ride (10)).

When charging with lance the faster the rider goes the harder his lance will hit but also the more difficult it is to hit the target. Note: infantry also get modifiers depending on their weapons (so it’s probably a bad idea to charge a pikeman, for example).

Modifiers to Melee skill and damage bonus for lance (do not use this for non-lance weapons) on a successful hit – this is in addition to the rider’s own damage bonus… Mount Walk Trot Canter Gallop Exceptional destrier +2/d6 -0/d8 -1/d10 -2/2d6 Ordinary destrier -0/d6 -1/d8 -3/d10 -4/2d6 Exceptional courser +2/d4 -0/d6 -1/d8 -2/d10 Ordinary courser -0/d4 -1/d6 -3/d8 -4/d10 Nag or mule -2/+1 -4/d3 -8/d4 -10/d6 Any other horse -1/d3 -2/d4 -5/d6 -7/d8

Falls: falls are very common, especially from horses. The amount of damage a person takes in the fall depends on how far he falls and the circumstances of the fall, such as the surface he falls on and how fast he is moving.

Generally, the first yard is free. Each yard (rounded to the nearest whole number) above that first yard incurs d6 damage to a random location on hitting a hard surface such as rock, brick or a paved street (common in Italian cities but not elsewhere). Armour does not protect against falling damage but the damage may be reduced by a soft landing.

Landing on… Grass Mud Hay Bale Unbaled Hay Spread Sheet Water * Protection -d3 -d6 -2d6 -4d6 -6d6 -6d6/-12d6 * = larger value is if character successfully tests both Jump and Swim, indicating a clean dive (assuming the water is deep enough)

Obviously this assumes there is enough of the substrate to cushion the fall, a few scattered straws or a muddy puddle will in no way soften hard stone. Use commen sense in deciding the level of protection from a substrate not mentioned above.

When falling from a horse or moving vehicle the speed is also a factor, the minimum damage is d6 36 Speed Still Walk Trot Canter Gallop Damage d6 d6 d8 d10 2d6

As long as the character has any control over his fall at all he should be allowed to test Jump (with a Qck modifier) needing 10 for success. A success reduces the damage by d6; a success by 5+ by 2d6 and a success by 10+ by 3d6. Residual damage is automatically divided between the legs for any successful jump – unless both legs take twice their hit points in which case the remaining points go into the abdomen.

After any fall the character will probably be stunned: if unhurt he must make a Con test (10) to avoid being stunned for 1 round; if at all hurt he will be stunned for 1 round and may make a Con test (10) each subsequent round to recover. If any location is taken to 0 or less, the character is stunned for a minimum d6 rounds and the Con recovery test is 13.

Damage to Locations Location of hit is decided by rolling d20 and consulting the table below. (For Brawl, it may be appropriate to roll d10 and add 10). Hit Location Loc Left Right Left Right Left Right Left hip Right Abdomen foot foot shin shin thigh thigh hip d20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9-11 Loc Chest Left Right Left Right Left Right Face or Head Lower Lower Upper Upper shoulder shoulder throat arm arm arm arm d20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Once the amount and location of damage is found, subtract the value of any armour and put the rest of the damage against the hit-points of the location. Subtract the same amount from total HP.

Hit Points per Location (note: foot, shin, thigh and hip all count as a single location of ‘leg’ for HP, similarly lower arm, upper arm and shoulder all count as ‘arm’ ) Location\ total HP 1-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19-21 22-24 Chest 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Arm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Head, Leg, Abdomen 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 If a location falls to 0, it cannot be used and must be regarded as severely injured. If taken to negative it is bleeding and if it takes double its hit-points, it is broken. A limb taken to double negative (eg a 3pt arm taken to -6) is permanently maimed or dismembered. At the same time, all hit-points to a location (to a maximum of twice the location's hit-points) are also subtracted from total hit-points. If total hit-points fall to 0 or less, the victim is unconscious and will die of shock or blood loss in a number of minutes equal to Con minus the amount he's negative unless he receives urgent care to stem bleeding and stabilise his condition.

If the head is taken to 0 or less, the victim is unconscious. If the chest or abdomen are at 0 or less, the victim can remain conscious by making Psyche test (10 + amount negative) but cannot move and must remain prone.

If the head, chest or abdomen take double their hit-points (eg a 4pt head taken to -4), the victim is dead.

Head Injuries: If any injury occurs to the head, subtract the damage inflicted from 2d6 in a Con test (6). Failure indicates the character is unconscious until a dramatically appropriate moment. Once conscious, he will be concussed with serious negatives on all skills for 1-3 days. A fumble indicates permanent brain damage with Int reduced by d6 pts.

37 Fumble Table: d100 (Feel free to use the fumble table for any mishap involving physical activity as well as in combat) 01-12 Stumble and recover (-1 next round on all physical skills, including combat) 13-20 Stumble & fall (as above but -1 until regain feet and standing opponents gain +1 for height advantage) 21-25 Stumble, twist ankle & fall (as above plus d3 to ankle, cannot run and normal move halved, -3 until healed) 27-30 Armour or clothing attachment breaks (roll d20 for location, the outermost item covering that location is lost) 31-42 Purse strings cut or valuable trinket lost/broken 43-50 Vision impaired if wearing headgear: -1 on combat & perception until cleared – harder with heavier helms 51-55 Vision impaired if wearing headgear: -3 on combat and observation rolls until cleared 56-57 Vision impaired if wearing headgear: -5 on combat and observation rolls until cleared 58-65 Drop weapon 66-69 Drop shield or parrying weapon (main weapon if no shield or parrying device) 70-75 Weapon knocked away d6 yards 76-77 Shield or parrying device knocked away d6 yards (main weapon if no shield or parrying device) 78-81 Weapon broken – heirloom weapons are saved if the wielder makes a Psy test (7) 82 Shield or parrying device broken (main weapon if no shield or parrying device) 83-87 Hit nearest friend (or self if no friend near) 88-89 Hit nearest friend (or self if no friend near - maximum damage) 90 Hit nearest friend (or self if no friend near - maximum damage or ignore armour, whichever the worst) 91-94 Hit self (normal damage) 95-96 Hit self (maximum damage) 97 Hit self (maximum damage or ignore armour, whichever the worst) 98-99 Roll twice 00 Roll thrice

Wound Infection: For each separate open wound, the victim must make one Con roll at the end of the day it’s received to avoid infection. Wound made by clean steel with successful tend wounds – infected on a failed Con test (3). Wound made by clean steel without successful tend wounds – infected on a failed Con test (6). Exception – any penetrating wound to the belly tests at -4 to avoid blood poisoning. If the wound becomes fouled before dressing or the wound is caused by an unclean weapon (or one deliberately fouled by natural or magical means) the Con test needed to avoid infection is harder, the precise difficulty depends on the circumstances but it should be drastically more severe than for clean steel with a minimum of 9 (or 11 if a penetrating wound to the abdomen). Usually this test is made only once per wound but if the wound is reopened or is allowed to become fouled before fully healed (such as failing to change the bandage daily) then the test must be repeated. A failed roll indicates the wound suffers an Infection – please see Diseases.

Wound Recovery: in all cases, a successful Tend Wounds by a physician, nurse or similar with bonus for the average of Grc and Int allows the victim to add +2 to his recovery Con test. Difficulty is 7 for lightly wounded, 10 for seriously wounded and 13 for grievously wounded. Failure causes no improvement and a fumble inflicts a further d4, but success by 5+ doubles the cure rate. Lightly wounded (no location taken to 0 and no more than half total HP lost): character regains 1 HP per day on a successful Con test (7) (see activity below) and suffers -1 on all physical skills. Severely wounded (location taken to 0 or more than half total HPs lost): character regains 1 HP per week on a successful Con test (10), light activity only (see activity below) and suffers -3 on all physical skills. Grievously wounded (location takes double HPs or all HP lost): character regains 1 HP per fortnight on a successful Con test (13), bed rest only (see activity below) and suffers -10 on all physical skills.

Recovery Con test vs Activity: Strenuous activity: fighting, climbing, long distance trekking: -4 on recovery Con test, fumble 2-3 Moderate activity: riding for any distance, easy walking for up to an hour: -2 on recovery Con test Light activity – no modification on recovery Con test Bed rest: +2 on recovery Con test 38 A success regains 1 HP, a success by 5+ 2 HP and by 10+ 3 HP; a failure has no effect; a fumble indicates complications have set in, typically infection of the wound. Once a character is no longer grievously wounded he becomes severely wounded, simarly as he heals he will transit to lightly wounded and use that table for recovery.

Duelling: Duels are very common indeed within the Holy Roman Empire and most Italian cities (except Rome), less common in France and Spain and very rare in England. Italian duels are frequently duels of honour; the response to an insult, real or imagined, or part of an ongoing feud between families or guild apprentices. In the Empire they are less likely to involve enmity and may even be pursued as ‘sport’, a healthy way to exercise, and many German cities (especially those with universities) host annual festivals of duelling in which young men can show off their skills.

Most duels are semi-formal affairs but occasionally they may happen spontaneously (Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene 1 provides an example).

If no malice or enmity is involved then both sides can take measures to avoid hurt: ‘pulling the blow’ to withhold damage bonus, setting corks on points (reduces damage by d4 unless hit on a natural 12 but obviously only works with point weapons), etc. Formal duels usually involve no metal armour. German sporting duels are conducted without armour but with heavy edged knightly swords. In Italy and Spain the espada ropera and similar lighter weapons are now the fashion.

In the Empire trial by combat is outlawed for commoners but those of knightly rank and above still have the option in certain cases. However, the Emperor is striving to stop the practise with some success. In England the last trial by combat was in 1446. All subsequent challenges to trial by combat are firmly squashed by the King. The last such in Ireland takes place in 1583. The last French trial by combat was in 1386, French kings being even harder on this than the English crown.

In Italy, the code duello or flos duellatorum has been formalised since 1409. Firstly the challenger must state his grievance in public and directly to the person causing the grievance. The challengee then has the choice of making a formal apology (or other restitution) or choosing weapons. The challenger then states the time and place of the duel. The place of the duel has to be in the open but away from heavily frequented places. It is usually outside city walls to avoid municipal justice. The timing must be reasonable to allow the parties time to arrange seconds and to travel to the place of the duel. The challengee can state an objection on the above grounds but if he objects he must name a reasonable alternative.

At the place both participants bring one to three seconds and a doctor. A party who fails to show is labelled a coward. The seconds have at least to make the appearance of trying to reconcile the two parties by acting as go-betweens. Many duels can be avoided at this point and if an apology or restitution is made then everything can be resolved honourably without bloodshed.

Contrary to popular belief, if one protagonist fails to arrive his second does not take his place.

The duellists start on opposite sides of a square twenty yards across, marked by handkerchiefs. The conditions of victory must be settled by the seconds beforehand. A sporting duel may be fought to ‘first touch’ or ‘first blood’. A duel of honour over a genuine grievance is usually fought until one party yields or is physically unable to continue. Duels to the death are very rare but death often results from wounds received.

Once the victory conditions have been met, the duel is over. The winner may consider himself satisfied and proven morally to be in the right but the loser also retains his reputation for courage. 39 Armour & Hit Locations Covered

Locations Covered Penalties Helmet d20 Face Prot/2d6 Armour Vision Hearing Combat Armet 19-20 2-10/2-12 6 -4 -4 -1 Barbute 19-20 2-8/2-10 6 -3 -3 0 Bascinet 19-20 2-10/2-12 7 -6 -4 -2 Burgonet 19-20 2-7/2-9 6 -2 -4 -1 Cervelliere/cap * 19-20 2-6/2-6 6 0 0 0 Great Helm ‡ 19-20 2-10/2-12 8 -6 -4 -2 Kettle Hat 19-20 2-7/2-7 6 0 -1 0 Morion 19-20 2-7/2-7 7 -2 -2 0 Nasal Helmet 19-20 2-7/2-6 6 -1 0 0 Salade 19-20 2-8/2-8 6 -3 -2 0 Salade+Bevor 19-20 2-10/2-12 6 -5 -4 -1 Coif * 19-20 2-8/2-9 4 -1 -2 0 Arming Cap † 19-20 2-6/2-7 1 0 -1 0 Armour d20 Face Prot./d10 Armour Stealth Combat Pauldrons 17-18 Plate 6 -2 - Couters 15-16 Plate 6 -2 - Vambraces 13-14 Plate 6 -2 - Cuirass 11-12 Plate 6 -1 - Placart 9-10 Plate 6 -1 - Faulds 7-8 Plate 6 -2 - Cuises 5, 6 Plate 6 -2 -1 Greaves 3, 4 Plate 6 -2 -1 Sabatons 1, 2 Plate 6 -2 -1 Jack 9-12 Brigandine 5 -1 -1 Vambraces 13-14 Brigandine 5 -1 -1 Greaves 3, 4 Brigandine 5 -1 -1 Hauberk 5-12, 17-18 Mail 4 -3 -2 Habergeon 7-12, 17-18 Mail 4 -2 -2 Shirt 9-12, 17-18 Mail 4 -1 -1 Sleeves 13-16 Mail 4 -3 -2 Hose 3-8 Mail 4 -2 -1 Chauses 1-6 Mail 4 -1 -1 Vambraces 13-14 Cuir Bouli 3 -1 - Cuirass 9-12 Cuir Bouli 3 -1 - Greaves 3, 4 Cuir Bouli 3 -1 - Aketon 5-12, 17-18 Quilting 2 0 -1 Jack/Buffcoat 7-12, 17-18 Quilting 2 0 -1 Boot 1-4 double leather 2 -2 - Shoe 1, 2 double leather 2 -1 - Coat 5-12, 17-18 Fabric 1 0 - Jack 7-12, 17-18 Fabric 1 0 - Arming Doublet 9-12, 17-18 Fabric 1 0 - Sleeves 13-16 Fabric 1 0 - Hose 3-8 Fabric 1 0 - Boot 1-4 Fabric 1 -1 - Shoe 1, 2 Fabric 1 -1 - Slippers 1, 2 light fabric 0 0 - Plate: single plates of hardened iron or steel, as heavy as mail and much more noisy, it absorbs 6pts of damage. A full suit of plate consists of helmet, couters, vambraces, Cuirass, placart, faulds, cuisses, greaves and sabatons. A layer of flexible armour is usually worn under plate, usually fabric or leather hose and arming doublet. Brigandine: small metal plates sewn in to cloth, it absorbs 5pts of damage; also usually worn over a layer of fabric. Mail: rings of mail linked closely, it absorbs 4pts of damage and is usually combined with a quilted aketon with single leather sleeves and hose. Cuir Bouli: equivalent to leather used on shoe soles, it absorbs 3pts of damage. Quilting or Doubled Leather: equivalent to tough shoe leather, it absorbs 2pts of damage. Single Leather or Fabric: equivalent to soft shoe leather, it absorbs 1pt of damage.

The penalties to stealth and combat are cumulative. They should be applied to any attempt at stealth and most athletic endeavours.

40 Poisons

Poisoning is rife, the Borgias are infamous for it. No Renaissance RPG can be complete without a smattering of poison. However, there is no such thing as an instant poison; even the most virulent takes minutes to kill and most take hours to days.

Realistically, blade venoms shouldn’t exist – except Renaissance literature is full of venomed blades (the final scene of Hamlet, for example). But it should be rare, expensive and difficult to use. Poisons are readily available from any apothecary but the most efficacious should be harder to come across and expensive. Poisons tend to have a bitter taste so an effective dose needs a strong agent to hide the flavour – wine, for preference.

The Time Lag gives the interval between poisoning and the onset of symptoms. Survival gives the number needed to survive to be rolled on a Con test – 2d6 + Con modifier. Availability is the chance on 2d6 for that poison to be available at a particular apothecary on the first visit; if this is missed by 1 then the apothecary can make up a dose in the space of a few days, to order. The cost is for a single dose of a poison to be administered orally and reflects the availability of the ingredients and the difficulty of preparation, blade venoms cost ten times this.

Poison Aconite/Monkshood/Wolfsbane: Time Lag 3d20 m; Survival Test 11; Availability 10+; cost 3D Can be made in to a blade-venom; kills in 2d3 hours; symptoms: diarrhoea, vomiting, burning sensation around mouth and in stomach or around wound, sweating and inability to breath.

Arsenic: Time Lag d100+20 m; Survival Test 10; Availability 9+; cost 1D 3L The ‘poison of kings and the king of poisons’, arsenic is the most favoured poison among the ruling classes in Renaissance Italy. Arsenic poisoning causes diarrhea, vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping of muscles, hair loss, stomach pain and convulsions, followed by coma and death in a d6 days. Its symptoms are very similar to the Bloody Flux and it is easily mistaken for this if plague is current. One unique symptom is that victims smell of garlic, but this is of limited utility in a culture eating a Mediterranean diet. It takes a week or two to recover.

Autumn Crocus: Time Lag d6 h; Survival Test 9; Availability 8+; cost 3L Beginning with headaches, confusion, severe diarrhoea, and drowsiness; as the poisoning develops convulsions and changes in fingernail pigmentation may occur; when acute, symptoms may include diarrhoea, vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping muscles, hair loss, stomach pain and more convulsions; the final result is coma to death in 1-3 days; if survived, recovery in 6-8 days.

Belladonna/Deadly Nightshade: Time Lag 3d20 m; Survival Test 9; Availability 7+; cost 3L Sensitivity to light, blurred vision, dizziness, headache, rash, slurred speech, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, convulsions and death within 24 hours. Can be used as a blade venom.

Cantarella: Time Lag 3d20 m; Survival Test 11; Availability – only from the Borgias; cost 14D The favourite of the Borgias and perhaps the poison used in Romeo and Juliet – with a sub-lethal dose the victim falls asleep for d6 hours during which they have no detectable pulse; symptoms include drowsiness, stomach cramps, headache, convulsions and death in 2d6 hours. Cantarella is only available to characters with Borgia connections who have apothecaries who distill it from a certain type of beetle. If administered with enormous care in very small doses, it can be an aphrodisiac, in which form it is known as Spanish Fly.

Death Cap Mushroom: Time Lag d6+9 h; Survival Test 9; Availability 7+; cost 3L Cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting for 2-3 days, then a brief recovery followed by jaundice, delirium, seizures and death 6-16 days after eating if the Survival test is failed.

41 Foxglove: Time Lag d10 m; Survival Test 7; Availability 6+; cost 1L Low pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, and death within 24 hours.

Hellebore: Time Lag d100 m; Survival Test 7; Availability 9+; cost 2L Tinnitus, vertigo, stupor, thirst, a feeling of suffocation, swelling of the tongue and throat, vomiting, slow pulse and finally collapse and death within 24 hours.

Hemlock: Time Lag 3d20 m; Survival Test 9; Availability 9+; cost 6L Progressive paralysis and coldness from the extremities working inward, leading to death within 2-3 days.

Larkspur: Time Lag d20 m; Survival Test 7; Availability 7+; cost 3L Causes vomiting when eaten, and death in larger amounts within d6 hours.

Moonflower: Time Lag d20 m; Survival Test 9; Availability 10+; cost 6L Found in North Africa and India, where it is known as ‘thorn apple’. Symptoms include delirium, fever, racing heartbeat, photophobia and bizarre and violent behaviour. Survivors rarely recall their actions under its effect. Death occurs 24-36 hours after ingestion. Recovery the same thereafter.

Oleander: Time Lag d100 m; Survival Test 7; Availability 8+; cost 2L Nausea and vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, diarrhoea that may or may not contain blood, the heart may beat erratically with no rhythm. Extremities become pale and cold due to poor or irregular circulation; drowsiness, tremors, seizures, collapse and coma that leads to death within 24 hours. Can be used as a blade venom.

Strychnine Tree: Time Lag d6 h; Survival Test 9; Availability 12+; cost 4D Extremely bitter indeed, needing very strong flavours to hide the taste. Seeds are imported from India so are as expensive as spices, they must be crushed to release the juices. Symptoms are nausea, vomiting, whole-body convulsions, extreme sensitivity to stimuli of all kinds, asphyxia and death within 24 hours – victims remain conscious throughout and survivors report a sensation of abject horror and doom. Can be used as a blade venom.

Toad Venom: Time Lag d10 m; Survival Test 8; Availability 10+; cost 4L The symptoms are nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, followed by heightened awareness, hallucinations and lethargy leading to coma and death within 8 hours. Can be made into a blade venom.

Water Hemlock: Time Lag d4 x 15 m; Survival Test 9; Availability 9+; cost 3L Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors, confusion, weakness, dizziness, and drowsiness seizures and death within d6 hours, recovery takes a further 1-2 days

42 Diseases

Characters are sometimes exposed to disease. Plagues cause exposure to anyone in an afflicted town. Endemics are always present in the population and exposure comes from close proximity to a victim or, in the case of infection, gangrene and blood poisoning, as a result of wounds. Some plagues, such as malaria, affect certain places (Rome, for example) every year during summer but most turn up sporadically. GMs should be slow to afflict PCs with disease but just a light touch can be enough to instil genuine fear of plague in your players, which is as it should be.

Exposure: The conditions which constitute exposure vary between diseases. Non-infectious diseases cannot be easily contracted, requiring transfer of body fluids to constitute exposure; most sexual diseases fall in to this category.

Contagious diseases, such as leprosy, can only be contracted by direct physical contact with the victim or with his clothes or bedding. As long as you keep the victim beyond arm’s reach, you’re probably safe.

Infectious diseases pervade the space around a victim and exposure merely requires entry in to the same room or to within 2-3 yards in the open air. Some diseases emanate from ‘bad air’.

Resistance Test: The Resistance test is made when the character is exposed to the disease, either by contact with a victim, through a spirit of disease or occasionally with materials (eg clothing or bedding) infected by a victim. The potential victim rolls 2d6 and adds his Con modifier (sometimes with other modifications depending on circumstances). The difficulty of the test depends on the disease. For some diseases this can be modified by certain precautions.

Some diseases have a severity governed by how badly the Resistance test is failed but any fumbled Resistance test indicates a more virulent form of the disease has taken hold – as a minimum, the victim suffers maximum losses and duration on the basic table, but it is frequently worse than that.

If a potential victim rolls a natural double six for the Resistance test, he has a natural immunity to that disease and cannot be affected – he need never roll for that disease again.

A disease labelled ‡ can only be caught the once. If a potential victim rolls a natural 11 or 12 on the Resistance test, assume he was exposed to the disease as a child and cannot be affected, as above.

Incubation Period: This is the interval between exposure to a disease and the first appearance of symptoms. For some diseases this is quick, a matter of hours even, for others (eg leprosy) it can takes years to manifest. Most take a few days to a week or so; h = hours, d = days, w = weeks, m = months, y = years.

Duration: The duration of the illness from the first onset of symptoms to recovery; h = hours, d = days, w = weeks, s = seasons, y = years. For most illnesses, the patient is essentially bedridden for the duration of the illness. Some diseases, particularly mental illnesses, do not physically incommode the victim, but most do. Some diseases can inflict permanent debilitation but they will do so usually only after a period of illness, giving time for a healer to prevent the worst.

Survival Test: This is the chance of the victim making a recovery, assuming basic care. Most diseases allow their victims to make a full recovery but a few have long-lasting effects. The potential victim rolls 2d6 and adds his Con modifier (sometimes with other modifications depending on circumstances). The 43 difficulty of the test depends on the disease. For some diseases this can be modified by certain precautions. The basic chance can be adjusted upward if the patient is cared for by someone versed in Treat Disease. It can be adjusted downward if the patient receives little or poor care. In game terms it is made at the end of the Duration. A fumbled Survival test means the disease actually gets worse and may indicate a more serious illness has taken hold.

Recuperation Period: The period of time it takes a victim to recover from an illness. For most diseases, even plagues, if a victim recovers he will return to full health with no ill effects – and, if the disease is marked ‡ in the Resistance test (about a third of the total), he can never catch it again.

Ailments: minor illnesses endemic across Europe but not usually life threatening Dropsy: Exp: non; Res: n/a; Inc: n/a; Dur: indefinite; Sur: n/a; Rec: none Notes: victim suffers swelling of his lower legs, preventing him from wearing all but the loosest clothing or any footgear other than open sandals. He also suffers loss of 1 HP in each leg and -1 off all skills involving the legs, as well as –d3 Qck. The condition is indefinite, usually afflicting victims of middle age or older. For PCs it may be a possible flaw.

Gout: Exp: non; Res: n/a; Inc: n/a; Dur: indefinite; Sur: n/a; Rec: none This is a condition that can manifest in middle age. It causes painfully swollen and inflamed joints that tend to flare up at night, impairing sleep. It causes any skills using the affected limb to be tested at -2. Severe gout can be even more debilitating. It is the family curse of the Medicis of Florence. For PCs it may be a possible flaw.

Gutrot: Exp: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d2 d; Dur: d3 d; Sur: 3; Rec: d3 d Notes: victim suffers a dose of the runs, -d4 on all skills and at any moment may need the privy – during combat he must make a Psy test (7) every minute to control his bowels. Gutrot can be mistaken for the early stages of Bloody Flux. If the victim soils himself he will almost certainly expose all companions, otherwise treat as contagious only.

Impotence: Exp: non; Res: 7; Inc: d4 d; Dur: d6 m; Sur: 3; Rec: 1-2 w Notes: the victim finds himself embarrassed in the marriage (or any other) bed. This also afflicts women but manifests as a general disinterest in sex whereas in men it totally impairs performance. Failure of the Survival test just means the illness repeats for another cycle.

Scrofula: Exp: contagious; Res: 6; Inc: d6+20 d; Dur: indefinite; Sur: 7; Rec: d3 m Notes: victim gets purply-black growths on the side of the neck, beneath the ear. These are painless but the victim feels listless and suffers d3 loss to Con. The condition is permanent but the touch of an anointed king can cure this ailment, regaining the lost Con. In England it is called the King’s Evil for this reason.

Sneezing: Exp: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d4 d; Dur: d3 d; Sur: 3; Rec: 1 d Notes: victim suffers periodic violent sneezing fits, -1 on all skills, Sneak skill halved. Failure of the Survival test just means the illness repeats for another cycle.

Sniffles: Exp: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d4 d; Dur: d3 d; Sur: 3; Rec: 1 d Victim suffers runny nose, headache, mild fever, -d4 on all skills. Failure of the Survival test just means the illness repeats for another cycle.

Sore Throat: Exp: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d4 d; Dur: d6 d; Sur: 3; Rec: 1 d Notes: the victim suffers a vicious sore throat and completely loses his voice – he cannot talk at all. Failure of the Survival test just means the illness repeats for another cycle. 44

Ulcers: Exp: contagious; Res: 7; Inc: d6 d; Dur: d6 w; Sur: 7; Rec: 1 w Notes: victim gets a d6 open ulcers on random locations that refuse to heal. They are very painful to touch and inhibit the wearing of armour or all but loose clothing. It causes -1 per ulcer on all physical skills using the limb in question.

Warts: Exp: contagious; Res: 7; Inc: 2d6 d; Dur: 2d6 m; Sur: 7; Rec: 1 d Notes: victim gets a rash of warts, reducing Grc by d6 but causing no other ill effects. If Survival test failed the warts are permanent but Treat Disease can add +2 to Survival test and shorten the duration to just one season.

Afflictions: serious illnesses endemic across Europe, often life threatening if the Survival test is failed, and possibly contagious

Blood Poisoning: Exp: see Wound Rec.; Res: none; Inc: d6 d; Dur: 2d6 d; Sur: 9; Rec: d4+2 d The victim falls in to a fever with an all-body rash.

Chancre: Exp: non; Res: 7; Inc: 2d20 d; Dur: special; Sur: 7; Rec: d3+3 w A single painless sore (chancre) forms on the genitals but heals in 4-6 weeks. 2-6 weeks later the victim must make a Survival test: if the Survival test is made the victim develops mottled skin, losing a d3 Grc. On a failed Survival test, pustules develop and the flesh starts falling off from the face and a random d3 parts of the body leaving victims with hideous holes in their faces and bodies, losing 2d6 Cha and d6 from each of Str and Con and d3 HP from each location affected. Each year sees another HP lost from each of those parts afflicted. Furthermore, all survivors must make a further Con test (7) to avoid tertiary symptoms, whereby after 4d6 yrs they begin to lose both Int and Grc at 1pt/year, slowly descending in to madness. This is the form syphilis takes when first observed in 1495. The disease first appears in Naples during the French invasion and the retreating French soldiers spread it throughout Italy, where it becomes known as the French Disease (the French call it the Italian Disease, of course). It gains the name syphilis in 1530.

Consumption: Exp: infectious; Res: 6; Inc: d6+20 d; Dur: 3 w; Sur: 10; Rec: d6 m Victims lose d3 Con, those that fail the Survival test go through the cycle again, losing Con. When Con is less than 3 they become bedridden, when it reaches 0, they die. Patients who recover do not regain Con.

Gangrene: Exp: see Wound Rec.; Res: none; Inc: d3 d; Dur: d6 d; Sur: 7; Rec: d6+12 d Area affected is distal to wound; the only cure is amputation and the recovery rate is for a successful surgery test. If failed, the gangrene remains and further surgery is necessary to remove more of the limb. Gangrene that reaches the head or torso is invariably fatal.

Infection: Exp: see Wound Rec.; Res: none; Inc: d6 d; Dur: d6 d; Sur: 7; Rec: d6 d If patient fails to recover from an infected limb wound roll d6: 1-5 Gangrene; 6 Blood Poisoning; infections of wounds to head and torso always result in Blood Poisoning.

Leprosy: contagious; Res: 4; Inc: d8 y; Dur: indefinite; Sur: none; Rec: none This disease causes loss of sensation and extremities. Each year the disease inflicts the loss of -1 Grc and the victim loses d3 HP from a random location and -1 on all skills using that limb per HP lost. (If the head then the -1 affects visual perception skills instead.) When HP reach 0 that location is permanently impaired. If the location rolled is the head, blindness results but the victim otherwise remains functional. If the chest or abdomen are lowered to 0 the victim dies. Treat Disease can arrest the progress of the disease with a Survival test (11) per season, but the damage cannot be 45 restored. Lepers are typically forced to live in isolated communes away from other habitations. Lepers are shunned by the populace at large and their own families typically view them as already dead. However there have been a few VIP lepers, King Baldwin IV of is probably the most famous.

Mumps: Exp: infectious; Res: 7 ‡; Inc: 2d6+12 d; Dur: 2d6 d; Sur: 6; Rec: d4+2d Victim suffers mild fever, headache and swelling of the neck, under the jaw and the testicles. The disease cures itself unless the Survival test is fumbled, when it can kill. However a victim who fails the Survival test is rendered barren or sterile.

Paralytic Fever: Exp: contagious; Res: 9 ‡; Inc: d6 x d4+2 d; Dur: 2d6 d; Sur: 6 Rec: d6 d The victim suffers high fever, headache, stiffness in the back and neck, asymmetrical weakness of various muscles, sensitivity to touch, difficulty swallowing, muscle pain, loss of superficial and deep reflexes, pins and needles, irritability, constipation or difficulty urinating. If the Survival test is failed, the victim suffers permanent paralysis of a random limb. If fumbled, he dies. Otherwise he makes a full recovery. (The modern term for this is polio – it frequently afflicts children and a childhood case of polio causing permanent disability is a possible flaw for PCs.)

Rabies: Exp: contagious; Res: 7 ‡; Inc: 2d6 w; Dur: 2d6 d; Sur: 15 (sic); Rec: 3d6 w This hideous disease is contracted by being bitten by a person or animal with the disease. The victim salivates ferociously, literally frothing at the mouth, and becomes hideously afraid of water while suffering a vicious thirst. He also suffers anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behaviour, paranoia, terror and hallucinations. Eventually he runs mad, trying to bite others. This dreadful malaise is completely untreatable by anything short of divine intervention.

Plagues: major illnesses, life threatening and prone to sweep through entire populations in waves. Black Death: infectious; Res: 9 ‡; Inc: d4+1 d; Dur: d6+1 d; Sur: 11; Rec: 1-2 w Sufferers develop acute fever and black buboes as large as apples in groin and armpits, then black spots appear on the abdomen and legs, spreading all over the body; the extremities turn gangrenous, finally the victim starts vomiting blood and dies.

Bloody Flux: infectious; Res: 9; Inc: d6 h; Dur: d6 d; Sur: 7; Rec: d4+2 d Intense bloody vomiting and diarrhoea that can run through an entire community in days, common in sieges. Victims who fumble their Resistance tests can die in less than 2 hours from the first onset of symptoms.

Camp Fever: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d6+7 d; Dur: d4 w; Sur: see notes; Rec: d4+2 d The victim takes to his bed with severe fever and a rash develops after 5 days. The severity is governed by the Resistance test, failure by 1-2pts incurs mild form, survivable on Con test of 6; failure by 3-4pts needs 7; failure by 5-6pts needs 9; failure by 7+pts needs 11; sufferers die due to gangrene.

Delirium: infectious; Res: 7 ‡; Inc: d4+3 d; Dur: 3 w; Sur: 5; Rec: 1 w 1st week: rising fever, nosebleed, headache cough; 2nd week: high fever, delirium, swollen belly; 3rd week: high fever, muttering, internal haemorrhage; 4th week: fever breaks and patient begins recovery if he passes the Survival test.

Gaol Fever: contagious; Res: 9 ‡; Inc: 1-2 w; Dur: 1-2 w; Sur: 6; Rec: d6 d Chills, bad cough, intense fever, pain in joints and muscles, photophobia, vomiting and gangrene of extremities.

46 Grippe: contagious; Res: 10; Inc: d3 d; Dur: d6+6 d; Sur: 4; Rec: d6 w (sic) Fever, headache and sneezing – the victim is more or less bedridden for the duration but is unlikely to die save from a fumbled Con test. If the Survival test is failed the subject remains in bed for a further cycle. Once the Survival test is made, he may rise from his bed but will be at -d6 off all skills until fully recovered.

Malaria/Ague: non; Res: 7; Inc: d10+5 d; Dur: d10 d; Sur: 5; Rec: d4 d Patients show distinctive cyclic symptoms of coldness and fever alternating over 2-3 days; those who recover can relapse any time they roll 2-3 on subsequent Con tests; the resistance test should be made every month the victim is exposed – Rome is infamous for malaria in Summer. In 1590 the Jesuit, Agostino Salumbrino, sends quinine to Rome from Peru and Bolivia. The disease is caught from ‘bad air’ (hence ‘malaria’).

Measles: infectious; Res: 11 ‡; Inc: d4+8 d; Dur: d4+8 d; Sur: 6; Rec: d6 d Cough, runny nose, fever, followed after 2-4 days by a rash of fine spots spreading from the ears all over the body. On a failed Survival test the spots become infected with Blood Poisoning or Gangrene and the disease persists for another cycle. On a fumbled Survival the victim dies. This is perhaps the mildest of the plagues but it should not be underestimated as it is highly infectious and can run through an entire community. This disease can be mistaken for the Pox.

Pneumonic Plague: infectious; Res: 9 ‡; Inc: d6 h; Dur: 1-2 d; Sur: 18 (sic); Rec: 1-2 w Black Death contracted via the lungs, the initial symptoms are weakness, headache, intense fever followed by coughing watery phlegm and later blood; anyone who enters the same room as an infected person is exposed.

Pox: infectious; Res: 7 ‡; Inc: 2d6+5 d; Dur: 16-20 d; Sur: 7; Rec: 1-2 w After 2-4 days of fever, nausea and vomiting small red spots appear in mouth, 1-2 days later they spread to skin, after another 1-2 days they start to turn into blisters filled with a clear liquid. Finally after another 8 days the patient dies or starts to recover. If the Survival test is 7-8, the victim’s face is scarred and pitted, reducing Grc by d3. This disease can be mistaken for Measles.

Red Death: infectious; Res: 11 ‡; Inc: 4d6 h; Dur: ½ h; Sur: 11; Rec: d4 d Sharp stabbing pains all over, dizziness, fever and the victim sweats blood before collapsing and dying. (A fictional disease, from Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death.)

Sweats: infectious; Res: 7; Inc: d6+1 d; Dur: 24 h; Sur: 7; Rec: 1-2 d Cold shivers, dizziness, neck pain exhaustion for d6/2 hours, sudden fever, delirium, finally collapse and urge to sleep.

Yellow Fever: infectious; Res: 9 ‡; Inc: d4+2 d; Dur: 3-4 w; Sur: 5; Rec: d3 d Fever, chills, loss of appetite, vomiting, head and back ache; if the patient fails the recovery roll he turns jaundiced before dying

‡ = survivors of this disease can never catch it again.

Plagues of camp fever sweep Italy repeatedly from 1505 to 1530 thanks to the Italian Wars. Malaria plagues Rome and the western Papal States every summer and it is customary for all those who can afford it (including the Pope and his cardinals) to retreat to the hills in August.

47 Magic

Magic is a dangerous occupation in Renaissance Europe. Condemned by the Church and considered suspect by the majority of people, nonetheless practitioners are surprisingly common and can be found with small effort. As the GM running Rapiers of the Renaissance, you must decide whether magic is real or not. If not, then most of the following can be ignored save as background. But if you wish magic to be a genuine force in your campaign, either for PCs or NPCs, read on…

There are several types of practitioners of the dark arts but all such ability is purchased through the ‘Magic’ virtue. The value of that virtue governs how many spells the magician knows at the start of the game and is always paid for by the equivalent flaw Dark Secret: Witch, Necromancer, etc. NOTE: the character buys the number of spells known but it’s the GM who dictates exactly which spells they are – in consultation with the player. Spells of alchemy, demonology or necromancy can be learned from certain esoteric books (if the mage can read the language) many of which have been banned by the church. They can also be taught by another practitioner of the art but such a tutor would have to reveal him or herself, which most are loath to do. Witches, on the other hand, are almost invariably taught personally, since the vast majority of witches cannot read. As well as conferring spells, the ‘Magic’ virtue also gives the character the skill Magic Sense at level 1 though some of her 30 miscellaneous skill points can be used to raise this further.

Alchemy Alchemy is both a philosophy and an ancient practice that seeks to prepare the ‘elixir of longevity’, the philosophers' stone, accomplish the transmutation of base elements into gold and attain ultimate wisdom. It involves the manufacture of several substances with unusual properties, as well as the honing of the alchemist. Some alchemical sources treat the various substances, equipment and processes in an allegorical sense, as metaphors for a spiritual discipline. Practical alchemy, on the other hand, can be viewed as a proto-science, the precursor to modern chemistry. Alchemy involves the quest for a fabled elixir or kimia (Old Persian for ‘elixir’, arabicized as al-chemia) capable of turning copper, lead and other base metals to gold and also a quest for something to prevent human beings’ bodies from suffering the vicissitudes of old age.

Warning: alchemical processes may appear similar to modern chemistry but in fact they are nothing of the kind; they are magical rituals of in-game significance only, therefore a) do not allow any reference to real-life modern science to influence Alchemy as it appears in Rapiers of the Renaissance and b) absolutely do not, not, not try any of this at home! Many of the ingredients do actually exist and are extremely dangerous to handle without appropriate health and safety protection, a modern chemical laboratory and training in chemistry as a science.

Because alchemical operations are actually magic spells, they require magic points to be successful. 1) Calcination – thermal decomposition in air 1 2) Cibation – feeding a crucible fresh ingredients to prolong the operation – tested at end 1/feed 3) Congelation – the thickening of a liquid by cooling or other means – can cause crystalisation 1 4) Conjunction – mixing of two or more ingredients 1/ingredient 5) Cupellation – heating in a ceramic crucible to drive off impurities 1 6) Exaltation – mystical operation conducted at the hour and day determined by horoscope 12 7) Fermentation – allowed to mature – tested at end 8 at start 8) Fixation – a volatile is transformed in to a solid unaffected by fire 4 9) Projection – the Philosopher’s Stone converts base metal in to gold 12 10) Purgation – cleaning and spiritual preparation by fumigation with herbs, incense and salts 1 11) Separation – dividing 2 constituents by distillation or fractionation 1 12) Solution – dissolving a solid in to a liquid or gas 1/ingredient 13) Sublimation – heating of a solid in to a gas to condense as a film elsewhere 1 14) Vaporisation – heating of a liquid in to a gas 1

48 The exact operations needed are listed in each spell. GMs please note: surprisingly few spells are needed to turn lead in to gold or to produce the Elixir of Life or the Universal Panacea, but the vast majority of alchemists never succeed in their lives’ work. The reason for this is that most alchemical works are incomplete and/or incorrect, and almost all are in code. If the GM wishes a PC alchemist to be able to produce gold at will then by all means let him do so, but if not then obviously he may find the texts he is working from are corrupt. However, be aware that a player may find a diet of constant failure frustrating so be prepared to allow him to advance his knowledge in-game. If a PC alchemist does create one of the great alchemical goals remember that society may punish practioners of the arcane arts. An examination of the careers of Edward Kelley and John Dee may illustrate this point. The GM may also create, or allow the PC alchemist to discover, other alchemical spells not listed below, which may allow other avenues to be explored. Skills: Alchemy, Arcane Lore, Gem Lore, Glassblowing, Herb Lore, Language: Arabic, Language: Greek, Language: Latin, Magic Sense.

Demonology Demonists seek power and knowledge through commerce with demons, supernatural entities from the spiritual planes. Most often these are from Hell but other planes, even Heaven, are possible. True demons are fallen Angels cast out from Hell after Lucifer’s rebellion but many lesser ‘demons’ come from other sources. Some may be the spirits of evil people from long ago. Others seem to come from ‘outside’ any frame of reference meaningful to us. All demons are controlled through the use of their names and it is vital the Demonist know this and the various correspondences that control that demon. It is comparatively easy to learn the names of lesser demons but it takes considerable effort to summon and bind them and their utility is limited. True power lies in commerce with the demonic nobility.

True demons each have one virtue (eg Prince Vassago has a ‘kindly nature’; President Barbas ‘answers truly’). Each demon, great or small, also has a ruling sin and they seek to ensnare mortals by entrapping them through this sin. For example, the Demon Azzarox induces victims to wrath, thereby condemning their souls. When such a one dies unshriven, the demon takes the soul to Hell.

Lesser devils can be summoned and bound to a service but true power lies in forming pacts with major demons and herein lies the danger for the Demonist: in return for gifts and servants from a major demon the demonist must pledge his immortal soul and, on his death, the demon gets his soul to take down to everlasting torment in Hell – doubtless to become a lesser devil himself in due course. The demon will usually mark the demonist in some way to claim him as its own. Demonists almost always have to disguise their activities, calling themselves alchemists or philosophers (eg Edward Kelly 1555-97). See the section on demons for further information. Skills: Arcane Lore, Gem Lore, Glassblowing, Greek, Latin, Magic Sense.

Necromancy This is commerce with the dead; typically the spirits of the dead but some necromancers seek to raise the dead to serve as mundane servants. Needless to say both activities are anathema to the Catholic Church and society in general. Many of the modern writings on necromancy come from Ancient Egypt, but some come from Greece and other places (Benvenuto Cellini summoned dead spirits in the Colliseum with a necromancer by the name of Strozzi using a Greek ritual). Skills: Arcane Lore, Greek, Latin, Magic Sense. Munich Manual: 15th C treatise on necromancy & demonology

Witchcraft Almost every village has its ‘wise woman’; though no sensible person would call her a witch to her face. Male witches are rarer but do exist. Witches tend to use their arts for healing, divination and low-key weather manipulation, though they are equally capable of afflicting others with a variety of 49 curses. As long as the local community see their wise woman as a force for good then she is probably safe. But if she makes a name for herself for cursing the fields, livestock and persons of her neighbours, then she may find herself fleeing a lynch mob – especially if the local Dominicans have been preaching Exodus 22:18 ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’.

Witchcraft is undoubtedly the commonest of the dark arts and its practitioners tend not to be influential, though occasionally society ladies dabble with several (eg Eleanor Duchess of Gloucester 1441, Queen Anne Boleyn 1536, Janet Lady Glamis 1537, Christenze Kruckow 1621) being found guilty. In 1502 Pope Alexander VI accuses Caterina Sforza of trying to kill him using papers impregnated with plague. Skills: Brewing, Cooking, Herb Lore, Magic Sense, Poison Lore, Tend Wounds.

Starting Spells: The number of starting spells depends on the magic virtue and the type of magician Mage\virtue 1pt 2pts 3pts 4pts 5pts 6pts Alchemist 1 3 6 12 24 Demonist * n/a n/a 1 3 6 12 Necromancer n/a 1 3 6 12 24 Witch 1 3 6 12 24 * = a demonist may take the name of a specific demon instead of a spell NOTE: all spells are granted at the whim of the GM, the player decides how many spells or demons he knows but the GM is sole arbiter over exactly which he gets. The GM should consult the player but the GM’s word is final. A starting character should be restricted to spells from a single origin, all Egyptian or all Greek, for example, reflecting the particular tome he works from.

Magic Points: any character capable of casting spells has a number of magic points available equal to her Psyche score. These are used up as spells are cast. If the caster does not have enough MPs to power a particular spell then that spell will fail. (Alternatively a very soft GM might allow a reduced effect.) A magician who uses more than half her MPs will be tired and if she uses all her MPs she may very well lose consciousness. Magic points are replenished by sleep, with all MPs regained by a full 12 hours of deep sleep. The caster can elect to sacrifice 1pt of permanent Psy in place of 8 magic points, usually enhancing the duration and effectiveness of the spell.

Spells: all spells have verbal components and most have material and/or gestural components. GMs may invent spells but player characters should not be allowed to devise new spells; the dark arts are learning from the ancients, rediscovered. All new spells should conform to the idea that there’s no such thing as an ‘instant’ spell. The quickest spell listed here is Evil Eye – please note the limitations on its operation. No spell should be any quicker than seconds and this is the only spell that might conceivably be cast in a single combat round. There is no such thing as magical .

Spells marked A are available to alchemists, those marked D to demonists, N to necromancers and W to witches. With special permission from the GM, a character may request a spell from another category but such a spell takes the place of two others and the player and GM together must come up with a good reason how the character has come to learn the spell. This should emphatically not be used to gain demonist spells or demon names cheaply.

50 Spell List Augury in the Entrails (DW): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 1 mp; Materials: a live animal By ritual slaughter of an animal and examination of its entrails, the mage can gain portents of the future. The portents will typically be cryptic and only vaguely understood on an Int test (7). The portents are clearer the larger the sacrificed animal. Human victims give very clear portents indeed.

Banish Aten (DN): Casting time: d6 minutes; Cost: 1+ Psy; Materials: a gold disk (eg a coin) and a scarab beetle This spell is of Egyptian origin; cast in the full light of day, it turns day in to starlit night for a full hour over a radius equal to 10 yards per point of Psyche invested. Blood sacrifice may be used to increase the radius. Viewed from outside, the area affected seems to be darker, as if a cloud has passed before the sun, but within the darkened area the World appears to be in the dark of night.

Binding of Solomon (D): Casting time: minutes; Cost: variable; Materials: dependent on the demon The mage attempts to bind the demon to a particular service. A binding usually includes an abjuration to depart on the conclusion of the task and the spell can be used to dismiss demons, which is more certain than an exorcism provided the demon’s name is known. Without a name the caster must rely on a Psy vs Psy contest, which is dicey. The service can be one particular task of limited duration, the tempting and slaying of a victim, for example, or the service can be general and prolonged – ‘deflect all missiles from my person’ might be an appropriate command for the right sort of demon (but obviously that demon would always be in the vicinity of the mage and might be visible to certain people with the right virtues or flaws – obviously such a binding would be broken if the demonist entered a consecrated building). The spell was originally of Hebrew origin (Solomon himself famously bound 9009 demons into a crystal sphere for all eternity) but versions have been translated in to Arabic, Greek and Persian. (See Demons)

Blight/Bless Crop (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 6 mps; Materials: a corn dolly A minor ritual that brings blessing or ruin on a particular field of arable crops. The witch must dance naked in the field at either midday or midnight. The spell ends if the witch is killed.

Blood Sacrifice (ADNW): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: n/a; Materials: a living victim The infamous black magic ritual whereby the mage sacrifices a victim in order to utilise his or her Psy. The amount of Psy available depends on the nature of the victim: a chicken gives 1 Psy; a lamb d3; a dog d4; a horse d6; but a human gives all the victim’s Psy! The blood sacrifice must be incorporated into the spell to be augmented and therefore it may be difficult to combine the sacrifice with spells such as Evil Eye, for example. Some other spells demand that the caster’s own Psy be used, to create a link with the object of the spell (eg the necromantic spell ‘Raise the Dead’ or ‘Ward Against Chronos’). Versions of this spell are found in most schools of magic.

Call Obscuring Mists (NW): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 3mps; Materials: a cup of water An evocation of several potent entities whilst blowing softly across a cup of water drawn from a nearby body of water, calls up a dense fog for a 20 yard radius. Winds are slightly calmed but the fog drifts with a breeze and may disperse early, otherwise lasting till the sun burns it off. Each extra 3mps adds 20 yards to the radius.

Call Rain (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: variable; Materials: a cup of the witch’s urine A rite by which the caster can increase the chance of rain by 1% per magic point spent. It must be cast at midday under an open sky. Others joining in the ritual can also offer their MPs. All participants must wet their fingers in the urine and flick it about. The effects last for the next 24 hours. Alternatively, 1 Psy may replace 8 MPs for the same effect and then the effects can last for months. If cast in winter it may bring snow instead. Note: Demonists may achieve similar effects by summoning elementals. 51

Call Storm (W): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: variable; Materials: a thunderstone A rite which can summon a thunderstorm within the next 24 hours. The chance is 1% per magic point spent. The spell involves dancing naked in the open at midnight, more than one person may dance provided each has a thunderstone. Note: Demonists may achieve similar effects by summoning elementals. (Thunderstones in the modern era are fossil belemnites.)

Call Wind (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: variable; Materials: a handful of windblown seeds This is a rite by which the caster can summon a wind of her choice to any point she can see by any means. It involves whistling in a particularly atonal and off-putting manner while facing the direction the wind is to come from. The magic points cast govern the strength of the wind, roughly one mile-per-hour of windspeed per magic point. Thus single point expenditure will produce the lightest of breezes while a gale will need a minimum of 32pts, a storm 64pts and a hurricane 80pts. The effects last until dawn and cover a radius of five miles, twice this at sea. Alternatively, 1 Psy may replace 8 MPs for the same effect and then the effects can last for weeks. If a wind is already present then the witch must either call a stronger wind from the same direction or cast Calm Winds first. Note: Demonists may achieve similar effects by summoning elementals.

Calm Winds (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: variable; Materials: a handful of windblown seeds A charm by which the caster can calm the winds over a radius of five miles on land, twice this at sea. The witch must face the direction the wind is coming from and sing a calming song without words. The effects last until dawn. The cost is 1 magic point per mile-an-hour of windspeed. If the witch uses less magic points than the windspeed then the force is simply reduced. Alternatively, 1 Psy may replace 8 MPs for the same effect and then the effects can last for weeks. The ability of witches to becalm ships is infamous the World over. Note: Demonists may achieve similar effects by summoning elementals.

Candle of Conception (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 10 mps; Materials: the tallow from a bull, pine needles, poppy seeds, myrtle flower, a fig and beeswax The witch must crush the pine needles, poppy seeds, myrtle flower and fig and reduce them to an ichor. Then she adds the ichor to the molten beeswax and tallow. This is used to make a candle. This candle must burn adjacent to the marriage bed while the husband and wife make love and left to burn all night. If the woman makes a test of Con (10) she shall conceive. This can be repeated indefinitely until the candle burns down, typically d3 nights.

Casting of the Runes (D): Casting time: hours; Cost: 3mps; Materials: a piece of parchment made of human skin, ink made of human blood, a bound demon capable of physical harm A way of identifying a victim to a demon: part of the binding ritual is written in mystic sigils on the parchment, usually in the caster’s own blood. The victim must then be induced to willingly (but not necessarily knowingly) accept the parchment. (Typically the parchment is hidden in another, quite innocuous, object.) Because the victim has voluntarily accepted the parchment the demon does not need to tempt him. Over the next 9 days the victim gets hints of the demon’s attentions, gradually building in severity until the demon reveals itself in its entirety the penultimate night. By this time the victim is usually in a paroxysm of terror and many commit suicide rather than face the ultimate appearance of the demon. If he still has it, at any time the victim can pass the parchment on to another, in which case the demon’s attentions switch to the new victim. However such an act damns the soul for he has knowingly condemned another to his fate. He could try passing the parchment to the demonist, in which case the demonist is visited by the demon instead.

Cause Disease (W): Casting time: 1 hour at midnight Cost: 16mps Materials: a piece of cloth from someone who has died of a disease, the victim’s blood, hair or fingernails, various poisonous plants, an earthenware pot 52 This spell inflicts the victim with the disease from which the cloth is imbued. The cloth must come from the clothes or the bed linen of someone who has died of a disease while wearing those clothes or lying in that bed. They are placed in an earthenware pot, various poisonous plants are added, such as henbane, and the spell intoned to enchant the pot, during which the caster sacrifices as many magic points as she can spare. The pot is finally buried in a graveyard and the spell is complete. The magic points in the spell attack the victim’s Psy and if successful causes him to develop the disease. The disease does not have to be something contagious in the normal sense, if the donor died of cancer then the victim will also get cancer. The disease will follow the normal progress of the disease, so while cancer may kill it may take decades to do so and may not even be diagnosed for years. The difference is that all normal cures will not work. However examination by Detect Enchantment or various forms of Augury or Divination may reveal the true cause. The disease can be cured by retrieving the buried object or inducing the caster to break the spell. It is also possible to inflict a non-lethal disease; this is seldom worth the effort but leprosy or some type of venereal disease has been inflicted in the past.

Charm of Koschei (W): Casting time: hours; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: an emerald worth 400 ducats A ritual of Slavic origin that transfers the caster’s soul to a gem. As long as the gem is safe then the caster cannot die – though he can still suffer injury and he will still age. Anyone who gains possession of the gem has the caster in their power. He will be weakened and can cast no magic against them but any spell cast at the gem automatically hits the caster. If the gem is broken then the caster immediately loses d6 Con permanently and will swoon for a dramatically appropriate period.

Circe’s Revenge (W): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: a hair of the victim This spell of Greek origin (although there are Northern European folk-tales of something similar) enables the witch to take the manhood of a male victim. She must seduce him and intone the spell in the act of love with him inside her. As he reaches climax he passes out. The victim will recover consciousness in a few minutes to find his penis missing with no scar or any sign of cutting. The organ will be left inside the witch who can then take it and store it for her own purposes. The severed organ does not rot but the witch can burn it to exact permanent revenge or alternatively she can restore it (in a reverse of the spell) in return for some payment in kind.

Cleanse Wound (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 4 MPs; Materials: moss & hyssop The moss and herbs are boiled and enchanted in to a poltice to be applied to an open wound, which will then be cleansed from taint, curing blood poisoning and infection (but not gangrene).

Close Wound (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 12 MPs; Materials: violets, sheep sorrel & woundwort The flowers and herbs are enchanted and placed in a linen bag which must be hung around the patient’s neck who may add 4 to his Recovery tests after being wounded.

Congelation of the Panacea (A): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: 24mps; Materials: 4½oz Alkahest, 1oz Arcanum, 1oz Aether, Amber worth 4 ducats, 1oz tin, 1oz quicksilver This process creates one ounce of the Panacea. The first step is the conjunction of the tin with the quicksilver (Alchemy test). The resultant amalgam together with the Arcanum and the amber ground to a powder must then undergo solution in the Alkahest (Alchemy test). The resultant mixture must be conjoined to the Aether (Alchemy test) and allowed to ferment for a month (Alchemy test). Finally it is Exalted (Alchemy test) in an elaborate ritual at the appropriate hour and day. The resultant white fluid tends to be unstable, lasting for only a short while before separating so typically it undergoes a further process of congelation (Alchemy test) and is pressed in to pills before it hardens to solid. The total amount of the panacea produced is 1oz, equal to 60 pills. The Panacea is the Universal cure-all, for humans anyway. The Panacea is different from the Azoth in that it heals wounds and cures disease by eliminating that which does not match the true eidolon 53 of the being that provided the Arcanum. A panacea made with the Arcanum of a particular beast will be a cure-all for that beast, eg for horses. One 6-grain pill causes wounds to close in hours that would otherwise take days. It mends bones in days that would take weeks (at the cost of 1 pill per day), and it cures all illness in hours. The only things it cannot do are regrow a lost body part or restore life to the dead.

Create Golem (D): Casting time: days; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: clay and a scroll of parchment, both virginal A ritual of Judaic origin whereby a humanoid form fashioned from clay is animated by means of a mystic formula from the Torah written on a scroll and placed in the golem’s mouth. The golem exhibits immense strength and can obey simple commands but if given an order contrary to the teachings of the Torah and the Bible it will run amok. A golem is created by Rabbi Judah Bezalel in Prague in the late 16th Century to protect the Jewish ghetto from anti-semitic attacks.

Create Love Philtre (W): Casting time: days; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: morning dew from a flower of heartsease, human tears, white wine vinegar, a crushed pearl and a part of the recipient’s body When drunk by the recipient causes him to fall asleep for several hours. He or she will fall in love with the first member of the opposite sex seen upon waking. (Note: persons of a certain bent may fall for their own sex; also, once in love, this does not prevent them behaving badly, loved ones sometimes do that.) The effects will wear off in a few days but repeat doses can maintain the infatuation or it can be permanent if 2 Psy replace the magic points. It can develop in to genuine love with time but it is also common for the recipient to react with revulsion when the spell ends.

Creation of the Vessel of Light (A): Casting time: up to 1 month; Cost: 13mps; Materials: a crystal vial, the Aether, a diamond valued at 800 ducats, herbs and alchemical salts A vial of a single perfect rock crystal must be created and purgated with suitable herbs and correspondences (Alchemy test). In to the vial is introduced a single diamond and one drop of the Aether, such that the diamond is entirely covered. The vial is then sealed with a stopper of the same crystal. Finally the filled vial must be exalted (Alchemy test) under the light of the full Moon at the appropriate hour (determined by horoscope). The vial takes in the light of the Moon and thereafter in the dark will emit a radiance, as of a moonlit night, though by day it appears an empty vessel.

Curdle Milk (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 1+ mps; Materials: curdled milk A minor ritual that inflicts mastitis on a cow within 100 yds per mp point spent, causing its milk to be unusable. The effects last for a d6 days but if the witch sacrifices 1 Psy instead of the MPs its effects may be permanent. Must be cast at midnight. This can be cast on any female mammal, including women, where it causes aching breasts, sore nipples and loss of 1 Con for the duration. Obviously, if cast on a nursing mother this is a seriously antisocial spell.

Curse (W): Casting time: hours; Cost: variable; Materials: body part of victim A curse requires Psy vs Psy roll and a body part of the victim, allowing that part of the body to be afflicted with a curse sent by ritual magic through the invocation of the names of several potent entities of power. Ergo, a lock of hair could inflict baldness or headaches; spittle might leave the victim vulnerable to mouth ulcers or toothache; excrement to bowel-quakes, etc. The severity of the curse depends on the amount of MPs or Psy expended. Blood is the most powerful body part, allowing any part of the body to be afflicted and doubling the effectiveness of MPs or Psy. Curses using MPs are temporary; those using Psy are permanent until dispelled or lifted. 1 Psy point replaces 8mps. A curse can be made in extremis as the caster is killed or violated in which case the formal preparation may be unnecessary and the cost in terms of MPs or Psy is reduced. MPs Effect 1 Warts, stammer, bad breath, dandruff 2 Back pain, toothache, bowel quakes 54 4 Impaired vision, baldness, broken thumb 8 Debilitating pain, broken arm 12 Blindness, broken leg 16 Cancer, leprosy, maiming 32 Death and Doom Note: even ‘permanent’ curses can be lifted by some means that may be discovered by another magical practitioner, or by a suitable religious ritual conducted by an ordained priest, or by killing the Witch.

Curse of Life Everlasting (N): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: 2 Psy; Materials: a living person, lots of bandages, preservatives and a special ichor distilled from leaves of the Tanis plant. This is an Ancient Egyptian curse whereby a living person is preserved as a mummy and entombed alive to live through the centuries as an undead guardian and inspiration for countless horror films.

Divination by Tarot (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 1 mp; Materials: a tarot deck By ritual examination of a select number of cards, typically 6 or as many as 10, the witch may gain insights in to the nature of activities surrounding a situation. Not at all good for yes/no and single word answers but can be quite good at warning of hidden influences. The interpretation is subject to an Int test, of course.

Draft Horoscope (ADN): Casting time: hours during the night; Cost: 1mp; Materials: astrolabe, parchment, quill and ink, rule and compasses By taking observations of the planets in their celestial houses, the astrologer can plot their positions and use their correlations to draw conclusions as to current and future events. One of the main uses for this is the determination of the right day and hour in which to commence some momentous (often arcane) activity. The success of this is governed by a test of the astrologer’s Quadrivium skill, needing a score of 10 for success with an Int modifier.

Enchantment of the Receptacle (A): Casting time: 1 week; Cost: 13mps; Materials: 2 grains gold dust, 1oz litharge, 2oz flint glass, 1lb finest grade china clay, 2lb powdered bone, 1lb ground rock crystal This enchantment creates a vessel capable of holding the Alkahest, the Universal Solvent. The alchemist must fashion the vessel from 2 parts of bone ash (produced by calcination of raw cattle bones), 1 part of the finest china clay and 1 part of rock crystal, all ground to the finest powder. This powdered mixture is wetted to create a clay from which the alchemist fashions a narrow- necked pot with a stopper. This is baked in a potter’s kiln to produce a fine white pot, which is then glazed with a mixture of 1 part litharge to 2 parts flint glass, leavened with a pinch of gold dust. The resultant receptacle has a pale red-gold colour, which deepens during the final enchantment. If the alchemist successfully tests his Exaltation, the vessel is ready for the Alkahest. The stopper must be finely ground to fit the mouth of the pot because the Alkahest is extremely volatile. The same enchantment will almost certainly have to be made to produce the vessels suitable to use the Alkahest in alchemical operations.

Evil Eye (W): Casting time: seconds; Cost: variable; Materials: the witch’s blood or spit The witch must sprinkle her bodily fluids on the victim whilst expending magic points or Psyche. Spitting is quick and easy or she can urinate on him but the most effective way is to sprinkle a few drops of her blood, traditionally by biting her thumb and flicking it at him. Blood doubles the effectiveness of MPs or Psy. There follows a Psy vs Psy contest and, if successful, the victim suffers a fearful run of bad luck, suffering -2 on all tests and fumbling on 2-3. The victim also suffers with his relationships; his family and work colleagues will be bad-tempered, people will forget to pass on messages, etc. 1mp lasts for an hour; 2mps till midday, midnight, dusk or dawn; 3mps until dawn or dusk; 4mps for 24 hours; 8mps for a week; 16mps for month; 32 mps for a 55 season; 64 mps for a year; 128 mps for a decade; 256 mps for a lifetime. 1 Psy replaces 8mps. There are various ways to remove the affliction, including exorcism by a priest. The victim must see the witch cast the spell and knows the origin of his woes. He can make amends and ask the witch to lift the Evil Eye, or he can denounce her and have her burned, which works equally well.

Evocation of the Damned (N): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: a drop of the caster’s blood at the site of death or on the corpse at midnight Evokes the ghost of a named person provided that person's spirit is in Limbo, Hell, Purgatory or roaming the Earth as an unquiet spirit – which typically means only saints or those beatified are barred as their spirits go straight to Heaven. The spirit must then answer 3 questions truthfully to the best of its ability. Obviously, the questions must be couched in terms the ghost can understand.

Evocation of the Gnome (AD): Casting time: 1 hour at midnight; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: earth, 4 ducats of cinnamon and spikenard, a bowl of beaten copper, an emerald worth 400 ducats The alchemist summons an elemental spirit of Earth. The invocation must be done in a chamber completely bounded by natural elemental Earth – in a cave or underground, with a natural, unpaved floor. The alchemist must draw a pentagram in which he must place the materials and around which scribe certain specific sigils. Then, on the appropriate hour, he pronounces the incantation and the Gnome will rise up through the floor in to the pentagram. The Gnome is about a foot tall and can be bound to do the bidding of the alchemist. It can move through earth, soil and rock as easily as a bird through air. It can be used to attack people but has no way to recognise individuals. It’s most effective use is prospecting for minerals. An alchemist cannot have both a gnome and a sylph, for the two are inimical and will fight, destroying the laboratory in the process.

Evocation of the Salamander (AD): Casting time: 1 hour at midnight; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: intense fire, 4 ducats of frankinsense and myrrh, an iron dagger, ruby worth 400 ducats The alchemist summons an elemental spirit of Fire. The invocation must be done next to a large source of fire – the heart of a volcano or a blazing bonfire. The alchemist must draw a pentagram in which he must place the materials and around which scribe certain specific sigils. Then, on the appropriate hour, he pronounces the incantation and the Salamander will appear in to the pentagram. The Salamander is about a foot tall and can be bound to do the bidding of the alchemist, being kept in a permanently lit forge. They are extremely useful for they can be used to control the heat of the forge and will keep it at a set temperature and warn if the fuel is running low. An alchemist cannot have both an undine and a salamander, for the two are inimical and will fight, destroying the laboratory in the process.

Evocation of the Sylph (AD): Casting time: 1 hour at midnight; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: air, 4 ducats of sandalwood and mastic, a vial of quicksilver, a diamond worth 400 ducats The alchemist summons an elemental spirit of Air. The invocation must be done in the open air on the peak of a mountain or hill on which no house is built. The alchemist must draw a pentagram in which he must place the materials and around which scribe certain specific sigils. Then, on the appropriate hour, he pronounces the incantation and the Sylph will coalesce in the pentagram. The Sylph is a being of air that can manifest as a humanoid between 1 and 6 feet tall and can be bound to do the bidding of the alchemist. Its principal use is to influence the weather. An alchemist cannot have both a gnome and a sylph, for the two are inimical and will fight, destroying the laboratory in the process.

Evocation of the Undine (AD): Casting time: 1 hour at midnight; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: water, 4 ducats of camphor and ambergris, silver jewellery, sapphire worth 400 ducats The alchemist summons an elemental spirit of Water. The invocation must be done adjacent to a large body of naturally occurring water, a lake, sea or a large river. The alchemist must draw a pentagram in which he must place the materials and around which scribe certain specific sigils. 56 Then, on the appropriate hour, he pronounces the incantation and the Undine will flow in to the pentagram. The Undine appears as a naked woman composed entirely of water and can be bound to do the bidding of the alchemist. A undine can make a body of water very dangerous to cross by swimming or boat. Strangely, all the legends describe undines as craving sexual intercourse with men, so that they may bear mortal children. An alchemist cannot have both an undine and a salamander, for the two are inimical and will fight, destroying the laboratory in the process.

Eye of Death (N): Casting time: hours; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: a skull, human or otherwise When cast at midnight, this spell causes a skull (human skulls are best but any large beast will do) to become a point of observation. The skull, once enchanted, may be placed to observe a set place. The necromancer will be immediately aware of anything moving in that place and with a minute of meditation shift his awareness in to the skull to see through its eyes instead of his own. The enchantment is permanent.

Fascination (W): Casting time: seconds; Cost: 8mps; Materials: a sparkling gem of any size A simple spell by which the witch can make herself fascinating to a member of the opposite sex. The effect is subtle and lasts only minutes. Unusually, the gem may be reused.

Fermentation of the Azoth (A): Casting time: 43 days; Cost: ?mps; Materials: 2½oz Alkahest, 1oz the Arcanum of the alchemist’s blood, 1oz of the Kimia, a diamond worth 800 ducats The Azoth is the Elixir of Life, a minim (480 minims to the ounce) taken every day reduces aging. The first stage is one of solution of the diamond in to the Alkahest (Alchemy test). This fluid is then conjugated with the Kimia (Alchemy test). The third stage is to conjoin with the Arcanum made from the blood of the alchemist (Alchemy test) on Easter Friday. Blood from another source will produce an Elixir only usable by the source of the blood, the Azoth is very specific. The mixture will now be a cloudy dark red colour which must be exalted on Easter Monday (Alchemy test) and then allowed to ferment for forty days before again being exalted on the Feast of the Ascension (Alchemy test). The Azoth is now complete but must be stored in a cool dry place and left undisturbed to mature until Christmas Day. During this period the liquid will reduce and clear to 1oz of a dark red spirit which should be decanted in to a sealed earthenware vessel. Thereafter, one minim taken daily will ensure that the alchemist will age only one hour during the course of that day. However, if he should fail to take his daily minim, he will start to age a year for every day he fails to take the Azoth until his full age has come upon him.

Fixation of the Arcanum (A): Casting time: 1 week; Cost: 7mps; Materials: 8oz of the Alchemist’s blood, herbs and alchemical salts The fresh blood of the alchemist must go through the processes of purgation, fixation and solution processes (Alchemy test for each) before undergoing conjunction (Alchemy test) with herbs and certain alchemical salts and left to mature for a week. Finally it must be exalted (Alchemy test) on the appropriate hour and day determined by horoscope. The resultant 8oz of Arcanum can be stored in a sealed glass jar indefinitely against need.

Fox Beer (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 1+ mps; Materials: beer from that to be foxed A minor ritual that ruins the brewings of a neighbour within 100 yds per mp point spent. That brewing must be thrown away and the brewing restarted from scratch after a thorough scrubbing. Must be cast at midnight.

Gestation of the Homunculus (A): Casting time: most of a year; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: 1 mandrake root, the semen of a hanged man, 1oz of the Arcanum made from the alchemist’s blood, the womb of a virgin mare The mandrake must be pulled from the ground under a full moon, but to do so results in death from the mandrake’s scream. ‘A furrow must be dug around the root until its lower part is exposed, then 57 a dog is tied to it, after which the person tying the dog must get away. The dog then endeavours to follow him, and so easily pulls up the root, but dies instead of his master. After this the root can be handled without fear.’ The semen ejaculated by a hanged man must be placed with a whole mandrake root in a sealed alembic (an alchemical still) and fermented (Alchemy test) for forty days at body heat by which time it comes to life and moves itself, and stirs, which is easily observed. After this time, it will look somewhat like a man, but transparent. After this it must be placed in the womb taken from a virgin mare where it must be cibated at an even heat and fed with the Arcanum of the alchemist’s blood for forty weeks. On a second successful Alchemy test a living human emerges, with all its members like a man born of woman, but much smaller. If after the first stage the nascent homunculus is divided, many smaller homunculi can be produced instead. Any number of homunculi may be produced from one 2-feet tall to a dozen only 2-inches tall (total height must not exceed 24 inches). They will obey the alchemist’s instructions, though they are far from bright; complex orders cannot be comprehended and mistakes are possible with all but the simplest directions. An homunculus needs no sleep and can eat normal human food. It has the attributes of Phs 0, Con d6, Qck 4d6, Grc 2d6, Int d6, Psy 1; it has the knowledge of its creator in a rudimentary form and the physical skills of the hanged man who donated his seed (halved in both cases). Its wizened face will resemble both its parents. The homunculus loses 1 point of Con each year; when its Con falls to zero, it dies and quickly deliquesces in to a foul-smelling pulp.

Glamour (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 8mps; Materials: a part of the victim: hair, nail clippings, etc A spell to change the way the recipient sees things. It can be cast to make the recipient see the caster as more beautiful or change the way the caster sees anything or anyone else. This is a very subtle spell. It doesn’t change the thing, merely the victim’s perception of the thing. It cannot make the victim see someone as a monster but it can make them feel that person is monstrous. If the caster sacrifices 1 Psy instead of the magic points it can be permanent until dispelled. Otherwise it lasts until dawn. It can be used simply to gain short term influence over someone. If the caster does not have any hair or nail clippings, she can cast the spell by touching the victim during conversation and beating him in a Psy vs Psy contest.

Hecate’s Binding (N): Casting time: hours; Cost: 16mps; Materials: a dead body, a ghost, a thimbleful of quicksilver As with most necromantic spells this can only be cast during the hours of darkness. It binds a ghost (summoned separately, already present or created by killing a victim) in to a dead body to animate it at the command of the necromancer. The binding requires a successful Psy vs Psy contest. If fleshed the undead will have the Phs x 1½, Con x 1½ and Qck/2 of the corpse; Grc of 1, Int, Psy and skills of the ghost. The thing will not feel pain so only wounds that break bones will affect it but it will have brawl and melee skills at d3. The flesh will continue to rot and in 1-3 months will be a mere skeleton. At this point the Phs will have fallen to half the previous value but Qck will be the corpse’s original value. If a dry skeleton is hit in combat, add the damage to 2d6, if the result is greater than the Con then the bone at that location shatters. Undead always use Phs in combat, never Grc. The spirit continues to animate any bones that remain intact until the skull is shattered.

Hecate’s Children (N): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 10 MPs; Materials: dragon’s teeth For each tooth cast upon the ground, this spell causes a skeleton to rise from the ground, armed as a Greek warrior in plate cuirass, vambraces and greaves with shield and either a spear, a short sword or a falchion. It has Phs 10, Con 10, Qck 15, Grc 1, Int 10, Psy 1, melee of 3 and brawl of 3. They will do the bidding of the necromancer for one hour before falling to dust.

Invocation of Algol (N): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 6 mps; Materials: rotten human flesh

58 A spell of Arabic origin by which the necromancer invokes the star Algol (the Ghoul Star) to assert his will over a ghoul. He must succeed in a Psy vs Psy contest with the Ghoul. Algol must be visible in the heavens at the time of casting – typically from January through to June in the Northern Hemisphere. A pentagram is advisable to protect the necromancer from the depredations of the ghoul and its mates. The control lasts until the necromancer dies.

Invocation of Conception (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: acorns, cuckoo- flower, daffodil, dock, figs, hawthorn, hazel, mugwort, mustard, myrtle flower, olives, pine needles, poppy seeds, wild garlic This is an invocation to a specific god to induce conception. Each god will demand a different selection of 3-4 items from the list of ingredients, ground together and reduced to a paste. The various ancient gods all require one specific addition: priapus – a wooden effigy of the god; Aphrodite – an oyster shell; Venus – a pearl; Hathor – a wooden effigy of a cow; Frigg – a silver broach. The ingredients must be placed in a small pouch of leather or cloth and worn around the neck. A woman who wears the charm on her person for a full month may add +4 when making a Con test to conceive for that month.

Joseph’s Sending (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 3 mps; Materials: holy water in a copper bowl With a successful Psy vs Psy contest the witch may cause a named recipient to have a prophetic dream of the future. If the recipient is willing the Psy contest is unnecessary. The recipient may be herself. Of course, the dream will be cryptic and require interpretation (Int test (7) by the witch).

Light (NW): Casting time: 1 minute; Cost: 1 mp; Materials: semi-precious gem Must be cast on a gem, which may be reused, making it glow with a pale light of a colour and quality matching the gem, it can be maintained without concentration at 1 magic point per minute.

Multiplication of the Kimia (A): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: 8 ounces of Kimia, 1 ounce of quicksilver, sulphur, alchemical apparatus This alchemical process increases the power and quantity of the Kimia to create the Lapis Philosophorum, the Philosopher’s Stone. The process must be begun on the appropriate day of the month, determined by horoscope. The quicksilver is first exalted (Alchemy test) and then added to the Kimia, a drop at a time, in a process of conjunction (Alchemy test) until the kimia turns a pale cloudy grey. The mixture is then left to cibate for a month with a pinch of flowers of sulphur being added every third day (Alchemy test). At the end of the process the mixture will have attained a pale golden colour. Finally the flask must be opened by the narrowest of apertures and the flask gently heated to force the vapours to depart through a condensing tube (Alchemy test – sublimation), as they do so, 2d10 grains of a fine yellow-orange residue will come to line the tube. This is the Lapis Philosophorum, the Philosopher’s Stone. ‘I have seen and I have touched the Philosopher’s Stone more than once. The colour of it was like saffron in powder, but heavy and shining like pounded glass.’ – De Natura Vitae Eternae by Jan Baptist van Helmont

Open the Way (DNW): Casting time: 1 minute; Cost: 6 MPs; Materials: a silver needle bearing a drop of the caster’s blood introduced to the lock This spell is an invocation to ancient gods to open a locked portal. It will open any non-magical lock, including barred gates, though it does not prevent alarms from actuating, if present. If a portal is magically sealed, the caster must beat the magic by a Psyche contest. The spell involves intoning the following words in a loud, commanding voice: ‘Open unto me the way, Umr at-Tawil’. Unusually, the silver needle may be reused. This spell is of Arabic origin but possibly derived from a more ancient Egyptian version.

59 Opening of the Mouth (N): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: 16 MPs; Materials: a named mummified body prepared according to Egyptian burial ritual An ancient Egyptian ritual to animate a mummy (or perhaps a statue in some versions). The mummy must be intact with its organs preserved (but not necessarily inside the mummy – usually they are kept separately in canopic jars). The corpse retains the original intellect and will and is independent of the necromancer unless he also casts Rite of Set. It should therefore be placed within a pentagram prior to casting the spell.

Petition to Osiris (N): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: 12 MPs; Materials: a portion of the remains of a specific named individual This is an ancient Egyptian ritual to recall the spirit of a named individual who may then be questioned on a successful Psy vs Psy contest for each question. The individual concerned cannot have been buried by a burial rite of any other than that of the Ancient Egyptians – of course, if the corpse is newly-dead and unburied, or disposed without any rite, then the spirit may be summoned.

Pentagram (ADNW): Casting time: minutes; Cost: variable; Materials: salt, mercury, black tallow made from human fat or similar spiritually charged medium with which to create the design Creates a barrier against a specific type of creature. It lasts only as long as the witch remains awake. Many types of creature may be defended against but each will require the separate expenditure of MPs. The strength of the Pentagram is equal to the MPs expended. If the Pentagram is to keep gribblies out, then anyone in the Pentagram may contribute MPs. If used to cage something, then only persons who successfully cast the spell may contribute. Once cast, the selected type(s) of creature may not cross the barrier unless their individual Psy is greater than the strength of the Pentagram. The type of creature warded must be known to the witch. This is possibly the single commonest spell with a myriad versions found all over the World.

Philtre to Ease Pain (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 8 mps; Materials: poppy seeds, willow bark, meadowsweet and devil’s claw root The ingredients must be ground to a powder and then brewed in wine or spirits to create a d6 doses of a potion which eases general pain through injury or disease. It demands a Con Test (5) to avoid poisoning.

Philtre of Labour’s Ease (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 10 mps; Materials: poppy seeds, willow bark, chamomile, hellebore and a pearl from a mussel The ingredients must be ground to a powder and then brewed in wine or spirits to create a d6 doses of a potion which dulls the pain of childbirth without preventing the mother’s full participation in the process. It demands a Con Test (5) to avoid poisoning – if failed, follow the poisoning process for Hellebore for both the mother and child.

Philtre of Potency (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 10 mps; Materials: the horn from a bull, oak apple, rose petals, olives and capers This is a spell to counter impotence in a husband. The witch must brew the oak apple, rose petals, olives and capers into a potion into which she adds powdered bull’s horn. The result is 2d6 doses of a potion which may be added to the husband’s wine. If he succeeds in a Con (5) he will feel his ardour rise within and for the space of an hour or so demonstrate restored competence in the marriage bed. However, a natural 2 means he has been poisoned by the potion and will be rendered very ill for several days before dying if he fails a Survival Test of Con (5).

Philtre of Stillbirth (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 12 MPs; Materials: asafoetida, wild carrot, nutmeg and a crushed pearl Childbirth is always physically dangerous and a woman finding herself with child out of wedlock may draw censure from her family and society in general. But girls will be girls and so there is a 60 demand for the services of the wise-woman in such situations. The ingredients are brewed together in spirits while the witch chants the spell for an hour at midnight. The resultant potion will unfailingly abort the pregnancy but the recipient must make a Con test (7) to avoid being poisoned by the medicine. If the role is a natural 2 or she fails a subsequent Survival Test of Con (7) she suffers uncontrolled bleeding with fatal complications.

Preparation of the Alkahest (A): Casting time: 1 week; Cost: 7mps; Materials: the Receptacle, 1oz sal ammoniac, 4oz aqua fortis, 4oz spirits of wine This operation creates the Universal Solvent necessary for many other alchemical operations. Great care must be taken at all stages in this preparation because all the liquids involved are hideously dangerous. The first stage involves Solution (Alchemy test) of sal ammoniac into 3oz of aqua fortis until no more can be dissolved. The liquid thus prepared should be decanted and 3 parts mixed with 1 part aqua fortis to make aqua regia. The aqua regia must be Exalted (Alchemy test) in an elaborate ritual at the appropriate hour and day before it is Conjugated (Alchemy test) with distilled spirits of wine via very gently heating each liquid in separate vessels and passing the vapours in to a third vessel, the Receptacle, where 8oz of the Alkahest will condense. The Alkahest is the Universal Solvent – it will dissolve its own weight of anything it touches, save hardware prepared in the appropriate ritual outlined in the Enchantment of the Receptacle ritual.

Projection of the Lapis Philosophorum (A): Casting time: 1 week; Cost: ?mps; Materials: Alkahest, ¼ grain of the Philosopher’s Stone, 8 ounces of base metal, cold water, alchemical apparatus This is the alchemical process that transmutes base metal in to gold. Take one quarter grain (a grain is the 360th part of an ounce) of the Philosopher’s Stone and 8 ounces of base metal, ground to powder. The mixture must be heated in an alembic (enchanted in the manner of the Receptacle) in which the Alkahest has been vaporised (Alchemy test). (Lead is the cheapest base metal but quicksilver is the easiest to work with because it evaporates much more readily.) This causes the metal and Philosopher’s Stone to vaporise. This vapour is exalted (Alchemy test), then projected (bubbled – Alchemy test) through pure cold distilled water, causing gold to fixate from the vapours (Alchemy test), which become cloudy and grey. The result will be 7oz 189 grains, of the most pure gold. The alchemist must test his Alchemy skill three times: once to vaporise the Alkahest (sublimation), secondly to vaporise the metal and Philosopher’s Stone (conjunction) and lastly for the fixation process. Use of any metal except quicksilver incurs a -1 penalty on the alchemist’s skill test. ‘I had once given me the fourth of a grain - I call a grain that which takes 360 to make an ounce. I made projection with this fourth part of a grain wrapped in paper upon eight ounces of quicksilver heated in a crucible.’ – De Natura Vitae Eternae by Jan Baptist van Helmont

Rain Charm (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 1mp; Materials: wing of bat A short charm that keeps the caster dry in in the rain for up to an hour. The bat’s wing may be reused.

Raise the Dead (N): Casting time: hours; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: a recently dead body A rite that creates a dead servant from a corpse, the fresher the better. The necromancer conducts the ritual from dusk until midnight, at the climax of which he must let drip an ounce of his own blood in to the mouth of the corpse. As he then kisses the corpse he sacrifices 1 Psy and the corpse becomes animated under his will. The corpse functions as if it were the mage in terms of knowledge and skills. Its attributes will be the same as when it was alive save that for it will have lost 1 Str for every 3 days since death, 1 Qck and 1 Grc for each day dead. It will have Int and Psy of 1. The spell arrests further decay until the necromancer himself dies, whereupon his undead servant falls inert and assumes the putrefaction prevented by the spell – Ick! There are many terms for such a servant: wiedergänger, revenant, draug – but the term ‘zombie’ is several centuries in the future. 61

Reduction of the Prima Materia (A): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: ?mps; Materials: 3oz Nitre, 4oz of Quicksilver, 4oz of Sulphur, 8lbs fresh horse manure Firstly the quicksilver must be conjoined (Alchemy test) with flowers of sulphur until all liquid is subsumed in the amalgam. To this mixture is added ground nitre and covered with a layer of fresh manure (that of horse is best) kept moist and left to ferment for a month (Alchemy test – fermentation); every third day the alchemist should feed the crucible with nitre (Alchemy test – cibation, made at the end of the month). At the end of the month the crucible must be heated in calcination (Alchemy test), this reduces the mixture to a black, charred residue that should be disposed of but the captured vapour is the Quintessence, which must be exalted (Alchemy test) and fixated (Alchemy test) to form 1oz of a liquid with no colour or smell and which offers no sensation to the touch but which captures light in a highly novel form and which may continue to convey light in the darkness long after that light has been removed. This is the Aether.

Resonation of the Aether (A): Casting time: 3 months; Cost: ?mps; Materials: 8oz Aether, 1oz Alkahest, 1oz pure Gold This process creates the Kimia, which is the basic substrate for the making the Azoth (the Elixir of Life) and the Philosopher’s Stone itself. First is the process of solution of gold in to the Alkahest (Alchemy test), using just enough Universal Solvent to utterly dissolve the gold. This mixture then enters a process of conjugation with the Aether (Alchemy test). The resultant cloudy yellow mixture must be exalted (Alchemy test) at the appropriate hour at the Spring equinox (determined by horoscope) before being left to mature for 3 months to the Summer solstice when it is exalted again (Alchemy test). The result is 8oz of a clear fluid of a deep red-gold colour, this is the Kimia and has all the qualities of the Azoth and the Philosopher’s Stone but in an attenuated form that makes it difficult to use. Further processes are needed to augment the Kimia in both quantity and power. This process works by getting the Aether to recognise the vibrations of the dissolved gold. If another metal is used, it will produce a fluid attuned to that metal – but that, of course, would not be the true kimia.

Rite of Endor (N): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 10 MPs; Materials: a skin of wine A spell of Hebraic origin that summons a spirit back from the dead, typically taking the form of the deceased at time of death. The ghost summoned cannot be forced to answer questions pertaining to its life but may volunteer information if it feels well-disposed to the querent.

Rite of Isis (N): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: 1 Psy; Materials: a dead man, a willing woman This Egyptian spell enables a woman (perhaps the necromancer) to lie with the corpse of a freshly dead man and conceive his child. Such a child will be born with the touch of the grave, of course.

Rite of Katabasis (N): Casting time: 1 night; Cost: 10 MPs; Materials: a black lamb, a silver cup By this spell of Greek myth the necromancer frees the spirit of a willing volunteer (who may be himself) to embark on an heroic journey to the Underworld to converse with a particular named spirit. This has obvious parallels with the spirit journey of tribal ancestor worship. The hero carries the cup full of the lamb’s blood and the spirit to be conversed with must sip from the cup. That spirit may introduce the hero to others who must also sip from the cup. Once the cup is empty the hero returns.

Rite of Nekyia (N): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 10 MPs; Materials: a dead body This spell of Greek origin summons a spirit back from the dead, typically taking the form of the deceased at time of death. The spell requires one drop of blood from the caster to fall upon the remains of the deceased. The ghost summoned will do nothing but can be forced to answer questions pertaining to its life, including how it died. Each question costs 1 further MP and a successful Psy vs Psy contest. If the caster fails any Psy vs Psy contest, the ghost departs as it is 62 unlikely to wish to remain in the world. The spell can be recast on another night. Obviously, the questions must be couched in terms the ghost can understand and a language barrier may be a problem. Note: not all spirits are recalcitrant; some may wish to help avenge their deaths, a very small number may wish to regain corporeality by possessing the caster, so a circle of protection may be necessary. This spell can also be used to force a ghost to behave.

Rite of Set (N): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 16 MPs; Materials: an animated mummy, a gold ankh An Egyptian rite by which, with a successful Psy vs Psy roll, the necromancer can establish control over a mummy animated by Opening of the Mouth or any other means.

Salve of Flight (W): Casting time: 6 days; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: essence of hemlock, mandrake and nightshade dissolved in the fat of a falcon This creates a salve which when smeared all over a broom or pitchfork enables it to fly carrying the witch. She starts a flying skill at 2 and would be advised to put in a lot of practise at low altitude before reaching for clouds or long distances. She should also dress warmly. The salve works only in the hours of darkness and is dispelled by the sound of church bells. One creation makes enough for a d6 uses. It takes a few minutes to coat the broom all over. The bristles of the broom or the tines of the pitchfork must be to the front.

Shrive the Place of Working (DN): Casting time: 12 hours; Cost: 3mps; Materials: incense and holy water This is an invocation to God that cleanses the mage’s workplace after a summoning to remove any spiritual contamination left by his working. It ensures safety if the binding and dismissal of the summoned entity fails in some way. Really careful demonists also shrive their workings before they start to ensure no entities are present to interfere with their work. The spell was originally of Hebraic origin but versions of it exist in most schools of magic.

Sleeping Draft (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 6 MPs; Materials: various flowers An infusion in wine of fresh flowers such as hyacinth, jasmine, heliotrope and lavender (depending on season) together with poppy seeds (which can be picked and preserved), which the caster enchants to produce d6 doses of a heady sleeping draft. Anyone who drinks one dose will fall in to a sound sleep for d6 hours but may sleep longer naturally. The potion will appear to be wine but will have a very unusual aroma and may very well be noticed by a suspicious victim if it is used for larcenous intentions. The best use for it is as a soporific to treat insomnia.

Staunch Bleeding (W): Casting time: minutes; Cost: 3 MPs; Materials: yarrow flower The flower is crushed and held to the wound as the caster chants quietly. Any bleeding is halted provided the victim makes a successful Con test (7).

Summon Named Demon (D): Casting time: 3 weeks; Cost: variable; Materials: dependent on the demon It takes two weeks to prepare and another week to recover but the actually summoning takes just an hour at the time appropriate to the demon concerned. Summons a specific named demon to appear within a pentagram. The mage should be within another pentagram to ensure his safety. The demon will typically use a hideous aspect to instil fear in the mage, who must make a Psy test (10) to avoid being cowed. If cowed, he must make a Grc test (7) to avoid breaking the pentagram or the terms of the summoning and he must immediately end the summoning and dismiss the demon. If the Grc roll fails the demon will gleefully carry his soul back to Hell. If not cowed the mage should command the demon to assume a more acceptable appearance. This will usually only happen on the first visit but the demon will usually continue to try and trick the mage in to making a fatal error. If the mage avoids all the pitfalls, he may attempt to bind the demon or make a pact with it. Demons are many and various and belong to different 63 schools. It is vanishingly rare for a demonist to summon demons of more than one school and impossible once he has made a pact with a major demon. (See Demons)

Terror of the Grave (N): Casting time: 1 min; Cost: 6 mps; Materials: a human skull This spell causes a wave of fear to hit all mortals viewing the enchanted skull. Anyone who has reason to fear death must make a Psy test. Those scoring 7 or less flee in fear; anyone rolling a straight 2 collapses in terror, suffering lasting effects and dying of fear on a failed Con test (9). Those scoring 8 may stand their ground but will be unable to advance. Those scoring 10 may advance but even they will suffer -1 on all abilities while in view of the skull. Only a score of 11+ or those who genuinely do not fear death (due to virtues, eg having True Faith) are unaffected. Only one roll is allowed. The spell only works at night but lasts until dawn – it can be permanent if the caster sacrifices 1 Psy instead of magic points but still only works during the hours of darkness.

Transformation of Circe (DW): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: a recognisable body part of a man-sized animal, herbs: Valerian and Enchanter’s Nightshade This spell of Greek origin enables the witch to create a potion that when drunk causes the recipient to turn in to a specific form of beast. The type of beast must be of man-size; Circe infamously turned all Odysseus’ men in to pigs. The herbs must be plucked under a crescent moon and enchanted every night for a week. The potion is then brewed to create a mildly alcoholic beverage. This tastes unpleasant but can be hidden in food or strong drink. The spell can be countered with the herb moly, a type of snowdrop.

Ward against Chronos (NW): Casting time: days; Cost: variable; Materials: personal effects, a bag of human skin A rare spell that slows the aging process. The mage must obtain a bag made from human skin. He must spend each day from dawn to dusk enchanting an item personal to himself, the first of which is an ounce of flesh he bites from his own person. Subsequent items may be a lock of hair, nail clippings, a very valuable personal object, etc; each day a different thing. The last item must be a valuable piece of jewellery or similar of both emotional as well as material worth. With each item enchanted, the caster places 1 Psy in to the bag. It is completed in a final all-night ritual. Ever after the caster ages only 1 day for as many days as there are points of Psy in the bag. Also, physical harm is warded, reducing physical damage of each wound by 1pt for every 2 Psy in the Ward. Finally he will resist disease at Con + the amount of Psy in the Ward. Anyone who gains possession of the bag has the caster in their power. He will be weakened and can cast no magic against them but any spell cast at the bag automatically hits the caster. If the bag is emptied or destroyed then the caster immediately loses d6 Con permanently and all the warded years and injuries will catch up with him.

Ward against Conception (W): Casting time: 1 hour; Cost: 8 MPs; Materials: asafoetida, acacia and the recipient’s menstrual blood The ingredients are brewed together while the witch chants the spell for an hour at midnight. Once reduced, the resultant powder is placed in a charm, which can be a small linen bag or a locket. The charm will protect the wearer against conception for one month provided she wears it during intercourse.

Wings of Daedalus (ADN): Casting time: 1 month; Cost: 12 mps; Materials: a pair of wings made from bird’s feathers held together with wax of a light wooden frame This spell of Greek origin is the one that Daedalus used to enable him and his son, Icarus, to escape by flight from Crete. The wings last for just 15 minutes under the bright light of day or an hour when the Sun is hidden by cloud, or a full night, dusk till dawn. Base flying skill is 1 but it can improve with practice, ideally at low altitude. A thorough reading of the legend of Daedalus and Icarus is recommended before trying this at home. 64

Demons: are supernatural entities from outside our sphere of existence. As such many different things can fall under this definition, partly depending on the culture of origin. Rank Attributes Skills Fire Water Air Earth King 30 Prince 27 Prince 27 Duke 24 Marquis 21 Count 18 Barone 15 Cavaliere 12

Christian: demons of Christian mythology fall into three types: Fallen Angels, malevolent entities from another plane or mythology and the spirits of dead (usually long dead) people of truly unholy disposition. Most of the aristocracy of Hell were once Angels but rebelled against God and were banished from Heaven. The Fallen all retain a vestige in the form of a virtue, which may be used to control them or exploited in other ways. Other demons lack virtues, which makes them less useful and harder to control. Demons and devils from the upper hierarchies are harder to summon but they offer far more. Demonists of the True Faith (very rare indeed) may also summon Angels but only those of the White Monks of Montalbano have a Papal license to practise and are therefore immune to prosecution by the Holy Inquisition. Demonists of the True Faith may request one spirit as a familiar by appealing to the appropriate Archangel or Olympian Power. Archangel Field of Operation Olympian Michael Protection and military command Och Anael Joy, pleasure and relations with the opposite sex Hagith Raphael Angel of Healing Ophiel Gabriel Herald and Messenger Phul Cassiel Temperance Aratron Samael Angel of Death Phaleg Zadkiel Angel of Mercy Bethor Summoning and dealing with the Olympians is easier than with the Archangels but an Olympian can only grant the use of a spirit for a one-off task of duration no more than a few days, whereas the Archangel can grant long-term familiars. Each spirit can essentially do just one thing pertinent to that angel’s sphere of operation. For example, a spirit granted by Michael or Och might be able to deflect all missiles from the caster, or protect a specific body part (head, chest, abdomen, groin, arms, legs, hands or feet) from all harm, or it might enhance the recipients powers to command troops or his grasp of strategy and tactics. A spirit granted by Anael or Hagith might enhance the recipient’s powers of seduction, or smooth the troubled waters of his marriage, or counter depression. Spirits granted by Raphael or Ophiel are healing spirits but each has a specific function, curing broken limbs, toothache or a specific illness. Spirits granted by Gabriel or Phul might carry messages and information to others or find people for the recipient. Spirits granted by Cassiel or Aratron may grant spirits that enhance mercantile endeavours, improving Bargain or Appraise, or enhancing the recipient’s powers of negotiation, or they might provide relief from an addiction or help the recipient to keep his cool in the face of provocation. Spirits granted by Samael or Phaleg might enhance the recipient’s death-dealing powers, combat skills, Poison lore, etc, or it might enhance his battlefield skills, or it might grant immunity to poison. Finally spirits granted by Zadkiel or Bethor might grant the recipient promotion or instills mercy in persons intent on harming the recipient, or they might grant long life.

65 The crucial thing to remember is that only one spirit may be had at any time and each spirit may do only one thing. There are other angels with similarly circumscribed spheres of action but the above are the most powerful. Of course the sorcerer is required to make payment for such a spirit. Customarily this amounts to 16 magic points for a temporary familiar, 1-2 Psy points for a permanent arrangement. Angels will not accept blood sacrifice for this so the Psy must come from the summoner himself.

Of course, when it comes to demons there is no stricture on blood sacrifice, save censure by the Church and congregation of the faithful. Demon Rank Sin Virtue Materials Lucifer King Pride Diligence seven virgins The Morningstar, AKA Satan (Iblis in Islam), once the highest of the angels, he rebelled and was cast down to rule in Hell rather than serve in Heaven. He gives knowledge. 3 heads: toad, man, cat Baal Prince Wrath Charity Makes men invisible Beelzebub Prince Gluttony Wisdom Lord of the Flies, sends his ravening hordes to consume harvests, causing famine; appears as a man with a fly’s head Asmodeus Prince Lust Justice Incites gambling and gives revenge; 3 heads: bull, man, ram, serpent’s tail Mammon Prince Avarice Patience Mammon grants riches, especially gold; winged youth on ravening wolf Leviathan Prince Envy Chastity Draconic sea monster, Hell’s gatekeeper, has great powers over the sea Belphegor Prince Sloth Kindness Fat and genial, a master of diplomacy, he is Hell’s ambassador to France Berith Duke Murder a crystal vial filed with tears Tells past, present and future, turns metal in to gold, gives true answers to questions, otherwise lies; soldier-pope on a red horse Astoroth Duke Prudence Teaches mathematical sciences & crafts, makes men invisible & leads them to hidden , answers every question formulated to him, gives power over serpents; naked man with feathered wings Rosier Duke Unnatural lusts Humility Gives succubi and incubi Belial Duke Arrogance Hope

Merihem Duke Pestilence Humility

Abaddon Duke War Courage a sword of the finest workmanship Also known as Apollyon, he brings war and destruction Pythia Duke False Prophecy Faith

Lilith ? Lust ?

Moloch Duke Heresy Temperance

Barbas Duke Truthful Reveals things hidden or secret, causes/heals diseases, teaches mechanics, changes men’s shapes Vassago Duke Kindness old man riding crocodile Reveals the past and future, finds things lost or hidden 66

Alastor: evil spirits that possess their victims Harpies: Imps: very lowly demons capable of mischief; as familiars they typically take the form of a black dog, black cat, lizard, toad, or some other form of uncommon pet Malebranche: ‘Evil Claws’, the archetypal demons from the 8th Circle of Hell. Their chief is Malacoda (evil tail), followed by Alichino (Harlequin), Barbariccia (Curly Beard), Cagnazzo (Nasty Dog), Calcabrina (Frost Throng), Ciriatto (Wild Hog), Draghignazzo (Big Nasty Dragon), Farfarello (Evil Ghost), Graffiacane (Dog Scratcher), Libicocco (Libyan Hothead), Rubicante (Red Faced Terror), Scarmiglione (Trouble Maker). They are dishonest, malicious and crass, but also incredibly stupid and easily outwitted. Erinyes: Incubi: seducers of women ruled by Lilith Succubi: seducers of men ruled by Lilith

Muslim Djinn: beings possessed of free will but made of smokeless fire. They have weight but are usually invisible and have difficulty in perceiving humans. They are divided in to those with wings, those that resemble snakes and dogs and those that travel incessantly Apkallus: winged entities that cannot set foot on the Earth, they wear stilted shoes, they either attack with scimitars or lift their victims and drop them from on high, some have been known to use magic Afrit: an enormous winged creature of fire, living underground and near ruins, immune to mundane weapons, only magic harms them Marid: a giant Qareen: a spiritual demon that exhorts its victim to do evil – very similar to the Christian demon Ghoul: an evil demon that lives in the desert and frequents graveyards, it steals and eats the dead, some are degenerate men who have taken to eating dead flesh, in Europe they have other names, such as nachzehrer (devourer after – ie after death)

Mongolian: Ada: flying demons that seek to surprise men, spreading sickness and desire Albin: wandering lights Buumal: ‘those who have descended’ – spirits of men that have devolved to a demonic state Ĉidkün: Buumal that possess their victims Eliye: bird-like demons that herald misfortune – as air elementals they may not touch Earth Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ra la ch ab rl ll 10 15 18 - 9 15 15 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 Melee: 3 + Scimitar +0 = +3; dmg d8+1 Armour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 12 9-11 5-8 1-4 Kölĉin: ghosts of repellent and terrifying appearance Tüidker: Buumal that haunt their victims to cause misfortune Teyirang: fearsome demons that rend their victims and consume them, body and soul A hideous demonic winged with four taloned arms. A horrible stench fills the room, a mixture of human excrement, blood and gore, and brimstone. Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ura ula lra lla ch ab rl ll tl 18 18 18 - 6 18 22 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 9 8 8 8 8 Brawl: 7; dmg d8+2d3 Armour 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Melee: 5; dmg d8+2d3 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 11-12 9-10 8 6-7 4-5 2-3 1

Egyptian: Ghoul, river monster, beast of Set Greek: harpy, giant, kallikantzeroi, naiad, dryad, nymph

67 French: goblin, ogre German: goblin, kobold, giant, dwarf, imp, nix, bugbear Scandinavian: troll, giant, draug Other: griffon, dragon

Elementals Gnomes: earth elementals – materials: virgin rock or soil Salamanders: fire elementals – materials: an intense fire, such as a forge or a volcano Sylphs: air elementals – materials: a mountaintop Undines: water elementals – materials: a large body of natural water Rain Spirits: materials: a box of meteoric stones shaken vigorously at midday

Arcane Artefacts Certain mystic items may have supernatural powers, such as ancient swords, for example. They almost invariably have names and legends going far in to the past.

Swords: arcane swords are famous but obviously cannot be bought in the open market. A truly legendary blade might be passed from father to son in a noble family of ancient lineage. Each blade is typically capable of harming things not normally vulnerable to mundane weapons and may also add to the wielder’s skill as well as cutting through armour. Some have other properties…

Durendal, Roland’s sword was rumoured to have been forged by Weyland Smith for Hector of Troy, if true this would make it bronze but the quality of the metal is far beyond mere steel and it is said to be the sharpest sword ever made.

Excalibur (also known as Caledbolg and a variety of other names) was Arthur’s sword, reputed to dazzle his opponents and cut through armour like butter. The scabbard was said to prevent loss of blood by the wearer, but this was stolen by Morgan-le-Fay and thrown in to deep water, never to be seen again. Excalibur was similarly thrown in to a lake at Arthur’s death by Bedivere (or Griflet in some versions).

Joyouse was Charlemagne’s sword, its colour changed throughout the day and presumably was superior to Durendal, since Charlemagne gave the latter to Roland

Az Isten Kardja was Attila’s sword, as well as enhancing weaponskill and cutting through armour it also aided the wielder’s command over his troops but wielders who abuse its virtues suffer accidents and wind up impaled on the blade themselves.

Tizón was the blade of Rodrigo Garcia, El Cid and is currently in the hands of the King of Aragon

Zulfiqar was the scimitar of Ali, son in law of Mohammed himself and is believed to be owned by the Ottoman Sultan

Other artefacts: Merlin’s Staff: this staff acts as a store of magic points for the magician wielding it – other items (rings, gems, etc) may have a similar function, some may even cast spells in their own right but such things are often dangerous if abused Oliphant: a mystic horn said to have been born by Roland, Charlemagne’s knight Unicorn Horn: the horn of a unicorn has the virtue of countering all poisons

68 The Renaissance World

Religion (with thanks to Steve Bealing): in Western Europe in 1450 the Roman Catholic Church occupies a central position in people's lives. Almost everyone, from peasant to Emperor, universally believes that praying to the saints can cure illness: cramp (St. Pancras), headaches (St. Stephen), hangovers (St. Bibiana) and even the plague (St. Rollox). References to Christianity are all around us: the central position of a church in a village, the calendar with Saint's days and holy festivals; the influence the church exercises on all, great or small; the profitable trade in holy relics, indulgences and pilgrimages. Hell is the likely fate of all but the saints; the closer to God or to a saint's bones the better for your soul. It doesn't matter if you live in Scotland, , Hungary or Spain, your priest performs the sacraments in Latin using the same liturgy first set down as canon law in Rome. At the apex of this world is the Pope in the holy city of Rome. As the ‘Vicar of Christ’ until the Second Coming, he claims independent moral and spiritual authority over all secular rulers. Besides spiritual overlordship, the Pope is also a temporal ruler thanks to his direct control of Rome and the Papal States in central Italy, the Romagna. He also owns Avignon in France and Benevento in southern Italy. But as an Italian Prince the Pope often has to consider the World political situation. During the 15th Century the Papacy struggles to recover the authority it held 200 years before when the pronouncements of Innocent III inspired , excommunicated Emperors and even deposed Kings. The greatest harm to Papal authority was a long self-imposed exile in Avignon leading to schism from 1378 to 1417 when various princes supported opposing popes and even crusaded against the opposition. The whole mess was only solved by a general Church council summoned to Constance in 1415, presided over by Sigismund, King of the Romans (the de facto ruler of the Holy Roman Empire). The warring Popes were deposed but hopes of reform and a more collegiate style of Church government were dashed in a long running series of disputes and arguments. Though the Schism is relegated to history the Papacy struggles to rise to its former glory. The main obstacle being that the church everywhere is corrupt – not necessarily the parish priest but most of the hierarchy of archdeacons, bishops, archbishops, abbots and cardinals. The rot reaches right to the top! In 1458 Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini is elected Pope as Pius II but before taking up holy orders Piccolomini has an international reputation as a poet and writer of erotic plays. At least as Pope he strives to renew the crusading zeal of Europe; after him the papacy becomes mired in a corruption that would have shamed even the most decadent Roman Emperor. Pope Alexander VI has numerous mistresses; his family (including Cesaré and Lucrezia Borgia) dominate Italian politics for a decade and European history and folklore for centuries. As a family the Borgias are notorious for incest and murder! But Alexander’s successors are no better. With such dissolution at the top and blatant hypocrisy further down, that some parish priests show genuine devotion counts for little in the eyes of the layman. Various movements (eg Lollards in 15th Century England) try to improve matters but typically they are ruthlessly suppressed as heresies by the Church militant. But in 1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the cathedral in Wittemburg. handles the incident with breathtaking incompetence and, as princes of the Empire start to pay attention, the Reformation is born. The heresy spreads across half the Empire, taking new forms as it goes. In 1530 it crosses the English Channel thanks to Henry VIII’s marital problems and from 1562 reduces mighty France to abject civil war for decades. The Netherlands splits in to Catholic and Protestant halves only to reunite as thoroughly protestant after a war of liberation. Only Italy and Spain remain staunchly Catholic, instigating inquisitions to enforce adherence, forcibly convert Muslims and Jews and punish witches and heretics. Meanwhile the Orthodox Church in Greece faces its own problems as its daughter churches in Russia and the Balkans turn a blind eye to the to the Turks in 1453. With Constantinople renamed Istanbul as the new Ottoman capital, Islam arrives on Rome’s doorstep. A ship sailing northwest from makes landfall on Muslim territory in less than fifty miles. 69 But Orthodox, Lutheran, Calvinist or true Catholic, everyone still attends church at least once week and no one gets married without the blessing of their local priest (or the Protestant equivalent). Catholics take communion at least once a year (Easter); attend confession at least once a year, more usually once a month. Catholic ceremonies are in Latin. Catholics do not know their bible and so Sunday Mass is seen as an opportunity for gossip and even business. Protestants hear a service and read a bible in the vernacular and so the people have a more intimate relationship with God (so the ‘holier than thou’ claim). But a surprising number of Protestants call for Catholic Extreme Unction on their deathbeds. The veneer is thin.

Technology: Renaissance Europe is seeing new inventions almost daily. A little more than a century ago we saw the first firearms, now no modern army can afford to be without cannon and arquebuses. Modern artillery is vital for sieges and new developments in metallurgy, the manufacture of gunpowder and the design of carriages for the first time make artillery effective on the battlefield, not merely the siege. The modern arquebus can fire once a minute and one hit can take down a mounted lance-armed man-at-arms, formally the ultimate weapon system.

Already the arquebus is edging out the longbow in Italy and soon the feared missile-weapon of the English will be history even north of the English Channel (though no one should underestimate the lethality of a skilled archer). Where guns cannot bear, grenadoes and petards can be used as demolition and anti-personnel devices.

But gunpowder technology has its limitations. They must be fired by the direct application of flame, typically in the form of a slow match (a hempen rope infused with saltpetre) but slow match must be kept lit so it is easily seen in the dark and the distinctive fumes can be smelt from some distance. Arquebuses are also cumbersome devices, impossible to conceal, rendering them unsuitable for ambushes or other clandestine activities.

One solution comes from another new technology – the clock. Clocks have been around in Europe for around 400 years but until recently they have been huge mechanisms placed in church steeples and towers of town halls. But recent years have seen a host of advances in the basic mechanism: hands to show the minute of the hour and even ‘seconds’ hands; mechanisms to strike bells on the hour; animated figurines and more besides. Some smiths have become specialist clockmakers, able to miniaturise their mechanisms to where they can fit in a home, driven by weights or even springs, wound with a key.

A by-product of all this is a wind-up clockwork mechanism to fire a pistol by striking flint on steel, called the ‘wheel-lock’. Isolated matchlock pistols are made in the Empire from 1490 and are all but useless but from 1510 the first of the new wheel-lock pistols are made in the Italian city Pistoia (from which they get their name) from a design by Leonardo da Vinci. Initially only of limited interest they quickly spread across Europe and even create a new type of horseman, the or reiter, who eventually sees off the armoured lancer a hundred years later.

In terms of protection, all the old staples are still around: mail, leather, quilting, but plate armour is now the defence par excellence. Two distinct styles prevail, Italian and German (Emperor Maximilian’s distinctive ‘fluted’ style), but with the advent of firearms the armourers seek to enhance their products, producing armour of ‘proof’ intended to turn arquebus balls at medium-long range and pistols at any range. Such armour is more expensive than standard ‘munition’ armour but it makes rich people feel safer on the battlefield.

But Spanish gunsmiths simply increase the size and power of the arquebus to create the musket in the 1540s and the armourers cannot keep up. Already by 1500 some Imperial nobles are electing to

70 reduce their armour to the upper body, vastly reducing the cost of their equipment and enhancing mobility. The knight in armour is living on borrowed time.

Meanwhile artillery is becoming more mobile. Carriages are lighter and easier to deploy and, once it’s realised that the heaviest cannon are needed only for sieges, the weapons themselves become smaller and quicker to load and fire. No army is complete without its artillery train and the enormous amount of haulage for cannon, powder and shot means the cost of keeping an army in the field is even greater than when the knight was the single most effective arm.

But with cavalry in the decline, infantry come to the fore. The English longbowmen are still effective in 1500 but are rapidly losing ground to firearms, the arquebusier being much easier to train and maintain than an archer. But the Swiss have the lasting legacy as their use of the pike inspires Maximilian to create the landsknechts in the sincerest form of flattery, ushering in the era of , which remains the standard infantry formation for the next 200 years.

Away from the battlefield other inventions are rapidly becoming ubiquitous: at sea, caravels replace the north European cogs and are now displacing Meditteranean galleys. The magnetic compass, brought back from China in the 13th Century finally becomes a usable shipboard item after 1410 and the Portuguese are using the astrolabe and compass to explore the African coast throughout the Century. Finally Columbus demonstrates the feasibility of trans-oceanic voyages and soon the New World is being exploited by Portugal and Spain, bringing new foods and fabrics along with more mundane considerations, such as bullion and syphilis.

But perhaps the biggest revolution is the printed word. In 1432 Cosimo de Medici pays 47 scriveners to copy 200 books, it takes 22 months. The first printing press opens in Rome in 1465 and prints 12,000 books in just five years, representing the work of 1,000 copyists. All copyshops that fail to adopt the printing press quickly go out of business and the price of books falls by two orders of magnitude. With mass production comes popular demand and soon the presses are printing romances and fantasies catering to the lowest common denominator – Don Quixote is published in 1605, the first true ‘novel’.

Daily Life: Renaissance Europe is still an agrarian economy with 90% of people working the land directly. It is also still largely feudal; serfdom is slowly passing but will be around for centuries yet. The common man and woman work hard but life is not a pure slog and there are plenty of festivals to celebrate.

About 2% of the population are clergy, half of which live in monasteries. Every village has a church with its priest (or the Protestant equivalent after 1517) and everyone attends church on Sunday and the major church festivals at Easter and Christmas.

Towns across Europe are getting bigger, busier and wealthier. The Black Death may have killed a third the population but in many ways it liberated the survivors, suppressing serfdom and raising wages.

But the nobility try to cap this freedom and the resulting tensions rebellion – the Peasants War in southern Germany in 1524 is vigorously suppressed but most noblemen are shaken into ruling with a lighter rein.

The big Italian cities become powerhouses of trade and industry. Venice is renowned for its glass and silverware, Florence for its cloth and banking industry. Under the Medicis Florence also becomes the mainspring for the Renaissance, the rediscovery of the Wisdom of the Ancients. After

71 1500 Florence is eclipsed but the movement moves to other Italian cities and the nobility become increasingly educated in the new humanist learning.

But everyone in the cities are still obsessed with ‘honour’, of both person and family; duels and feuds abound. Rome is racked by feuds between its great families: Collona, Orsini, Della Rovere and others. Noblewomen are regarded as chattels of their menfolk and murder by jealous husbands is a frequent cause of death at all levels of society.

The Renaissance in Italy: The Renaissance is a cultural movement, starting in Italy in the 14th Century and spreading across Europe over the next two centuries. It begins with scholars rediscovering the learning of the ancients in Latin and especially Greek – in particular the Greek philosophers.

Scholars scour the libraries of monastic Europe seeking forgotten texts but in 1453 the fall of Constantinople brings a flood of Greek scholars fleeing the Ottomans, many bearing ancient texts never seen before; and the sudden proximity of the Ottomans, despite innate hostility, leads to a certain mixing of cultures (both da Vinci and Michaelangelo are courted by Sultan Bayezid II), bringing Muslim texts in Arabic and Persian to Italy.

But what begins as a turning to old learning provokes new and original ideas unknown to the ancients, placing an emphasis on direct observation rather than belief in the testimony of dead men.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the visual arts. It is in 14th Century Florence that the Renaissance finds its first flowering in the written works of Petrarch. His examination of Greek texts inspires artists such as Giotto, Ghiberti and Brunelleschi to draw from life, using perspective, and many date the start of the Renaissance to the contest of 1401 between Ghiberti and Brunelleschi to design the doors for the Duomo in Florence.

Florence’s unique political system encourages independence of thought and the role of the Medici family cannot be underestimated. Cosimo not only commissions both written and visual works himself, he also encourages others to patronise the burgeoning movement. His grandson, Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’, is in his own right a notable poet and many of the great artists of the Renaissance begin their careers in his household: da Vinci, Botticelli, Michaelangelo, as well as scholars such as Poliziano and Mirandola. These men are not just artists and scholars; they are polymaths, the true ‘Renaissance men’.

Lorenzo’s own humanist education informs his governance of Florence and doubtless contributes to his success but after his death the start of the Italian Wars and the rise of Savonarola and his ‘bonfire of the vanities’ in which humanist books and works of art are burned, causes the eclipse of Florence as the mainspring of the Renaissance. Already other cities, especially Rome, have called Florence’s great artists to work for other patrons but after 1494 there is a diaspora of talent away from Florence. Ferrara, Bologna and especially Rome become the new centres for the movement.

So the Renaissance arises in scholarship and is expressed in art, but the philosophy informs all aspects of life. Education is transformed and by the early years of the 16th Century an Italian nobleman’s education has to include a thorough grounding in the humanities. From there it informs politics: Machiavelli is a humanist scholar who turns his learning to the art of politics; his Discourses are a shrewd and insightful examination of how a state should be run; his History of Florence deals with his beloved home city, warts and all; but The Prince becomes required reading across Europe and ushers in the era of realpolitik which frankly never goes away.

72 Italy: “…in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!” (Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man.)

Italy is a plethora of city states endlessly competing with each other in commerce and war but despite all the intrigue, corruption and violence, Italian cities drive the Renaissance; partly the rediscovery of ancient Greek learning, partly a discovery of new learning by the greatest geniuses the World has ever seen: Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo are perhaps the most famous of the 73 ‘Renaissance men’. Compared to the rest of Europe, Italian cities look, feel and smell fabulous – they are paved, for example, and men are paid to remove horse manure from the streets. Any foreigner visiting Italy for the first time must be prepared to be overwhelmed by splendour.

Bologna: the city flourishes under its Bentivoglio tyrants, Sante (1443-63) and Giovanni (1463- 1506) until Pope Julius II conquers the city and adds it to the Papal States. Annibale Bentivoglio re- enters the city in 1511 with French help but is expelled the next year when the French position collapses after the . The Bentivoglio family moves to Ferrara and Bologna becomes a permanent addition to the Papal States. In 1530 Pope Clement VII crowns Charles V in Bologna as Holy Roman Emperor. The population is around 72,000 but the plagues of the 1570s reduce this to 59,000. Bologna is the only Italian city that allows women to excel in any profession. Women have much more freedom than in other Italian cities; and even have the opportunity to earn a degree at the university! Bologna rivals Florence and Rome as a centre for the visual arts, the Bolognese school of art being renowned from 1503.

Ferrara: Borso d’Este, Duke of Modesta and Reggio, governs Ferrara from 1450 on behalf of the Pope who makes him Duke of Ferrara in 1471. His half-brother, Ercole I (1471-1505), steals the duchy from Borso’s son, Niccolò (who loses his head after rebelling against Ercole in 1476). Ercole marries Eleanora d’Aragona, daughter of the Duke of Naples. In 1482 Ercole I allies with his father-in-law against Venice and Rome in the War of Ferrara but despite Pope Sixtus VI changing sides, Ercole (himself sick with malaria) is only able to secure a safe exit from the war in 1484 by ceding the Polesine to Venice. The humiliation of the war provokes Ercole in to remaining neutral when France invades Italy in 1494 and instead he devotes his energies in to improving his relations with the Papacy and marries his son, Alfonso, to Lucrezia Borgia, Pope Alexander VI’s illegitimate daughter, as her third and last husband. As an alternative to war, Ercole becomes one of the most significant patrons of the arts in the late 15th and early 16th centuries (after the Medicis). Under him Ferrara grows into a cultural centre renowned for music and the theatre. Its painters establish links with Flemish artists. Composers come to Ferrara from many parts of Europe especially France and Flanders. Ercole is also a great admirer of the incendiary preacher of church reform, Girolamo Savonarola. He lobbies Florence for his release in 1498 but can’t prevent his burning at the stake for heresy. The architecture of Ferrara benefits from the genius of Biagio Rossetti, who Ercole asks to redesign the plan of the city in 1484. Alfonso I (1505-34), son of Ercole, is also an important patron; his preference for instrumental music results in Ferrara becoming an important centre of composition for the lute. In the first year of his rule Alfonso uncovers a plot by his brother Ferrante and half-brother Giulio d'Este, directed against him and his other brother, Cardinal Ippolito. Giulio seeks to avenge an attack by Ippolito (who is infatuated with Angela Borgia, Lucrezia’s niece) in which he is nearly blinded; Ferrante just wants to replace his brother as duke. In September 1506 a trial for lese- majesty and high treason passes the death sentence but, just as Ferrante and Giulio mount the gallows, Alfonso commutes their sentence to life imprisonment. They are imprisoned in the Torre dei Leoni. Ferrante dies in his cell after 34 years, while Giulio is pardoned in 1559, after 53 years! After his release, Giulio is ridiculed in the streets of Ferrara for his outdated clothes and dies in 1561. Alfonso reverses his father’s policy of neutrality in the Italian Wars, joining the League of Cambrai against Venice and remaining loyal to France after even Pope Julius II joins with Venice. When the Bolognesi rebel against Julius and topple Michelangelo's bronze statue of him from above the gate, Alfonso takes the shards and recasts them as a cannon named La Giulia, which he sets on the ramparts of the castello. In 1510 Julius excommunicates him and declars his fiefs forfeit, thereby adding Ferrara to the Papal States, but Alfonso fights against the Venetian and Papal armies, capturing Bologna at the Battle of Polesella, and playing a major part in the French victory at the Battle of Ravenna (1512). These successes are based on Ferrara's artillery, produced in Alfonso’s 74 own foundry which is the best in Italy. Alfonso campaigns with Emperor Charles V against Clement VII, resulting in the by Charles’ landsknechts, but in 1530 Clement gives back the forfeited duchies of Modena and Reggio. Alfonso’s first wife, Anna Sforza, daughter of the Duke of Milan, dies in childbirth in 1497. His second wife is Lucrezia Borgia! Despite her chequered past and that both she and Alfonso entertain lovers, Lucrezia becomes a respectable duchess, bearing him many children. She dies in 1519 from complications in bearing her eighth child but not before she makes Ferrara a centre for humanistic scholarship and Renaissance art. Alfonso’s son, Ercole II, marries Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France. After Ercole’s death in 1559, his son, Alfonso II, marries firstly Lucrezia, the daughter of Cosimo Medici, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, and secondly Barbara, the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II, and finally Margarita Gonzaga, the daughter of the Duke of Mantua. Under Alfonso II Ferrara reaches its apogee. On Alfonso II’s death in 1597 with no male heir, Ferrara returns to the Papal States.

Florence & the Medicis: this trading capital starts with the 5th largest economy in Italy but quickly grows to take first place by the late 1400s. Florence’s initial prosperity is based on the manufacture and export of cloth but under the Medicis it expands its interests, trading silver from southern Germany and the Tyrol for fruits and spices from the eastern Mediterranean. All this wealth leads to banking, which is where the Medicis come in. Although technically a democracy, Florence is actually an oligarchy perpetually under the sway of a small number of banking families. In the early-middle 15th Century Cosimo de Medici finally beats all rivals to become Gran Maestro, effectively the head of state, though Cosimo declines official recognition. Cosimo’s business and political acumen secures Florence a foremost position in Italy. He is succeeded in 1464 by his invalid son, Piero, whose five years of rule are safe if not spectacular. Under Piero’s son, Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’, the Medicis enter on to the world stage with dynastic marriages, though the family business suffers from neglect. Lorenzo, more than anyone else, ushers in the Renaissance; personally patronising Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli, as well as philosophers such as Poliziano and Mirandola. But Lorenzo makes enemies and in 1478 the Pazzi family, with the support of Pope Sixtus IV and the Salviati family, Papal bankers, organise an attempted coup d’etat. The assassins strike April 26th, Easter Sunday, before a crowd of 10,000 at the Duomo. Two men each attack Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano, at high mass. Bernardo Bandi and Francesco de Pazzi stab Giuliano 19 times and he dies on the spot but Lorenzo escapes, seriously wounded but alive, and the humanist Poliziano locks him in the sacristy for safety. The assassins turn to the crowd, expecting popular support, but the enraged people seize the conspirators. Francesco Salviati, Archbishop of Pisa, is hanged from the walls of the Palazzo Vecchio. Jacopo de Pazzi is hurled out of a window, dragged naked through the streets and his body thrown in the river Arno. Though Lorenzo himself appeals to the crowd not to exact summary justice, many are killed. But Lorenzo does save Cardinal Raffaele Riario and two relatives of the conspirators. The other main conspirators are hunted through Italy. The Pazzi companies across Europe are despoiled and ruined. The Pazzi crest is banned and it becomes illegal in Florence to even refer to their name. In the aftermath Pope Sixtus IV places Florence under an interdict for the murder of Archbishop Salviati. No sacraments can be made in the town: no baptisms, marriages or last rites. Sixtus allies with King Ferdinand of Naples. Scorned by its usual allies, Bologna and Milan, Florence is brought to its knees but Lorenzo, with breathtaking audacity, sails to Naples and makes himself Ferdinand’s hostage. Lorenzo’s courage convinces Ferdinand to break the alliance. Sixtus continues the war but without Naples Florence survives and Lorenzo returns after three months to find himself even more popular than before. Sixtus dies in 1484 and Florence is free to repair its relationship with Rome.

75 As well as being a great patron of the arts Lorenzo is no mean poet himself but his one failing is his neglect of the family banking business, which comes close to failure. However, by Lorenzo’s death in 1492, the Medici family are firmly entrenched and their fortunes seem infallible. Unfortunately Lorenzo’s son, Piero ‘the Unfortunate’ is less shrewd, ill-equipped to handle the start of the Italian Wars. Piero chooses to resist the French with disastrous results and a popular uprising forces the Medicis to flee. For the next 14 years Florence is a republic, initially governed by the Dominican monk, Savonarola. He blames the Medici downfall on the family’s dissolution. Savonarola intends to transform Florence into a hyper-religious ‘City of God’. Florentines stop wearing garish colours and many women take oaths to become nuns. Savonarola becomes (in)famous for his ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ when he orders all ‘vanities’ (wigs, perfume, paintings, and ancient manuscripts) to be gathered and burned February 7th 1497. Savonarola’s ‘City of God’ collapses within a year. He is excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI in late 1497. In the same year Florence embarks on a war with Pisa, which has been de facto independent since Charles VIII’s invasion. The endeavour fails miserably and this leads to food shortages. This in turn leads to a few isolated cases of the plague. The people blame Savonarola for their woes and the Florentine authorities torture and burn him in May 1498. The city is in tatters by the time Savonarola is deposed. The state is now presided over by Piero Soderini who is elected Gonfalonier of Justice for life. This period sees a democracy in Florence with very little corruption. The republican government succeeds where Savonarola failed when Secretary of War, Niccolò Machiavelli, captures Pisa. Machiavelli introduces a Florentine standing army, replacing the traditional hired mercenaries. But Soderini is deposed in September 1512 when Cardinal Giovanni de Medici captures Florence with Papal troops during the War of the League of Cambrai, restoring Medici rule to the Italian city- state. Piero having drowned in the Italian Wars, his son, Giuliano, becomes Gran Maestro. When he dies in 1516, his nephew, Lorenzo II de Medici, takes over. 1513 sees a Medici pope, Leo X, take the Papal throne and he makes Lorenzo II Duke of Urbino, fighting a major war in 1516/17 against the incumbent, Francesco Maria Della Rovere. However, already riddled with syphilis, Lorenzo II dies in 1519. The rule of Florence now passes to Giulio de Medici, illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s assassinated brother, Giuliano. Leo X, his uncle, has him installed as Archbishop of Florence and he functions as Gran Maestro. Leo X dies in 1521. His successor, Adrian VI dies two years later and Giulio is elected Pope as Clement VII. Unable to govern Florence directly from Rome, he makes his favourite, Ippolito de Medici (the illegitimate son of Giuliano di Lorenzo de Medici) Gran Maestro in his absence. Ippolito and the Medici family are again ousted in 1527 when the Florentines take advantage of the sack of Rome by Emperor Charles V’s landsknechts. It takes a 10 month siege by the French to restore Medici fortunes, by which time Clement VII has made Ippolito Archbishop of Avignon and a cardinal. In his stead, Alessandro ‘the Moor’ de Medici becomes Gran Maestro. Officially the son of Lorenzo II, Alessandro is rumoured to be the bastard of Clement VII himself and his father creates him Duke of Florence. Alessandro’s rule is regarded as harsh, incompetent and depraved. In 1535 citizens appeal to Cardinal Ippolito de Medici to intercede with Charles V but Ippolito dies en route to Rome, poisoned at Alessandro’s orders. Then in 1537 Lorenzino de Medici lures Alessandro in to a trap by the promise of a liaison with Lorenzino’s sister. Lorenzino assassinates Alessandro and the senior Medici line is at an end. Lorenzino flees to Turkey, France and finally to Venice. The duchy passes to a junior line in the person of Cosimo I de Medici who secures Charles V’s support in return for help against France. Several rivals to Medici power are publicly beheaded and one, Filippo Strozzi, falls victim to a fake suicide. Cosimo also has Lorenzino assassinated in Venice in 1548 for the murder of Alessandro. In 1555, Cosimo, with Imperial support, takes Siena, securing Florence’s ascendancy over most of north Italy. In recognition Pope Pius V creates Cosimo Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569 but Cosimo 76 has effectively retired from active politics five years before and remains on his country estate until his death in 1574. Francesco I de Medici is given the reigns of power in 1564. Like his father he is despotic but while Cosimo maintained Florentine independence Francesco is a puppet of the Emperor Ferdinand I. Florence rivals Venice for commercial dominance in , especially Tuscany. Florence finally wins out, partly due to the Venetian preference for oared galleys (which are at a disadvantage in oceanic trade), partly due to the Black Death of 1575-77 that kills 50,000 Venetians, and partly due to Venetian defeats in the Italian and Ottoman Wars. Florence under the Medicis is the leading centre for Renaissance art and humanistic learning. The Florentine school originates before 1400 and remains the leading school of art throughout the 15th Century and well in to the 16th. Its famous painters include Brunelleschi, Donatello, Michelangelo, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Lippi, Masolino, da Vinci and Masaccio though from 1494 the focus of the Renaissance shifts to Rome as Mannerism evolves from the High Renaissance.

Genoa: for a long time Genoa dominated Italian commerce but Venice and Florence overtakes Genoa during the 15th Century, when it falls under the control of the Dukes of Milan. Such is the city’s decline that , though born in Genoa, is forced to seek his fortune in Portugal and Spain. Genoa becomes a pawn in the Italian wars and from 1499 to 1528 it is more or less permanently under French occupation. Then in 1528 Andrea Doria restores its prestige in alliance with Emperor Charles V. From then on it enjoys a spectacular revival with Genoese bankers financing Spain’s exploits in the New World and from 1557 (when the bankruptcy of Philip II of Spain throws the German banks in to chaos) Spanish silver imports channel straight to Genoa and the city becomes a brilliant centre for Mannerist and Baroque art.

Mantua: Ludovico Gonzaga is Marquis of Mantua from 1444. The son of a condottiere who died fighting for the dukes of Milan, Ludovico is an indifferent soldier and his wars to extend his estates in the 1450s come to nothing. But Pope Pius II’s council in 1459 brings Mantua great prestige when Pius calls for a crusade to win back Constantinople from the Turks, though the crusade itself never happens, of course. More lastingly, Ludovico appoints Andrea Mantegna as court painter with the huge stipend of 75 lire/month. Mantegna is Mantua’s first artist of note. Though he moves to Rome in 1480 he comes back to Mantua in 1490 and stays there till his death in 1506. Mantegna’s realism and depiction of space is unlike any other, influencing many artists, including Bellini, Dürer and Da Vinci. Ludovico dies of plague in 1478 and is succeeded by Federico I (1478-84) who continues the family career as condottieri, usually fighting for Milan against Venice. Francesco Gonzaga (1484-1519) is perhaps the ablest condottier of his time, commanding Italian forces at the Battle of Fornovo in 1495. Described by a contemporary as “short, pop-eyed, snub- nosed and exceptionally brave and the finest knight in Italy”, he is prominent in the War of the League of Cambrai. A prisoner of the Venetians for several months, the humiliations they inflict on him makes him hostile to Venice ever after. Under Francesco and his wife, Isabella d’Este (who governs the city while her husband is at war), Mantua becomes a city of cultural splendour with the building of the Palace of St Sebastian and the work of Jacopo Bonacolsi and Andrea Mantegna. Francesco dies in 1519 of syphilis contracted from prostitutes, and Isabella rules as regent for their son, Federico II (1519-40). Federico is no soldier and doesn’t intervene when Imperial troops march through Mantua on their way to sack Rome in 1527. Federico’s marriage negotiations are extremely convoluted but eventually he marries the heiress of the Duke of Monteferrat, Boniface IV Palaiologos (a cousin of the last Byzantine Emperor), and after Boniface falls from his horse Emperor Charles V creates Federico Duke of Mantua in 1530. Federico commissions Guilio Romano to build the Palazzo Te as his summer residence. He dies of congenital syphilis in 1540. His son, Francesco III, is only 7 and dies in 1550 before attaining his majority. Federico’s second son, Gugliemo (1550-87) is no soldier but becomes a great patron of 77 music, especially sacred choral music but his tastes are very conservative. Under his son, Vincenzo (1587-1612) more modern trends prevail (under Monteverdi) and he turns Mantua in to a major centre for all arts and sciences.

Milan: From the mid-13th Century, Milan was dominated by the Visconti family. Under their despotic (and frankly deranged and demented) rule Milan rose to become a major powerhouse of northern Italy, rivalling Venice in size and the only military power capable of competing with the Venetians. The last Visconti duke was Filippo Maria, who succeeded his useless brother, Gian Maria, after his assassination in 1412. Under Gian Maria’s ineffectual rule Venice had gained the upper hand, establishing effective control of the Po vally as far as Lake Garda. Filippo Maria was highly paranoid and extremely cruel but he recognised that Venice was too powerful to take on and instead turned his attention to the Romagna, provoking war with Florence in 1423. Venice came in on the side of Florence and the Emperor refused to aid Milan, resulting in Venice taking further territory as far as Brescia. It took two wars and peace treaties negotiated by Pope Martin V and the Marquis of Ferrara, Niccolo d’Este, before peace was restored to the detriment of Milan. Filippo Maria spent the remaining twenty years of his reign venting his spleen in acts of despotism. On Filippo’s death in 1447 the senior Visconti line comes to an end. The city tries to set up a republican government modelled on Venice and Florence but a freebooting mercenary named Francesco Sforza seizes control through force (Sforza means ‘force’ and Francesco understands its use perfectly) in 1450 under the pretext of his wife’s claim as Filippo Maria’s bastard daughter, Bianca Maria. Francesco establishes strong and intelligent government in Milan. Under his rule Milan and north Italy know peace, though he takes the opportunity to hone Milan’s army. Unfortunately Francesco dies in 1466 and his heirs aren’t a patch on the old man. Galeazzo Maria Sforza is an ardent womaniser with a cruel and sadistic streak. He takes pleasure in devising cruel and unusual punishments – including having a priest nailed alive inside his own coffin. He takes the wives and daughters of his courtiers by force and those who deny his debaucheries he has slowly tortured to death, often pulling their flesh from their limbs with his own hands. Unsurprisingly Galeazzo Maria is assassinated in church by three of his courtiers – the first wound is in his groin. Galeazzo Maria’s successor is his eldest son, Gian Galeazzo, but since the boy is just seven his uncle, Ludovico ‘Il Moro’ Sforza, Galeazzo Maria’s brother, rules in his name. Ludovico recognises that the boy is sickly and ineffectual and manages to keep all power in his own hands even when the boy reaches his majority, much to the disgust of Gian Galeazzo’s wife, the Duchess Isabella of Naples. Ludovico, of course, is seeking to be Duke himself. When Isabella’s pleas for intervention are answered by her father, King Alfonso II of Naples, Ludovico responds by encouraging Charles VIII of France to make good his claim to Naples, thereby initiating the Italian Wars. As Charles commences his invasion, Ludovico takes the opportunity to have Gian Galeazzo killed by poison and he makes himself Duke. With Charles chased out of Italy after Fornovo, Ludovico is feeling pretty secure as Duke of Milan. But then the hand of God intervenes: Ludovico’s wife, Duchess Beatrice d’Este, dies in childbirth in 1497. The Duke is inconsolable and his Court is thrown into despondence. When the new French King, Louis XII, seeks to claim Milan for himself, Ludovico finds no allies willing to aid the usurper responsible for bringing the French into Italy in the first place and he is forced to flee in 1499 and Milan belongs to Louis. Ludovico seeks help from Emperor Maximilian, returning to Milan in February 1501 but two months later Ludovico’s Swiss mercenaries desert and he is handed over to Louis, to spend the rest of his life in captivity in France where he dies in an underground dungeon in 1508. Milan changes hands repeatedly over the next few decades, finally winding up with the Habsburgs after the battle of in 1525. In 1556, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburg dynasties divide and 78 Milan goes to Spain. It has a population of 100,000, making it one of the largest cities of Italy and Europe.

Naples: the Kingdom of Naples is one of Italy’s larger cities with more than 70,000 people but is probably the poorest. From the mid-14th Century rival dynasties of Anjou and Aragon war over the kingdom. Alfonso V’s victory in 1442 finally makes Naples the easternmost state in an Aragonese empire dominating the western Mediterranean. But on his death in 1458 Alfonso wills Naples to his illegitimate son, Ferrante, splitting it from the rest of the Aragonese Empire. Ferrante’s death in 1494 marks the start of the Italian Wars with Charles VIII of France invading in support of his claim via the House of Anjou and dispossessing Ferrante’s son, Alfonso II, in 1495. Alfonso dies in exile in Messina the same year but Charles is forced to withdraw when Ferdinand II of Aragon flexes his military muscles and restores Alfonso’s son, Ferrantino, to the Neapolitan crown only for Ferrantino to die in 1496, to be succeeded by his uncle, Frederick IV. However, in 1501, in a typical bit of political chicanery, Ferdinand of Aragon cuts a deal with Charles’ successor, Louis XII, and together they remove Frederick (who retires to Tours). But, of course, Ferdinand and Louis have a falling out and Ferdinand winds up annexing Naples in 1503. From now on it remains an Aragonese possession, Aragon joining with Castile to create Spain. Under Spanish suzerainty, governed by a Spanish viceroy (the most notable of which from 1532-52 is Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Zúñiga, Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo), Naples enjoys the prosperity it has envied in other cities over the previous centuries. The economic, social and urban modernisation spurs growth, tripling its population to over 200,000 and Naples becomes the second largest city in Europe after Paris and a cultural powerhouse for the Baroque era.

Rome: is the nominal authority over a band of territory known as the Papal States. Papal authority suffers dreadfully during the schism of the 14th Century. The towns of the Papal States are governed by local lords ostensibly governing as vicars of Rome but by the time Martin V ends the schism in 1419 they are all but autonomous and Rome itself is little more than a ghost-town. Successive popes rebuild Rome and claw back control of the Papal States but Alexander VI (1492-1503) and Julius II (1503-13) secure the biggest expansion, especially northward towards Venice and Florence. Alexander’s numerous illegitimate children include Lucrezia and Cesaré Borgia. Cesaré infamously carves out, by war and horrifyingly ruthless despotism, his own immense estate under his father’s patronage. But Julius II, the sworn enemy of the Borgias, confiscates it and thereby enlarges the Papal States. Cesaré dies in Spain fighting for the King of Navarre in 1507. Julius proves devastatingly effective at removing over-weaning signorés and replacing them with cardinals. By this means the Pope becomes a major secular power in Italy, as opposed to a merely spiritual authority, but the popes of the later 15th and early 16th centuries are dreadfully dissolute and make little attempt to hide it, bringing further disrepute upon a Catholic church already mired in venality across Europe. Leo X (1513-21) tries vainly to restore matters but his incompetent handling of Luther triggers a continent-wide schism that finally breaks the Catholic church and inaugurates the Reformation. By 1600 a papal-inspired ‘counter-reformation’ is in full swing, the result of which plunges Europe in to the Thirty Years War – but the Protestant is here to stay! Though shamelessly corrupt and dissolute, the popes as Renaissance princes are great champions of the arts as they rival the Medicis in Florence, creating ever grander churches, bridges, piazzas and public spaces: a new Saint Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Ponte Sisto (the first bridge to be built across the Tiber since Imperial Rome), and the Piazza Navona. The Popes are also patrons of the arts engaging such artists as Perugino, Raphael, Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo, Luca Signorelli, Botticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli. Rome itself is unlike any other city. With little trade and no manufacture, Rome imports all its needs from elsewhere (food mainly from the Papal States). The money for this comes from the Papal income from church estates all over Europe, Peter’s Pence, etc. About a third is from rents and customs in the Papal States. Total revenue is around 300,000 ducats, of which typically a third goes on maintaining an army. But the lack of a merchant class (as opposed to mere vendors of food, 79 etc) means there’s no true middle class. Rome exists purely to administer the Catholic church and more than half the 30,000 population are clerks, lawyers and other minor officials serving the Papal curia. Men vastly outnumber women and the majority of those few women are prostitutes or courtesans. The city is a perpetual hotbed of intrigue as various factions within the College of Cardinals strive for influence, competing for the vital positions of power within the Papal bureaucracy: Chamberlain, Treasurer, etc. The great noble families of Rome: Chigi, Colonna, Della Rovere, Farnese and Orsini vie with each other and often the papacy for control over the city. Pilgrims visiting Rome on pilgrimage find the ancient city walls broken and tumbled down. They were built for a city of one million so the pilgrim finds the city within the walls a collection of vineyards, gardens, fields and even marshes with clusters of small single-story houses with only the occasional great houses of the cardinals and nobles rising above the squalour. Under Alexander VI and the later popes the city blossoms into the magnificence known today.

Savoy: Emperor Sigismund creates Count Amadeus VIII of the House of Savoy duke in 1416. Amadeus adds quite a bit of territory to Savoy at the expense of his neighbours, Saluzzo and Monteferrat, but he really throws the cat in the pigeon loft when in 1439 he accepts the title of pope as Felix V. He keeps the title for ten years before voluntarily stepping down to receive a cardinal’s hat. Aside from his papal aspirations, Amadeus is cultured and refined, a champion of art, literature and architecture. Louis succeeds his father in 1440, when Amadeus accepts the Papal election. Louis tries to conquer Milan but fails. In 1453 he inherits the Turin Shroud from Margaret de Charny which remains in the House of Savoy, a wonder of the Renaissance world and the focus of pilgrimage for centuries. Louis dies at Lyons while visiting France in 1465. Louis’ son, Amadeus IX, is completely ineffectual and leaves the governance of Savoy to his duchess, Voilanté, which more or less means Savoy is controlled by Voilanté’s brother, Louis XI of France. As a result the Savoy economy suffers, especially as Amadeus likes to make frequent large donations to worthy causes. Amadeus dies in 1472 and Voilanté serves as regent for her 7 year old son, Philibert, until her own death in 1478. Philibert, dies in 1482 aged only 17 and the Duchy passes to his younger brother, Charles. Charles tries to stake his claim to the kingdoms of , Jerusalem and Armenia. Although his title (from his cousin, Charlotte of Cyprus) is impeccable, Venice refuses to relinquish Cyprus. Charles dies in 1490 having achieved little except to produce an heir, Charles II, only one year old at his father’s death. Through the long infancy of Charles II Savoy is governed by his mother, Blanche of Monteferrat, as regent. Charles is still only five when Charles VIII of France invades on his way to Naples and Savoy is the first casualty of the Italian Wars. Charles of Savoy dies in 1496, falling out of bed! The passes to his great-uncle Philip who dies of simple old age in 1497. His son, Philibert II, himself dies childless in 1504, despite having married his cousin (Yolande, the younger sister of Charles II) and on his death the titles of Cyprus and Jerusalem split from Savoy though the dukes of Savoy continue to use the titles without license. Philibert’s brother, Charles III at last reverses the run of minorities, early deaths and consequent short reigns. Savoy essentially lies on the road from France to Italy and consequently is invaded by France repeatedly. In an effort to counter this Charles allies with the Habsburgs but in 1536 occupies Savoy and Charles spends the rest of his reign in exile, dying in 1553 after passing from one relative to another. Charles’ only child to reach adulthood is Emmanuel Philibert, who spends almost his entire life in exile with his parents. He makes his name as a soldier, earning the sobriquet ‘Testa di Ferro’ (Ironhead) in the service of the Emperor. He succeeds his father in 1553 but continues to serve the Habsburgs as Governor of the Netherlands from 1555-59. Emmanuel Philibert’s invasion of northern France in 1557 results in a stunning victory at Saint- Quentin. At the time Emmanuel Philibert is a suitor to an obscure English princess (soon to be

80 ). His performance in the campaign earns Emmanuel Philibert a place in the negotiations with the result that in 1559 he weds Margaret Duchess of Berry and daughter of Francis I of France. With this marriage he gets back Savoy but spends the rest of his reign reasserting his rights over the Duchy territory piecemeal. He increases duchy estates by purchase and makes Turin his capital. He dies in 1580 trying to take Saluzzo. Charles Emmanuel succeeds his father in 1580. He’s a hard act to follow but Charles Emmanuel sets out to make his name as a soldier, warring with France over Saluzzo, which France finally cedes in 1601. Charles Emmanuel is rash, earning the nickname ‘Testa di Feu’ (Head of Fire) but he and his father finally earn Savoy some respect.

Siena: governed by a Council of Ten Priors, the Sienese nobility had been exiled but under the influence of Pope Pius II his family (the Piccolominis) and others are allowed to return in 1459, only to be cast out again on his death in 1464. But the deteriorating political situation makes the Council of Ten Priors recall the nobles again in 1487. Siena successfully fights off Cesaré Borgia (with Florentine support) under Pandolfo Petrucci and he exercises effective control until his death in 1512. Siena remains a proud republic but internal strife between the Petruccis weakens the city. Siena exiles the Petruccis in 1523 but strife continues with a popular faction ousting the Noveschis, despite military intervention by Pope Clement VII (defeated at Camollia in 1526). Emperor Charles V takes advantage of the situation to install a Spanish garrison for many years. The city regains its freedom briefly in 1552 but the battle of Marciano breaks its resistance and in 1555 it cedes to Philip II of Spain. Philip is deeply in debt to the Medicis and is forced to sell Siena to them where it becomes part of their Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Siena is an important cultural centre, especially for humanist learning.

Venice: is the Empire without an Emperor. Elected Doges head a political system that proves strangely stable and Venice remains a republic, unlike almost all other Italian cities. The elected Doge is hardly ever deposed and never assassinated. The city itself has a population of 100,000 and a trading fleet of over 3,000 galleys protected by a navy of 50 purpose built warships mounting bow-mounted cannon (Venice leads Italy in the use of guns of all sizes). Unlike all other Mediterranean naval powers Venice prefers to use free oarsmen recruited from its own citizens, which means in battle the rowers can be armed and fight alongside the crew and marines, unlike galleys relying on slaves who must remain chained to their oars for fear of joining the enemy. Thanks to its domination of trade in the eastern Mediterranean, Venice in 1450 has ousted Genoa as the leading maritime power and has an income of over a million ducats. Venice is one of the few European nations to give material aid to Constantinople but is unable to prevent its fall to the Turks in 1453. Over the following decades the Ottomans sweep through Greece and the southern Balkans. Venice loses a land war in the Peloponnesus in 1464, the Crimea in 1470 and is shut out of the Black Sea by 1484. Venice then loses her possessions in the Aegean, which becomes an Ottoman lake, and barely manages to keep a toehold on Ragusa and . A further war in 1499-1502 proves calamitous thanks to the ineptitude of the Doge, . When the Italian Wars break out Venice is initially at the forefront of the anti-French alliance. But after Fornovo Pope Julius II forms the League of Cambrai (Rome, France, the Empire and Spain) against Venice. Venice survives (Julius changes sides) but Ottoman aggression and the Italian Wars dent revenue and Venice falls to second place behind Florence in the early 1500s though it remains at the forefront of Italian cities, even when the Black Death kills 50,000 people from 1577 to 1579. The city is unique; built on 117 islets in a salt water lagoon. Gondolas ply canals where other cities have roads. Centuries of wealth are displayed in its breathtaking architecture. In the Arsenále the Venetian state builds ships for the fleet: Venice has no privately owned ships, instead its merchants rent ships from the state. As well as trade between Europe, the Middle East and the Spice Route, Venice is also the leading manufacturer of silver and glassware in Europe, particularly mirrors.

81 The Holy Roman Empire (thanks to Steve Bealing): On paper the Empire looks impressive; the title of Emperor carries with it enormous prestige, the post makes its holder the theoretical secular head of Christendom (the Papacy being the Spiritual counterpart) and the Empire covers a vast territory from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. In reality the office of Emperor, (or more strictly 'King of the Romans': only a papal coronation makes an Emperor), is elective. In theory any king, duke, count or even a landless knight, can be elected by the college of seven electors as established by the Empire's constitutional charter called ‘The Golden Bull’. The Electors: the Archbishops of Treves, Mainz and Cologne, the King of Bohemia, the Count of the Palatinate, the Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg and the Margrave of Brandenburg, not only have the power to elect but they can also depose. So the Emperor’s authority is limited mainly to his personal estates and compared to his immediate imperial predecessors (kings both of Hungary and Bohemia), Frederick III's resources in 1450 are meagre. There are some vestigial Imperial lands and taxes but none produce any useful revenue so Frederick has to rely on other lands owned or controlled. Until 1457 he manages to exercise some power as regent for Austria until the estates release Archduke Ladislas from Frederick’s control but he inherits a share in Austria on Ladislas’ death in 1457 and the death of his brother, Albert, in 1463 makes Frederick Archduke of Austria, but he cannot press his claim. Frederick is also humiliated by Matthias Corvinus of Hungary who takes and keeps Vienna 1485-90. From 1483 Frederick rules jointly with his son, Maximilian, and Frederick’s most notable diplomatic success lies in forcing Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, to accept a marriage between Charles’ daughter, Mary, and Maximilian, which on Charles’ death (after a protracted war against France) secures the Netherlands as a personal estate for the Habsburgs. Maximilian also secures Austria by main force in 1490. Maximilian, unlike his father, sees himself as a warrior but his purse never matches his ambitions and as Emperor he finds himself regularly humiliated on campaign. He creates the landsknechts in imitation of the superb Swiss infantry but he fails to keep up with their pay and ultimately fails to achieve his goals in Italy or prevent the Swiss from seceding from the Empire but he summons the Reichstag for the first time in 1495 and passes four bills which breath some life back in to the Empire, though the new constitution doesn’t take full effect until the Imperial Circles become fully operational in 1512. Meanwhile Maximilian indulges in dynastic politics. Having gained claim to The Netherlands by marrying Charles the Bold’s daughter, Mary of Burgundy, Maximilian secures their claim to her father’s estates by war against Louis XI of France. The result broadly means the French lands go to France and the rest to Maximilian and Mary. With the lesson of his own marriage fresh in his mind, Maximilian secures another dynastic marriage for their son, Philip (the Handsome), to Joanna (the Mad), daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, in 1496. With the death of her brother, Don Juan, in 1497, followed by a string of other unfortunate early deaths in Spain and Portugal, Joanna becomes heir to both Aragon and Castile in 1500, just as she gives birth to a son, the future Emperor Charles V. Isabella dies in 1506 and Ferdinand in 1516. Charles is crowned king of a united Spain. The death of Maximilian in 1519 triggers an election. Luckily for Charles, Jacob Fugger bribes the electors who unanimously make Charles Emperor, defeating Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, Francis I of France, and Henry VIII of England. Charles is now the ruler of a huge power with lands in Spain, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands (though he has to wait until 1530 to be formally crowned as Emperor in Bologna). Meanwhile, rumblings of discontent in Germany finally erupt in to revolution in 1517 when a Dominican friar, Johann Tetzel, is sent to his homeland with a license to sell indulgences, with the purpose of minting cash for the Papal coffers. “As the coin in the coffer rings, the soul into heaven springs.” Martin Luther, responding to the general outrage at Papal cupidity, nails his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg. Luther’s outburst resonates across Germany. Pope Leo X, failing to realise the strength of feeling for church reform, handles the affair incompetently and 82 the Reformation is born. It spreads steadily across Germany and Switzerland over the next few decades. In combination with a general sense of unfairness at their lot, in 1524 the peasantry in southern Germany rebel in mass, starting what comes to be known at the Peasant’s War. The Swabian League, formed from the cities and magnates of the area, hastily organises an army but it takes more than a year to fully suppress the revolts. It seems the peasantry have gained little but over the next few decades their plight eases as the great lords try to avoid antagonising them again. Although now unquestionably the most powerful man in Europe, Emperor Charles V finds his vast resources still too thin for all his needs. He wants to fight the French but also has to fight the forces of Protestantism within the Empire. He intervenes in Italy in pursuit of his claims to Naples and Milan and eventually wins a great victory over the French at Pavia in 1525. In the east the Empire faces the steady and swift advance of the Turks and Vienna, Charles’ Austrian capital, is besieged in 1529. The Ottomans are repulsed thanks mainly to heavy rains preventing their siege artillery from reaching Vienna but aside from this setback everything else seems to go their way. Charles and Pope Paul III organise a comprising 157 galleys (36 papal galleys, 61 Genoese, 50 Portuguese and 10 sent by the ) under Andrea Doria to confront 122 Turkish galleys under Barbarossa who are besieging Venetian Corfu and ravaging the Italian coast. In a massive sea battle off the Adriatic port of Prevesa the Turks maul the Christians, sinking, burning or capturing 49 ships for no losses, though many of the Turkish galleys are badly damaged by cannon fire. The following year Barbarossa takes most of the Dalmation coast. In the New World Spain carves out a massive empire. To quote the Bernal Díaz del Castillo: “We came to serve God and his Majesty, to give light to those in darkness, and also to acquire that wealth which most men covet”, which more or less sums up the attitude of the freebooting . At the expense of virtual genocide of the native population, the New World sends back immense amounts of bullion, especially silver, but Charles promptly spends it all on his wars and the net effect is to inflict heavy inflation on all countries touched by Spanish silver, including England (thanks to Elizabeth’s – effectively pirates under Royal license). The conquistadors’ activities horrify the church and in 1550 Charles convenes a conference at Valladolid to discuss the issues but without resolving anything. Finally, exhausted by a lifetime of incessant intrigue and war, Charles retires in 1556. His son, Philip II, inherits Spain, including the territories in Italy and the Netherlands but in the Empire the Electors decide to elect Charles’ brother, Ferdinand as Emperor and the two Habsburg dynasties go their separate ways.

The Ottoman Empire: In 1299 Osman I founded one of nine small ghazi emirates in northwest . A ghazi is an Islamic crusader; a holy warrior imbued with the fervour of his religion. However, only the Ottomans maintained the ghazi spirit past the death of their founder, causing the tyros from the other ghazi states to flock to the Ottoman Emirs to satisfy their military zeal. The influx of zealous troops helped the Ottoman Emirate to quickly push back the frontier between Islam and Christianity by waging a very successful war against the weak . Osman took Bursa in 1326, dying shortly after in his new capital. His son, Orkan I (1326-1360), continued a vigorous campaign, driving the Byzantines out from Anatolia by 1338 before turning his attention to the weaker emirates. 1354 saw him take Ankara and make it his capital, adopting the title of Sultan to mark his precedence over the other emirs. With Western Anatolia now entirely Ottoman, Orkan returned his attention to the Byzantine Empire. He directed his armies across the Bosphorus to invade . Constantinople was powerless to do more than just watch. Murad I (1360-1389) began the systematic reduction of the Byzantine Empire in Europe and the consolidation of Ottoman power in Anatolia. Murad took in 1361, Macedonia 1371, Nish and Sofia in 1386 and Salonika in 1387. By 1373, the tributary states included Bulgaria and Constantinople itself, while Murad directly ruled all Anatolia as far as Trebizond.

83 In the aftermath of the battles of Kossovo (1389) and Nicopolis (1396), Bulgaria came under direct Ottoman rule. Western Europe quaked in fear as Bayezid I started making plans for the taking of Constantinople. In desperation, the Emperor Manuel II toured Western Christendom from 1399 to 1403, visiting Italy, Paris and London. But the Ottomans are not invincible. The dreadful tyrant Tamberlaine invaded eastern Anatolia in 1402. Bayezid moved against the invader but Tamberlaine outmanoeuvred him in a superb piece of generalship, slipping his army behind Ottomans and moving on Bayezid's capital. After a desperate countermarch, his army exhausted, low on food and water, Bayezid lost to Tamberlaine outside Ankara. Bayezid died in captivity but his son, Mehmed I (1402-1413) rebuilt the Ottoman state. The Ottomans lost their grip on their recent conquests: many states refused tribute and Thrace and Salonika regained independence. However, it was only a matter of time before the Turks returned to Constantinople. Meanwhile, Venice and Hungary took advantage of the Ottoman eclipse. Venice extended its control of the Aegean by virtue of its maritime superiority and Hungary under strong central rule gained tribute from Bosnia, Serbia and Wallachia. But the tide turned and under Murad II (1421-1451), the Ottomans again moved westward, recapturing Salonika and Thrace in 1430. Desperate for allies, Emperor John II made overtures to the Pope to heal the schism that had separated the two churches since 1054, signing a formal reconciliation at the Council of Florence in 1439, only to be condemned by the fundamentalists of the Byzantine Church. King Sigismund of Hungary died in 1437. Despite having to fight for control his successor, Vladislav, appointed a gifted man to take charge of the war against the Turks, John Hunyadi. His campaigns of 1442/44 saved Constantinople from Murad II, beating the Turks at Nish in 1443. Murad won at Varna in 1444, killing King Vladislav of Poland and Hungary but Hunyadi, as regent for the infant Vladislav V, made him lose his taste for war and Murad 'retired' in 1444 in favour of his son, Mehmed II, only to resume power in 1446, refreshed. His son won the second battle of Kossovo in 1448. In 1451, Mehmed II formally succeeds Murad II. A ruthless man, he murders two brothers to secure his throne and his favourite means of execution is sawing in half, but he sees himself as a new Alexander, campaigning westward and always destined to take Constantinople, Alexander's capital.

The Fall of Constantinople (1453): ever since its sacking in 1204 by the 4th Crusade (at the behest of the Venetians who provided the transport) the sad remnants of the Roman Empire had staggered on, barely alive, but still with the mystique of antiquity and continuity from its Roman origins. On April 7th 1453 Mehmed lays siege to Constantinople. The Turks drag seventy ships overland from the Bosphorus to the Golden Horn to circumvent the harbour defences. Against the city, they deploy the biggest cannon ever seen. Mehmed employs German miners under a Scottish captain (John Grant) to undermine the walls but the defenders drive countermines and all the tunnels are intercepted. Finally Mehmed offers terms to Emperor Constantine XI, granting safe passage from the city for everyone and guaranteeing the sanctity of Byzantine possessions elsewhere in Greece. Constantine in return offers to increase his tribute but refuses to surrender Constantinople as it is not his to give. The Ottomans spend 2 days preparing for the final assault and 1 day in fasting and prayer. Then at midnight May 29th the voyniks and other European troops attack first, followed by waves of azabs. Then the Anatolian troops storm the Blachernae walls and enter the city, only to be repulsed after bitter fighting. Finally the elite assault the city walls. When the Genoese general commanding infantry is wounded, panic afflicts his men and Constantine’s own section starts to waver. Then the Turks manage to raise their flag on a postern gate and panic spreads throughout the defence. Constantine himself leads a final futile charge against the janissaries, dying in the street with his men.

84 Since Mehmed had offered terms, under the laws of war he is entitled to plunder and for three days his men rape and despoil the city. But Mehmed does not want his new capital to be a devastated ruin so he positions elite guards over key buildings such as the Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Free Apostles, and after three days he restores order and quarters his troops outside the walls. Many citizens are slain in those three days but Mehmed welcomes the survivors and grants back their own houses and property. They will be allowed to live and worship as they have always done. Europe is stunned, the unthinkable has happened; after over 1500 years, the Roman Empire is no more. Many followers of the Byzantine church read the fall as God's judgement for the Council of Florence, quoting 1 Corinthians, III 17: ‘If any man defile the Temple of God, him I shall destroy’. Not content with the most fabulous city in the world, Mehmed continues his conquest. Hunyadi saves Belgrade in 1456 and the Knights of the Hospital of St. John hold the island of Rhodes but Mehmed takes Serbia in 1459 and annexes the remains of the Byzantine Empire in the peninsula over the next few decades. The secret of the Ottoman success lies not only in their formidable armies and skilled generalship, but also in their government. New territories are minutely surveyed for taxes and administration. Old landed classes are retained and used in Ottoman service. Despite their Ghazi origins, they are surprisingly tolerant of their subjects' religious preferences. But good governance has a price. Mass deportation is common: Albanians, Greeks and Serbs go to Constantinople and Anatolia: Islamic nomads to Thrace, Bulgaria and the border marches. And then there is the Devshirme, a terrible tribute of Christian children to be brought up in the Islamic faith and trained as soldiers, administrators and servants. The despairing cry of a 13th Century Templar has come true: “He is mad who seeks to fight the Turks for Jesus Christ denies them nothing”.

The Ottoman-Venetian Wars: after the fall of Constantinople, the Ottomans continue to advance westward at the expense of Christendom. Venice’s Mediterranean possessions and maritime presence means she bears the brunt of Turkish hostility more than any other Italian city, including Rome. The War of 1463-79: this war sees the rapid growth of the as Mehmed II steadily consolidates his position in the Aegean and Greek mainland. Venice loses its colony of Negroponte and its holdings in the Peloponnesus but finishes ahead by acquiring Cyprus. The War of 1499-1503: the Ottomans initiate hostilities with Admiral beating the Venetians under Antonio Grimani to gain access to the Ionian Sea in August 1499. This is the first time ships use cannon in battle. The Venetians riposte in December by retaking Lepanto as a staging post to regain their lost territories but Kemal Reis returns from Cephalonia and ousts them again by April 1500. In May he bombards Venetian possessions in Corfu and in August he again defeats a Venetian fleet to take Modon and Coron. Beaten at every turn, Doge Agostino Barbarigo begs aid from Pope Alexander VI and in December a Spanish-Venetian army under Gonzalo de Córdoba retakes Cephalonia and puts a temporary halt to Turkish aggression. Ottoman attacks in Venetian Dalmatia force Venice and Alexander to pledge 140,000 ducats a year for the defence of Hungary by May 1501. Venice and the Ottomans agree a truce in 1502 but by 1503 Turkish raids on Venice’s territories in Italy force official recognition of the Ottoman gains. The War of 1537-40: angered by a treaty between Venice and Emperor Charles V, Sultan Suleiman allies with Francis I of France. The Turks land in Castro in southern Italy in late July 1537 and for two weeks devastate the territory around Otranto, taking 10,000 slaves. But Francis welches on his promise to invade north Italy and the Turks leave Castro to besiege the Venetian island of Corfu only to leave after a month. In February 1538 Barbarossa resumes the and is countered by a ‘Holy League’ fleet of Spanish, Papal, Venetian, Genoese and the Knights of under the Geneose admiral, Andrea Doria. After various manoeuvres the two fleets meet off Lepanto September 28th. The engagement 85 is indecisive but the Holy League loses more ships and declines to rejoin combat the next day, even with a favourable wind. On the other hand Barbarossa’s ships are badly damaged and he cannot continue with his assault on Corfu. Barbarossa returns in 1539 and over two years captures almost all Venetian possessions in the Aegean and Ionian seas (including famously Castelnuovo) but Venice retains Corfu.

The 1522: the Ottomans besiege the Knights Hospitallers on their island fortress of Rhodes. The Knights fight valiantly but eventually capitulate. They are allowed to leave with honour. They are homeless for a biblical period of seven years before Charles V of Spain grants them Malta and hereafter they are known as the Knights of Malta.

The Conquest of Hungary 1521-41: after the death of Matthias Corvinus in 1490, the nobility deliberately chooses to elect the weak Vladislaus II, King of Bohemia, as their new monarch. The new king steadily grants away tax exemptions and the Royal estates, reducing Royal revenue to less than a third. Corvinus’ standing army is disbanded and Hungary’s defences fall into disrepair. In 1514, the peasantry rise in revolt, only to be ruthlessly crushed by the nobility under John Zapolya but Hungary remains a nation divided by class war and Protestantism, ripe for conquest. In 1521 the Turks oblige, seizing the largest fortress in south Hungary. Intent on suppressing the peasants, the nobility fail to heed the call to arms from the young king Louis II. He makes a marriage alliance with the Habsburgs but in 1526 the Ottomans move up the Danube intent on conquest. The Ottomans induce Francis I of France to engage Charles V from the west so no help can be sent to Hungary. August 29th 1526, faces two thirds of the Hungarian army at Mohács under Louis II and Archbishop Tomori. Without waiting for the Transylvanian contingent under Zapolya, the Hungarians attack. Initially pushed back, the Ottomans rally using their reserves and the Hungarians are broken by the crack Janisseries. Louis dies in the rout. The victory does not give Suleiman immediate control of Hungary but it breaks the back of organised resistance. Zapolya is elected king but intervention by the Habsburgs leads to bitter civil war. Zapolya flees to Poland and then allies with the Ottomans, regaining Hungary at the expense of making it an Ottoman vassal. When Zapolya dies in 1540, the Ottomans at last gain formal control of Hungary.

The Siege of Vienna 1529: having neutralised Hungary the Ottomans advance up the Danube to take Vienna. However, heavy rains delay the march and force Suleiman to leave behind his heavy siege artillery. Suleiman arrives before Vienna in late September, the delay allowing Count Nicholas von Salm to organise the defence based on local supplemented by a leavening of landsknechts and Spanish musketeers. Further rains flood trenches and dampen powder. With disease rife in the Turkish ranks, Suleiman orders a final all-out assault on October 12th but despite gaps in the walls the defenders beat off the janissaries. Heavy snow arrives unseasonably early, adding to the tribulations and the Ottoman retreat becomes a disaster with much of the baggage, artillery and even the prisoners being lost. However the Viennese forces also lose as many as 10,000 men from disease and artillery fire.

The Italian Wars (1494-1559): having emerged from the Hundred Years War with England, Louis XI keeps his ambitions within his means and instead devotes his attention to consolidating the power of the crown and modernising the state – including the army. He is succeeded by his infant son, Charles VIII, in 1483 and by the time Charles comes of age France finds itself arguably the most powerful and modern state in Europe. Charles looks abroad for opportunities to demonstrate French superiority.

86 Italy has meanwhile achieved an equilibrium that finally ends the depredations of the Condottiere Wars of the 14th and early 15th centuries but from Paris Italy looks like a mishmash agglomeration of city-states with no central control and distinctly archaic military traditions. Charles dreams of crusading against the Turks but rightly views the Italians as shifty and is disinclined to rely on Venetian ships. Instead he seeks a permanent naval base in southern Italy and decides to renew an inherited claim to the Kingdom of Naples. Meanwhile Ludovico Sforza usurps the from his nephew, Gian Galeazzo Sforza. Naples contests this criminal act and Ludovico turns to France for military aid. This is Charles’ opportunity and he gleefully sends the French war-machine in to action. The War of 1494-98: Charles invades through Savoy with a powerful army featuring the world’s first modern artillery. He walks through Italy – Florence capitulating under the weak leadership of Piero de Medici – to enter Rome without a single blade raised against him. But it is in Rome that he has his first setback without even realising it at the time. The Borgia Pope Alexander VI, initially dismayed at the overwhelming power of the French, dazzles Charles with pomp and flattery, delaying Charles’ march south. By the time Charles resumes his advance with Alexander’s son, Cesaré as hostage, Alexander is already intriguing with Florence, Venice and other Italian cities to form the League of Venice against the French King. Cesaré gives Charles the slip on the Neapolitan border to return to his father. Charles defeats a Neapolitan-Aragonese force and days later takes Naples itself February 22nd 1495. Three months later, with his troops falling ill with a new disease, apparently caught from Neapolitan prostitutes, naïve Charles becomes aware of the forces massing to the north and leaves Naples to return to France on May 20th, reaching Pisa 2 months later. The combined Italian army (including erstwhile French allies, Milan and Venice) under Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, catches up with Charles at Fornovo, forcing action July 6th. Only a flash-flood of the Arno allows the French to escape but they do so at the expense of their artillery and siege train, including much of the loot taken in campaign. France loses a lot of prestige and the good-will of Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and even England, but Italy is revealed to be weak, militarily and politically. The War of 1499-1504: Charles VIII dies in 1498 after an accident playing tennis to be succeeded by his cousin, Louis XII. Louis seeks to renew Charles’ claims to Naples and allies with Venice and Rome (in return for French support for Cesaré’s campaign in the Romagna). Louis seizes Milan in 1499, imprisoning Ludovico Sforza in France, where he dies in a dungeon in 1508. Fearful of this alliance between France and the Italian cities, Ferdinand II of Aragon joins the alliance against Frederick IV, who has seized Naples illegally. In 1501 the combined French and Aragonese forces take Naples but within a year Louis and Ferdinand fall out over the spoils and war breaks out again in the second half of 1502. As an aside, a captured French knight makes disparaging remarks about Italian knighthood and in the Challenge of Barletta the issue is decided in a formal mounted tourney between 13 knights from each country. The Italians win. A breakdown in relations between the French and their Italian allies gives the Spanish Viceroy, Cordoba, the upper hand and Louis is forced to withdraw. In the Treaty of Lyon of January 31st 1504, Louis cedes Naples to Spain and recognises Ferdinand as King of Sicily but Louis keeps Milan. The War of the League of Cambrai 1508-16: after his election in 1503, Pope Julius II decides to continue Cesaré’s conquests in the Romagna for his own purposes – to increase Papal authority and income. After initial operations against Bologna and Perugia stall, Julius turns his attention to Venice and forges the League of Cambrai, an alliance with Louis XII of France, Emperor Maximilian and Ferdinand II of Aragon with the purpose of breaking Venetian power. The League comprehensively beats Venice at Agnadello in 1509 but fails to capture Padua. However by June 1511 most of the Romagna belongs to Louis, provoking Julius into declaring a new Holy League with Venice against France, including Spain and Maximilian and even Henry VIII, who looks to restore ancient English claims to Northern France. 87 The French under their dynamic new leader, Gaston de Foix, crush the Spanish army at Ravenna in April 1512 but Foix dies in the process, throwing the French armies in to confusion. When a Swiss army installs Maximilian Sforza (son of Ludovico) as Duke of Milan the French withdraw over the Alps, leaving the Holy League in control of all Italy. But the Holy League falls out over the disposition of Milan and Ferrara and in late May 1513 a French army advances on Milan in alliance with Venice. However the Swiss beat the French at and the Holy League defeat the Venetians at La Motta, taking Padua. But Julius’ death in 1513 takes the Papal army out of the equation and despite extensive operations well into 1514 the Spanish under Cardonna can make no headway. Louis XII’s death in January 1515 brings Francis I to the French throne who immediately decides to press his claims to Milan. In a decisive battle at Marignano, Francis and his Venetian allies shockingly defeat the Swiss in September. The Holy League falls apart leaving France and Venice in control of northern Italy. The War of 1521-26: Charles V of Spain becomes Holy Roman Emperor, thwarting Francis I thanks to Jacob Fugger, who bribes the Electors. In revenge Francis invades Italy, only to be beaten by Spanish at Bicocca (April 1522) and Sesia (April 1524). With Milan falling to Charles (who installs Francesco Maria Sforza as Duke), Francis personally leads another invasion in 1525 only to be soundly thrashed by landsknechts and captured at Pavia in February. Francis’ mother, Louise of Savoy, seeking her son’s release, intrigues with Sultan Suleiman, the Ottoman Emperor, who attacks the Empire, taking Hungary after the battle of Mohacs in August 1526 but Francis is only released after giving up his claims to Italy, Flanders and Burgundy in the Treaty of . The War of the League of Cognac 1526-30: with Charles V ascendant and France humiliated, Pope Clement VII forms the League of Cognac against him, allying with France, Venice, Florence and several smaller Italian cities. But Venice declines to provide troops and France is still too weak and withdraws from . In 1527 Charles takes Florence and, almost accidentally, sacks Rome itself, taking Clement prisoner. The Treaty of Cambrai officially ends the League in 1529 and in 1530 Charles reinstalls the Medici in Florence. The War of 1536-38: Francesco Maria, the last Sforza Duke of Milan dies childless, provoking Francis I of France to invade to prevent Milan going to Charles’ son, Philip. Francis takes Turin but cannot reach Milan. In response Charles invades Provence but the war ends with Turin still in French hands but no other changes to the Italian map. The War of 1542-46: Francis launches a last invasion of Italy in alliance with Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Emperor. A Franco-Ottoman fleet captures in August 1543 but citadel holds out for a month until relieved. The French army invading Italy under Comte d’Enghien beats Imperial forces at Ceresole in April 1544 but fail to reach their objectives in Lombardy. Spanish and English armies attack northern France but fail to co-ordinate their efforts and Ottoman naval raids force their withdrawal, restoring the status-quo. The War of 1551-59: Henry I has succeeded to the French throne and declares war with the intent of wresting Italy from Charles V and thereby making France the most powerful nation in Europe, instead of the Habsburg Spanish-German Empire. He invades Lorraine successfully but in Tuscany he is thwarted at Marciano in August 1553. Then in 1556 Charles abdicates, leaving his son, Philip, as King of Spain, but the Germans elect Charles’ brother, Ferdinand, as Emperor. With the Habsburgs split Henry attacks Flanders but Philip of Spain with Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy beats him at St Quentin in August 1557. Later that year Queen Mary of England invades in support of her husband, Philip, but loses Calais for her pains. The French pillage the Low Countries but Henry is forced to renounce all his Italian pretensions in the Peace of Chateau Cambresis. Henry of France holds a joust to celebrate the victory but is fatally wounded and dies of blood- poisoning. He is succeeded by his sickly son, Francis II, who himself dies in 1560, throwing France into the chaos of the Wars of Religion.

The Peasant’s War (1524-25): in the autumn of 1524 the Countess of Lupfen orders serfs on her estates near Stuhlingen, in south-west Germany to collect snails for use as spools for thread. The 88 harvest is poor, continuing a series of poor years, and the peasantry rebels at this intrusion in to the time available to manage their own land. Due to widespread dissatisfaction with serfdom fuelled by Protestant and Leveller preachings, in a matter of weeks the rebellion spreads right across southern Germany and Austria. The nobility and senior clergy are horrified to see serfs forming organised military formations and, worse still, electing their own officials and leaders along democratic lines. Money is raised to recruit small but effective professional armies which are directed at the peasant contingents, who arm themselves and attempt to form regiments of pike. Lacking cavalry and artillery, most of the rebellions are brutally suppressed in battles at Leipheim, Weinsberg, Frankenhausen, Böblingen, Königshofen and Würzburg, killing about a third of the 300,000 rebels. Many of these ‘battles’ are frankly massacres. The rebels have a few successes but by the autumn of 1525 the rebellion is over. Few of their goals are achieved and serfdom remains in force but laws are passed easing their lot.

89 Monastic Orders Like everywhere else in Europe, around 2% of the population are professional religiosi. About half of these are monks and nuns of which there is a bewildering array of orders grouped in to roughly three distinct flavours: traditional monks, canons and friars. The rest are parish priests and their hierarchy rising to the College of Cardinals with the Pope himself at the top.

Monks & Nuns (traditional): most ‘regular’ monks are not priests but ‘lay brethren’ who follow a strict schedule throughout the day of hard, physical work interspersed with rounds of prayer. Frankly most such monks are peasants in habits. They have no special learning or understanding – many cannot even write their own names. In most such monasteries there will be an abbot or prior ruling over typically twelve choir (scholarly) monks and from twelve to four dozen lay brethren. Each monastery has choir monks holding specific jobs: a porter who mans the gate; a sacristan who oversees the valuables; a cofferer or treasurer who oversees the finances; an hospitaller who ensures guests are cared for appropriately, and so on. (All monasteries offer ‘hospitality’ whereby travellers may receive free board and lodging for one night before proceeding on their way.) All monasteries are built to the same basic plan: a church aligned east-west forming one side of a cloister, which is a covered, paved walkway surrounding an open grass square. Off the cloister will be the chapter house (where all the monks meet daily to conduct business), a library, scriptorium, and other facilities. The lay and choir monks will have separate dormitories, each with a ‘night stair’ by which they make their way to the church for prayers at midnight and before dawn. There is a kitchen next to a refectory for meals and a room set aside for ablutions, with running water yet. Most monasteries also have a duplicate set of facilities for elderly and infirm monks and a dedicated infirmary under an infirmarian. Finally the abbot will have separate lodgings of his own. On top of all this there are a brewhouse, storehouses for food, grain, etc. There is bewildering array of orders. Benedictines (Black Monks): the oldest and most numerous order, following the Rule of St Benedict. Its Abbeys are now almost universally lax and worldly. (See ‘The Name of the Rose’ for what one might be like – although it is set in 1327 most of the setting still applies 200 years later.) Cluniacs: a suborder of Benedictines ruled by the Abbot of Cluny in France, the largest church in Christendom. Established to restore the original ideal of austerity, many Benedictine priories converted to Cluny 950-1130 but the order is now decayed quite as much in most cases. Cistercians (White Monks): a later Benedictine suborder linked to Cîteaux in France dedicated to simple poverty and withdrawal from the outside world. They value manual labour and even the choir monks dedicate themselves to simple labour in the fields. They converted many Benedictine and Cluniac priories as well as establishing their own foundations between 1150 and 1275. However, the Cistercians too are now badly decadent. One common fault is a tendency for Cistercian monasteries to have far too many lay brethren, sometimes 200 or more when a few dozen would be the optimum. The Abbot of Citeaux rules over all daughter priories. Carthusians: a severe order whereby choir monks live in solitary confinement in study and prayer, emerging only to pray in church. The lay brethren, of course, do all the manual labour and maintain the facilities. The Carthusians show little corruption but only the most devout follow this ideal so their priories are relatively uncommon and they have almost no political clout due to their complete withdrawal from the World. The Abbot of Chartreuse, in the French Alps, rules over all daughter priories. Since they are rare, their foundations are invariably known locally as ‘the Charterhouse’. Olivetans: the Abbot of Monte Oliveto Maggiore governs daughter priories across Italy of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olive, notably in Florence, Naples and San Gimignano. They are less corrupt than other orders following the Benedictine rule, possibly because of their recent foundation (1313). They wear white habits and may be confused with Cistercians. Members have a reputation as healers with profound knowledge of Herb Lore, and for revelatory visions. Sylvestrines: founded in 1247 and still following their rule (Benedictine) quite strictly, particularly regarding poverty. 56 daughter priories, mainly in , Tuscany and Umbria, are governed by the Abbot of Saint Sylvester of Fabriano. Unlike all other orders, there are no Sylvestrine nuns. The monks wear habits of dark blue. 90 Canons Regular: popular since the 12th and 13th Centuries because, unlike regular monks, all brethren are ordained priests, giving greater capacity for saying masses for souls, hence popular in bequests and wills. The orders are all very much alike but while monks tend to withdraw from public life to follow a contemplative vocation, canons go out into their communities and may serve as parish priests, teachers and healers. Canonries are invariably in towns. Like regular monks, they also offer hospitality, etc. However, most canonries are now as lax as the Benedictines. Augustinians: following the rule of St Augustine, also known as the ‘Austins’ or ‘Black Canons’ from their habits, not to be confused with the friars of the same name. Crosiers: or the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross to give them their full title, follow the rule of St Augustine and focus on preaching and teaching. Very common across Italy, they wear a distinctive black scapula, sash and cloak over a white habit. Premonstratensians (White Canons): founded 1126, the order has 1300 priories all ruled by the Abbot of Premonstré in France. Like the Cistercians, but unlike most other orders of canons, they build monasteries in isolated places but have recently fallen into laxity. Jesuits: or the Society of Jesus, to give them their full name, are founded by Ignatious Loyola in 1534. Technically not canons but ‘regular clerics’, the Order quickly establishes a reputation for learning and intellectual rigour combined with a willingness to go wherever directed and obey the orders of their masters and ultimately the Pope. They found schools throughout Europe and are responsible for reversing the Reformation in Poland and southern Germany. Then they send missionaries across the World to evangelise the pagans new-found by Spanish and Portuguese empire-builders.

Friars: appeared in the 13th Century and became very popular by revolutionising monasticism. They took the faith to the masses as wandering preachers, living entirely by begging but by the 15th Century they are also decadent. Not a lot to choose between them, distinguished principally by the colours of their habits. Like the canons, all are ordained priests and most are well-educated. Despite the little character sketches, there’s really not much to choose between them all. Dominicans (Friars Preacher or Blackfriars) have a reputation for strictness. Many brethren study canon law and Dominicans spearhead the Inquisition, for which they have earned the punning nickname ‘Domini Canes’ – ‘Hounds of God’. Most Dominicans, but not all, abhor the spread of humanist learning and the consequent (in their eyes) corruption – Savonarola is a Dominican. Franciscans (Friars Minor or Greyfriars) are regarded as more easy-going, preferring to correct doctrinal fallacies through preaching rather than burning heretics – but the difference is really one of emphasis. The Franciscans have a long history of internal dispute within their order from which they are only just emerging. Carmelites (Whitefriars): rather more ascetic and mystical than either of the other two, they are slightly more evangelical. Augustinians: following the rule of St Augustine, not to be confused with the canons regular of the same name. Crutched Friars: or the Brethren of the Cross are numerous in Italy with centres in Bologna, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice. They wear a blue habit with a red cross. Their name comes from the crucifix which adorns the top of the staves they habitually bear when out and about.

Brother Canons and Friars have Latin*, Liturgy*, Occult Lore, Oratory*, Persuade, Read/Write*, Theology* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Lay brethren have peasant skills.

Nunneries: are all like each other as, despite their division into all the male orders, the monk- canon-friar distinction is pretty immaterial because women cannot be ordained or celebrate Mass. However they share the outlook of their male brethren in that traditional nuns withdraw from the World while canonesses and friaresses go out to tend the poor and nurse the sick. Typical nursing nuns have Etiquette, Herb Lore*, Listen*, Sing*, Sneak, Tend Wounds*, Treat Disease as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. 91 The Military Orders These are the ‘Knights of Christ’, soldier-monks in theory dedicated to fighting in defence of the Church and the faithful. Foremost by far are the Knights Hospitallers. There are also smaller orders found only in Italy and the Spanish import some of theirs during the course of the Italian Wars, though by now the Spanish orders are mostly secular. All of these orders accept women who serve as nurses (except that the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary accepts women as knights – no really!)

Knights Hospitaller: the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem – also known as the Knights of Rhodes upto 1522 or the Knights of Malta after 1530. They hold estates across Europe but these are run by clerical proxies and almost all their military personnel (400 knights, 600 turcopoles, probably about 1000 to 1200 sergeants and 4500 local auxiliaries) are in Rhodes until driven out by the Ottomans in 1522. Seven years later they are given the island of Malta for the yearly rent of a falcon to the King of Spain (yes, the Maltese Falcon is based on reality). Upto 1530 knightly characters in the Order have Etiquette, Heraldry, Melee*, Military Engineering*, Oratory, Ride*, Strategy & Tactics* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. After 1530 Military Engineering and Ride are replaced by Navigate and Seamanship. Commoners serve as infantry armed with crossbows with the skills Carouse, Carpentry, Delving*, Leatherworking, Melee*, Strategy & Tactics, Arbalest or Latch Crossbow*. After 1530 Delving and Leatherworking are replaced by shipboard skills and crossbow by Arquebus after 1500.

Order of St James of Altopascio: also known as the Knights of the Tau from their insignia, a black cloak with a white tau (T-shaped) cross and a red hood bearing a white tau cross. The Order began as a non-military hospital order in Italy and Spain in the mid-10th Century (sic) but was militarised 1239 when they were providing escorts to pilgrims bound for Compostella in Spain in the rough hinterland between Genoa and Lucca. Following the Augustinian rule, although never as powerful or numerous as the Hospitallers, the Knights of the Tau have hospitals across Europe (as far as London) and hold substantial estates throughout Tuscany. They operate a ferry service across the Arno, which is free to pilgrims. The Order also maintains hospitals all over Italy. From 1446 the Master of the Order is always a member of the Cappone family of Florence. But in 1537 they fall into dispute with Pope Paul III, who excommunicates the Master and gives the mastership to the Grifoni family. The Order is finally amalgamated with another in 1587. Knightly characters in the Order have Etiquette*, Heraldry, Melee*, Military Engineering, Oratory, Ride*, Strategy & Tactics as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Commoners serve as infantry armed with crossbow or arquebus with the skills Carouse*, Carpentry, Delving*, Leatherworking, Melee*, Strategy & Tactics, Arbalest* (Arquebus replaces Arbalest after 1500).

Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary: was established in 1261 to defend the Church of Rome and combat heresy within Italy. Unfortunately the removal of the papacy to Avignon and the schism of 1378 left the order without leadership or raison d’etre and by the time of Martin V’s restoration of the papacy to Rome in 1419 they have fallen into dissolution and are commonly known as the ‘Lax Monks’ or the ‘Jovial Brethren’. With the Papal States largely independent of Rome, successive popes call upon the Order to fulfil their vows but it consistently fails to field an effective unit. The knights themselves are dissolute, given to drunkenness and frequently flout their vows to the extent of even marrying. Eventually Sixtus V disbands the Order in 1558. Characters in the Order have Carouse as their primary skill with Etiquette, Heraldry, Melee, Ride and 2 other skills as secondaries (not Strategy & Tactics). Obvious flaws include notoriety or character quirks such as alcoholism and lechery. Commoners serve as infantry armed with crossbow or arquebus with the skills Brawl*, Carouse*, Carpentry, Delving*, Leatherworking, Melee*, Arbalest* (Arquebus replaces Arbalest after 1500). One skill marked * may be primary. This Order provides an interesting counter to the typical view of Knightly Orders, not least in being the only order to admit women as knights (militessa)! Yes, you read that right; women can join the Order as sword-wielding, armour-wearing knights – and presumably can get just as drunk. 92 Secret Societies If the GM wishes to add a dimension of paranoia, not to mention the dramatic possibilities inherent in behind-the-scenes machinations by player characters and NPC personalities to an historical timeline already imbued with a superfluity of nefarious plots, schemes and treacheries, she can add a selection of secret societies from the following list. Please note that several of these did actually exist at the time or even before. Some definitely existed at a later date but their own internal histories make claim to a Renaissance presence. A few almost certainly did not exist at the time but many legends, conspiracy theories and other works of fiction describe their sinister activities down to this day. And a couple I just made up – I’ll leave it to you to work out which are which.

Assassins: originating in the at the time of the , the Assassins began as an order of fanatic Ismailite Moslems under Hassan-i-Sabbah, the first infamous ‘Old Man of the Mountain’, based in the mountain fastness of Alamut. He used his monks as secret agents dealing death against both crusaders and Moslem rulers who incurred his displeasure. They trained in physical combat, stealth and the arts of deception and disguise, as well as studying the Koran assiduously. Soon just the threat of death became a tool in the hands of the assassins and they became adept at psychological warfare. The very word ‘assassin’ derives from their organisation. But with the demise of the crusader states the Assassins lost their raison d’être and Alamut was destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the mid-13th Century; the Old Man of the Mountains was killed and the Assassins as a political force were no more. However, although their leadership was eradicated, individual assassins found employment by others and one sect became servants of the Ottomans. Today the Assassins serve as a fifth column for the Sultan and a select few of his elite Fida'yin have entered Italy, typically posing as Greeks and Stradiots fleeing the Ottoman advance in the Balkans. All Assassins are fanatically loyal to the Sultan and will never betray their oaths to him. They are also devout practicing Moslems and this may give them away. They may enter a church and pretend to follow Christian ritual but five times a day they must pray to Mecca and thus be seen for what they are. As agents of the Ottomans the Assassins are enemies of most other secret societies but they may liaise with the Order of the Medusa. Despite both orders hating the Church of Rome, the Assassins and Templars remain antithetical to each other. Assassins are skilled in personal combat, stealth, disguise and deception. Characters will have Assassination*, Disguise*, Hide, Melee*, Poison Lore, Ride, Sneak* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary.

Carbonari: a secret society with a political agenda. The Carbonari arose in the Communal era of Italy. In 1167 the cities of Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Venice allied to form the Lombard League, with the intent of countering Emperor Frederick Barbarossa’s aim to establish direct Imperial control over northern Italy. Other cities quickly joined the League, including Genoa and Milan, and the League finally beat Barbarossa at Legnano in 1176. Barbarossa’s successor, Frederick II, renewed the Imperial attacks but when his siege of Parma in 1248 was broken by the League the threat was removed. On Frederick’s death in 1250 the Lombard League was publicly dissolved. However certain individuals elected to secretly continue the Lombard League’s aims – the maintenance of republican ideals against tyranny – and thus the Carbonari were born. The name Carbonari means ‘charcoal burners’ and initiates undergo a ritual by which they grasp a burning charcoal ember with their left hand, receiving a scar by which they recognise each other. The Carbonari’s centre of operations has always been Venice with its Republican ideals. The Order was active in countering the various lords that took over the communes during the 13th Century. They were unable to prevent the rise of the Visconti in Milan but Carbonari activity helps Venice become the major power in north Italy in 1405, after which the Carbonari consider extending their ambitions to unify Italy with Venice as the new Rome. Keeping their hidden agenda to themselves, they find ready recruits in the old towns of the Lombard League but Florence also emerges as a powerful ally. Eventually the Carbonari create a 93 stable 3-way alliance between Venice, Florence and Milan, bringing peace to Italy while Venice fights a desperate rearguard action against the Ottomans in Greece. The Carbonari seize upon the French invasion in 1494 as an opportunity to establish Venice as the saviour of Italy and it is no coincidence that the majority of the troops at Fornovo are Venetian. However the French somehow escape total defeat and the Carbonari blame the commander, Francesco Gonzaga. When he’s captured by Venice in 1509 they ensure he is humiliated in captivity as punishment for failure and for betraying Venice by joining Julius II’s Holy League. Later the Carbonari are active against Cesaré Borgia in the Romagna and are behind the abortive by his captains which Cesaré puts down brutally in Senigalia. But the Carbonari manipulations provoke retaliation and Pope Julius II forms the Holy League against Venice. The city is brought to its knees and only just manages to maintain its independence. With Venice broken as a major force, the Carbonari disperse across Italy. Over the next century the focus of their activities shifts south of Rome to Naples. Characters in the Carbonari come from all walks of life. They maintain links with other covert organisations, including the Templars and the Society of Enoch. They have agents within the Vatican but are inimical to all popes save Paul II, a Venetian and a member of the Order. The Doge is a member as often as not but they have need of resourceful and proactive agents capable of acting on their own initiative. Characters will have Disguise*, Hide, Melee*, Politics, Ride*, Sneak and Spot Hidden as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary.

Daughters of Circe: legends of Circe tell of her exile for the killing of her father, the King of Colchis, to an island in the west. That island today is actually the peninsula of Monte Circeo, which forms the focus for a coven of witches whose history stretches all the way back to the time of legend. Today the witches include nobility (some say Catherine Sforza is among their number) and other members are courtesans in Rome and other cities. They recognise no head of their sisterhood but regard all as equals, whatever their birth or lineage. The sisterhood seeks to wield influence in a male-dominated World: use their magical arts to subtly manipulate men of power and, where necessary, to threaten and destroy. They particularly delight in wreaking vengeance on men who abuse women. The sisterhood number between seven and a dozen with members taking oaths to train at least one apprentice to be raised in the traditions of the sisterhood and eventually take her place. Full members refer to each other as ‘sister’ while apprentices are ‘daughters’. The Daughters of Circe meet at least once a year, at midsummer, in a cave on Monte Circeo, a headland roughly sixty miles south of Rome. They sometimes meet at other times and in other places. The landward side of Monte Circeo is covered in swamp through which only the sisterhood know the way. The seaward sides of the headland are steep cliffs, impossible to climb. One of the sisterhood is always a local woman tasked to oversee Monte Circeo and ensure its security. Characters in the Daughters of Circe have Arcane Lore*, Brewing, Disguise, Herb Lore*, Magic Sense*, Poison Lore* and Seduction* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. The Daughters of Circe practise witchcraft and have access to the following spells originally of Greek origin: Call Obscuring Mists, Cause Disease, Circe’s Revenge, Cleanse Wound, Close Wound, Create Love Philtre, Fascination, Glamour, Philtre of Miscarriage, Raise the Dead, Sleeping Draft, Staunch Bleeding, Transformation of Circe, Ward Against Conception.

Freemasons: arising out of the ancient masons who built the great castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages, the old Masonic guilds in the last century are evolving into something beyond mere craft guilds with aims regulating quality and training and caring for widows and orphans. Two cities in particular value municipal ‘freedom’ more than others, Florence and Venice. Florence in particular demands membership of a guild in order to participate in politics and therefore many ancient noble families have joined trade and craft guilds. Venice also blurs the line between noble and merchant. With ambitious men being forced to join craft and trade guilds in order to further their political careers in atmospheres of subterfuge and plot, it is hardly surprising that such a guild crosses the line and becomes essentially a covert political society. 94 With architecture and sculpture leading the way in blazoning the Renaissance ideal, the mason with his chisel and set-square has become symbolic of art in general and the new learning. Cosimo de Medici himself creates the Florentine Freemason Society as a covert political group. This is continued by his grandson, Lorenzo, who inducts many of his circle as Masons but also casts his net wider, seeking to include men of like mind in Milan and Venice. It is partly his covert leadership via the fledgling Freemasons that prevents the Italian Wars from erupting before his death. After Lorenzo’s death in 1492, the mantle passes through several hands, including Leonardo da Vinci, who in 1502 wins a bitter fight for the leadership over Michaelangelo by virtue of Leonardo’s grasp of military engineering. Michaelangelo becomes Grand Master after Leonardo’s death in 1519 on the strength of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The Freemasons view themselves as inheritors of the mantles of the ancient architects of the past, most of whose names are now lost. They have political ambitions, generally aimed at liberalism and learning and against war and belligeration, though they are not above fomenting a specific act of violence to further their aims. They regard themselves as architects of history. Characters in the Freemasons later in the 16th Century may have Architecture*, Greek*, History*, Latin*, Persuade, Philosophy and Politics* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Before this they are primarily artists, architects and philosophers.

Illuminati: long before they appear in Bavaria, the Illuminati are active in Italy, formed by a small sect of mystics studying ancient Greek Gnostic texts. They hold highly heretical beliefs, principal among which are that the human soul can attain perfection by inner contemplation of the Trinity – all external worship is an unnecessary hindrance and they eschew the sacraments. They believe that once having attained the ultimate state of complete union with God, members can indulge their sexual desires and all other vices without staining their souls and indeed should do so to demonstrate their state to the imperfecti. Obviously such heretical beliefs are dangerous and anathema to the Church in Rome, which takes steps to suppress them. They find a certain amount of refuge in the Kingdom of Naples; from there they infect Spain by 1492 where, as the Adumbrados, they are instrumental in encouraging exploitation of the New World and the search for the Fountain of Youth – Juan Ponce de León is a leading member at this time. However the moves against the Adumbrados from 1527, though it takes a century to expunge them completely. Members flee Seville to France in 1623 as the Illuminés. These in turn are suppressed from 1635 but subsist secretly in the south of France until 1794. The Bavarian Illuminati appear in 1776 but their connection to the earlier Illuminati is questionable. Characters in the Illuminati have Arcane Lore*, Greek*, Latin*, Magic Sense, Navigate*, Oratory, Read/Write* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. The true Illuminati at the heart of the Order practise necromantic magics and have access to the following spells of Greek origin: Blood Sacrifice, Call Obscuring Mists, Draft Horoscope, Eye of Death, Hecate’s Binding, Light, Open the Way, Pentagram, Rite of Katabasis, Rite of Nekiya, Terror of the Grave, Ward Against Chronos. The first spell taught to initiates is always Light, from which the Order gets its name and it is a focal point in many of their rituals. You can imagine how it feels for lay members to see their betters all create glowing lights in a darkened sanctum sanctorum.

Knights of the Apocalypse: a strange, mystical Order, originating in Brescia, ostensibly from a few lone survivors returning from the debacle of the Peasant’s Crusade in 1100. Members are not actual knights but nonetheless take on the trappings of the Military Orders in secret. The Order recruits from artisan tradesmen in the towns around Milan and the plains of Lombardy and Tuscany. As non-nobles they never use lances and prefer to fight on foot, though they may ride to battle. They take oaths of chastity, secrecy and obedience and must always keep their swords to hand, even when engaged in their crafts or trades. They have a mystical reverence for the symbol of a tailed-star (comet) with seven rays – the tail represents the sword seen by St John in his Revelations and the seven rays are for the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. 95 The Order sees itself as the champion of the Church, dedicated to defending it against the Antichrist in the time of the Apocalypse and against blasphemy, heresy and laxity generally. This can lead the Order to actually strike against individual priests and even ranking clergy who they see as in the pay of the Devil. The Order in the past has shrunk to fewer than twelve members but with the half-millennium on the horizon and the French invasion of 1494, the Order enjoys a resurgence and by 1500 numbers several dozen, rising to more than eighty within a decade. Members are very devout and take their vocation seriously, practising celibacy. All maintain their day job in the artisan trades whilst practicing their weaponskills. The Order elects one of their number as the Master of the Order for life and his orders are regarded as sacrosanct. Characters in the Order have Carpentry*, Leatherworking*, Melee*, Military Engineering, Latch Crossbow*, Ride, Strategy & Tactics as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Crossbow may be replaced by Arquebus after 1500 or by Pistol after 1525. Carpentry and Leatherworking may be replaced by other craft skills appropriate to whatever profession they follow but these are the commonest. Members do not marry but instead adopt orphans as to train as apprentices in their crafts and the military arts and thus is the Order maintained.

Order of the Medusa: Long ago, during the era of Heroic Greece (more than 2500 years ago), Perseus slew Medusa (who was the mortal member of the three Gorgons) and stole her head away to be an heirloom of the kingdom of Mycenae as the Gorgoneion, which was gifted to the Temple of Athena in Argos and rumoured to have properties that made it a wonderful protective talisman. The Perseid dynasty of Mycenae came to an end four generations later. When Mycenae crumbled some centuries after, Greece entered its Dark Age and the Gorgoneion was lost. It was rediscovered centuries later and taken to the Parthenon in Athens where it was kept by the Athenai, priestesses of Athena. The temple remained dedicated to Athena all through the Roman occupation. When the Roman Empire converted to Christianity the Athenai ostensibly became nuns worshipping the Virgin Mary but in secret they remained devoted to Athena for a thousand years. Then Constantinople fell in 1453 and the Ottomans invaded mainland Greece. Athens was taken in 1458 and Mehmed II sent a special squad of to recover the Gorgoneion, which the Sultan sought to gain as a symbol of Ottoman supremacy, equating his Empire with the Persians, born of Perses, son of Perseus. But the Sultan’s agents found the Gorgoneion gone, hidden by the Athenai. However over the millennia the Medusa’s sisters, Stheno and Euryale, had not been idle. They had long ago formed the Order of the Medusa, devoted to recovering the Gorgoneion and grafting it on to the body of a mortal woman so that they might be three again. However the Gorgoneion had always been either hidden or protected. In the Christian era, the Order of Medusa masquerades as the Order of St Eno. Outwardly they are an order of nuns dedicated to withdrawing from society to worship Christ but occasionally venturing forth to do good works in the World. They are based where they always have been, not far from Milan, in Gorgonzola (where the cheese comes from). Over the centuries they have kept track of the Gorgoneion and with the Ottoman conquest of Athens they realised their moment had come. Their agents seek to infiltrate the Athenai, who are in disarray in Greece. The Order is governed by 2 prioresses, Stheno (most independent and vengeful) and Euryale (mournful with a bellowing voice). Stheno and Euryale look like normal women but stand much taller. Their wimples hide the snakes which they bear instead of hair. The gaze of the two Gorgons does not turn their victims to stone, only the Medusa did that. The Abbey of St Eno has a reputation for accepting orphaned girls as novices without dowries. It has extensive lands about Milan and across north Italy. Only women can become conventual members and most never leave the Abbey. However they also recruit lay agents and these may even be male.

96 In the town of Gorgonzola, all of the population know the Abbey but only a handful know the truth and these are loyal to the Order. However there are old wives tales and legends regarding the Order of St Eno. The local Benedictine priory has no idea at all. The Abbey does not allow men within its walls, which might give food for thought as all nuns are supposed to hear Mass at least weekly. Any male visitors are put up in the inn owned by the Abbey in the centre of Gorgonzola, at the sign of the Severed Head – no snakes are visible on the sign. Stheno and Euryale are not above allying with other arcane institutions. They must have at least some contacts of influence within the Church in order to maintain their façade in Gorgonzola. They regularly liaise with the Knights Templars. (See The Venetian Tales adventure for more information.) Characters in the Order of the Medusa (Order of St Eno) have Arcane Lore*, Brewing, Greek*, Herb Lore*, Latin, Magic Sense* and Poison Lore* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. The order knows the witchcraft spells: Augury in the Entrails, Blood Sacrifice, Call Obscuring Mists, Cleanse Wound, Close Wound, Curse, Evil Eye, Glamour, Open the Way, Pentagram, Sleeping Draft and Staunch Wound. Most members know at least one spell.

The Pazzi Conspiracy: a short-lived conspiracy to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici and his brother, Giuliano. The principal conspirators are Pope Sixtus IV, Francesco de Pazzi, Girolamo Riario, Archbishop Francesco Salviati of Pisa and Federigo de Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. Lesser figures are Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli, Jacapo de Pazzi, Antonio Maffei and Stefano de Bagnone. At Easter 1478, the Medici brothers are attacked in the Duomo in Florence. Giuliano dies but, despite a serious neck wound, Lorenzo is hauled to safety and locked in the sacristy by his friend, Poliziano. The Archbishop’s attempt to secure the Signoria fails and the crowds turn on the assassins, most of whom are lynched. Lorenzo personally intervenes to save Cardinal Raffaele Riario, who is an innocent dupe of the conspirators. In the aftermath, Pope Sixtus IV declares a holy war against Florence for the lynching of Archbishop Salviati but with most of the other conspirators dead the conspiracy is over. (The adventure I am Just a Pazzi will have more information.)

Rosicrucians: Christian Germelshausen is a physician who studies medicine in the Holy Land. Returning to Germany he is barred from passing on his teaching in western universities so instead he founds the Brotherhood of the Rose-Cross in 1407, calling himself Christian Rosenkreuz. Initially limited to just eight members, initiates must be unmarried doctors who take oaths to remain unmarried, to heal the sick without payment, to maintain the secret fellowship with their brethren and to find and train at least one replacement before they die. Christian himself dies in 1484, aged 106! Although originating in Germany it is very likely for a Rosicrucian physician to appear in Italy with the Imperial army. They will be self-effacing and ask no return for their ministrations. This may make some people suspicious but they will be hard put to find better physicians. Unlike most physicians, Rosicrucians are unafraid to get their hands dirty and will readily wield scalpels in surgical operations. They also understand the need for cleanliness. A Rosicrucian gains a +2 bonus on all tests of Anatomy, Medicine, Poison Lore, Surgery, Tend Wounds and Treat Disease but members of the Order live lives of poverty due to their vows. Characters in the Rosicrucians must be qualified physicians with appropriate academic degrees. They will have Anatomy*, Arabic, Medicine*, Poison Lore, Surgery*, Tend Wounds* and Treat Disease* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary.

Society of Enoch: it is Mirandola, while studying with Elijah del Medigo in Perugia, who first brings to Western scholarship the truths hidden in the Kabbalah, a tract of Jewish mysticism. Mirandola recruits others to this knowledge in Florence but he falls out with Medigo over the way he uses the Kabbalah. Mirandola travels to Paris where he finds further recruits. They found the Society of Enoch, in theory a grouping of like-minded scholars dedicated to syncretic studies of Jewish works such as the Kabbalah. 97 What the Society of Enoch uncovers is regarded as heretical by the Church. The rest of the Society realise the dangers and keep a low profile but Mirandola naively believes Truth is absolute and publicly offers to reveal secrets. The Church bans him and from now on the rest of the Order view him as a loose cannon. He is relatively safe while Lorenzo de Medici protects him but his days are numbered after Lorenzo’s death in 1492 and on the eve of the French invasion in 1494 Mirandola is poisoned, along with his friend, Poliziano, by Mirandola’s secretary, who is also a member of the Society. After Mirandola’s murder the Society organises itself as a formal secret society, with arcane rituals and practices. It keeps a very low profile indeed as the Church regards its practices as both heretical and blasphemous. It is never powerful but its members come to regard themselves as fighting against evil by wielding arcane knowledge. Other members include Cardinal Domenico Grimani (eldest son of Doge Antonio Grimani) and Heinrich Cornelius Aggripa. Characters in Society of Enoch will have Arcane Lore*, Demon Lore, Gem Lore, Glassblowing, Hebrew*, Latin and Magic Sense* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Initiates of the Society of Enoch practices magic of Jewish origin: Binding of Solomon, Blood Sacrifice, Call Wind, Create Golem, Draft Horoscope, Joseph’s Sending, Light, Open the Way, Pentagram, Rite of Endor, Shrive the Place of Working and Summon Named Demon. Most of these spells deal tacitly with demonology but a couple come from other disciplines. It should be very clear that the majority of members never summon demons as that would damn their souls, but every once in a while a member goes to the bad, at which point the rest of the Society turns on them.

Templars: originally founded as The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, the Knights Templars were the first of the crusading orders, warrior monks dedicated to Christ. For a long while they and the Hospitallers were the only source of disciplined troops available in the Holy Land. Quickly becoming a favoured charity for deathbed bequests, the Templars grew rich and powerful, serving as bankers as well as soldiers. But then the Holy Land was lost and, without a focus for their activities, many questioned the role of the military orders, some even blaming them for the loss of Jerusalem. While the Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights found new focuses for their energies, the Templars failed to do so and in their interactions with those who questioned them they were arrogant and disdainful – feeling quickly turned against them with accusations of blasphemy, idolatry and even heresy, and in 1314 they were brutally suppressed across Europe. Under torture, several knights confessed to being made to spit on a crucifix during their initiations. But a scant handful of Templars had read the writing on the wall; they went underground to further the Order’s aims covertly and their successors are still active today. The Order still uses its old symbol of two men riding one horse, from their origin in the Holy Land in 1118 when their founders, Hugue de Payens and Godfrey de St Adhemar, were too poor to afford more than one horse between them. In truth, the Templars had uncovered a number of relics in the Holy Land of great mystical power including (but not limited to) the True Cross (the real True Cross, that is), the Holy Grail, the head of St John the Baptist and the Ark of the Covenant. The Templars realised that these artefacts held powers which might be abused by the unworthy. The Templars therefore hid them away in secure places against the time when they might be needed. Of course there is no guarantee that some of the Templars may not abuse their trust and exploit these artefacts for their own ends. (Incidentally, the ritual of spitting on a crucifix is quite true, as it is symbolic of rejecting the false and venerating the True Cross, which is held by the Order.) The Templars have changed greatly over the centuries. Now there is no distinction between Templars of noble and low birth – from the days after the suppression when sergeants and lay brethren of the Order worked with the knights and gave their lives, and were subsequently rewarded

98 with equal rank with the knights. Now all recruits must proceed through layman and sergeant status to become true knights. The Templars liaise with some other covert organisations including the Carbonari, the Daughters of Circe, the Freemasons (with whom they eventually amalgamate in 1751) and the Order of the Medusa. But the Catholic Church is anathema; the Templars work towards undermining the Papacy and they encourage the Reformation behind the scenes. The Order has agents all over Europe and are especially strong in northern Italy, particularly Florence, Milan and Venice. The Templars have need of resourceful and proactive agents drawn from all walks of life, capable of acting on their own initiative as well as obeying orders to the letter. They have a complex multi- level structure from Novice through Layman, Sergeant, Knight, Commander and Master, with the Grand-Master, ruling overall. Characters will have Assassination, Disguise, Hide*, Melee*, Read/Write, Ride*, Sneak* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. Initiates of the Templars also practice some limited magic of a very practical nature, learning one spell from the following list at Sergeant and another at each promotion after: Call Obscuring Mists, Cleanse Wound, Close Wound, Curse, Open the Way, Pentagram, Sleeping Draft and Staunch Bleeding. On very rare occasions an artefact may be deployed to empower a Curse with truly lethal effect. It is rumoured that the True Cross can even bring the dead back to life!

White Monks of Montalbano (with thanks to James Blish): in the eternal struggle against evil, the Church sometimes has to face those individuals willing to have commerce with the Devil and his minions. Although rare, genuine initiates of the Dark Arts are truly dangerous, in a mystical sense. Many centuries ago the Vatican found it expedient to train and use its own adherents of the arts of demonology and the result was the Order of Montalbano. The Abbey of Montalbono is set on the summit of Monte Albano, a low mountain near Rome. Access is by a winched lift up a vertical cliff or via a long mule track up the mountain’s shallower north-eastern face. Monks of the Order wear entirely white habits and follow the Rule of St James, which insists on going barefoot and, save as necessary for their craft, of keeping silent for much of the day. They practice demonology with the proviso that their commerce with demons does not involve any form of pacts or agreements. They may put such unclean spirits to the question, they may order or coerce them to obey instructions (regardless of whether the spirits obey) but they may not offer anything in exchange for such service. To maintain their spiritual purity they are entirely withdrawn from the World and only emerge when summoned to practice their craft at the behest of the Papal Curia. They do not wield great power within the Church and their influence depends on the Pope’s attitude to the Order. Technically the Order are canons, with all members ordained as priests. Members are recruited from elsewhere in the Church, often from other orders so there are no novices and lay brethren sleep in separate quarters at the foot of the mountain. The Order has a Papal dispensation to summon the Angelic Powers and those of the Fallen in order to further the fight against Evil. Because the Order works directly with the Angelic Powers, all members have True Faith and can therefore call on Divine Intervention. Characters will have Arcane Lore*, Gem Lore, Glassblowing, Latin*, Liturgy*, Magic Sense* and Read/Write* as secondary skills with any one marked * as primary. The spells available: Binding of Solomon, Blood Sacrifice, Draft Horoscope, Evocation of the Gnome, Evocation of the Salamander, Evocation of the Sylph, Evocation of the Undine, Pentagram, Shrive the Place of Working, Summon Specific Demon and the names of a great many angels and demons.

99 Renaissance Personalities

These extraordinary people are all rated as player-characters for determining attributes and skills. The Popes: From To Name Origin Nicholas V 1447 1455 Tommaso Parantucelli Genoa, Italy During his eight year reign Nicholas V refortifies and partly repaves Rome. He restores the water supplies, reversing the immense decline of the Schizm years and setting the foundations for the thorough rebuilding by later Popes. But Nicholas is also a champion of humanism, which has previously been viewed with suspicion in Rome, a source of pagan heresy. Nicholas himself is an erudite scholar; “what he does not know is outside the range of human knowledge”, is how he is described by his friend, Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini, the future Pope Pius II. Nicholas V founds a library of over 9,000 manuscripts, many rescued from the fall of Constantinople in 1453, which he comes to regard as the great failing of his pontificate. He strives to reconcile the Italian princes with the purpose of mounting a crusade against the Turks, but his efforts are in vain.

Calixtus III 1455 1458 Alfonso Borgia Valencia, Aragon Surprisingly for the later history of the family, Alfonso leads a life of austere ascetism. Regarded as the leading expert on canon law of his age, his election comes as a surprise to him, a compromise as the main Italian factions within the College of Cardinals cannot bear each other to win. As Pope he shows tremendous energy and vigour, despite governing almost entirely from his sickbed. He strips St Peter’s of excess gold and silver and cancels all building projects to pay for a crusade against the Turks. Nuncios are despatched across Europe to incite monarchs and princes to answer the crusade’s call, but the response is disappointing. England is falling into civil war. Charles VII is rebuilding France and Emperor Frederick III finds he dare not act without the support of his Electors, who are threatening to unelect him. Castile is focused on the Reconquista and Aragon with dynastic issues in the Western Meditteraneon. Only Hungary makes an effort, with Hunyadi beating the Ottomans at Belgrade in 1456, but he dies two years later and Calixtus’ crusade comes to nothing, as usual. Calixtus appointment of Catalan relatives incenses Italians who force them to go in to hiding on Calixtus’ death. The one exception is his nephew, Rodrigo, the future Pope Alexander VI.

Pius II 1458 1464 Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini Siena, Italy Before taking orders, Pius gains an international reputation as a poet and writer of erotic plays. Ordained in 1446, Piccolomini's career rapidly advances until his election as Pope in 1458. As Pius II, he sees his mission as the renewal of the crusading zeal of Europe and the re-establishment of Papal authority within the Church. Pius spends his time trying to persuade European princes to support a crusade against the Ottoman Empire. He dispatches Papal legates to drum up money and support for this enterprise but he is distracted by Italian politics. Though no friend of King Ferrante or his dubious claim to Naples as a bastard son of King Alfonso of Aragon, Pius worries about a more powerful prince getting control. In particular he has no wish to see Rene of Anjou or the King of France in Naples.

100 The Pope also has a problem with Venice. He hopes to use their fleet to transport his crusaders to the Holy Land but the Venetians are not keen to upset the Turks and illegally occupy the Papal city of Ravenna. Frustrated by the lack of interest in his crusade, Pius elects to lead by example. He sets out for Ancona to bolster the morale of his army. But the army melts away while waiting for Venetian ships. When the fleet finally arrives Pius has taken to his bed and dies two days later, a broken man.

Paul II 1464 1471 Pietro Barbo Venice, Italy Originally trained as a merchant, Pietro takes orders at the inspiration of his uncle, Pope Eugenius IV (1431-47). He is ordained a cardinal in 1440 and becomes a favourite with successive popes. His election is one of the shortest ever, with 19 of the 24 cardinals voting for him in the first round. He takes the name Paul II, promising not to create new cardinals and never to leave Rome without consulting the College of Cardinals first. Paul’s relationship with his cardinals is tested by his habit of creating secret cardinals and removing redundant offices. Pius II had used such sinecures to reward humanist scholars he wished to maintain but Paul disapproves of humanism deeply and wants to use the money saved for his own purposes, principally for rewarding his Venetian relatives and enhancing his own personal splendour. Paul’s secretiveness and paranoia coupled with his victimisation of scholars lauded by his predecessor makes him many enemies. There are at least two conspiracies to dethrone him and more than one alleged conspirator is tortured in the dungeons of Castel St Angelo. But Paul in the end achieves little and dies suddenly of a heart attack July 26th 1471.

Sixtus IV 1471 1484 Francesco della Rovere Genoa, Italy As a young man, Francesco becomes a Franciscan monk, an unusual career move for an aspiring young noble, but his intellect is noted in his studies at the University of Pavia and he goes on to lecture widely at other academies across Italy. At the age of 50, in 1464, he is appointed Minister-General of the entire Franciscan order and in 1467 Paul II creates him cardinal. His reputation for piety leads to his election as Pope Sixtus IV in 1471. His first act is to declare a crusade against the Turks at Smyrna. Money is forthcoming but the crusade itself proves lackadaisical and after that failure Sixtus focuses on local, nepotistic issues. He makes six of his nephews cardinals but his attempts to establish his family at Imola in the Romagna leads to the Pazzi conspiracy to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici and war with Florence. But the incessant strife takes its toll and by the time of his death all he has really accomplished is the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition under Tomás de Torquemada. Sixtus dies of apoplexy August 12th 1484 when told of the failure of his latest military venture against Ferarra.

Innocent VIII 1484 1492 Giovanni Battista Cybo Genoa, Italy The Papal conclave after Sixtus IV’s death is fraught by factionalism with supporters fighting in the streets of Rome. At first Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere hopes to win outright but when he realises the strength of the opposition he swings his support behind Cybo, whom he feels he can control. As Innocent VIII, his first act is to call on all Christian kings to unite in a crusade against the Turks but his fervour is less than it would seem and when Sultan Bayezid offers a pension of 45,000 ducats he agrees to detain the Sultan’s half-brother, Cem, in close confinement in the Vatican. 101 Innocent proves to be obsessed by witchcraft and issues the Papal bull Summis Desiderantes which blames recent bad weather on witches. This is at the behest of Heinrich Kramer, who in 1486 publishes the Malleus Malificarum, the formost treatise for witchunters for the next 300 years. Relations with King Ferrante of Naples sour to the point where in 1489 Innocent invites King Charles VIII of France to take the kingdom. This initiates the Italian Wars, though Charles doesn’t actually act on the invitation until 1494, after Innocent’s death, but Innocent must take his fair share of the blame for the wars that blight Italy for the next 60 years. He dies July 25th 1492.

Alexander VI 1492 1503 Rodrigo Borgia Valencia, Aragon Brought to Italy by his uncle, Calixtus III, Rodrigo studies canon law at Bologna, graduating top of his class. Appointed cardinal at 25 and Papal Vice-Chancellor a year later, alone of Calixtus III’s appointees Rodrigo is protected by later popes who value his abilities very highly indeed, though he only takes Holy Orders in 1468. Regarded as a supremely able administrator and diplomat, his appointment as Papal legate to Aragon secures the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella and lays the groundwork for the unification of Spain. His election in 1492 is partly a compromise between Italian cardinals unable to agree but Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere finds Rodrigo’s election unpalatable and this brings disaster for Cesaré, Alexander’s son, when Giuliano is elected pope as Julius II in 1503. Although ascetic in his eating habits, Rodrigo in all other ways follows a libidinous life. He has a string of mistresses who bear him 8 or 9 children, including Cesaré and Lucrezia Borgia. As Pope, Alexander VI is despotic and he sends his son, Cesaré, as Papal gonfaloniere, to establish Papal control over the Romagna and create a Borgia principality while in Rome Alexander indulges in incessant parties featuring massed naked courtesans. Alexander’s death in 1503 is rumoured to be the result of a poisoning gone astray. His body corrupts extremely rapidly. Subsequent popes refuse to use the lavish apartments he creates in the Vatican for himself. Appearance: In his youth he is tall and athletic but later in life runs to fat, as do so many cardinals. Despite this a contemporary describes Alexander VI as “handsome, with a most cheerful countenance and genial bearing. He is gifted with a honeyed and choice eloquence. Beautiful women are attracted to him and excited by him in a quite remarkable way, more strongly than iron is drawn to a magnet.” He has a fine intellect and an appreciation of the arts and sciences. A gifted public speaker and conversationalist, he is also a consummate politician. He does not spurn theology and his speeches are liberally sprinkled with quotations from the bible and other sacred texts. The most notorious Pope of all Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 14(11) 14 8 16 18 12 12 - Virtues: Uncle is Pope (6); +28 Skill pts (5); university education (4); +13 attributes (3) Flaws: licentious (6); Enemy – Giuliano della Rovere (5); Dependants (4) Obese (3) Skills: Appraise 4, Brawl 1, Carouse 4, Charm 4, Dance 1, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 3, Heraldry 1, Italian 4, Law (canon) 6, Oratory 4, Latin 6, Liturgy 4, Persuade 4, Poison Lore 4, Politics 6, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Seduction 4, Sleight-of-Hand 3, Theology 4, Trivium 4 Alexander VI is a larger-than-life character for which we must break a rule and allow him 4 virtues and flaws. Option: Alexander the demonist Pope – Alexander’s extraordinary rise is due to a pact with the devil.

Pius III 1503 1503 Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini Siena, Italy The College of Cardinals is as riven by factions as ever and cowed by Cesaré Borgia’s troops, even after he withdraws from Rome. Piccolomini’s election September 22nd is, of course, a compromise 102 between Borgia and della Rovere. He takes the name of Pius III and quickly confirms Cesaré as Papal gonfaloniere but dies October 18th, perhaps of poison, though he’s far from healthy at his coronation.

Julius II 1503 1513 Giuliano della Rovere Genoa, Italy Born in to nouveau noblesse, Giuliano is raised in the Vatican, serving as his uncle’s altar boy before being sent to be educated at the Fransiscan friary in Perugia. Created cardinal by his uncle, Sixtus IV, Giuliano is both capable and ambitious but his early attempts to gain election to the pontificate are thwarted, partly due to his inability to win hearts and minds. He engineers Innocent VIII’s election, intending to use his influence to control the papacy from behind the throne, but other influential figures, most notably Lorenzo de Medici and Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, get in his way (in the case of Lorenzo, almost certainly in retaliation for Sixtus IV’s involvement in the Pazzi Conspiracy). The election of Rodrigo Borgia, his great rival, as Alexander VI proves too much and Giuliano spends most of Alexander’s reign in exile at the French Court. He accompanies Charles VIII in his Italian campaign of 1494/5 and intrigues against Alexander constantly, though unable to prevent a Franco-Borgia alliance when Francis I is impressed with the young Cesaré Borgia. Again on Alexander’s death, Borgia influence keeps della Rovere from the ultimate prize but on Pius III’s early death, della Rovere tricks Cesaré Borgia in to supporting his election as Julius II, being the last pope to keep his own name. Needless to say, once elected he reneges on his promises and exacts revenge on the son of his hated rival, dismantling the fledgling Borgia state in the Romagna. Of Alexander he says, “He desecrated the Holy Church as none before. He usurped the papal power by the devil's aid, and I forbid under the pain of excommunication anyone to speak or think of Borgia again. His name and memory must be forgotten. It must be crossed out of every document and memorial. His reign must be obliterated. All paintings made of the Borgias or for them must be covered over with black crepe. All the tombs of the Borgias must be opened and their bodies sent back to where they belong – to Spain.” Ironically, Julius II’s successes in subduing the Romagna are built on the foundations set by the policies of Alexander VI and Cesaré Borgia. Seeing himself as a warrior-pope, he sends armies to conquer and subdue Romagna territories stolen by Venice and other, lesser lords. He reconciles the Colonna and Orsini factions in Rome but, unable to trust native Italians, he forms the Swiss Guard from hired mercenaries in 1506. In repeated campaigns, Julius forms the League of Cambrai, to be followed by the Holy League, each of whose membership shifts mercurially as Julius makes and breaks alliances, but ultimately his incessant warring does not achieve his aims, which are the forging of a single Italian realm with himself at its head. However, on his death from fever February 21st 1513, he does leave a legacy of artistic patronage, not least of which is Michaelangelo’s ceiling to the Sistine Chapel. Appearance: Julius is tall and spare with an athleticism he retains throughout his life. In his youth he is tall, dark, handsome and physically vigorous. Although he criticises Alexander VI for (among other things) sexual dissolution, he leaves a bastard daughter himself, Felice della Rovere, whom he ensures is educated to the highest standard and marries in to the Orsini family (after she refuses several earlier choices). A strong rider, as a cardinal he enjoys the hunt and as Pope he thinks nothing of donning armour and leading his troops from the front, though he probably over-rates his prowess as a general. His portraits by Michaelangelo and Raphael depict a bearded old man, but this is how he looks at the end of his life, after losing Bologna and worn out by incessant war. The Warrior Pope Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 14 12 10 14 14 15 +1 103 Virtues: Uncle is Pope (6); +10 Skill pts (3); +4 attributes (1) Flaws: Enemy – Rodrigo Borgia (6); Vile Temper (3) Dependant daughter (1) Skills: Appraise 2, Brawl 2, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 4, Heraldry 1, Intimidate 4, Latin 5, Liturgy 5, Melee 2, Oratory 2, Persuade 2, Politics 3, Read/Write 5, Ride 4, Sing 1, Strategy & Tactics 3, Theology 4

Leo X 1513 1521 Giovanni de Medici Florence, Italy The second son of Lorenzo de Medici, Giovanni is educated in the finest humanist tradition. Groomed for the clergy, he is made a cardinal in 1489 at the age of 13, thanks to his father’s influence with Innocent VIII, but this isn’t made official for another three years when Lorenzo arranges a grand parade in Florence (including two elephants) for his son – practically the last thing he does before his death in April 1492. Giovanni votes against Rodrigo Borgia in the 1492 conclave. However as Alexander VI the new pope seems to harbour no grudge. The uproar of Charles VIII’s invasion in 1494 ousts the Medici from Florence but once his family are safe in Venice Giovanni takes the opportunity to tour Germany, France and the Low Countries. Returning to Rome in 1500, he throws himself in to patronage of literature and the arts. In the second conclave of 1503 he votes for Julius II and becomes a trusted supporter of the warrior-pope. The death of his brother, Piero, makes Giovanni the head of the Medici family. In 1511 Julius appoints Giovanni as Papal Legate to Bologna and the Romagna. When Florence takes Pisa during the War of the League of Cambrai, in 1512 Julius sends Giovanni to take his own city at the head of a Papal army. Giovanni installs his brother, Giuliano, as Gran Maestro but takes responsibility for government himself. Julius II dies February 1513 and there are two main candidates, Giovanni and Raffaele Riario (the very same survivor of the Pazzi conspiracy). After some horse-trading Giovanni is elected as Leo X, despite incredibly not having taken holy orders. He is ordained priest March 15th, consecrated bishop March 17th and formally crowned Pope March 19th. Never again is a non-priest elected Pope. Leo immediately finds himself embroiled in the machinations of the Italian Wars. Initially he tries to make peace but joins the reformed Holy League with Emperor Maximilian, Ferdinand of Aragon and Henry VIII of England against France and Venice. France is defeated June 6th 1513 at Novara by Swiss mercenaries. Venice fights on for a few months but in December the 5th Lateran Council ratify peace with Louis XII before turning to plans for a crusade. But peace is derailed by the new French King, Francis I, and Leo forms a new Holy League to counter the French invasion of 1515, intent on recovering Milan and the Kingdom of Naples. The next two years becomes a confusion of intrigue and war, during which Leo gains a reputation for duplicity. He plans to carve out a principality for his family in central Italy. His brother Giuliano dies suddenly in March 1516 so Leo turns to his nephew, Lorenzo di Piero de Medici and creates him Duke of Urbino in 1516, but it takes a war from February to September to oust the current Duke of Urbino, Francesco Maria Della Rovere, and install Lorenzo, though the cost of the campaign (800,000 ducats) nearly bankrupts the Vatican. But Lorenzo dies in 1519, riddled with syphilis. The War of Urbino causes a rift between Leo and his cardinals. Several plot to poison him and Cardinal Petrucci is executed by garrotte. Leo sees a way to kill two birds with one stone; in July 1517 he creates 31 new cardinals, for sale to the highest bidders – this fills his empty coffers and increases his support in the College. To be fair, Leo intends this money to finance a crusade against the Turks and campaigns tirelessly for peace between all Christian princes, but in vain. There have been rumblings of dissent against corruption within the Church for at least the last century. Frankly it has never recovered the credibility lost by the Schizm of the 14th Century. Leo’s attempts to raise hard cash by the widespread sale of indulgences brings these protests to a head when October 31st 1517 Martin Luthor nails his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenberg cathedral. Luthor is seeking reform of the Catholic Church but the response of Leo X and other Church magnates causes him to adopt a more extreme stance. Leo fails to recognise the seriousness 104 of the situation, underestimating the desire for change. The protests spread and the Reformation is born. Leo is more concerned with Italian affairs and spends most of his energy in trying to annex Ferrara, Parma and Piacenza to the Papal States, again in vain. The death of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici in 1519, from syphilis, creates another crisis in Florence. Leo puts the governance of Florence in the hands of Giulio de Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s assassinated brother, Giuliano. Leo has him installed as Archbishop of Florence and he functions as Gran Maestro. Meanwhile intrigues continue unabated and Leo enters in to an alliance with Charles V against Francis I of France, who refuses to be cowed by the threat of excommunication. Leo is overjoyed in November 1521 to hear Charles has retaken Milan but falls ill and dies December 1st so suddenly that poison is suspected, though never proven. Leo X is a corpulent, easy-going man but his amiability hides a mind adept at intrigue. He has a love of humanistic learning and is an enthusiastic patron of art in all its forms. On his election he famously observes, “Since God has given us the Papacy, let us enjoy it.” Appearance: Leo is short and fat with a round moon face. His obesity does not help his chronic health problems. He is also a secret homosexual but his flirtations and infatuations become more overt as his papacy advances. Marino Giorgi, the Venetian ambassador, describes him in 1517, “The pope is a good-natured and extremely free-hearted man, who avoids every difficult situation and above all wants peace; he would not undertake a war himself unless forced into it by his advisors; he loves learning; of canon law and literature he possesses remarkable knowledge; he is, moreover, a very excellent musician.” The Warrior Pope Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12(8) 9 8 14 14 11 7 -d2 Virtues: Wealthy family (5); University Education (4); +10 Skill pts (3) Flaws: Dark Secret (homosexual) (6); Obese (4) Poor Health: afflicted by haemorrhoids (3) Skills: Appraise 4, Bargain 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Charm 3, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 4, French 2, German 2, Gossip 1, Latin 6, Law (canon) 2, Liturgy 2, Oratory 2, Persuade 3, Philosophy 3, Play Viola 4, Politics 3, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Sing 2, Theology 2, Trivium 4

Adrian VI 1522 1523 Adriaan Floriszoon Boeyens Utrecht, Netherlands On the death of Leo X the front-runner is Leo’s nephew, Giulio, but deadlock between the French and Spanish cardinals leads to Adrian VI as a compromise. He proves himself impartial but his attempts at church reform – particularly the sale of indulgences – meets with opposition from the very cardinals who elected him. He has hopes of uniting Christendom in a crusade against the Turks but finds himself in an alliance with the Empire, Venice and England against France while the Ottomans successfully conquer Rhodes, driving out the Knights Hospitaller. In the Diet of Nuremburg in 1522 Adrian’s nuncio, Francesco Chieregati, admits the cause of the Reformation lies in the corruption of the Papal Curia, but still insists on the arrest and trial of Luthor, only to be rejected by the German princes. Adrian dies September 6th 1523 after a reign of only 18 months, having accomplished nothing.

Clement VII 1523 1534 Giulio de Medici Florence, Italy Born one month after the assassination of his father, Giuliano, by the Pazzi Conspiracy, Giulio becomes chief minister and confidant to his uncle, Leo X, who makes him a cardinal and then Archbishop of Florence in 1519, placing Florence’s governance in his hands. He’s a leading

105 contender for Pope on the death of Leo but is the first to suggest Adrian to resolve the deadlock. On Adrian’s death Giulio is quickly elected as Clement VII in November 1523. Initially allied with Charles V, the French conquest of Milan in January 1525 forces Clement to realign with Venice and France. This guarantees Medici rule in Florence and the acquisition of Parma and Piacenzi for the Papal States in return for free passage for France to Naples. But Francis I’s defeat at Pavia February 24th 1525 undoes all his diplomacy and he rapidly returns to his old Habsburg alliance. But again Clement changes sides on Francis’ release in March 1526 after the Treaty of Madrid, entering the League of Cognac with France, Venice and Francis Maria Sforza of Milan. This exasperates Charles V. Imperial troops invade Lombardy, forcing Sforza out of Milan. The Collona, Roman nobles, take the opportunity to seize the city but are bought off and depart. Charles V’s landsknechts under joins a Spanish force under Charles Duke of Bourbon and advance on Rome. Papal forces are brushed aside and the city besieged. But the landsknechts are unpaid and only keep the field when they are promised loot. When the Duke of Bourbon is killed May 6th by a bullet (shot by Benvenuto Cellini) they sack the city and Clement finds himself an effective prisoner, besieged in the Castel St Angelo. Only the sacrifice of his Swiss Guard (massacred to a man) allows him to escape. League of Cognac troops arrive north of the city June 1st but hesitate to intervene, despite a complete lack of discipline in the Imperial camp. The rapine and pillage continues for weeks. 12,000 Romans are massacred and the population falls from 50,000 to 10,000. The erstwhile commander of the Imperial army, Philibert Châlon, has no control over his troops. To put an end to the horror, Clement VII surrenders June 6th, promising 400,000 ducats and the cession of Parma, Piacenza, Civitavecchia and Modena to the Empire in return for his life. Venice also takes advantage of the situation to capture Cervia and Ravenna. The aftermath is peculiar: Charles V is embarrassed by his lack of control over his own army but Clement is ever after very careful not to antagonise Charles in any way. When Henry VIII of England asks for a divorce from his Queen, Catherine of Aragon, Clement refuses and Henry leaves the Catholic church. Martin Luthor observes, pithily, “Christ reigns in such a way that the Emperor, who persecutes Luther for the Pope, is forced to destroy the Pope for Luther.” Clement plays no further part in the Italian Wars. In Florence the Medici are once again expelled. In 1530 Clement absolves Charles of any guilt over the sack of Rome and crowns him Holy Roman Emperor at Bologna. In return Clement gets back Cervia and Ravenna and the Medici are restored in Florence. Clement installs his illegitimate son, Alessandro ‘the Moor’ whose rule proves harsh, depraved and incompetent. Clement dies September 25th 1534 from poisoning by deathcap mushrooms, possibly at the behest of Charles V after rumours spread that Clement is once again leaning toward the French. Clement, normally clean-shaven as per canon, grows a beard after the sack of Rome and all popes after him follow his lead. Aside from Michaelangelo’s the Last Judgement, this is his lasting legacy.

Paul III 1534 1549 Alessandro Farnese Papal States, Italy Born in to a prominent Roman family, Alessandro is educated at the University of Pisa and in the household of Lorenzo de Medici. He is created cardinal by Alexander VI, whose mistress is Giulia, Alessandro’s sister. Promoted by Clement VII as Dean of the College of Cardinals, his election on the death of Clement comes as a surprise. He takes the name of Paul III. A great patron of the arts, he commissions several works from Michaelangelo, notably the building of St Peter’s Basilica, and constructs the Palazzo Farnese. 106 Paul calls a General Council to Mantua June 1536 to resolve issues of church reform but when the protestant princes decline to attend and the Duke of Mantua creates further difficulties he cancels the council and instead institutes a committee to investigate abuses. Their report of 1537 uncovers gross abuse in general worship, church administration and within the Curia itself; it is published widely but fails to reconcile the Protestants. Meanwhile, despite his genuine drive for reform, Paul is guilty of the usual accusations of nepotism. He disposesses the Duke of Urbino of the city of Camerino in order to invest his grandson, Ottavio Farnese, as duke and provokes war within the Papal States by the imposition of severe taxes: Perugia and Colonna both suffer loss of ancient privileges. Paul formally recognises the Jesuits under Ignatius Loyola in 1540 and they quickly become the cutting edge of evangelism and the Counter-Reformation. Then in 1542 Paul reorganises the Holy Office of the Inquisition. His further attempts to reconcile the German Protestant princes at the Conference of Regensburg and the Diet of Worms 1545 come to nothing. Charles V is already trying to suppress Protestantism by force and Paul III, in an appalling demonstration of political greed, offers 12,000 infantry, 500 cavalry and substantial money incentives in return for Charles’ support for gifting the duchies of Parma and Piacenza to Paul’s son, Per Luigi Farnese. Thus the Counter-Reformation begins in earnest out of nepotistic greed. But Per Luigi is assassinated September 10th 1547 due to his greed and cruelty; Paul III blames Charles V. The two bicker endlessly before Paul dies aged 81, November 10th 1549.

Julius III 1550 1555 Giovanni del Monte Rome, Italy Born in Rome, Giovanni proves himself a brilliant canon lawyer, studying at Perugia and Sienna. Paul III makes him a cardinal in 1536 and he becomes widely respected as a gifted administrator. In the conclave after the death of Paul III, there are three factions among the College of 51 cardinals: French, Imperial and Italian who bicker and debate for four months and several die during deliberations, reducing active membership to 44. In the 61st ballot on February 6th 1550 the conclave finally settle on Cardinal del Monte as a candidate acceptable to all sides, who takes the throne as Julius III. Julius initially seeks church reform but achieves little. In fact by 1556 he retires from active politics outside Italy and prefers a life of ease in his luxury palazzo on the Via Giulia. In the absence of leadership Julius’ reign is wracked by scandal. He adopts a 14-year old beggar, Innocenzo, from the streets of Parma and makes the boy a cardinal, showering him with benefices. Various observers remark that Julius is infatuated with the boy and the Venetian ambassador reports that they share a bed. Innocenzo is uneducated and entirely unsuited to a career in the church at any level; his behaviour never rises out of the gutter. (After Julius’ death, despite committing multiple rapes and murders, Innocenzo keeps his cardinals hat and votes in several conclaves until his death in 1577, incredibly from natural causes.) Julius is accused of being ‘entangled in love for boys’ and his death March 23rd 1555 is frankly a relief.

Marcellus II 1555 1555 Marcello Cervini Papal States, Italy With the disaster of Julius III the College of Cardinals seek a true reforming Pope and Cervini is elected April 9th despite Imperial opposition, the new Pope choosing to keep his own name as Marcellus II. But he proves of weak constitution, falling ill during Easter and on April 30th he suffers a stroke and dies after a reign of just 22 days.

Paul IV 1555 1559 Gian Pietro Carafa Naples, Italy Born in to a prominent Neapolitan family Gian serves as Leo X’s ambassador to England and then as Papal nuncio to Spain, which he comes to detest. He is ordained Bishop of Chieta in 1494 but he resigns his see in 1524 to form the ascetic order of Theatines. Pope Paul III recalls Gian to sit on a committee to consider reform of the Papal court and he is created cardinal in 1536. It is Carafa who persuades Paul III to set up a Roman Inquisition, modelled on the Spanish Inquisition with Gian as

107 an inquisitor-general. Gian observes, “Even if my own father were a heretic, I would gather the wood to burn him”. This is the man elected to succeed Marcellus II. Already old, the only reason he accepts election is that he knows Charles V is opposed to him, because he is known to hate Spaniards. He allies with France against the Habsburgs. He is ascetic to the point of prudishness; he cancels Michaelangelo’s pension and demands coverings to the genitals of statues and paintings throughout Rome, the ‘fig-leaf campaign’. Paul victimises Jews, forcing them to live in seclusion in Rome, a practice that spreads across Europe, and insists they must wear yellow hats. But still nepotism rules in Rome: Paul IV promotes his family to important positions of power, his nephew being created Duke of Paliano and commander of the Papal army, his brother Marquis of Montebello and captain of the Papal Guard. But their conduct in Rome is notorious and when Paul’s extreme anti-Spanish policies provoke war with Philip II, Spanish armies crush the French and everyone else and establish effective Spanish influence over all Italy aside from Venice and Savoy. In his last acts Paul publicly disgraces his nephews and banishes them from Rome. After his death August 18th 1559, the Roman people decapitate his statue.

Emperors: Frederick III 1415-1493: King of the Romans 1440, Emperor 1452 Maximilian I 1459-1519: King of the Romans 1486, Emperor 1508 Charles V 1500-1558: King of Spain 1516, King of the Romans 1519, Emperor 1530

Mehmed II 1432-1481: Ottoman Sultan 1444-1446 and 1451-1481 Bayezid II 1447-1512: Ottoman Sultan 1481-1512 Selim I 1465-1520: Ottoman Sultan 1512-1520 Suleiman I 1494-1566: Ottoman Sultan 1520-1566

Other Monarchs: Isabel 1451-1504: Queen of Castile 1474, of Spain 1475 Ferdinand 1452-1516: King of Aragon and Castile 1475 Ferrante II 1469-1496: King of Naples 1495 Philip II 1527-1598: King of Spain 1556 Charles VIII 1470-1498: King of France 1483 Louis XII 1462-1515: King of France 1498 Francis I 1494-1547: King of France 1515

Doges of Venice: Francesco Foscari 1423-57: forced to abdicate by the Council of Ten Pasquale Malipiero 1457-62: Christoforo Moro 1462-71: Nicolo Tron 1471-73: Nicolo Marcelo 1473-74: Pietro Mocenigo 1474-76: Andrea Vendramin 1476-78: Giovanni Mocenigo 1478-85: Marco Barberigo 1485-86: Agostino Barberigo 1486-1501: Leonardo Loredan 1501-21: Antonio Grimano 1521-23: 1523-38: Pietro Lando 1538-45: Francesco Donato 1545-53: 108 The Borgias: Cesaré 1476-1508: the illegitimate son of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattenei, Cesaré is initially groomed for a career in the church. Created Bishop of Pamplona at 15, he studies law in Perugia and Pisa and with his father’s election as Pope Alexander VI he’s created cardinal at only 18. But Cesaré never acts like a cardinal, preferring secular dress and athletic pursuits – he’s never without a sword at his side. When Cesaré’s elder brother, Juan, Duke of Gandia and Captain-General of the Papal armies, is murdered in 1497 – his body is found in the Tiber, with his purse intact (some speculate that Cesaré is responsible but Giovanni has plenty of enemies of his own) – Cesaré relinquishes his cardinalcy to become Duke of Valencia. At his father’s direction Cesaré commences to conquer the semi-independent towns in the Papal States with the clear intention of restoring Papal authority and creating a territory for himself. Cesaré effortlessly conquers city after city, facing a setback only at Forli where Caterina Sforza holds out for some months. But Forli falls early in 1500 and Caterina is captured despite fighting with sword in armour. It’s rumoured that she and Cesaré become lovers but it doesn’t stop him imprisoning her in the Castel Sant Angelo. Cesaré returns to a triumphal reception in Rome and receives the title of Papal Gonfalonier from his father. Later that year Cesaré has his sister’s husband murdered in his bed for having shot at him with the crossbow. Leaving Rome, Cesaré ousts Giovanni Sforza from Pesaro, humiliating his sister’s previous husband, and takes Rimini and Faenza. (After the siege, Faenza’s popular lord joins Caterina in the Castel Sant Angelo but is later killed and his body dumped in the Tiber on Cesaré’s orders.) In May Alexander VI creates Cesaré Duke of Romagna but Cesaré is moving out of his father’s control; he threatens Florence who buys him off with a 30,000 florin bribe. Fighting for the French, Cesaré helps take Naples and storms Capua, the massacre of 6,000 Capuans marks the collapse of Aragonese power in Italy – the Borgias appear to be cutting their Spanish roots. Francis I of France gives Cesaré a new title, Prince of Andria. About now Cesaré employs Leonardo da Vinci as a military engineer and the two quickly become friends. In June 1502 Cesaré invades Marche, capturing Urbino and Camerino before moving on Bologna. But three of his condottieri betray him. Undismayed, Cesaré regroups with his loyal generals at Imola and waits while the Orsini conspiracy falls apart (Cesaré is immensely popular with the common people). Astonishingly the traitors accept his call for a reconciliation but Cesaré, predictably, has them captured and brutally executed by garrotte. But everything comes unravelled when Alexander VI dies in 1503. Both father and son are stricken with the same malady (many believe them poisoned) and Cesaré is unable to act to meet the combined threats of the French marching south from Milan, the Spanish north from Naples and the Venetians invading the Romagna. The new Pope, Pius III, confirms Cesaré in his titles, estates and offices and Cesaré sets about retrieving the situation. But Pius III himself dies later that same year and the next Pope, Julius II, is Giuliano della Rovere, who has spent every second of the last fifteen years hating the name Borgia. Julius II directs Papal armies against Cesaré who finds himself without allies. Cesaré flees to Naples to ask for aid but instead the Spanish Governor, Gonzalo de Córdoba, captures him. At the request of Queen Isabella of Spain, Cesaré is imprisoned in the Castle of La Mota, Medina del Campo, in 109 Spain. He escapes to join his brother-in-law King John III of Navarre but dies in a petty skirmish in 1507. Cesaré is buried in a marble tomb beneath the altar of the Church of Santa Maria in Vandia but in 1537 the Bishop of Calahora orders the tomb destroyed and Cesaré’s remains moved to unconsecrated ground. Machiavelli uses Cesaré as an illustration of the danger of building a principality on someone else’s authority: Cesaré’s success is built on his father’s authority as Pope, when Alexander VI dies Cesaré’s fledgling state falls apart within months, despite popular support from his subjects. Appearance: Cesaré is tall, dark and handsome, very athletic, repeatedly showing off his ability to outrun, outride and outfight his retainers. Early in his father’s pontificate he dresses showily in rich cloth festooned with gems but by 1497 he dresses mainly in black, in rich cloth, well cut but no jewels. He often wears a mask (possibly to hide the mottling of syphilis) and likes to move about incognito when not leading armies or embassies. He can be arrogant and vindictive or charming, intimate and sincere. Although dynamic, he has frequent bouts of exhaustion and illness caused by his relentless exploits on the battlefield and in bed.

Notorious Papal bastard Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 14 10 18 15 13 15 12 +d3 Virtues: +21 Skill pts (5); +13 attributes (3); university education (4) Flaws: notorious reputation as a Borgia (5); licentious (3); hated by almost everyone, especially Julius II (4) Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 3, Charm 3, Dance 2, Disguise 3, Dodge 2, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 2, Heraldry 2, History 2, Jump 3, Law (canon) 3, Melee 6, Oratory 4, Other Language: Italian 8, Other Language: Latin 5, Persuade 8, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 5, Ride 6, Seduction 2, Sneak 4, Strategy & Tactics 5, Trivium 4

Juan 1477-97: the second son born to Vannozza dei Cattenei, Juan (Giovanni in Italian) inherits the Spanish Duchy of Gandia on the death of his half-brother, Pedro-Luis in 1493, along with Pedro-Luis’s wife, Maria Enriquez de Luna. Given to lewdness and debauchery, his main pastime is pursuing prostitutes and other men’s wives. This and his arrogance gain him few friends and perhaps the enmity of his brother, Cesaré. After a dinner hosted by his mother in his honour and attended by all the family save his father, Pope Alexander VI, Juan rides off with a mysterious masked companion and a single attendant to a romantic assignation. The next morning his horse returns without its rider and bearing signs of violence. A search finds his body floating in the Tiber with nine stab wounds (one in the genitals) and a purse containing thirty gold ducats. A fisherman reports seeing the body being dumped in the water by five men. When asked why he hadn’t reported it before he replies that the dumping of dead bodies is a common occurrence and no one has ever been concerned before. Alexander is distraught but his investigation is abruptly called off after a week. Some say this is because he realises that Cesaré is the murderer but others believe Joffre, his younger brother, has killed him for seducing his wife, Sancha of Aragon. Frankly Juan had made a point of creating enemies wherever he went and the only real surprise is how he wasn’t killed earlier in Spain for provoking the King. Perhaps the most likely candidates are the Orsini family, whom Alexander had been intent on dispossesing and for whom Juan was the principal agent and proposed benificiary.

110 Appearance: Juan’s features resemble Cesaré’s but his hair is red-blond like Lucrezia’s and his beard is red. He is neither as tall nor as athletic as Cesaré but is nonetheless handsome and debonair. He can be charming but his arrogance and self-centredness make him easy to hate. Dissolute Libertine Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 11 12 13 13 12 11 11 - Virtues: Father is Pope (6) Flaws: hated by almost everyone, especially the Orsinis (6) Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 3, Carouse 3, Dance 3, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 3, Gambling 2, Heraldry 3, Melee 4, Other Language: Italian 6, Read/Write 3, Ride 5, Seduction 3

Lucrezia 1480-1519: the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattenei. Like her brothers, she is openly acknowledged by her father and legitimised by Papal edict. Lucrezia is raised in her father’s house and receives a humanist education from private tutors. She speaks her native Catalan as well as accentless Italian and is fluent in French, Latin, and Greek. She also receives an informal education in the healing arts and the use of poisons, including the family favourite, canterella. Betrothed twice from the age of ten, after her father becomes Pope as Alexander VI she is finally married to Giovanni Sforza as part of his political alliance with Milan. But with the French invasion of 1494 Giovanni becomes an embarrassment. With her husband forced to flee in fear of his life, Lucrezia chooses to remain in Rome and Giovanni besmirches his wife’s name, claiming she’s committed incest with her father and brother, Cesaré. Despite his violent protestations, Giovanni is forced to sign a humiliating admission of impotence and Alexander VI annuls the marriage after Lucrezia is formally examined and found to be a virgin – despite being six months pregnant at the hands of her new lover, Pedro Calderon. With her marriage behind her Lucrezia retires to a convent for her confinement in December 1497. In February 1498 Pedro’s body is found floating in the Tiber with numerous stab wounds all over his body, including his genitals. Lucrezia gives birth in March but the child is stillborn. (Though there are those that claim Giovanni Borgia, Lucrezia’s half-brother, is both her brother and her son.) Lucrezia becomes her father’s vicar at the Papal city of Spoleto, where despite her youth (she’s still only 18) she governs well but she marries again in June 1498, this time to Alfonso d’Aragonna Duke of Bisceglie, illegitimate son of Alfonso II of Naples. He’s tall, athletic and good-looking and this time Lucrezia falls genuinely in love. Rumour has it that Lucrezia’s brother, Cesaré, is jealous of this alleged rival to his affections and the relentless turn of politics soon renders the Neapolitan alliance an embarrassment. In July 1500 Alfonso is attacked on the steps of the Vatican. With help from retainers he staggers back inside where he is tended by Lucrezia and his sister, Sancia. With their help he recovers but openly blames Cesaré for the attempted murder. Cesaré denies involvement and most blame the Orsini, who have suffered at Borgia hands (in particular losing estates to Lucrezia and her husband). In August Alfonso shoots with a crossbow from a balcony as Cesaré walks unarmed in the garden below. The next day Cesaré’s personal retainer, Miguel Corella, dupes his way in to Alfonso’s bedchamber, lures Lucrezia and Sancia from the room by subterfuge and strangles Alfonso. Lucrezia is devastated at the death of her husband and retires to Nepi to grieve. The couple have just one child, Rodrigo, who dies aged 12. 111 Alexander VI secures a third match, this time to Alfonso d’Este of Ferrara. The marriage proves fruitful and lasting, Lucrezia bearing him six children, but both partners take lovers. Lucrezia has a passionate sexual liaison with Francesco Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua (the victor of Fornovo), curtailed only when he contracts syphilis, and a more cerebral affair with the poet Pietro Bembo. The poet Ercole Strozzi and a Spanish priest, Lucrezia’s liasons with her lovers, are brutally murdered in June 1507. Popular rumour blames her husband and thereafter she’s more circumspect. With Alexander’s death in 1503 Lucrezia is free to put the past behind her and becomes a respected Italian matron. Never robust, she dies of complications of the birth of her eighth child in 1519. Appearance: Lucrezia is petite, dazzlingly beautiful with red-blond hair that cascades to her knees as a teenager but is cut to a more practical length by the time of her second and third marriages. She has a perfect complexion and hazel eyes that change colour with her mood. She’s always dressed in only the best quality clothes, cut to perfection. Before her first marriage she’s frequently festooned in expensive gems as jewellery and sewn on her dresses but later she’s more restrained. She’s very fond of erotic novels and lewd plays, at which she giggles openly (much to the outrage of Italian matrons). Rumour has it she wears a hollow ring that dispenses poison. Notorious Italian noblewoman Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 8 8 13 18 15 14 6 -d2 Virtues: university education (3); +4 attributes (1); +15 Skill pts (4) Flaws: notorious reputation as a Borgia (4); mildly licentious (1); dependants: 8 children (4) Skills: Charm 4, Dance 4, Disguise 2, Dodge 2, Embroidery 3, Etiquette 4, Fast Talk 2, Gossip 1, Heraldry 2, Herb Lore 3, History 2, Listen 3, Other Language: Italian 6, Other Language: French 4, Other Language: Greek 2, Other Language: Latin 4, Persuade 3, Play Harpsichord 4, Poison Lore 6, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Seduction 3, Sing 4, Spot Hidden 4, Tend Wounds 4, Trivium 3

Joffre 1482-1517: Vannozza dei Cattenei’s youngest son by Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, Joffre grows up as his father’s least favourite son. In fact for a while Alexander doubts his paternity but ultimately he arranges a very advantageous marriage to Sancha of Naples, whereby the boy becomes Prince of Squillace and Duke of Alvito, both Neapolitan terrories. Unfortunately Sancha is markedly older than Joffre and a much more dominant personality. Finding marriage to a twelve-year old boy unsatisfying, Sancha becomes a serial adultress, starting with Joffre’s elder brothers, Juan and Cesaré, but extending eventually to most of the politically active males in Rome and Naples. Joffre takes his cuckoldry pretty much supinely but his qualities as man and husband are a gift to the local wits, “A boy husband who cannot mount his horse – never mind, his wife rides well enough without him.” [Blood & Beauty by Sarah Dunant] His father makes a point of publicly exonerating Joffre of the murder of his brother, Juan Borgia, Duke of Gandia, but no one seriously believes the fifteen year old has anything to do with it. No one ever seems to expect much of Joffre. He seems content to stay out of politics and manage his estates. As a result he survives his father’s death. During the War of 1499–1504, when Louis XII of France allies with the Spanish to conquer Naples, Joffre sides with the French when they fall out with their allies. But when captured by he switches allegiance to the Spanish, which provokes a rebellion in Alvito. 112 In 1504 Joffre sends the condottiere Fabrizio Colonna (Prospero’s brother) to secure his estates, partly paid for with money appropriated from the Papal treasury after the death of his father the year before. With the rebellion crushed, Joffre finally moves to his estates in Alvito and Squillace in 1504 and thereafter becomes a fixture there or at Court in Naples. After 1502 Joffre is estranged from Sancha, who strangely raises Lucrezia Borgia’s sons, Rodrigo and Giovanni, as her own – despite her numerous affairs, Sancha never bears a child of her own. Sancha dies in 1506 and Ferdinand of Aragon takes back the Duchy of Alvito but Joffre is allowed to keep Squillace as a vassal of Naples and marries a cousin, Maria de Mila of Aragon. They have four children and Borgias remain Princes of Squillace for two centuries. Appearance: Joffre does not share the sharper features of the rest of the family but nonetheless has boyish ‘pretty-boy’ good looks. Character-wise he is spineless and dislikes any show of emotion but he has a certain charm and, aside from his first wife, no one dislikes him. Ineffectual Prince Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 12 7 14 16 13 10 8 +1 Virtues: Father is Pope (6) Flaws: notorious as a Borgia and a cuckold (6) Skills: Animal Care 1, Appraise (clothes) 2, Charm 3, Dance 4, Estate Management 3, Etiquette 4, Gossip 2, Heraldry 3, Melee 2, Other Language: Italian 6, Play Harpsicord 2, Politics 1, Read/Write 3, Ride 4, Sing 2

113 The Medici: Cosimo 1389-1464: born in to a wealthy banking family, Cosimo is the true architect of both the Renaissance and Medici rule in Florence. In 1415 he accompanies Pope John XXIII to the Council of Constance, which deposes all three current popes and eventually results in Martin V’s election in 1417, officially ending the Schizm. But Cosimo impresses Martin and he appoints the Medici as Papal bankers. Cosimo marries Contessina, daughter of Giovanni de Bardi, Count of Vernio. They have two sons, Piero and Giovanni. Cosimo’s shrewd banking head creates a family fortune of over 150,000 florins. This fortune and the same head makes Cosimo the Gran Maestro of Florence. The Bishop of Siena, Aenius Sylvius Piccolomino (the future Pope Pius II) says of him, “Political questions are settled in his house. The man he chooses holds office...He it is who decides peace and war...He is king in all but name.” But despite his refusal to accept any official title beyond ‘first citizen’ his eminence causes friction, creating an anti-Medici party led by the Albizzi and Strozzi families and in 1433 he is arrested and exiled. Cosimo moves to Padua and then Venice but he takes the Medici banking business with him and the resulting eclipse of the Florentine economy induces the city to recall him a year later and he dominates Florentine politics and business for the rest of his life, causing the city’s constitution to be amended to ensure the influence of the Medicis after his death. Cosimo’s foreign policy is aimed at maintaining a balance of power between the major players in Italian politics: Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice. His influence with successive popes is unrivalled. But Cosimo is no miser: he liberally spends his fortune on patronage. He is greatly influenced by Gemistus Pletho, whom he meets during the Ecumenical Council of 1438/39, which he persuades Pope Eugene IV to move to Florence. His patronage supports Marsilio Ficino and he is happy to share his impressive library with visiting scholars. In the arts, Cosimo commissions Michelozzo to build his new home, which becomes the archetype for the Florentine palazzo – though he rejects Michelozzo’s first design as ‘too grand’. He commissions important works from Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, and ‘David and Judith Slaying Holofernes’ from Donatello. His patronage enables Brunelleschi to complete the dome of the Florence’s cathedral, which becomes known thereafter as the ‘Duomo’. Cosimo is of medium height and spare build but in later years suffers greatly from gout, to which he finally succumbs in 1464. He is succeeded by his son, Piero ‘the Gouty’. Appearance: Cosimo is afflicted by gout from an early age, causing him to move with slow deliberation. He has a grave, patrician manner and is very self-effacing. He dislikes informality and prefers visitors not to show undue deference. He is often distracted from business or politics by his children. However his demure exterior conceals a shrewd mind, a keen eye and a ruthless determination. Merchant Prince Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 15 5 15 16 14 15 - Virtues: wealthiest man in Italy (5); +15 skill pts (4); +4 Attribute pts (1) Flaws: duty to Florence (5); afflicted by gout (4); distracted by family (1) Skills: Accounting 6, Appraise (coin) 6, Bargain 6, Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 4, Fast Talk 3, Gossip 3, Oratory 3, Persuade 5, Philosophy 2, Politics 5, Read/Write 6, Ride 3

114 Piero ‘the Gouty’ 1416-1469: afflicted by poor health throughout his life, Piero plays little role in politics or business during his father’s life and has little acumen for either. His first business decision bankrupts several leading Florentines, polarising feelin against him and the Medicis. In August 1466 only prior warning by his son, Lorenzo, prevents a coup against him, backed by Borso d’Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio. Another, backed by Venice, also fails. Then in 1467 Venice declars war over Florentine support for Francesco Sforza, the new Duke of Milan, but a Venetian-Ferraran army is defeated by a coalition of Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples and Rome at Molinella in July 1467. Though not as good a banker as his father, Piero’s scholarship is perhaps wider, so is his patronage, extending to Dutch and Flemish works. Never particularly healthy, like his father Piero dies of gout December 2nd 1469. By his wife, Lucrezia Tuornoboni, he leaves two sons, Lorenzo and Giuliano.

Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’ 1449-1492: probably the single most important patron in the Florentine Renaissance, Lorenzo is given a thorough humanist education by the likes of Gentile Becchi. By thirteen he can read and speak Latin fluently, going on to study Greek under Argyropoulos, Italian literature under Cristoforo Landino and Platonic philosophy under Marcilio Ficino. His mother, Lucrezia Tuornoboni, also educates him in religion. The young Lorenzo also excells at physical pursuits such as jousting and hunting. His father, Piero, sends him on several diplomatic missions as a teenager, including Rome, where he makes many essential contacts. Lorenzo’s diplomacy and tact proves invaluable in later life. He marries Clarice Orsini in February 1469 but the marriage is not a happy one. Unlike his own mother, from whom Lorenzo inherits his intelligence, Clarice has no grounding in the new humanist learning and never understands her husband’s concern for philosophy and art. Nonetheless they have ten children and Lorenzo adopts his nephew after the assassination of his brother, Giuliano. Groomed for power from an early age, Lorenzo naturally inherits his father’s and grandfather’s roles as head of the Medici business and Gran Maestro of Florentine politics, ruling indirectly through proxies and surrogates. His governance is wise and Florence prospers under his rule but nonetheless his despotic rule is resented by other leading Florentine families. Pazzi Conspiracy: in 1478 there occurs an attempted coup that nearly succeeds. The enmity arises because Florence wants to secure a trade route to Venice so Lorenzo agrees to purchase the town of Imola from Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan, for 100,000 florins. However this goes against Sixtus IV’s plans to subdue the Romagna and make Imola an appanage for his family, the Della Roveres. When he hears of Lorenzo’s offer, Sixtus orders Galeazzo to cancel the sale. Galeazzo decides to bargain, eventually agreeing to sell Imola to Sixtus for 40,000 ducats (ducats and florins are more or less equivalent) provided Sixtus’ nephew, Girolamo Riario, marries Galeazzo’s illegitimate daughter, Caterina Sforza (qv).

115 Lorenzo realises that this means both Milan and Rome would have a vested interest in the new Romagnan state, which is insupportable for Florence. When Sixtus asks to borrow the 40,000 ducats from Lorenzo, as Papal banker, he prevaricates. Sixtus dismisses Lorenzo and makes a rival Florentine, Francesco Pazzi, Papal banker. With Pazzi money Girolamo Riario takes possession of Imola against the wishes of his new subjects (and they kill him for his presumption April 14th 1488) but Girolamo wants more. Aware that expansion of his borders will provoke opposition from the Medici, he hatches a plot to assassinate Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano. He conspires with Francesco Pazzi, who has his own ambitions for Florence, and Francesco Salviati, titular Archbishop of Pisa whom Lorenzo has kept out of his city for three years, depriving him of income. The conspirators get direct approval from Sixtus IV. The conspiracy involves a body of 600 troops placed outside the city under Federigo Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino and Papal condottiere, intended to enter the city to impose order after the coup. Salviati’s 17-year old nephew, Raffaele Riario, entirely innocent of the plot, has just been made a cardinal by his great-uncle, the Pope. A student at the University of Pisa, Raffaele stops in Florence to attend Mass, Easter Sunday April 26th. He stays at the Palazzo Medici. His host, Lorenzo, wearing a brocade waistcoat, has already heard Mass but accompanies Raffaele to the Duomo. Archbishop Salviati excuses himself, claiming he has to visit his aged mother. Together with Lorenzo’s brother, Giuliano, they set off for the Duomo. Inside the crowds are milling about (15th Century churches have no pews). Lorenzo strikes up a conversation in the choir while Giuliano remains in the nave, chatting to Cardinal Raffaele. The ceremony starts and Lorenzo’s friend and protégé, Poliziano, performs the reading. Then the sanctuary bell is rung to announce the consecration of the bread, this is the signal to strike. Francesco de Pazzi and Bernardo Bandi rush Giuliano; Antonio Maffei (a priest) and Jacapo de Pazzi strike at Lorenzo. Though wounded in the neck, Lorenzo wraps his cloak round his arm as a shield and draws his sword. Poliziano and other friends get Lorenzo to safety, locking him the sacristy. Giuliano is dead, stabbed 19 times by a frenzied Francesco de Pazzi. Meanwhile Archbishop Salviati goes to the Palazzo della Signoria with a gang of toughs disguised as clergy. Salviati informs the gonfaloniere of justice (Florence’s chief judge), Cesaré Petrucci, that Pope Sixtus IV has bestowed an appointment on Petrucci’s son. But Salviati’s manner is shifty and suspicious and Petrucci calls for the guards. Salviati turns to run. Petrucci throws one of Salviati’s men to the floor but the rest follow their master. Their escape is thwarted by a new portcullis installed by Petrucci that falls, trapping Salviati and his men. Petrucci, other magistrates and servants seize any weapons they can find, even spits from the kitchen, and tie them up. Out in the streets, Jacapo de Pazzi, having failed to kill Lorenzo, rides through the crowd trying to drum support for the Pazzi cause but the crowd will have none of it. Returning to his palazzo, Lorenzo makes a speech calling for calm and a fair trial for the assassins but the crowd are incensed at the murder in their cathedral and Giuliano is well-loved in the city. Archbishop Salviati and the other assassins are disembowelled and hanged from the windows of the Signoria. Only Cardinal Raffaele is saved by Lorenzo himself. The city decrees that the name Pazzi be obliterated within the town and from the registers and anyone with that name must choose another or leave the city. Other conspirators are hunted through Italy and killed over the coming year. Aftermath: The coup thwarted and his involvement revealed, Sixtus vents his rage on Lorenzo, blaming him for the lynching of Archbishop Salviati. He demands Lorenzo comes to Rome to stand trial. Lorenzo declines and is excommunicated. Then Sixtus demands Florence hands him over but Florence is now solidly behind Lorenzo and scorns the Pope. Sixtus puts the city under interdict and declares holy war on Florence, in alliance with Naples. Florence’s usual allies, Milan and Bologna, fail to come to her aid and the war goes against Florence. Facing defeat and destruction, in December 1479 Lorenzo takes the courageous step of sailing directly to Naples to surrender to King Ferrante. Over three months Ferrante is impressed by Lorenzo’s personal qualities and, intrigued by humanism, he makes peace with Florence and agrees to restore all military gains by his forces in return for a money payment, and even joins a defensive 116 alliance with Florence. Deprived of his ally and shocked by the Ottoman capture of Otranto December 1480, Sixtus IV makes peace with Lorenzo. But in 1481, eager to expand Giralomo’s territory, Sixtus allies with Venice against Ferrara. Lorenzo’s foreign policy is to encourage peace in Italy through balance of power. If Sixtus takes Ferrara his next victim would be Milan, Venice or Florence’s Tuscan possessions. So both Florence and Naples send troops to defend Ferrara and in seven months Sixtus is forced to accept a peace brokered by Lorenzo and Florence, Naples and Milan swear to guarantee each other’s territories. Sixtus responds by attacking Venice with the objective of adding Cervia and Ravenna to Girolama’s Imola territory. In August 1484, Lorenzo again takes the diplomatic initiative, bringing Sixtus’ allies to the negotiation table and leaving Sixtus isolated. When the Pope’s ambassadors return he screams at them and the next day dies of apoplexy. The next pope is Innocent VIII, a genial but unintelligent Genoese under the influence of the wily Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, nephew to the late Sixtus IV (and himself the future Julius II). Through some clever diplomacy, Lorenzo wins the admiration of Innocent (Lorenzo’s daughter, Maddalena marries Innocent’s son, Franceschetto Cibo) and henceforward Lorenzo strongly influences Papal foreign policy. His efforts win all Italy’s admiration as Italy’s peacemaker and he sends Florentine artists all over Italy and abroad, as far as Egypt and Lisbon. Lorenzo also has his son, Giovanni, consecrated a cardinal at age 17, in March 1492. The celebratory parade in Florence features two elephants as Giovanni is seen off to Rome in style. But alas the stresses of recent years take their toll and Lorenzo suffers increasingly from gout and rheumatism. He dies April 9th 1492, leaving the governance of Florence and the family bank in the hands of his son, Piero ‘the Unfortunate’. Patronage: Lorenzo’s informal household includes a powerhouse of Renaissance philosophers: Marsilio Ficino (his childhood tutor), Poliziano and Mirandola; and artists: Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Rosselli, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Michelangelo. He both commissions work himself and incites others to do so, sending artists all over Europe, even to the Ottomans. In 1471 Lorenzo calculates that since 1434, his family have spent some 663,000 florins for charity, buildings and taxes. He writes, “I do not regret this for though many would consider it better to have a part of that sum in their purse, I consider it to have been a great honour to our state, and I think the money was well-spent and I am well-pleased.” Appearance: Lorenzo is tall, broad-shouldered and of muscular build. His dark hair and eyes and pugnacious features may look intimidating but he has a lively wit and great personal energy. He is also warm, friendly and approachable and his household, including as it does many great philosophers and artists, is very informal. Merchant Prince Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 14 9 7 12 16 14 11 +d3 Virtues: wealthiest man in Italy (5); University Education (4); +10 skill pts (3) Flaws: duty to Florence (5); hated by Sixtus IV, the Pazzi and Salviati, Florentine patricians (4); distracted by art (3) [in later years, with the Pazzi and Salviati families banished, Lorenzo is crippled by gout] Skills: Appraise (art) 5, Bargain 4, Brawl 2, Carouse 4, Charm 5, Etiquette 2, Gossip 1, History 1, Language: Greek 2, Language: Latin 5, Melee 2, Oratory 2, Persuade 6, Philosophy 4, Poetry 4, Politics 4, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 5, Ride 3, Trivium 4

117 Other Merchant Princes: Jakob Fugger ‘the Rich’ 1459-1525: Jakob is born in to the third generation of Fuggers in Augsberg. His grandfather began the family business, trading in textiles and his father, Jakob the Elder, went in to banking to become the richest man in the wealthy German town. Jakob’s elder brothers set up manufacturies in Venice and Nuremberg. Fugger loans to Emperor Frederick III wins recognition in the form of their own distinctive coat of arms, ‘Or and azure, two lilies counterchanged’. Jakob himself is apprenticed in to the family business at an early age, spending the years 1473-87 in Venice at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi and his long years in Venice later induces him to bring the Renaissance to Germany and northern Europe. He also learns the Italian invention of double-entry book-keeping and is the first to bring this practice north of the Alps. The family business really takes off when Jakob buys shares in two Salzberg silver mines and he steadily builds the family interest until all silver mined in the area is traded through Fugger companies. Jakob further expands the family business from Augsburg, the Tyrol, Venice and Rome, starting manufacturies in Innsbruck 1485 and Hall 1510. In 1485 Jakob starts financing Archduke Sigismund of Austria and by 1517 he finances more than half the Archduke’s budget. By now the Fuggers have a complete monopoly of all the copper and silver of the Tyrol. In theory Jakob’s eldest brother, Ulrich, heads the company but by 1490 it is Jakob who actually runs it. With the deaths of Georg in 1508 and Ulrich in 1510, Jakob becomes the indisputable head of the company. From 1489 Jakob is also financing Maximilian’s wars. In 1507 Jakob buys the county of Kirchberg near Ulm, the lordship and city of Weissenhorn and the lordships of Wullenstetten and Pfaffenhofen from Maximilian for 50,000 guilders. Jakob is ennobled in 1511 and goes on to become a major landholder. Thanks to their business ties, Jakob exercises considerable influence over Maximilian and after his death Jakob effectively buys the election of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor with an enormous loan of 850,000 guilders. From 1503 Jakob improves relations with the Papacy and in 1506 he finances the recruitment of Julius II’s Swiss Guard. In return, from 1508 to 1524, the Fugger company leases the Zecca, the Papal mint. Although only a minor part of the business, the Fugger company also sells Papal indulgences and so comes in for criticism from Martin Luthor in 1520. Fugger also deals in pepper, spices, pearls and other gems but the main bulk of the business is mining and banking. Jakob has no children and in later years he invests heavily in public works, most notably the Fuggerei, an area of social housing in Augsburg for poor craftsmen and labourers made homeless through no fault of their own. 52 houses form the initial foundation in 1516, a major sector of the city with walls and gates of its own. By his death the worth of the Fugger company is 2,000,000 guilders. Appearance: Jakob is medium height but burly build. His dark hair goes grey early but his shrewd intelligence and determination show clearly in his expression. A workaholic, he nonetheless takes time from his mercantile and political activities to build an impressive library of works of humanist philosophy. His reading leads him to become very socially aware in his later years. (See picture p.160) Merchant Prince Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 13 12 14 15 13 11 +d2 Virtues: wealthiest man in Christendom (6); +15 skill pts (4); +8 attribute pts (2) Flaws: Owed huge amounts of money by the Emperor (6); hated by Protestants (4); feels guilt over his amassed wealth (2) Skills: Accounting 6, Appraise (bullion) 6, Bargain 6, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, History 2, Language: Greek 2, Language: Italian 4, Language: Latin 4, Persuade 4, Philosophy 3, Politics 4, Read/Write 6, Ride 3

118 Generals: , Duke of Urbino 1422- 1482: born the illegitimate son of the Duke of Spoleto, Federico is legitimised by Pope Martin V. In 1437 he is knighted by Emperor Sigismund and a year later commences his career as a condottiere under Niccolo Piccinino at the age of 16 and quickly distinguishes himself in the field, serving the Sforzas of Milan with 300 lances. In 1444 his half brother, Oddantonio de Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, is assassinated. It is never proven that Federico is part of the conspiracy but he quickly secures Urbino as a result. However the city’s finances are in a dire state so he continues his career as a condottiere, serving Florence. Unusually among condottiere generals, Federico gains a reputation for caring for his men, thereby inspiring great loyalty. He also enters jousts but an accident in the lists in 1450 blinds him in one eye and leaves a colossal scar on the right side of his face. All subsequent portraits show only his left profile. In order to improve the vision to his right, Federico has a surgeon remove the bridge of his nose to allow his left eye a better field of view. On his recovery in 1451 Federico signs up with Alfonzo V of Aragon to fight for Naples against Florence but the Neapolitan army is hit by malaria in 1453 and the Peace of Lodi ends the war. In 1458 Alfonso dies. Needing a new patron and a new war, Federico is appointed Gonfaloniere of the Papal army by the new Pope Pius II. Federico fights successful campaigns against Naples before soundly beating his long-term rival Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, in the Marche in 1462. The next year he seizes Senigallia and Fano and takes Malatesta prisoner. 1464: a new Pope, Paul II, keeps Federico as Gonfaloniere, directing him at Anguillara, where he secures northern Lazio for the Pope, followed by Cesena and Bertinoro in the Romagna in 1465. In 1466 Federico helps the son of his first patron, Galeazzo Sforza, secure possession of Milan after the death of his father. In 1467 Federico commands the Milanese, Bolognese and Neapolitan troops at the Battle of Molinella, where for the first time in Italy he uses field artillery to beat Bartolomeo Colleoni, commanding the Venetian troops. In 1469, Malatesta dies and Pope Paul II sends Federico to secure Rimini. However, in a shrewd political analysis, Federico judges that Rimini in the hands of the Pope would threaten his own holding of Urbino and he keeps Rimini for himself. After beating the Papal army in battle he graciously cedes Rimini to Malatesta’s son, Roberto. This leaves Federico in the Pope’s bad books but the new Pope Sixtus IV in 1471 wants to secure Federico’s services for Rome; he marries his favourite nephew, Giovanni della Rovere, to Federico’s daughter, Giovanna, and grants Federico the title Duke of Urbino in 1474. Sixtus IV employs Federico in his wars against Florence and in 1478 Federico is involved in the Pazzi conspiracy, commanding a force of 600 men hidden outside Florence, intended to secure the city on the fall of the Medicis. However the conspiracy fails and the troops return to Urbino, unused. Federico manages to keep his putative role a secret outside the conspirators. After this Federico prefers to retire to Urbino, where he establishes firm rule by justice and good governance based on the latest humanist principles. He hires the best copyists to establish the largest library outside the Vatican. He is also an early patron of Raphael. Federico earns the nickname ‘the Light of Italy’.

119 Despite his military career and fearsome appearance, he notably walks the streets of Urbino without a guard and often without a servant, talking to the common folk, who love him. In 1482 he is lured out of retirement to command Ferrara’s army against Venice but dies of fever. He is said to have never lost a campaign and at his death is regarded as Italy’s finest general. Appearance: Federico is tall and powerfully built with short dark, brown hair and steely gaze. The right side of his face is hideously disfigured by the jousting scar that cost him his eye. He also lacks the bridge of his nose. However his fearsome appearance is belied by his jocularity and he happily talks to those he meets, both in his army and on the street, whatever their station. The Light of Italy Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 16 12 14 14 15 14 15 +d5 Virtues: +3 skill points (1); +13 attributes (3); renowned as finest general in Italy (4) Flaws: another (1); scarred, -3 on social interactions (3); duty to the city of Urbino (4) Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 1, Carouse 3, Dance 1, Etiquette 2, Heraldry 2, History 2, Jump 4, Language: Latin 4, Melee 4, Oratory 3, Philosophy 1, Read/Write 4, Ride 6, Strategy & Tactics 6

Gonzalo de Córdoba, Duke of Terranova, Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa 1453-1515: as the younger son of the Count of Aguilar in the province of Cordoba, Castile, Gonzalo decides on a military career to make his fortune. In the of 1474, Gonzalo fights for Isabella under the Grand Master of the Order of Santiago, who praises his service highly and Gonzalo is rewarded with a marriage to Luisa Manrique de Lara, a well-born lady-in-waiting to Isabella, now Queen of Castile. Gonzalo serves the next ten years in completing the Reconquista with the final defeat of Granada; a war in which he hones his grasp of military engineering and guerrilla warfare. His grasp of the Berber language ensures he is foremost in the negotiations of surrender. He is rewarded with estates in the newly conquered territory. When Isabella and Ferdinand elect to oppose Charles VIII of France in his attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Naples, they choose Gonzalo to command the small force of 5,000 men sent to Naples. Ordered against his better judgement to pit his light infantry and jinette cavalry against French heavy cavalry, Gonzalo loses his first battle at Seminara, June 28th 1495 but the following year he shows the effectiveness of his light troops in a guerrilla campaign that drives the French back to Calabria and in 1498 Gonzalo returns to Spain, his work done. During the next few years Gonzalo re-organises the Spanish troops into regiments of pike and shot to create the first tercios, soon to become famous throughout Europe. He also helps the Venetians drive the Turks out of Kefalonia. Then in 1501 Gonzalo returns to Italy to command Spanish forces in the joint venture by Spain and France to depose Federigo IV of Naples. However, after Federigo’s deposition the two allies turn on each other. Initially Gonzalo is besieged in Barletta but holds off the enemy through brilliant use of guerrilla warfare and, once reinforced, goes on the offensive, winning the Battle of Cerignola April 28th 1503 using field and intense fire from artillery and arquebusiers – 6,300 men beat 9,000. Soon after the French sue for peace and Naples remains Spanish thereafter. Gonzalo is appointed Viceroy of Naples but Queen Isabella dies in 1504 and her husband, Ferdinand of Aragon, is jealous. Gonzalo is recalled in 1507 and his career is over. He dies in 1515 but his legacy is the birth of modern pike and shot warfare and a Spanish army that remains all but 120 invincible for the next 140 years. He leaves one daughter as his sole heiress, Elvira Fernández de Córdoba y Manrique. Appearance: Gonzalo is tall and spare with typically dark Spanish looks. He is famed for wearing resplendent armour. He has a cool head and a shrewd eye in battle but sometimes cannot resist entering the fray himself and more than once he comes close to death unnecessarily. He has the common touch and his troops love him. The Great Captain Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Spanish 13 12 14 12 14 14 13 +d2 Virtues: +8 attributes (2); +15 skill points (4); noble born (4) Flaws: rash inclinations (2); afflicted by malaria (4); loyal to Spain (4) Skills: Animal Care 3, Brawl 3, Carouse 4, Charm 3, Dance 2, Etiquette 4, Heraldry 3, History 2, Jump 4, Language: Berber 2, Language: Italian 2, Melee 5, Military Engineering 4, Oratory 4, Read/Write 4, Ride 6, Strategy & Tactics 6

Francesco Gonzaga Marquess of Mantua 1466-1519: although dukes of Mantua, Francesco’s family is poor and he has to seek employment as a condottier with the Venetians, who offer him a contract in 1489. During his campaigns Mantua is governed by his wife, Isabella d’Este, whom he marries 1490. By 1495, with the capture of Niccolò Orsini and Gian Giacomo Trivulsio’s defection to the French, the Venetians reluctantly make him commander of Venetian forces on condition he keeps his more experienced uncle, Ridolfo Gonzaga, by his side. (Ridolfo has fought in the Franco- Burgundian wars and knows the French well, whom he likes and fights against only with reluctance.) At the Battle of Fornovo Francesco defeats the French who are only saved when the river Taro flash-floods. King Charles VIII comes close to capture and has to abandon all his artillery and much loot. Later Pope Julius II puts Francesco in command of the Holy League army against Venice but in 1509 Francesco is captured by the Venetians who so humiliate him in captivity he refuses to fight for them again. Under Francesco and Isabella Mantua becomes a centre of cultural splendour with artists Andrea Mantegna and Jacopo Bonacolsi but in his later years Francesco contracts syphyllis from prostitutes which impairs his mental faculties and he dies in 1519. Before his illness Francesco has a passionate sexual affair with Lucrezia d’Este (née Borgia) Duchess of Ferrara. Appearance: Francesco is ‘short, snub-nosed, pop-eyed and exceptionally brave, and is the finest knight in Italy’. He wears his auburn hair in a shoulder-length mane with a well-groomed beard. General and Knight Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 11 13 10 13 14 11 - Virtues: +10 skill pts (3); renowned as general in Italy (4); very brave, +4 in Psy tests in battle (2) Flaws: dependants: wife, family and city of Mantua (3); ravaged by syphilis (4); hates Venetians (2) Skills: Animal Care 3, Brawl 3, Carouse 3, Charm 3, Dance 3, Dodge 2, Etiquette 4, Heraldry 3, History 2, Jump 4, Melee 6, Military Engineering 1, Oratory 4, Persuade 3, Read/Write 3, Ride 6, Seduction 4, Spot Hidden 3, Strategy & Tactics 4

Andrea Doria 1466-1560: born in to ancient Genoese nobility, Andrea starts his career as a soldier serving in the Papal Guard and later for various Italian princes. In 1503 he leads the Genoese revolt against the French occupation, freeing the city from external domination. Thereafter he serves Genoa as an admiral leading the Genoese fleet against the Ottoman Turks and the . By 1522 Genoa has been recaptured by the French and then taken by the German Emperor. Andrea sides with the French and Francis I makes him Captain-General of the French forces in the south. In 1524 he relieves Marseilles from Imperial siege and restores Genoa to French influence. But, 121 dissatisfied with the French, at the expiry of his contract he signs up with Emperor Charles V in 1528. But Andrea has his own agenda. He instructs his nephew, Filippino Doria, to withdraw the French blockade of Naples and, returning to Genoa, sets his home city free and restores the Republic under a new constitution. The people ask him to become Doge or a similar lordship but Andrea refuses, accepting only the title of Censor, a mainly administrative post modelled on Roman lines (nothing to do with censorship). As the leading Imperial admiral he leads numerous expeditions against the Ottomans, capturing several islands and in 1535 but in September 1538 Barbarossa defeats the combined Holy League fleet under Andrea consisting of ships from Rome, Spain, Venice, Genoa and the Knights of Malta. The Turks sink, captured or burn 49 ships and themselves lose none. Andrea’s failure is blamed on his reluctance to expose his own ships (he personally owns the majority of the Genoese fleet) to fire. The victory secures Ottoman domination of the sea for the next 33 years. In 1541 he accompanies Charles V to Algiers despite his misgivings but the expedition ends disastrously, thanks to terrible storms. Despite these setbacks, Andrea serves the next five years in Imperial service, generally successful, though by now he’s in his 70s. In 1544 he retires to Genoa but his nephew and heir, Giannettino Doria, alienates many other families and a conspiracy led by Giovanni Luigi Fieschi in 1547 seeks to murder them both. In an echo of the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478 against the Medici, Fieschi finds an ally in the Pope, Paul III. As in 1478, the conspiracy fails, in this case because Giovanni Luigi, the leader, falls off a plank and drowns while trying to seize the galleys in full armour. As with 1478, the affair adds a new word to the dictionary as ‘fiasco’ is corrupted from Fieschi, just as Pazzi became Patsy. But Giannettino Doria is dead and Andrea exacts grim revenge, having several of the ringleaders tortured and killed and he confiscates their estates for himself and his supporters. Several other conspiracies also come to nothing. Andrea is ambitious and grasping and viciously vengeful but he is also a patriot who loves Genoa. He consistently blocks Charles V’s efforts to build a citadel in the city, garrisoned with Spaniards, to ensure Genoa remains Imperial. However this does not prevent Andrea from putting to sea again in 1550 and 1552 in Imperial service against the Turks, though on both occasions he is defeated. In 1553 the French seize Corsica and Andrea spends two years fighting the French to a mutual standstill. Now old and infirm, in 1555 he finally returns to Genoa for good. He dies in 1560, leaving his estates to his great-nephew, Giovanni Andrea Doria. Appearance: Andrea has dark hair cut short and by middle-age has a pronounced widow’s peak. His beard gets longer as he ages and turns grey and finally white. He has a handsome visage and a masterful and determined demeanour but those who know him appreciate his sense of humour. Father of Genoa Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 19 12 12 15 14 20 +d2 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); noble birth (3) Flaws: vengeful and grasping (3); Duty to Genoa (3) Skills: Animal Care 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 3, Dance 1, Etiquette 3, Heraldry 3, History 2, Jump 3, Melee 4, Military Engineering 2, Oratory 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 4, Spot Hidden 4, Strategy & Tactics 4

George von Frundsberg 1473-1528: born in to minor southern German gentry, George becomes convinced at an early age that Germany needed a force of regular, trained pike-armed infantry. With Emperor Maximilian of like mind, George becomes the ‘father of the Landsknechts’. George fights against the Swiss in the Swabian Wars in 1499 and Maximilian sends him to support Milan later that same year. From 1504 he fights in many actions across Germany and in the Netherlands but in 1512 he returns to Italy to face Venice. In 1514/15 he wins renown in several actions against the Venetians and French, inflicting a major defeat at the Battle of La Motta. 122 Back in Germany he commands the infantry of the Swabian League when it drives Duke Ulrich out of Wurtemburg in 1519. He has Protestant sympathies and supports Luther at the Diet of Worms. With the resurgence of the Italian Wars 1521-22, George commands the Imperial infantry in northern France (sic). The campaign fails but George’s landsknechts cover the withdrawal of the main body and Emperor Charles V. George then commands 6,000 men on a hard march through a besnowed Alpine pass. Once in Italy he again commands the landsknechts in a combined Imperial/Spanish force at the April 27th 1522, beating the French and their Swiss allies. After a brief stay at home, George returns to Italy in 1525 where his landsknechts win his most famous victory at Pavia, taking King Francis of France captive and ending the war. However war in Italy flares up again the next year and the Emporer calls to George for help. George borrows money and even pawns his own plate to raise 12,000 men and cross the Alps in November. He joins Duke Charles III of Bourbon at Piacenza and they march on Rome. But in March 1527 the troops, unpaid for months, break discipline and sack Rome. The scandal shocks George to the core and he suffers a stroke. He’s treated in several Italian hospitals before being invalided home. He never recovers his strength and dies a broken man in 1528. Appearance: George is of average height but massive build. Although raised as a knight he spends his entire professional life as an infantry commander. He has dark curly hair and a bushy beard, typically cut square. He customarily wears full armour on campaign with the red Imperial sash. His preferred battlefield weapon is the halberd. Father of the Landsknechts Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 14 11 12 10 14 15 13 +d3 Virtues: +4 attributes (1); +10 skill pts (3); noble birth (1) Flaws: Code of Chivalry (1); loyal to the Emperor (3); impoverished noble (1) Skills: Animal Care 2, Brawl 4, Carouse 4, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 5, Heraldry 4, History 2, Jump 3, Melee 6, Military Engineering 3, Oratory 3, Persuade 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 5, Spot Hidden 4, Strategy & Tactics 5

Miquel de Corella 1476-1508: born in Spain a distant cousin to the Borgia family, Miquel is a childhood friend of Cesaré and becomes his chief lieutenant. Known as the ‘Executioner’, at his master’s behest he strangles or garrots several helpless victims, including Cesaré’s brother-in-law, Alfonso d’Aragonna Duke of Bisceglie (after luring Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso’s sister, Sancia, from the room by subterfuge), Gaspare Malatesta (the ‘Lion of Rimini’), Oliveretto di Farma and Vitellozzi Vitelli (these two simultaneously with a single wire in Senigalia), Astorre Manfredi, Lord of Faenza and Giulio Cesaré da Varano, Lord of Camarino. A cold and ruthless assassin, Corella is also a gifted soldier and remains loyal to Cesaré until he’s captured by the Florentines in 1503 and sent to Rome for trial. Incredibly, despite his crimes, he’s released in 1505 and becomes ‘bargello’ in Florence, effectively the chief of police (on the advice of Machiavelli), until 1507. Corella is assassinated in Milan in January 1508. Appearance: Unusually for a Spaniard Corella is fair-haired, which he wears cut short. He is cleanshaven with a pleasant face, marred only by a scar on the left cheek from an old sword cut, and an honest, friendly manner. In reality he’s capable of utmost duplicity and readily lies to gain

123 whatever objective his current orders direct. Although he owns full plate armour he usually prefers to wear cuirass and placart in the manner of the lighter Spanish man-at-arms. General and Assassin Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Catalan 14 12 15 17 13 14 14 +d3 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); +15 skill pts (4); renowned as general in Italy (4) Flaws: hunted by his victim’s families (3); sadistic killer (4); Cesaré Borgia’s notorious assassin (4) Skills: Animal Care 2, Brawl 4, Carouse 3, Charm 4, Dance 3, Dodge 3, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 5, Garrotte 4, Heraldry 2, Jump 3, Melee 5, Other Language: Italian 2, Read/Write 2, Ride 6, Spot Hidden 2, Strategy & Tactics 4

Francesco Maria della Rovere 1490-1523: born in Senigalia, son of its lord, Giovanni della Rovere and Giovanna, daughter of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. Francesco’s uncle is Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere. His family find themselves in an uncomfortable situation when Cardinal Rovere’s great rival, Rodrigo Borgia, is elected as Pope Alexander VI in 1492. Cardinal Rovere sides with the French king, Charles VIII. When Charles invades Italy in 1494 in pursuit of his claim to the Kingdom of Naples, Alexander VI is forced to reassess his relations with Cardinal Rovere. But after Fornovo in 1495 the French are forced to retire and the della Roveres are once again out in the cold. But in 1501 Giovanni dies and in 1502 Alexander VI and his son, Cesaré Borgia, move on the all too independent lordships of the Romagna. Cesaré takes Senigalia with French troops and Francesco, with his mother, only escapes by the intervention of the condottier, Andrea Doria. His maternal uncle, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, also has to flee Cesaré’s troops but with the death of Alexander VI in 1503 he returns to Urbino and summons Francesco to him. Ill with Pellagra, Guidobaldo is childless and adopts Francesco as his heir. With the support of his uncle, now elected Pope as Julius II, Francesco is able to reclaim Senigalia. When Guidobaldo da Montefeltro dies in 1508, Francesco becomes Duke of Urbino and marries Eleonora Gonzaga, daughter of the Marquis of Mantua. He fights for Julius II under Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, in the League of Cambrai against Venice. But with the Venetian collapse Julius II realigns and forms the Holy League with Venice against the French. The Duke of Ferrara stays loyal to the French so Julius II appoints Francesco as Captain- General. Francesco leads a combined force and takes Modena but the French buy off Julius II’s Swiss mercenaries and outmanoeuvre Francesco, whose generalship is indifferent. Outraged at nephew’s failings, Julius accuses Francesco of treason and Francesco’s response is to publicly murder Cardinal Alidosi – people begin to accuse Francesco of behaving like a Borgia! But he’s still the Pope’s nephew and in 1513 is awarded the lordship of Pesaro to add to Urbino and Senigalia. However Julius II dies later that year and the new Medici Pope, Leo X, gives Pesaro to his nephew, Lorenzo di Piero de Medici. In 1516 Leo X excommunicates Francesco and he’s ousted from Urbino. In the War of Urbino the following year he successfully forces an entry to rapturous applause by the citizens and successfully defeats Papal troops when Lorenzo di Medici retires wounded from an arquebus ball but he runs out of money to pay his Veronese troops and has to negotiate a settlement whereby he’s allowed to withdraw to Mantua with his artillery intact and without any Papal censure. He takes with him the ducal library. Francesco only returns to Urbino after Leo X dies in 1521 when the Dutch Pope, Adrian VI, again appoints him as Captain-General in 1522 in the resurgence of the Italian Wars. But with a new Medici Pope, Clement VII, the della Rovere’s again find themselves marginalised.

124 In 1527, although Captain-General, Francesco fails to interfere with Emperor Charles V’s advance and is indirectly responsible for the sack of Rome by the Imperial landsknechts. Francesco attempts to reclaim Pavia in the late but with the collapse of the League of Cognac he takes service with Venice. He gets involved in Venetian politics and eventually is poisoned in Pesaro. Appearance: Francesco is of medium height and build with dark hair. By nature he is cold and reserved with no sense of humour but he is very well read. In his youth he is cleanshaven and wears his hair long but as a condottier his hair and beard are close-cropped. By his wife he has five children. Condottier and Duke Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 10 12 12 15 12 10 - Virtues: renowned as general in Italy (4); +6 skill points (2) Flaws: dependants: wife and children (2); notorious murderer (4) Skills: Animal Care 3, Brawl 1, Dance 3, Dodge 1, Etiquette 4, Heraldry 3, History 3, Jump 3, Melee 4, Other Language: Latin 2, Oratory 2, Persuade 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 6, Strategy & Tactics 3

Giovanni de Medici (Giovanni delle Bande Nere) 1498-1538: born in Forli to Caterina Sforza and her husband, Giovanni di Medici. Due to his mother’s incarceration by the Borgias, Giovanni is raised in Florence at the court of his Medici cousins. Giovanni demonstrates phenomenal physical prowess, especially in the martial arts, but his unruly behaviour leads to him being banished twice (for murder and rape) in his teens (but his mother, Caterina Sforza, dies when he’s thirteen, which might be some sort of excuse). As a poor relation of an illustrious family, Giovanni makes a career as a condottier in the employ of the Medici Pope, Leo X. His first campaign in the War of Urbino in 1516 gives him a taste of victory. He forms his own company specialising in light cavalry actions involving skirmishing and ambush to great effect. The reputation he gains earns him respect in Florence and he makes a respectable marriage to Maria Salviati who bears him a son, Cosimo di Medici, in 1520. (Cosimo goes on to become Grand Duke of Tuscany and founds a new Medici line in Florence.) In 1521 Leo X allies with Emperor Charles V against the French to regain Milan, Parma and Piacenza; Giovanni, under the command of Prospero Colonna, defeats the French at Vaprio d’. Leo X dies in December and as a mark of mourning Giovanni paints black stripes on his shield and earns the epithet ‘Bande Nere’. In 1523 he’s again hired by Charles V, defeating the French and Swiss early in the New Year at Caprino Bergomasco. Later that year sees the election of a new Medici Pope, Clement VII, who generously pays all Giovanni’s debts as a bribe to induce him to switch to the French side but he’s soon wounded in a skirmish and is recovering in Venice when the French are crushed at Pavia in 1525. However Giovanni returns to the battlefield in 1526 for the War of the League of Cognac. The Imperial army, led by Georg von Frundberg, appears overwhelming and the League’s Captain- General, Francesco della Rovere, abandons Milan but Giovanni defeats the landsknecht rearguard. The evening of November 26th he’s hit by artillery just above the knee which shatters his leg. There’s some trouble finding a physician but eventually Giovanni is carried to the Palazzo of Luigi Gonzaga in Mantua where a surgeon called Abramo amputates his leg. Alas the wound turns septic and Giovanni dies five days later. Appearance: Physically Giovanni is tremendously powerful. His hair is dark and close-cropped and he’s habitually clean-shaven save for a moustache. He has a very serious demeanour. 125 The Last Condottier Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 17 15 14 12 13 14 19 +d6 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); renowned as general in Italy (4); +60 skill points (2) Flaws: dependants: wife and child (3); notorious murderer (4); violent temper (2) Skills: Animal Care 3, Brawl 4, Carouse 1, Charm 2, Dance 2, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 1, Gambling 1, Heraldry 2, History 2, Jump 3, Melee 4, Military Engineering 1, Oratory 2, Persuade 2, Read/Write 3, Ride 6, Seduction 1, Spot Hidden 2, Strategy & Tactics 4

126 Artists: Andrea Mantegna 1431-1506: born in Isola into an artisan family (his father is a carpenter), aged 11 Mantegna is apprenticed to Squarcione, a highly influential painter in Padua and also an amateur actor and antiquarian. Mantegna becomes his favourite pupil; Squarcione teaches him and takes him all over Italy uncovering classical Roman sculpture. But aged 17 Mantegna leaves Squarcione, claiming the old man had profited from his work without paying him. Mantegna works on several commissions in Padua, usually with some fellow tyro painters but Squarcione criticises his efforts, claiming his figures look like statues and might as well be stone-coloured. Mantegna’s unique grasp of perspective leads him to paint from unusual viewpoints, St. James Led to His Execution from the viewpoint of a worm, for example. Mantegna now comes under the influence of Jacopo Bellini (father of Giovanni and Gentile) and in 1453 marries his daughter, Nicosia, a gifted painter in her own right. Possibly stung by Squarcione’s criticism, with the advice of Bellini Mantegna starts painting more naturalistic figures but Mantegna’s style always depicts his subjects with rigid discipline rather than flowing grace. Possibly because of Squarcione’s continued criticism, despite his success Mantegna leaves Padua to work in Rome and Verona, where he introduces Renaissance art for the first time with the altar piece for the church of San Zeno Maggiore. Then in 1460 Marquis Ludovico Gonzaga invites Mantegna to bring the Renaissance to Mantua as his court artist for the enormous sum of 75 lire a month. His masterpiece, completed 1474, is the series of frescoes for the Camera degli Sposi (Wedding Chamber) depicting family portraits of the Gonzagas worked in with other figures from myth and legend. But Mantegna suffers a series of setbacks, starting with the death of his son, Bernadino, and in 1478 those of his patrons, the Marquis and the Marquise Barbara. The next Marquis, Federico, takes the unheard step of creating Mantegna a knight but he is uninterested in the visual arts and few commissions come Mantegna’s way. But Federico dies in 1484 and his successor, Francesco Gonzaga, makes regular commissions. Mantegna’s St Sebastien dates from this period. In 1483 Mantegna meets Lorenzo di Medici, visiting from Florence, and gifts him with some Roman busts he has collected. Then in 1488 his fame calls him to Rome to paint frescoes in Pope Innocent VIII’s Belvedere chapel. His experience of Rome is disappointing and he returns to Mantua in 1490 where he meets the new Marquise, Isabella d’Este, who is cultured and highly intelligent. She becomes a powerhouse of patronage. In 1492 he completes a series of nine pictures of the Triumphs of Caesar. With superb composition and inventive depiction of classical learning, many regard them as his best work. His workshop makes engravings of them and spreads their fame across Europe. Despite declining health Mantegna remains productive until his death in 1506. To this period belong his Lamentation over the Dead Christ and Madonna della Vittoria. The latter is painted in 1495, commissioned in the aftermath of the Battle of Fornovo which Marquis Francesco is eager to depict as a victory, since he was the commander in chief. From 1497 Marquise Isabella commissions visual renderings of a series of poems by the court poet, Paride Ceresara, on mythological themes. The last of these is left unfinished on his death in 1506. Appearance: Mantegna is of above average height and strong build, dark-eyed and clean shaven with wavy dark hair, cut short in youth but grown longer in midde age. His depiction of emotion and suffering is acute and his Ecce Homo may be the best of the genre. Painter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 15 14 16 14 13 17 +d3 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); renowned for his artistic genius across Italy (4) Flaws: (3); (4) Skills: Appraise 4, Art 6, Bargain 2, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 1, Gossip 3, History 4, Melee 2, Other Language: Latin 4, Read/Write 4, Ride 4, Spot Hidden 2 127 Sandro Botticelli 1445-1510: born in Florence and initially trains as a goldsmith under his brother but is then apprenticed to the painter Filippo Lippi. His work emphasises light and shadow and his subjects are fascinating for their complexity and ambiguity. At some point in his early career he visits Hungary but by 1470 he has his own studio in Florence. In 1475/6 he paints The Adoration of the Magi to include portraits of Cosimo, Giuliano and Giovanni di Medici and Medici patronage remains a constant until 1494. In 1481 Pope Sixtus IV summons Botticelli, among others, to fresco the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Botticelli contributes Temptation of Christ, Punishment of the Rebels and Trial of Moses. He then returns to Florence and abstains from regular work to illustrate and print a copy of Dante’s Inferno but the 1480s see him complete Primavera, Venus & Mars and The Birth of Venus, which are considered his finest works, installed in Medici villas. With the fall of the Medicis in 1494 Botticelli, like most Florentines, falls under the influence of Savonarola and is induced to abandon painting, thereby falling in to poverty. With Savonarola’s fall in 1498 he returns to work but his output is small and reduced in scale. With his death his reputation is lost for centuries, mainly because his work decorates private Medici villas and his one great public work in the Sistine Chapel is eclipsed by Michaelangelo. Botticelli never marries and proclaims that the thought of marriage gives him nightmares but Simonetta Vespucci, mistress to Giovanni di Medici (the two are the models for his Venus & Mars), appears constantly throughout his work despite her death in 1476 and Botticelli is buried at her feet. Appearance: Botticelli is of medium height and muscular build, clean shaven with curly light sandy hair, cut short. In his youth he has an almost angelic beauty. Painter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 13 11 17 13 9 14 +d2 Virtues: +4 attributes (1); renowned for his artistic genius in Florence (3) Flaws: unrequited love for Simonetta Vespucci (3); unlucky in work (1) Skills: Appraise 1, Art 6, Bargain 2, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Charm 3, Goldsmith 2, History 2, Listen 3, Melee 2, Other Language: Latin 4, Persuade 2, Read/Write 5, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 4

Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519: born the bastard son of a Florentien notary, Leonardo is the archetypal ‘renaissance man’. Da Vinci is educated in the studio of Verrecchio, a renowned painter in Florence. Verrecchio’s students customarily work with him on commissions but Leonardo’s work on The Baptism of Christ is so superior that Verrecchio puts down his brush and never paints again (though he continues to sculpt for many years). In 1478 Leonardo leaves Verrecchio and enters the Neo-Platonic Academy founded by Lorenzo de Medici, where he is exposed to humanist philosophy and the latest in artistic techniques. Although he never attends university he receives an informal education to the equivalent level. If Leonardo has a fault, it is his perfectionism, which causes him to fail to complete commissions. His Adoration of the Magi for the monastery of San Donato is left unfinished when he is sent to Milan to work for Ludovico ‘il Moro’ Sforza as a peace offering by Lorenzo de Medici. Leonardo stays in Milan from 1482 to 1499, with a detour to Hungary in 1485 to paint a Holy Family for Matthias Corvinus. His work for Sforza include floats for pageants, a dome for Milan’s cathedral and plans for a huge equestrian monument of Francesco Sforza (Ludovico’s father and founder of the dynasty). Leonardo completes the clay model for the statue but before he can begin casting the French invade in 1494 and Sforza uses the bronze to cast cannon. In 1495 Leonardo paints The Last Supper for the convent of Santa Maria della Grazie, one of his most famous works. After the French withdraw in 1495 a cloud seems to fall over Milan; Ludovico’s nephew dies in suspicious circumstances and his wife dies in 1497, and when the French invade again in 1499 128 Ludovico falls and Leonardo, with his patron imprisoned in France, moves to Venice where he is employed as a military engineer, building defences against naval attack. 1500 sees Leonardo move back to Florence where his cartoon for The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist in the monastery of Santissima Annunziata draws crowds of admirers of all ages. Even great artists have to eat and in 1502, despite pacifist principles, Leonardo is working for Cesaré Borgia, again as a military engineer. Cesaré hires him on the basis of a single map Leonardo draws of Imola and Cesaré finds his work exemplary, sending Leonardo all over central Italy. But Cesaré’s fall sees Leonardo back in Florence in October 1503 where he spends two years painting a mural of the Battle of Anghiari for the Signoria. But his work, while excellent, is so slow that the city commissions Michaelangelo to paint a companion piece, the Battle of Cascina, in the same chamber. The two artists become bitter rivals. Michaelangelo publicly accuses Leonardo of being unable to finish anything (and he never does complete the Battle of Anghiari). In retaliation Leonardo intrigues to move Michaelangelo’s sculpture of David to a less prominent position from outside the doors of the Signoria, for which it was commissioned. It is in this same period, 1503-6 that Leonardo paints the Mona Lisa, arguably the most famous painting of all time. Leonardo flees the atmosphere in Florence for Milan again in 1506, where it is rumoured that in he experiments with flight north of the city, but within a year is back his home town, having bought his own house in the parish of St Babila on the Porta Orientale. In 1513 he is summoned to Rome where Michaelangelo and Raphael are very active but Leonardo produces little. However, in 1515 Pope Leo X introduces him to Francis I of France. Leonardo fashions a mechanical lion for Francis that walks forward and then opens its chest to reveal a cluster of French lilies. Leonardo moves to the court of Francis I of France for the last three years of his life. The King becomes a close friend, regarding da Vinci as the greatest philosopher the World has ever known. He holds da Vinci’s head in his lap when the original ‘Renaissance man’ dies. Renowned as a painter, Leonardo is as often employed as a military engineer. His most famous works include The Last Supper, Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man but his notebooks show an inventive genius that conceives of the tank, helicopter, solar power, diving bell and many other inventions covering anatomy, optics and hydrodynamics, most of which do not to see the light of day but his inventions of the bobbin winder and a machine for testing wire enter the local economy in Florence and the first wheelock pistols are made to his design. Appearance: Da Vinci is of medium build and as a young man is of surpassing beauty. A dandy, he likes to dress fashionably throughout his life. Unlike Michaelangelo, Leonardo is at ease with his homosexuality (evidenced in the charge of sodomy in 1476, dismissed for lack of evidence after the personal intervention of Lorenzo de Medici). Leonardo can appreciate beauty in both sexes but has intimate relationships with two students, Melzi and Salai. Salai enters his household in 1490 and Leonardo himself calls him a liar and a thief but on his death wills the Mona Lisa to Salai (who paints a nude version called the Mona Vanna). Most of the rest of Leonardo’s estate is willed to Count Francesco Melzi who is said to be Leonardo’s favourite student. 129 Painter and Engineer Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 13 12 20 16 12 13 +1 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); university education (4); renowned as a genius across the World (6) Flaws: perfectionist (3); dark secret - homosexual (4); (Da Vinci should have another 6pt flaw but he’s such an awesome individual we’ll let him have this one for free) Spells: Da Vinci was obsessed with flight his entire life and may have actually flown using the ancient Greek spell Wings of Daedalus. Skills: Anatomy 3, Animal Care 1, Appraise 3, Art 7, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Carpentry 1, Charm 2, Cryptography 4, History 2, Language: French 2, Language: Latin 5, Melee 5, Military Engineering 4, Persuade 2, Philosophy 2, Play Lyre 3, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Sing 4, Spot Hidden 4, Strategy & Tactics 2, Trivium 4

Pinturicchio 1454–1513: born in Perugia, Bernardino di Betto trains in the Umbrian school of painting before taking up a paid position with Perugino. Nicknamed Pinturicchio (‘the dauber’), after assisting Perugino with frescoes in the Sistine Chapel (the Baptism of Jesus and Moses Journeying in to Egypt are his), Pinturicchio completes several commissions for the della Rovere family, particularly the Palazzo della Rovere in Rome, and for the Cybo family from 1484 to 1492. In 1492 he works in Orvieto on frescoes in the cathedral but quickly returns to Rome to work on the Borgia apartments in the Vatican for Pope Alexander VI, completing them in 1494 and moving on to other works in Rome. In 1502 Cardinal Francisco Piccolomini commissions him to depict the life of his uncle, Pope Pius II, in ten large compositions on the walls of the Piccolomini library at Siena. These frescoes are tableaux vivants in which people of all conditions are represented. Above the altar at the entrance to the Library Pinturicchio depicts the coronation of Pius III. In 1504 he designs the mosaic for the floor of Siena Cathedral. In all his work, Pinturicchio is particularly adept at painting the female form – his women typically show a grace and power unusual in his contemporaries’ work – but he never gains the recognition and remuneration that others gain for similar work. He dies, not wealthy but far from poor, in 1513, after falling in to a fit over a chest left in his room by some monks. Appearance: clean shaven, he is short but heavily built with shoulder length dark curly hair. He works very quickly and his manner is quiet and self-effacing and his lifestyle is austere and ascetic. The lack of mythological themes in his work betrays his lack of education compared to Michaelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci. Almost all his work is religious. Painter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 12 18 18 13 12 12 - Virtues: +8 attributes (2); renowned for his artistic genius in Rome (3) Flaws: unable to gain true recognition or reward for his work (2); unworldly -10 skill pts (3) Skills: Appraise 4, Art 6, Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 1, Carpentry 1, Charm 40, Climb 3, Etiquette 2, History 1, Listen 2, Melee 1, Persuade 2, Read/Write 3, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 4

130 Albrecht Dürer 1471-1528: the greatest artist of the northern Renaissance, son of a Nuremburg goldsmith. After mastering goldsmithing Dürer tours Vienna, Frankfurt, the Netherlands, Colmar, Strasbourg and Basel before returning to Nuremburg to marry Agnes Frey, the daughter of a local brass worker. Within months he travels to Venice via Padua and Mantua to learn perspective, anatomy and proportion from Italian artists, returning to Nuremburg in 1495. Dürer maintains close links with Venetian artists and returns there in 1505/7. From Nuremburg his reputation for woodcuts spreads all over Europe by 1520 and from 1512 he gains the patronage of the Emperor Maximilian. Dürer’s last great tour in 1520/21 is to secure his pension from Charles V after Maximilian’s death but by now he complains of age impairing his eyesight and dexterity and he catches malaria on his tour, all of which restricts his output in the last years of his life. His engravings have enormous influence, both in Germany and Italy: the Apocalypse, a cycle of sixteen designs, another cycle depicting the Revelation of St John, St Michael Fighting the Dragon, Melancolia I, Life of the Virgin, Great Passion and Knight, Death & the Devil. The Empire is also strongly influenced by his paintings: Adam & Eve, Castle Saragonzo and various portraits. Appearance: The portrait shows Albrecht as he looks while living in Italy, aged 21. He is tall and well proportioned, handsome and likes to dress well. Painter and engraver Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 13 11 12 18 14 12 12 +d2 Virtues: +8 attributes (2); renowned for his artistic genius all over the World (6) Flaws: self-effacing (2); (Dürer should have another 6pt flaw but he’s such an awesome individual we’ll let him have this one for free) Skills: Anatomy 3, Appraise 1, Art 6, Bargain 3, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 2, Goldsmith 2, History 2, Language: Italian 2, Listen 2, Melee 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 4

Michaelangelo 1475-1564: born to a provincial administrator, after his mother’s death in his sixth year Michaelangelo is raised by a stonemason from whom he learns the art of sculpture. His father sends him to school to study grammar and humanism but the boy prefers to copy church paintings and the company of artists so from thirteen he’s apprenticed to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio who within a year is employing Michaelangelo professionally, an unheard of occurrence. Michaelangelo studies sculpture at the new humanist academy founded by Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’ de Medici 1490/2. At the academy Michaelangelo is influenced by the most prominent humanist thinkers of the day, including Poliziano and Mirandola. During this period he sculpts Madonna of the Steps and Battle of the Centaurs, the latter commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent on a theme suggested by Poliziano. A brawl with a fellow student results in Michaelangelo’s trademark broken nose and his abrasive personality provokes fights throughout his life. With Lorenzo’s death in 1492 he leaves the academy and studies anatomy by dissecting corpses, in return for which he carves a wooden for a local hospital. Thereafter his work focuses almost entirely on the depiction of the human body. Michaelangelo receives fresh commissions 131 from Piero di Medici but with the fall of the Medicis in 1494 and the rise of Savonarola (who is antagonistic toward all vanities such as art and sculpture) he flees Florence for Venice and Bologna, where he carves the last of the figures in the Shrine of St Dominic. To make ends meet, Michaelangelo perpetrates a fraud, discovered by the buyer, Cardinal Raffaele Riario, but the Cardinal is so impressed he invites Michaelangelo to Rome in 1496 where he carves Bacchus and Pietà. After Savonarola’s death, Michaelangelo returns to Florence in 1499 where he completes David, probably his most famous work of scuplture, in 1504 for the Palazzo della Signoria. He also paints the Doni Tondo. In 1505 Pope Julius II invites Michaelangelo back to Rome to build the Pope’s tomb, a task which takes 40 years as he’s repeatedly interrupted by other commissions. Michaelangelo paints the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel 1508/12, creating one of the iconing works of the Renaissance (or any other period, frankly) despite using an unfamiliar medium in very difficult physical circumstances. In 1513 Pope Leo X (a Medici) commissions Michaelangelo to create a façade for the Basilica of San Lorenzo but the money isn’t forthcoming and Michaelangelo finds the three years involved in the project very frustrating. Despite this, the Medicis also commission him to carve their funerary chapel in the same church, which Michaelangelo completes during the 1530s. With the second fall of the Medicis in 1527, Florence is besieged by the French and Michaelangelo works on the city’s defences 1528/9 but the city falls and the Medicis return to power in 1530. Michaelangelo suffers a clash of personalities with the depraved and incompetent Alessandro di Medici and leaves Florence forever for further Papal commissions in Rome: The Last Judgement, an apocalyptic depiction of the second coming of Christ causes a scandal by the open depiction of genitalia but Pope Paul III quells all dissent. This incident and others earn Michaelangelo the epithet ‘Inventor of Obscenities’ and the Counter-Reformation’s ‘fig-leaf campaign’ starts with his works from 1545. Despite the Counter Reformation, Michaelangelo is appointed architect for St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and designs the dome. He works on this for the rest of his life; he dies in 1564 but the dome and the church are completed to his design. Appearance: Michaelangelo is slim and wiry with close-cropped curly dark hair and beard. He is extremely abstemious and neglects to change his clothes or wash. He never marries and his squalid demeanour makes for few friends; he is by nature a solitary and melancholy man and eschews company. He is almost certainly a homosexual but unlike Leonardo da Vinci is tormented by his repressed feelings. He frequently depicts himself in his works in positions of torment and death: the head of Holofernes on a plate in the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the flayed skin of St Bartholomew in The Last Judgement. Sculptor and Painter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 18 13 20 16 14 18 - Virtues: +20 attributes (4); renowned for his artistic genius across the World (6) Flaws: misanthrope (4); (Michaelangelo should have another 6pt flaw but he’s such an awesome individual we’ll let him have this one for free) Skills: Anatomy 2, Appraise 5, Architecture 5, Art 6, Bargain 1, Brawl 3, Fast Talk 3, History 2, Language: Latin 4, Melee 5, Persuade 2, Philosophy 1, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 4

132 Raphael 1483-1520: born in Urbino where his father is court painter to the Duke; growing up in the court gives Raphael excellent manners and social skills and he moves easily in the highest of circles, friend to dukes and cardinals. Despite the court’s credentials, Raphael does not receive a formal humanist education and his grasp of Latin is poorer than most of his contemporaries. Orphaned at 11, he is apprenticed to Pietro Perugino, a master painter. A brilliant self-portrait shows his talent even as a teenager and he becomes a master in 1501 at the absurdly young age of 18. Raphael paints scenes for various churches and visits Florence. In 1502 Pinturicchio invites Raphael to Siena to help with the frescoes for the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. For several years he moves around northern Italy before settling in Florence in 1504 where he absorbs the influence of this Renaissance powerhouse. His figures become more complex and dynamic – he develops an obsession with drawing men fighting in the nude. Raphael is influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, thirty years his senior but Raphael’s work goes in a totally different direction to Michaelangelo, who develops a dislike for the younger artist that intensifies later in Rome (but Michaelangelo dislikes almost everyone, of course). Works from Raphael’s Florentine period include St Catherine of Alexandria and Deposition of Christ. In 1508 he settles in Rome for good at the invitation of Pope Julius II to paint a fresco in Julius’ private library of the Vatican (while Michaelangelo is painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel). Raphael goes on to paint a series of rooms in the Vatican which make a stunning impact on Italian art. At this point he becomes influenced by Michaelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel (gaining a private viewing thanks to his Court connections) and Michaelangelo even accuses him of plagiarism though Raphael’s easy interaction with the highest of society guarantees his work continues without halt under the next Pope, Leo X. During this period he also paints portraits of Julius II and Leo X as well as his own circle of friends, high and low, Galatea for Agostino Chigi, the Papal Treasurer (the richest man in Rome) and many other works, the most important of which are probably a series of ten cartoons for tapestries to be hung in the Sistine Chapel depicting the lives of St Peter and St Paul and another room in the Vatican, the Loggia. Raphael serves briefly as architect of St Peter’s Basilica but most of his work is undone by his successor, Michaelangelo. His last painting, Transformation, is left incomplete at his death and finished by a pupil, Giulio Romano. Raphael’s Roman residence is the very grand Palazzo Caprini. In 1514 he’s betrothed to Maria, niece to Cardinal Medici Bibbiena but their marriage is postponed (possibly because Raphael is considering becoming a cardinal himself) and prevented by their early deaths. Raphael has numerous mistresses but La Fornarina, a baker’s daughter named Margherita Luti, becomes his constant companion in Rome. He falls ill after a night of excess with her. Too embarrassed to admit this to his doctor, he’s given the wrong treatment and dies fifteen days later, aged just 37. (Or at least that’s the official story, but Michaelangelo hates Raphael more than anyone realises and perhaps he’s found a way to kill Raphael by poison or witchcraft?) Raphael is given a grand funeral and is buried in the Pantheon. Appearance: Raphael has an almost feminine beauty with dark hair falling in shoulder-length curls. He is always cleanshaven and dresses in fine clothes - well cut but not at all ostentatious. He has an easy manner and exquisite manners. Painter and Architect Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 7 16 20 13 12 8 +1 Virtues: +8 attributes (2); renowned for artistic genius across Italy (4); friends in high places (4)

133 Flaws: physical coward (2); hated by Michaelangelo (4); (Raphael should have another 4pt flaw but he’s such an awesome individual we’ll let him have this one for free) Skills: Appraise 4, Architecture 3, Art 6, Carouse 1, Charm 3, Dance 2, Etiquette 4, History 1, Language: Latin 1, Listen 2, Persuade 2, Read/Write 3, Ride 2, Seduction 2, Spot Hidden 4

Titian 1488–1576: born to a well-to-do family, the son of the steward of the castle of Pieve di Cadore, Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) is apprenticed with his older brother, Francesco, at the age of 12 to the Venetian painter, Sebastian Zuccato, from whom he transfers to Bellini, the leading Venetian artist at the time. As a journeyman Titian works with Giorgioni and his early work copies the older man’s style but Titian quickly becomes acknowledged as the superior. After Giorgioni’s early death in 1510 Titian completes several of Giorgioni’s commissions and follows his style for some years though developing a bold brushwork all his own. In 1511 Titian paints a fresco for the Carmelite church and Scuola del Santo in Padua before returning to Venice in 1512. With Bellini’s death in 1516 Titian gains a patent as Senseria, effectively making him the official painter for the Venetian government – Titian paints portraits of five successive doges and the patent earns him a steady income of 20 ducats a year. From 1516-30 Titian moves toward a more monumental style and becomes recognised as the unrivalled painter in Venice for the next 60 years. In 1520 he creates the for Venice’s Frari Basilica and in 1530 the extraordinary Death of St Peter Martyr for the Dominican church of San Zanipolu which combines extreme violence compacted in to a scene dominated by a tree that serves as the focus for the composition. Titian’s works cover a diversity of portraiture, landscapes, religious works and themes from Greek myth. Cecilia, a barber’s daughter from his home town of Cadore, becomes his housekeeper and mistress. She bears two sons but falls ill in 1525. Titian marries her, believing her to be dying, but she recovers and goes on to bear him two daughters, though both mother and daughter die in the final birthing of 1530. Titian moves with his surviving daughter and both sons (one of whom, Orazio, becomes his assistant) to a mansion, and his sister comes to keep house for the family. From 1530-50 he develops the new style introduced in Death of St Peter Martyr. Tintoretto is briefly apprenticed to Titian but is sent home, perhaps out of professional jealousy, or perhaps because Tintoretto doesn’t show due deference to his master. Titian briefly loses his government work due to supposed negligence in 1538 but his replacement, Pordenone, dies the same year and Titian is reinstated after he diligently paints the Battle of Cadore in the Doge’s Palace in which he miraculously captures the moment the Venetian general Bartolomeo D’Alviano defeats Emperor Maximilian by a crucially timed cavalry charge. At this time he also starts experimenting with reclining Venuses. By now Titian is known all over Italy and is commissioned to make portraits of Pope Paul III and a series of Emperor Charles V (which earns him the title of Count Palatine in 1532 along with an Imperial pension of 200 escudos in 1540). But Titian also has others sources of income, becoming the agent for supplying grain to Cadore in 1542. By now Titian has the Venetian mansion with spectacular views of the sea and a house in Cadore, where he remains influential and loved for his generosity to his home town.

134 After 1550 Titian works mainly as a portrait artist and on a series of mythologically inspired works for Philip II of Spain featuring Venus, Adonis, Danaë and Actaeon. His reputation for subtlety of expression in faces becomes unparalleled. In 1554 Titian marries his beloved daughter, Lavinia, to Cornelio Sarcinelli, lord of Serevalle but, like her mother, she dies in childbirth in 1560. Titian continues to take commissions right up to his death but by now he’s become an extreme perfectionist, retaining works in his studio for ten years or more, continually retouching and enhancing. He dies of the plague in 1578 and is the only victim that year to get a formal burial in church. The plague also kills Orazio and his mansion is plundered during the disorder caused by the plague. Several works remain unfinished at his death: The Death of Actaeon, The Flaying of Marsyas (criticised as repellent) and his Pieta, which was intended to decorate his own tomb. Titian is buried in the Frari but no memorial marks his grave, partly because no one feels up to the job. Appearance: Titian is of medium height and build with shoulder length dark hair and full beard. Always wealthy, he likes to dress well but never flashily. Venetian Painter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 18 12 20 15 15 19 +1 Virtues: +20 attributes (4); renowned for his artistic genius across the World (6) Flaws: dependant family (4); (Titian should have another 6pt flaw but he’s such an awesome individual we’ll let him have this one for free) Skills: Appraise 4, Art 6, Bargain 4, Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 1, Fast Talk 2, Gossip 1, History 2, Language: Latin 4, Listen 1, Persuade 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 4

Benvenuto Cellini 1500-1571: born to a Florentine maker of musical instruments, Cellini is banished as a teenager for brawling but learns the art of goldsmithing in Siena before returning to Florence. Aged 19 he moves to Rome where he quickly earns a reputation as a superlative goldsmith. When Charles Bourbon besieges Rome in 1527, Cellini takes command of the Castel St Angelo. Cellini fires the shots that kill Charles and wound his brother, Philibert. With their leaders gone the landsknechts lose all restraint and sack Rome but the news of Cellini’s deeds allows him to return to Florence. Cellini spends the next few years working in Florence, Mantua and Rome. In Rome in 1529 Cellini’s brother, Cecchino, is killed in a scuffle with the watch. Cellini avenges his brother but flees to Naples to escape justice (Cecchino was killed in self-defence). He secures a pardon thanks to intervention by several cardinals. Cellini murders others, including a fellow goldsmith, Pompeo Milano, who rejects his advances (all his life Cellini glories in his bisexuality) and Mrs Milano (which seems utterly unwarranted). Vatican intrigues force Cellini to return to Florence from where he visits Venice, gaining further honour. In 1534 he’s arrested for embezzling the Papal tiara while defending the Castel St Angelo. He escapes, is recaptured and treated very harshly indeed. Only intervention by Cardinal d’Este of Ferrara saves him. Cellini works in Fontainbleu and Paris for five years but again court intrigues force his return to Florence. He wins renown in the defence of Florence in its war with Siena. Having had a succession of mistresses (usually his models) he finally marries Piera Parigi (a servant) in 1562 and she bears him five children of whom only one son and a daughter survive. Cellini dies in 1571 and is given a state burial in Florence. As well as his work in gold and silver (especially his salliera made for Francis I of France depicting Ceres and Neptune) Cellini also creates sculpture on a grand scale, most notably Perseus with the Head of the Medusa in the Loggia in Florence. In his extremely racy autobiography (full of sex and violence) he recounts visiting the Colliseum in Rome to summon the spirits of the dead with a necromancer by the name of Strozzi. Appearance: Cellini is tall, handsome and muscular, very athletic and physical and with a quick temper, he always has a sword close to 135 hand. Goldsmith and sculptor Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 14 14 20 12 12 16 +d3 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); renowned for his artistic genius in Italy (4); necromancer (4) Flaws: quick tempered (3); vengeful nature (4); dark secret – necromancer (4) Skills: Appraise 4, Arquebus 3, Art 6, Bargain 2, Brawl 4, Carouse 2, Fast Talk 2, Goldsmith 5, History 2, Magic Sense 1, Melee 2, Occult Lore 2, Play Flute 3, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Seduction 2, Spot Hidden 4 Spells: Blood Sacrifice, Call Obscuring Mists, Open the Way, Pentegram of Protection, Rite of Katabasis, Rite of Nekyia

Women of the Renaissance: (see also Lucrezia Borgia and Catarina Medici-Sforza) Lucrezia Tornabuoni 1425-1482: born in to a leading Florentine family descended from ancient nobility who turned their hands to merchants and banking, Lucrezia’s generation is the first to educate their daughters in the new humanist learning and Lucrezia receives an education from private tutors as good as her brothers who take leading positions in the Medici banking corporation. Cosimo de Medici chooses Lucrezia carefully for her looks, manners, family position, intelligence and education to marry his son, Piero (later to be known as ‘the Gouty’). Florentine society dictates that women generally do not show themselves in public but nonetheless take an active part in affairs within their home. Hence Lucrezia is well aware of the operation of the Medici bank and on the death of her husband she is is one of the main advisors to her son, Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’. With her husband’s gout keeping him in bed, it is Lucrezia who travels to Rome, staying with her brother, Giovanni, who runs the Medici bank in Rome, to vet Clarice Orsini as a bride for Lorenzo. Lucrezia reads widely and corresponds with men (and women) of learning far and wide. She writes sonnets and short stories, for which she receives widespread praise. She is also a shrewd politician and is instrumental in ensuring the smooth transition of power to Lorenzo on Piero’s death and is her son’s leading advisor until her own. Appearance: Lucrezia has a somewhat plain appearance but her small features are animated by her fine intellect and little escapes her shrewd grey eyes, despite her shortsightedness. Renaissance Woman Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 11 11 15 15 14 11 -d2 Virtues: University Education (4); noble (2); +4 attributes (1) Flaws: Duty to family (4); shortsighted (-4 on distance vision skills) (2); no sense of smell (1) Skills: Appraise 4, Bargain 5, Dance 1, Disguise 2, Embroidery 2, Etiquette 3, Estate Management 3, History 2, Language: Latin 5, Listen 2, Persuade 4, Philosophy 3, Play Lute 2, Politics 4, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 5, Ride 2, Sing 1, Trivium 4

Clarice Orsini 1453-1488: In Florence it is customary to choose a bride from local stock, within the city or at a stretch the contado (rural) nobility, but in a break with tradition, seeking wider political connections in a strategy to expand Medici influence outside Florence, Lucrezia Tornabuoni Medici personally travels to Rome to find a wife for her son, soon to inherit the mantle of ‘first citizen’ of Florence. Lucrezia chooses Clarice, born into the ancient Orsini family of Rome – Clarice’s father is the Lord of Bracciano and Monterotondo in the Papal States. The wedding is celebrated by proxies February 7th 1469. Lorenzo is not overwhelmed by his bride, who unlike his mother and the cream of Florentine ladies, is uneducated and very straitlaced. At the joust and city-wide festivities to celebrate Clarice’s arrival in Florence (along with her dowry of 6,000 florins), Lorenzo’s mistress, the Florentine 136 Lucrezia Donati, is the queen of the pageant and Clarice has to watch her rival receive the honours when her new husband wins the joust. The marriage is not a meeting of minds but Clarice is raised to do her duty, which is to bear children. Clarice produces ten, including the future Pope Leo X. In all other matters she has to play second string to her mother-in-law. Despite being kept in the shadows in Florence, Clarice is sent as an envoy by her husband on several occasions, making a considerable impact, especially in Rome. With the horrors of the Pazzi conspiracy, Clarice and her children are despatched to Pistoia for safety but her Orsini connections prove invaluable during Sixtus IV’s ‘crusade’ subsequent against Florence in the aftermath. With the death of Lorenzo’s mother in 1482, Clarice emerges a little in to the limelight but, never strong, Clarice suffers from ill-health in each pregnancy and eventually dies in childbirth aged just thirty-five. Surprisingly Lorenzo is genuinely stricken with grief at her passing. Appearance: Lorenzo’s mother examines the sixteen year old Clarice closely in Rome before recommending the marriage. Her verdict is: “…she is fairly tall, and fair, and has a nice manner, though she is not as sweet as our girls. She is very modest and will soon learn our customs… Her face is rather round, but it does not displease me… We could not see her bosom as it is the custom here to wear it completely covered up, but it seems promising”. (Lucrezia later wrote that the girl has “…fine quality breasts of good shape” – welcome to the meat-market of noble marriage negotiations.) Dutiful Wife Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 7 10 14 11 11 7 - Virtues: noble (2); +3 skill points (1) Flaws: Duty to Medici (2); Duty to Orsini (1) Skills: Dance 2, Disguise 2, Gossip 2, Embroidery 2, Etiquette 4, Listen 2, Persuade 1, Play Lute 2, Politics 2, Read/Write 2, Ride 2, Sing 2

Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua 1474-1539: born the daughter of Ercole, Duke of Ferrara, although as a woman Isabella cannot attend university, she nonetheless receives an equivalent education from private tutors versed in the latest humanist learning. She also acquires the arts of statecraft and diplomacy from her mother, who takes her to visit Naples and many other cities. Even as a child she is remarked on for her brilliant intellect and often discusses politics, diplomacy and affairs of state with visiting envoys, and philosophy and the arts with painters, musicians, writers and scholars maintained at court by her parents. Furthermore Isabella is an accomplished musician and singer in her own right; she is taught music by the famous lutenist, Giovanni Angelo Testagrossa, and dancing by the renowned Jewish dancing master, Ambrogio, inventing several new dances herself. Isabella is betrothed to Francesco Gonzaga, heir of the Marquis of Mantua, while still a child and the two play together. Although far from handsome, she grows to enjoy his company and treasures the letters and sonnets he sends during their long courtship. By the time they marry in 1490 he has already succeeded to the Marquisate, making Isabella Marchesa of Mantua. He is also Captain- General of the Venetian army. Isabella brings a dowry of 3,000 ducats plus silver plate, jewellery and she enters Mantua on a white horse dressed in gold and gems. She makes an impact from the first and the people of Mantua love her from that moment on. Francesco’s duties as Captain-General call him away for meetings in Venice a lot. During these absences Isabella amuses herself with her sister, Beatrice, her mother, Eleanor of Naples, and her sister-in-law Elisabetta Gonzaga, who becomes one of her closest friends; the two read, play cards and travel widely together (as far as Venice and the shores of Lake Garda, which is unusual for Italian noblewomen) and after Elisabetta’s marriage (to Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino) they correspond for years.

137 As well as playing music she collects art: Titian, Raphael, Giovanni Bellini, and Leonardo da Vinci all benefit from her patronage and Leonardo’s painting of her draws acclaim from all who see it, even before it is finished. In 1493 Isabella gives birth to Eleanora, the first of eight children over the next fifteen years, of which six live to adulthood. In 1502, Isabella’s brother, Alfonso d’Este, marries Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia’s notorious reputation does not endear her to Isabella and she rejects her sister-in-law’s overtures of friendship. But then Isebella’s husband begins a passionate affair with Lucrezia and her feelings turn to outright jealousy. The affair only ends when Francesco contracts syphilis from his many encounters with whores. But her relationship with Lucrezia does not prevent her shrewd diplomacy with Lucrezia’s brother, Cesaré, when he ousts Guidobaldo da Montefeltro (the husband of Elisabetta Gonzaga) from Urbino. As well as her duties as a wife and mother, Isabella travels widely on diplomatic missions on behalf of her husband and Mantua. She meets Louis XII in Milan in 1500 and the French King is impressed with her keen intelligence. She takes the opportunity to offer asylum to Milanese refugees fleeing the French occupation. In 1512 she hosts the Congress of Mantua, concerning the disposition of Florence and Milan. Then in 1509 Francesco is captured by the Venetians. Isabella takes over the government of Mantua and even directs Mantua’s forces in the defence of the city. She is frankly a much better ruler than her husband; on Francesco’s release in 1512 he reacts badly to learning he has been eclipsed by his wife and their marriage breaks down irretrievably. But Isabella takes her enforced independence as an opportunity to travel widely. Francesco, ravaged by syphilis, steadily deteriorates, mentally and physically, dying in 1519. Isabella returns to Mantua to serve as regent for her son, Federico. She proves to be a devoted head of state, studying architecture, agriculture and industry to improve Mantua’s fortunes. She reads Machiavelli’s The Prince and takes to heart its principles tempered with a humanity all her own. By diplomacy she advances Mantua’s status in Italy. In 1527 Isabella personally travels to Rome to secure a cardinalacy for her son, Ercole Gonzaga. While she is in Rome, the city is besieged and sacked by unruly Imperial troops but her house is one of the very few preserved from pillaging thanks to her son’s presence in the Imperial army. She takes advantage of this to offer asylum to 2,000 citizens fleeing Imperial soldiers and before she leaves secures safe passage for them out of Rome. Despite the turmoil, she returns to Mantua with the cardinal’s hat. Back in Mantua, Isabella continues to establish Mantua as a city of culture. She even establishes a school for girls where they too can receive an education according to the latest humanist principles, as Isabella enjoyed in her youth. Isabella helps make Mantua a duchy in 1530 by using the influence of her son’s hand in marriage. With her son now ruling in Mantua, Isabella converts her ducal apartments in to a museum and moves to a neighbouring town, Solarolo in the Romagna, where she governs until her death in 1539. Appearance: in her youth Isabella is pretty, graceful and slightly plump, the perfect physical form, and men find her alluring. But she is fond of her food and soon becomes very overweight, though she never loses her taste for dances. Her long, fine hair is dyed pale blonde, and her eyes are “brown as fir cones in autumn, scattered laughter”. She has ‘lively eyes’ and is extremely graceful. She is always well-dressed, both setting and following fashion. She wears the finest clothing, including furs, as 138 well as the newest distillations of perfume, which she concocts herself and sends as presents. Her style of dressing in simple, boyish caps contrasting with gowns that are richly embroidered with plunging décolletage, revealling the nipples, is imitated throughout Italy. Anne of Brittany, Louis XII’s Queen, often copies Isabella and has a fashion doll made in her likeness that brings her influence to the French Court. Isabella is unquestionably vain and when Titian paints the portrait above she insists he makes her some forty years younger than she actually is. Throughout her life poets, popes and statesmen pay tribute to Isabella. Pope Leo X invites her to treat him with “as much friendliness as you would your brother”. The poet Pietro Bembo describes her as “one of the wisest and most fortunate of women”; Ariosto calls her “liberal and magnanimous”. Matteo Bandello says that she is “supreme among women”. To the diplomat Niccolò da Correggio she is “The First Lady of the World”. Renaissance Woman Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 8(12) 13 11 18 18 15 11 -d2 Virtues: +13 attributes (3); noble (4); University Education (4); +10 skill points (3) Flaws: vain (3); Duty to Mantua (4); Obese (4); jealous (3); (I confess I’m a bit in awe of Isabella and I feel she deserves 4 virtues and flaws) Skills: Appraise 3, Architecture 1, Bargain 3, Dance 3, Disguise 2, Embroidery 2, Etiquette 4, Gossip 1, History 4, Language: Greek 4, Language: Latin 5, Listen 1, Persuade 3, Philosophy 2, Play Lute 4, Politics 4, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Seduction 2, Sing 4, Strategy & Tactics 1, Trivium 4

Sancia d’Aragonna, Princess of Squillace 1478-1506: the daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples, though illegitimate she is cosseted and spoiled as her father’s favourite. In 1494 she marries Jofre Borgia, the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI and the two are created Prince and Princess of Squillace, a province in Neapolitan Italy, though the couple spend most of their time in Rome at the Vatican. Sancha is older than Joffre and her twelve-year old husband cannot satisfy her, in any sense. Searching for adventure Sancha becomes a serial adultress with Joffre’s elder brothers, Juan and Cesaré, but also many of the politically active males in Rome and Naples. Some say she even sleeps with the Pope himself, which would mean she beds all the male Borgias. Despite this Sancia becomes close friends with her husband’s sister, Lucrezia, who takes Sancia’s brother, Alfonzo, as her second husband but in 1500 Alfonzo is Alfonzo’s murder by Cesaré’s executioner and Sancia is imprisoned in the Castel Sant’Angelo. She is only freed on the death of the Pope in 1503. Sancia, who never has children of her own, despite her dalliances, returns to Naples where she raises Rodrigo, Lucrezia’s son by Alfonzo, and her illegitimate son, Giovanni. She dies of an unknown illness in 1506. Appearance: Sancia inherits exotic Spanish looks and is famed for her beauty and vivacity. She is an adept seductress and scandalises all of Rome with her sexual pursuits. Neapolitan Princess Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Spanish 10 6 16 16 12 12 6 - Virtues: Fair of Face (2); noble birth, daughter of a king (5) Flaws: illegitimate (2); barren (5) Skills: Charm 2, Dance 3, Disguise 2, Embroidery 3, Etiquette 4, Gossip 3, Language: Italian 6, Listen 2, Play Guitar 3, Politics 1, Read/Write 4, Ride 2, Seduction 4, Sing 3 139 Felice della Rovere, Duchess of Bracciano 1483-1536: the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere. Felice is raised in the household of her mother, Lucrezia Normanni, of a venerable Roman family. Felice’s relationship with her father is difficult and she repeatedly refuses his efforts to marry her off to various noblemen. However he ensures she receives a thoroughly modern education and when he becomes Pope Julius II the power and influence of the Vatican finally secures her a match which even she can’t refuse. Her husband is Gian Giordano Orsini, twenty years older but a leading member of the Roman nobility. The match makes Felice Duchess of Bracciano and allies two hitherto rival families, the ancient Orsinis and the nouveau-noblesse Della Roveres. Despite the previous ill-feeling, father and daughter subsequently work together closely on several projects. Julius gives Felice 9,000 ducats as a wedding gift, with which she buys her own castle at San Palo, giving her more independence than most noblewomen. Felice also enters in to business, selling grain to Rome, giving her further monetary independence. Felice is her father’s agent in the Orsini family, even serving as a diplomat, negotiating peace with the Queen of France. After his death she serves the Medici popes, Leo X and Clement VII. With the death of her husband, Felice is truly free to indulge her own interests. As well as managing the Orsini estates to provide a legacy for her family, she also establishes herself as a patron of the arts and the written word. Her later years are tainted by tragedy. The sack of Rome in 1527 threatens Orsini holdings around Rome but Felice is able to ransom estates at the expense carefully hoarded savings. Then in 1533 the violent feud between Felice’s son, Girolamo, and her disinherited stepson, Napoleone, results in Girolamo’s capture at the Battle of Vicovaro. Felice has to sacrifice her carefully nurtured prosperity when she is forced to seek huge loans to finance her son’s rescue. Napoleone manages to escape Vicovaro. At Christmas 1533 word arrives that he is coming to join the family at Monte Giordano, apparently to visit his sister, Clarice, but the fear is that he intends to kidnap her and use as a hostage to secure a part of the Orsini patrimony. Clarice is sent away to safety but Napoleone manages to catch the party as they ride away. In fear for Clarice and in revenge for his humiliations at Vicovaro, Girolamo draws sword and kills Napoleone. Despite Napoleone’s vitriol at being disinherited by his ‘wicked stepmother’, in truth it was his father’s own choice to bestow his entire inheritance on the children of his second marriage. With the losses from the sack of Rome and having to finance Girolamo’s rescue, in 1535 Felice has to sell her beloved castle of San Palo to redeem loans. She has lost much and Girolamo never shows much gratitude for his mother’s sacrifices on his behalf, yet her letters to him are full of unqualified love and concern for his wellbeing and that of her other children, even for Napoleone before his jealousy becomes too much of a threat. Almost her last act is to arrange Girolamo’s marriage to Francesca Sforza, daughter of Count Bosio of Santa Fiora, which takes place a year after her death in 1536. Appearance: Felice is a ravishing beauty with raven black hair framing a flawless olive complexion and soulful brown eyes. However do not be deceived for behind her breathtaking looks is a shrewd business mind and a relentless will. The Pope’s Daughter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 11 12 15 15 14 11 -1 Virtues: +4 attributes (1); friends in high places: 3 popes (6); university education (3) Flaws: illegitimate (1); dependents: 2 sons, 2 daughters (6); vendetta with stepson (3) Skills: Appraise 3, Bargain 4, Dance 2, Disguise 2, Embroidery 2, Estate Management 4, Etiquette 4, Gossip 1, History 2, Language: Latin 4, Listen 2, Persuade 4, Play Harpsichord 1, Politics 4, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 5, Ride 2, Sing 2, Trivium 3 140 Tullia d’Aragona 1510-1556: born the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona by the famous courtesan Giulia Campana (the most beautiful woman in Rome), her father ensures she is raised as a noblewoman and receives a humanist education. She proves to be a child prodigy. On her father’s death in 1519, Tullia’s mother takes her to Siena. She returns to Rome in 1526 to become a courtesan, the only career open to a woman of her station of illegitimate birth. Aside from her career as a courtesan, Tullia writes extensively and becomes famous for her philosophy and poetry, which is praised across Italy by leading intellectuals. She moves constantly but this helps her meet some of the outstanding intellects of her day. Fleeing Rome in the sack of 1527, she spends a couple of years in Bologna, where the University admits women as students. Back in Rome by 1531, one of her paramours is Filippo Strozzi, the Florentine envoy to Pope Clement VII. Strozzi unwisely reveals secrets that embarrass Florence and is recalled by Allesandro de Medici, who never forgives him and has him exiled. Emilio Orsini founds the ‘Tullia Society’ composed of six of her lovers who pledge themselves to guard her person and honour. Visiting Venice in the mid-1530s, she is often seen with the poet Bernardo Tasso but by 1537 she is in Ferrara where she exchanges letters with Isabella d’Este, who astonishingly accepts her in to her circle. Tullia is at the height of her powers. Men, especially poets, fall for her in droves; Girolamo Muzio writes five ardent poems to her as the muse ‘Thalia’; Ercole Bentivoglio carves her name on every tree along the river. She leaves four years later after several men commit suicide after she spurns them. In 1543 she marries a Ferrarese named Silvestro Guiccardi, but never uses his name. In 1546 she moves to Siena but civil unrest drives her to Florence where she is welcomed at the court of Cosimo de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, where she spends several productive years. Back in Rome as she turns forty, Tullia finally settles, possibly with her Ferrarese husband. She has born two children, Penelope and Celio but her daughter is passed off as her sister on several occasions. Although she no longer parties as intensively she continues to write extensively. Appearance: Tullia inherits her mother’s extra- ordinary beauty and maintains the perfect female figure, slightly plump, with fair hair, which she is not above dyeing. But her real allure lies in her intellect and wit, which hordes of men find irrestible. She dresses well all her life and never seems to be short of money, though she’s never able to shake free of the taint of illegitimacy. She makes no attempt to hide her huge number of lovers and several of her paramours commit suicide in despair. Among her many works are ‘Dialogues on the Infinity of Love’ (which asserts women’s sexual and emotional independence within romantic love) and ‘Ill Meschino’ (the Mean), which is a poignant epic poem about a youth named Giarrino, who escapes slavery to tour the World, Purgatory and Hell, seeking his lost parents, reflecting Tullia’s own sentiments regarding her life. Philosopher and Courtesan Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 8 9 8 18 15 14 7 -d2 Virtues: noble birth: cardinal’s daughter (5); university education (4); +10 skill pts (3) Flaws: infamous as a Courtesan throughout Italy (5); illegitimate (4); dependent children (3) Skills: Carouse 4, Dance 4, Disguise 4, Embroidery 1, Etiquette 4, Gossip 4, Language: Latin 5, Listen 2, Play Lute 3, Politics 3, Quadrivium 3, Philosophy 5, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Seduction 5, Sing 4, Spot Hidden 2, Trivium 4

141 Philosophers: Poliziano 1454-1494: born Angelo Ambrogini in to a good family in the town of Montepulciano, his father, a highly capable lawyer, is murdered in 1464 for supporting Piero de Medici. Piero’s son, Lorenzo, discovers Angelo living in poverty with his uncle in Florence. Recognising his intellect and his father’s sacrifice, Lorenzo sponsors Angelo’s education within his own household and, on his graduation as a doctor of philosophy, finds Angelo a teaching post at the University of Florence. Nicknamed ‘Poliziano’ after the latin version of his birthplace, Lorenzo procures over two hundred manuscripts for Poliziano and Mirandola to study. Angelo makes a name for himself as a shrewd and perceptive scholar of the classics, giving courses on courses upon Ovid, Suetonius, Statius, Pliny the Younger, and Quintilian. His examination of Justinian II’s digests of Roman Law leads to a revision of Canon Law. His insight and learning, coupled with a clear, direct teaching style delivered with an almost hypnotic voice, draws men of learning from all over Europe and he does more than anyone else to disperse the new learning across the World. But as well as a fine intellect, Angelo also becomes Florence’s most gifted poet, his Manto and Ambra praising Virgil and Homer, respectively. Angelo produces a new appreciation of the myth of Orpheus, abandoning the Christian allegory of tradition to treat it as a love story in which Orpheus fails to regain Eurydice because he is unwilling to die for her but instead sought to reach her through his music. Angelo also becomes a font of knowledge and inspiration for others in the Medici household, most notably Michaelangelo. Angelo’s ‘Miscellany’ is described as ‘brilliantly original’ and vastly improves the protocols for correcting corrupted text and does so in clear prose. This is Angelo’s gift, clarity and simplicity, and together with the phenomenal quantity of his output, this makes him the foremost classical scholar of the Renaissance. No one else proves as influential on later thinking. Angelo remains close to Lorenzo de Medici all his life, serving as tutor to his children until Clarice de Medici dismisses him as a bad influence on her son, Giovanni (the future Pope Leo X). He is instrumental in saving Lorenzo’s life from the Pazzi assassins Easter Sunday 1478 by locking him in the sacristy. After this, Lorenzo consults with him on many matters, including politics. Angelo is present at Lorenzo’s death in 1492, writing, “Oh that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night!” With Lorenzo’s death Angelo loses his position. Then in 1494, Poliziano and his fellow philosopher, Mirandola, are poisoned by arsenic September 24th 1494, on the eve of the French invasion, some say at the behest of Piero de Medici, the son of Lorenzo and once Angelo’s pupil. Appearance: heavily-built with medium length dark hair. His face is dominated by a strongly hooked nose and he can appear thuggish. He is soft-spoken and unconfrontational, unlike his friend, Mirandola, but he is a powerful and almost hypnotic speaker and many famous philosophers come to hear him teach at the University of Florence. He is widely known to be homosexual and has several times been denounced for sodomy but always his close friend and patron, Lorenzo de Medici, has the charges dropped. Philosopher and Historian Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 14 9 9 18 16 10 11 +d3 Virtues: university education (4); +6 skill points (2); +4 attributes (1) Flaws: infamous as a homosexual (4); unlucky in love – his lovers denounce him repeatedly (2); driven by curiosity – Poliziano cannot resist a new manuscript (1) Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 1, Gossip 3, History 4, Language: Greek 6, Language: Latin 6, Listen 4, Oratory 4, Persuade 4, Philosophy 6, Politics 2, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Trivium 4 142 Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola 1463-1494: born in to a noble family, lords of Mirandola and Counts of Concordia, Pico proves incredibly precocious and becomes a Papal protonotary at the age of just 10. In 1477 he goes to Bologna University to study canon law but on the death of his mother 3 years later he renounces the clerical career his family has planned and moves to Ferrara to study philosophy. Becoming influenced by Angelo Poliziano during a brief visit to Florence, Pico continues his studies in Padua 1480-82. Already fluent in Latin and Greek, he learns Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic. Returning home to Mirandola, Pico spends the next four years studying and writing and visiting centres of learning all over north Italy. In 1484, in a second visit to Florence Pico charms Lorenzo de Medici and the philosopher Marcilio Ficino. Lorenzo supports and protects Pico from the political backlashes of his writing. In 1485 he visits Paris where he starts writing his most infamous work, the 900 Theses. Shortly after, Pico embarks on affair with the cousin of the Medicis in Arezzo. The couple are caught trying to elope and Pico is beaten and thrown in prison by her husband. He is saved by the personal intervention of Lorenzo de Medici. In 1486, travelling to Rome, Pico publishes his 900 Theses and publically calls for all philosophers to come to Rome to debate them. However Pope Innocent VIII halts the proposed debate and has the 900 Theses examined; 13 of them are found to be heretical. Pico agrees to a public retraction but also writes an apologia defending them. When Innocent learns of this second pamphlet, he hands Pico over to the Inquisition, which forces him to make a more forceful retraction. Pico flees Rome for France where he is imprisoned by Duke Philip II of Savoy. Pico is only released when Lorenzo de Medici intervenes with King Charles VIII via several Italian princes. The Pope allows Pico to remain in Florence under Lorenzo’s supervision where Pico is befriended by the outspoken Dominican, Savonarola. Lorenzo settles Pico in a villa outside Florence where he continues to write prolifically. With Lorenzo’s death in 1492, Pico loses his protector and from now on his days are numbered. He moves to Ferrara but maintains close contact with Florence, particularly with Savonarola. Under his influence, Pico burns much of his writing, including all his love sonnets, gives away his fortune and announces his intention to become a monk. But in 1494, Pico and his fellow philosopher, the Florentine Angelo Poliziano, are poisoned by arsenic September 24th 1494. Fingers are pointed at Piero de Medici, Lorenzo’s son, but it is difficult to see why he should want the two philosophers dead and there are several other candidates. Appearance: slender and well-built, he is strikingly good looking with long curly golden hair; he studies day and night and has a gift for learning languages: Latin, Greek, French, German, Arabic, Chaldean, Hebrew and Aramaic. He has a passion for The Truth and his public protestations (and publication) of his conclusions bring him in to direct confrontation with the Church. Confrontational Philosopher (age 14) Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 10 12 15 17 12 10 - Virtues: university education (3); +4 attributes (1); noble birth (4) Flaws: confrontational in disputes (3); impetuous and rash (1); driven by Truth (4) Skills: Brawl 1, Carouse 2, Charm 3, Dance 2, Dodge 2, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 3, Heraldry 2, History 4, Language: Greek 3, Language: Latin 6, Listen 4, Melee 2, Oratory 2, Persuade 3, Philosophy 2, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 6, Ride 3, Spot Hidden 2, Trivium 3

Niccolo Machiavelli 1469-1527: born into poor gentility, Machiavelli senior is a bankrupt lawyer barred from practising; the family lives off his meager estates and occasional illicit legal work. Aged nine, the Pazzi Conspiracy introduces Machiavelli junior to political reality: he sees ‘streets filled with the parts of men’ after a mob disembowels and drags the conspirators through the streets. 143 Machiavelli senior has a wide circle of friends, some influential, including Bartolomeo Scala, who as First Chancellor heads the Florentine civil service for thirty years. Scala introduces Machiavelli to Lorenzo de Medici who sponsors the lad to study law at the University of Pisa. But by the time Machiavelli has his doctorate the Medici are expelled as the French enter Florence on their way through Italy in 1494. For four years the city questions its identity as Savonarola demands the burning of all works of art, cosmetics, poems, etc, in his ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’. But in 1498 Savonarola is arrested on trumped-up charges and burned at the stake. The task of restoring Florentine prestige begins under Piero Soderini. Under the aegis of the moderate faction led by Bartolomeo Scala and Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici (a cousin who has no intention of letting the senior line back into power), Machiavelli is elected secretary to the Ten of Liberty & Peace, responsible for Florence’s foreign policy and military affairs. Machiavelli drafts a plan to retake Pisa, Florence’s outlet to the sea, before visiting the Lord of Piombino and Catherine Sforza in Imola 1499, and in 1500 Louis XII of France as Florence’s principal diplomat. In 1501 Machiavelli marries Marietta Corsini but she complains her husband is sent on more diplomatic missions. In 1502 he is in Senigalia as envoy to Cesaré Borgia when he sees four mutinous captains arrested and garrotted. He publishes an account of the incident on his return. Leonado da Vinci is in Senigalia at the same time and in 1503 Machiavelli appoints Leonardo to divert the Arno to aid in taking Pisa. Unfortunately the plan fails due to lack of funds. Machiavelli states that Florence needs a citizen’s militia as opposed to expensive and unreliable mercenaries. Machiavelli is sent to Rome to pay court to the recently elected Pope Pius III – unfortunately Pius dies before he can report to Florence. The new Pope is Julius II who loses no time in toppling Cesaré Borgia, ending the career of the man who both fascinates and appalls Machiavelli. In 1506 Machiavelli starts recruiting for his citizens’ militia. Then he spends three months following Julius II from Viterbo across the Romagna to Imola. He spends much of 1507 at the court of Emperor Maximilian in the Tyrol and on his return publishes a political report on Germany. In 1508 he leads the new Florentine militia against Pisa and Florence reclaims its seaport in 1509. In 1510 and 1511 he is sent on further missions to Louis XII but in 1512 the tide turns: the Spanish invade Florentine territory. Machiavelli’s militia, whilst able to more than hold its own against Pisa, is outclassed by hardened Spanish troops and routs, leaving Prato to be sacked. The Spanish reinstall the Medici, exiling Soderini, and Machiavelli is out of a job. Worse, he’s arrested and tortured, accused of conspiracy against the Medici. When he is released he retires to his estates. From now on he devotes himself to writing: a history of Florence, biographies, a play, a discourse on the Art of War, numerous poems and, of course, his infamous The Prince, which becomes the realpolitik blueprint to the present day. It is an attempt to ingratiate himself with the new Medici regime but the Medici never forgive him for his work for Florence after their expulsion, he remains out in the cold and dies in 1527. Appearance: Machiavelli is of medium height and spare build with dark eyes and dark close-cropped hair. He is a master of etiquette and his manners are deferential but there is a certain slyness to his manner. Among friends he is the life and soul of the party. In his youth his friends nickname him ‘Il Macchia’, a play on his name meaning ‘manliness’ but also a blot or blemish. He is a shrewd judge of character and of political situation. Humanist Politician Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 12 14 14 16 13 12 - Virtues: university education (4); +15 skill pts (4); +8 attributes (2) Flaws: barred from citizenship (4); enemies in high places - Medici (4); impoverished (2) Skills: Bargain 4, Brawl 2, Carouse 4, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 4, Gossip 1, History 4, Latin 6, Law 4, Listen 3, Melee 1, Oratory 2, Persuade 4, Philosophy 4, Politics 6, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Spot Hidden 2, Strategy & Tactics 2, Trivium 4 144 Witches and Wizards: Bernardo Trevisan 1406-1490: born into a noble Paduan family, Trevisan commences his alchemical researches at age 14 with the blessing of his family. He tries uncounted recipes from a huge number of tomes and travels all over the World: Germany and the Baltic, Spain, France, Vienna, Cyprus (while a Venetian possession) and even the Islamic World – Egypt, Palestine, Persia, Greece, Turkey. Finally, with his health declining, he finishes up on Rhodes under the aegis of the Knights Hospitallers but he never finds the Philosopher’s Stone.

Marsilio Ficino 1433-1499: born the son of a physician, Ficino is taken into the household of Cosimo de Medici where he becomes the personal tutor to Cosimo’s grandchildren, including Lorenzo, and remains in Medici service all his life, even into exile after 1494. There Ficino meets the formost scholars of ancient Greek and himself becomes the pupil of John Argyropoulos. In 1462 Cosimo chooses Ficino to govern his establishment of a Florentine academy to study Plato’s rediscovered works and he subsequently becomes the first to translate Plato’s entire known corpus into Latin, to be published in 1484. He also produces translations of the neoplatonists, including Hermes Trismegistos. Ficino’s doctorate is in medicine but he becomes a priest in 1473. He is a practicing vegetarian and he induces Leonardo da Vinci to do the same. However Ficino has an intense interest in magic, particularly astrology, divination and the immortality of the soul. He invents the Marseille tarot and in 1489 is formally accused of heresy and necromancy before Pope Innocent VIII and only a strong defence and the influence of Lorenzo de Medici saves him from condemnation. Appearance: Ficino is of medium height and build with dark eyes and shoulder-length wavy dark hair. He has an unnaturally pale palour in his later years, partly due to his necromantic interests. His writings reveal his love interests to be focused on young men but he is responsible for introducing the concept of Platonic love and never acts on his desires. He has a lasting influence on scholarship. Formost Greek Scholar Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 11 13 11 14 16 15 13 - Virtues: university education (4); +8 Attribute pts (2); +21 skill pts (5) Flaws: dark secret – homosexual (4) sexually uptight (2); dark secret – necromancer (5) Option: Ficino gains his profound grasp of neoplatonism by summoning up the shades of those long dead – if so, give him an extra virtue to give him 6 necromantic spells and a corresponding flaw of dark secret – necromancer at level 4 Skills: Arcane Lore 4, Bargain 2, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 2, Gossip 3, History 4, Language: Latin 6, Language: Greek 6, Listen 2, Magic Sense 2, Medicine 4, Occult Lore 2, Oratory 4, Persuade 4, Philosophy 5, Quadrivium 5, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Tend Wounds 2, Treat Disease 5, Trivium 5 Spells: Blood Sacrifice, Divination by Tarot, Draft Horoscope, Pentagram, Rite of Katabasis, Rite of Nekiya

Johann Georg Faust 1466-1541: born in Helmstadt near Heidelberg, Faust obtains his MA from Heidelberg in 1487. In 1506 he is performing magical tricks and drawing horoscopes in Gelnhausen. For the next thirty years he wanders southern Germany, trying to stay one step ahead of the Church. He is sighted in (and often banned from) the following towns: 1507, Selnhausen, Würzburg and Sickingen (where he is accused of sodomy with a student); 1513, an inn at Erfut; February 1520 he draws a horoscope for the bishop of Bamberg; 1528 banished from Ingoldstadt; 1532 Nurnberg denies him entry; 1535 he is involved in an Anabaptist rebellion in Munster; 1536 Tubingen, where he is regarded as respectable astrologer; 1539 he is praised for his medical knowledge in Worms. In an undated event in Basel, Faust gifts the cook at an inn with an unknown 145 bird for the dining table. At a meeting with Melancthon, Faust claims to have studied at Krakow university and to have been responsible for the Emperor’s victories in Italy; that he attempted to fly in Venice but was thrown to the ground by the Devil. Another undated report has Faust being arrested in Battenberg for prescribing arsenic to rid a chaplain of his stubble, which removed much of the skin on the chaplain’s face. Faust meets his death in a room of the Hotel zum Lowen at Staufen im Breisgau, apparently after an explosion during an alchemical experiment. However there is no sound of an explosion, merely his screams; the explosion is presumed from the state of the laboratory and the mutilation to his body. On his death Faust almost immediately attains legendary status. Appearance: Faust is a surprisingly small man, slightly portly with hazel eyes. His red hair is kept short but he wears a bushy red beard. He typically dresses richly and well. His manner is typically arrogant and boastful but he truly has command of certain demons and has entered into a pact with Mephistopheles. Demons: Christoph Wagner was once a man who went to hell, he now serves Faust as a personal servant and is always in human form but may not speak; Prästigar is usually in the form of a large dog but can also transform into a man or a manlike shape, he is commanded to protect Faust’s person; Pfeilabwenden is a spirit dedicated to turning aside all missiles; Anfuhr is another spirit that Faust summons to transport himself and all his belongings to anywhere in Germany. But Mephistophilis is the major demon with whom Faust has his pact and all the other demons are from his demonic legions. It is Mephistophilis who eventually claims his soul. Infamous Demonist Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 9 15 12 13 15 16 14 -1 Virtues: university education (3); +8 Attribute pts (2); Demonist (6) Flaws: hounded – unable to settle (3); unlucky (1); dark secret – Demonist (6) Skills: Arcane Lore 4, Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 4, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 2, Gem Lore 2, Glassblowing 3, Gossip 3, Language: Latin 5, Magic Sense 4, Medicine 1, Oratory 2, Persuade 1, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 5, Ride 4, Tend Wounds 1, Treat Disease 1, Trivium 3 Spells: Binding of Solomon, Blood Sacrifice, Draft Horoscope, Evocation of the Gnome, Open the Way, Pentagram, Shrive the Place of Working, Summon Anfuhr, Summon Christoph Wagner, Summon Mephistophilis, Summon Pfeilabwenden, Summon Prästigar

Caterina Medici-Sforza 1463-1509: the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, Caterina is raised in the refined Milanese court and receives a humanist education comparable to University, becoming very fluent in Latin and competent in Greek. She remains close to her stepmother, Bona of Savoy, and the two women correspond frequently her entire life. At 14 she marries Girolamo Riario, a ‘nephew’ of Pope Sixtus IV (but actually his son). Sixtus IV makes Girolamo lord of Imola and Forli but the couple spend most of their time in Rome at the Papal court. Caterina becomes the leading matron of Roman society while bearing 6 children. All this changes on Sixtus’ death in 1484: Girolamo and Caterina’s house is looted by rioters; Caterina, 7 months pregnant, takes command of the fortress of Castel St Angelo and uses its artillery to force demands on the College of Cardinals before retiring with her husband to Forli. Girolamo is assassinated in 1488 by the Orsinis. Caterina escapes to the citadel but her children are captured and the Orsinis threaten to kill them to make her yield. In response, from the battlements, she raises her skirts and replies Ho con me lo stampo per farne degli altri! (I have the instrument to bear more!) With aid from the Duke of Milan she takes vengeance on her enemies. She marries Giacomo Feo in secret in 1489 and bears him a son, Benardino Carlo, but Giacomo’s arrogance alienates the people, including her previous children, and in 1495 a conspiracy assassinates him. Caterina avenges herself horribly, torturing to death not only the conspirators but 146 their wives and children! As a result she loses the good will of her people forever. In 1497 she marries again, this time with the consent of her children, to Giovanni di Medici and she bears her last child, Ludovico, in 1498 (who later wins renown as Giovanni Delle Bande Nere). But Caterina’s husband falls ill and dies later that year, leaving her to defend Imola and Forli from their gathering enemies. Caterina wears armour and drills the militias in person. Her leadership defeats the Venetian army, earning her the epithet ‘Il Tigre’, but then the French lay claim to Milan, which in 1499 falls after Ludovico Sforza flees. Cesaré Borgia, backed by the French, lays siege in November 1499 and, despite a gallant defence, the fortress of Forli falls and Caterina is captured, fighting to the last in armour. Cesaré takes her to Rome but the two form a brief liaison on the way. In Rome she is very nearly condemned by Pope Alexander VI for trying to kill him with poisoned letters (allegedly infused with plague – many accuse her of witchcraft but her supporters claim she is but an alchemist) but her trial for some reason is never held and she is released in 1501 by the French army under Louis XII, taking refuge in Florence where she successfully sues the Medici for the return of her children (in Medici care while she’s in prison). Constance spends her last years with her children and in her magical researches before dying in 1509 of pneumonia. Appearance: Caterina is a well-built woman of surprising strength. Her face is handsome rather than beautiful, framed by neck-length red hair that falls to below her ears in waves, but her strength of character shines through and men find her very attractive. She can be every inch the noble Italian matron but when provoked her language becomes as coarse as any wishwife’s. She loves hunting, dancing and practicing her ‘alchemy’. Italian noblewoman and witch Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 10 9 12 12 14 15 9 - Virtues: university education (3); +15 Skill pts (4); renowned in all Italy as Il Tigre (4); witch (3) Flaws: coarse nature (3); vengeful sadist (4); dependants: 8 children (4); dark secret – witch (3) (Again, because Caterina is one of the World’s larger-than-life characters, we must break another game rule and allow her 4 virtues and flaws) Skills: Brewing 2, Charm 4, Dance 4, Disguise 2, Embroidery 3, Etiquette 3, Fast Talk 4, Gossip 1, Heraldry 2, Herb Lore 3, History 2, Language: Latin 6, Language: Greek 2, Listen 3, Magic Sense 3, Melee 3, Occult Lore 3, Oratory 2, Persuade 4, Philosophy 2, Play Harpsichord 1, Poison Lore 4, Politics 4, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 4, Ride 5, Seduction 4, Sing 1, Spot Hidden 3, Strategy & Tactics 1, Trivium 3 Spells: Augury in the Entrails, Blood Sacrifice, Cause Disease, Create Love Philtre, Fascination, Evil Eye

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim 1486-1535: born in Cologne into poor nobility, Agrippa studies divinity at the University but on graduating his studies turn to Alchemy and he spends the rest of his life touring Germany, France and Italy, moving frequently to avoid denunciation for heresy. He exhibits a tendency to publish vitriolic attacks on his denunciators months after leaving the place of denunciation. Early in his career he pursues magical research but towards the end of his life he recants his research and warns others that magic does not reveal truth but instead brings deceits and lies and is the work of devils. Agrippa produces a prodigious body of work, including Declamatio de nobilitate et praecellentia foeminei sexus which unusually for his 147 time pronounced women as morally superior to men but his most influential works are his Three Books Concerning Occult Philosophy, the earliest edition being the best (subsequent editions corrupt the text) which greatly influences John Dee and Giordano Bruno. Appearance: Agrippa is slightly below average height but with a strong build. He wears his blond hair short and neat and usually wears a moustache. He has blue eyes. His clothing is typically of good quality but old and worn. Magician and Alchemist Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 12 10 13 14 15 12 11 - Virtues: university education (4); +4 Attribute pts (1); Alchemist (4) Flaws: hounded – unable to settle (4); unlucky (1); dark secret – Alchemist (4) Skills: Alchemy 5, Arcane Lore 2, Brawl 2, Carouse 1, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 3, Gem Lore 2, Glassblowing 3, Heraldry 1, Herb Lore 2, Language: Latin 6, Magic Sense 1, Melee 1, Oratory 2, Persuade 2, Philosophy 3, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 4, Theology 2, Trivium 4 Spells: Blood Sacrifice, Creation of the Vessel of Light, Draft Horoscope, Enchantment of the Receptacle, Evocation of the Salamander, Evocation of the Sylph, Fixation of the Arcanum, Gestation of the Homonculus, Pentagram, Preparation of the Alkahest, Reduction of the Prima Materia, Resonation of the Aether (Agrippa has incomplete or corrupt versions of other alchemical spells which he never manages to use successfully.)

Benvenuto Cellini 1500-1571: see under artists.

Isabella Cortese 1513-1575: a woman known only from the book she publishes in 1561, ‘The Secrets of Lady Isabella Cortese’, in which she claims to have studied the arts of Alchemy for over thirty years. She decries the works of great names such as Geber and Ramon Lull, claiming they are a waste of time and money. Her own work focuses on practical matters: medicines, toothpaste, glue, polish, soap, and beauty products. Actually Isabella is the only daughter of a minor Venetian nobleman who on inheriting her father’s wealth elects to invest in researching the Alchemical arts. She has never married, having been spurned by the only man she ever loved and refuses to consider another. Although she calls herself an alchemist, as she says in her book, she long ago spurned alchemy and invented her own concoctions. As such her magical arts are more those of a witch, although even she does not realise this. She has even created her own spell, albeit based on an ancient Latin text. Appearance: Isabella is a ravishing beauty with raven black hair and deep brown eyes. Thanks to her special anti-aging potion she looks still like a woman of 30 until the day she dies. She likes the company of men but quickly tires once she has made her conquest and proven her victim cannot resist her powers as a woman. Noblewoman and alchemist Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 9 12 10 14 15 12 11 -1 Virtues: university education (4); Alchemist/Witch: 6 spells (3); noble birth (2) Flaws: Seductrix: regularly driven to seduce men to prove herself their superior (4); Dark Secret: Witch (3); unrequited love: who spurned Isabella? (2) Skills: Alchemy 2, Arcane Lore 1, Brewing 3, Charm 2, Dance 1, Disguise 4, Embroidery 1, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 1, Gem Lore 3, Glassblowing 3, Herb Lore 4, Language: Latin 6, Magic Sense 1, Medicine 1, Occult Lore 1, Persuade 1, Poison Lore 2, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Seduction 3, Sing 1, Tend Wounds 2, Treat Disease 3, Trivium 4 Spells: Anti-Aging Potion (does not extend life but prevents aging each day it is taken), Cleanse Wound, Close Wound, Cosmetic Preparation (takes an hour to apply and lasts 2d6 hours, enhances physical attractiveness, +2 on all interpersonal skills, including seduction), Staunch Bleeding, Ward Against Conception

148 Clergy: Girolamo Savonarola 1452-1498: born into a wealthy family in Ferrara, his grandfather is a highly successful physician who ensures Girolamo receives a first class education at the hands of Battista Guarino and Savonarola goes on to gain a Master of Arts at the University of Ferrara. On the eve of starting a doctorate in medicine, Savonarola is spurned by Laudomia Strozzi, a neighbour’s daughter, when he proposes marriage; it may be this that provokes him to seek a religious life but he is already writing poetry of an apocalyptic nature when he presents himself at the door of the Dominican Convent in Bologna in 1475. He receives a thorough grounding in theology, disputation and preaching and early on demonstrates a gift for public speaking. He is about to start a doctorate in Divinity when he is abruptly transferred to another convent after publically criticising the hierarchy for a lack of austerity. In 1482 Savonarola is posted to the Dominican Convent of San Marco in Florence where he starts preaching apocalyptic sermons. These are not well received and he is transferred again in 1487 but in 1490 he returns to San Marco after touring the cities of north Italy as an itinerant preacher thanks to the invitation of Pico della Mirandola, who is impressed by Savonarola’s passion and shares some of his views on corruption within the church. Savonarola now finds a ready audience on the streets of Florence and at the pulpit in the Duomo for his fire and brimstone sermons based on Revelations. Some dismiss him as an apocalyptic zealot but he develops a devoted following called the Piagnoni, a dismissive term of approbation meaning ‘whiners’ which they themselves take on. The people of Florence suddenly find a resonance with Savonarola’s sermons when the French invade Italy in 1494, passing through Florence on the way. A popular rising drives out the Medici and Savonarola finds himself at the forefront of negotiations with Charles VIII. When the French resume their march south he is able to claim, with some justification, that this is down to his efforts to intercede on behalf of God. When Savonarola tells the Florentines that their city is to be the new Rome, they believe him absolutely. Savonarola uses his new-found authority to institute reforms at all levels. He abjures the citizens to cast aside all ‘vanity’, by which he means posh or indecent clothes, mirrors, cosmetics, luxurious foods, paintings, poetry and much of the hard-sought translations of the classics. He orders all such ‘vanities’ placed on a huge bonfire in the Piazza della Signoria and burned – he burns books! The city also passes outlawing vice: sodomy (including male and female same-sex relations), adultery, public drunkenness, and revealing clothing. The Piagnoni police the streets delivering public beatings to anyone perceived as transgressing decency by dress or behaviour. Florence’s new order is tolerated by Rome until Savonarola persuades the city not to join the Holy League against the French and a letter to Alexander VI provokes an official summons to Rome. Savonarola declines the invitation, pleading ill-health, but stays out of the public view for some months. However, feeling his influence beginning to slip, Savonarola returns to the pulpit to denounce Rome and those Florentines in league with the Borgia Pope. Alexander retaliates in May 1497 by excommunicating him and threatening Florence with an interdict. It takes a year but the naturally fun-loving Florentines are sick of his doom and gloom and in April 1498 Savonarola is arrested on trumped-up charges, tortured to force a confession and publically hanged and burned in the Piazza 149 della Signoria with his lieutenants. His ashes are cast into the Arno to foil relic-hunters. The Piagnoni are silenced: hunted, tortured, imprisoned and exiled, but the republican sentiment persists until the restoration of the Medici in 1512 puts paid to their movement and the attempts by the convent of San Marco to make Savonarola a saint. Appearance: Far from handsome with a somewhat brutish visage dominated by a pronounced Roman nose, Savonarola has a commanding presence and the black Dominican habit enhances a powerful voice and an hypnotic gaze. He leaves behind a large body of sermons and writing, most notable of which is his apocalyptic Compendium of Revelations, the tome which provokes Alexander VI to excommunicate him. Fire and brimstone preacher Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 10 10 16 12 16 11 +1 Virtues: university education (3); gifted orator, +2 on verbal communication (3); +4 attributes (1) Flaws: hatred of church corruption (3); plagued by visions of the Apocalypse (3); Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Etiquette 2, Gossip 1, Latin 6, Listen 2, Liturgy 6, Occult Lore 1, Oratory 6, Persuade 6, Philosophy 2, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 6, Ride 2, Theology 3, Trivium 3

Martin Luther 1483-1546: born into a middle-class Saxon family, Luther is educated by his family with a view to a career in law and receives his Masters degree from the University of Erfurt in 1505. But Luther, against his father’s wishes, leaves law-school to study philosophy, only to leave that career to become a Franciscan friar. Ordained priest in 1507, he studies Divinity at the University of Wittenberg, receiving his doctorate in 1512. He spends the rest of his life as a lecturer in Theology at Wittenberg. In 1516, Pope Leo X sends Dominican Johan Tetzell to southern Germany to sell indulgences to raise money for the Curia. This profoundly offends Luther. He writes to the Archbishop of Mainz to protest that since forgiveness of sins was God’s alone to grant, the purchase of manumission of sins is therefore against Canon law. When the Archbishop refuses to agree Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the cathedral of Wittenberg. Initially it is never Luther’s intention to break with Rome – he seeks reform (hence ‘Reformation’) but his stance resonates with the common people and with many secular princes. When Rome reacts negatively to the movement, excommunicating Luther in 1520, princes and cities begin to formally break with Rome and the Reformation is born. The Emperor Frederick III hides and protects Luther who translates the New Testament from the original Greek into German and begins a prodigious body of work. His words undoubtedly inflame common feeling and help provoke the Peasant’s War of 1524/5, despite Luther preaching that violence is anathema to God. In 1525 Luther marries a nun, Katherina von Bora. Luther spends the rest of his life organising the new Protestant church. Always corpulent, his health declines steadily from 1531, partly due to the stress of his work, until his death in 1546, from a stroke. Appearance: Luthor has an imposing physical presence with a pronounced double chin and a corpulent frame. He has dark eyes and hair which turns grey in later life. Never exactly an easy person to be with, Luther is obsessed with devils and the workings of his bowels. He is fond of explosive denunciations and comparing his detractors and enemies with the products of defacation. [It is unlikely that any PC will meet Luther since he never leaves Germany but he has such a seminal influence on the Christian World that he cannot be ignored.]

Ignatius Loyola 1491-1566: Loyola is born into Spanish gentry and his first career is that of a knight and professional soldier. Wounded at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521 he reads of the lives of saints during his convalescence and feels an urge to follow a life dedicated to God. He visits the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserat, where he hangs up his armour before an image of the Virgin Mary before spending several months in retreat in a cave in rigorously ascetic contemplation. Receiving visions, he undergoes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1523 but the Ottoman authorities do not permit him to stay. He returns to Spain and then moves on to the 150 University of Paris to study Divinity. By 1534 Loyola has recruited six like-minded followers and on August 15th they create the Society of Jesus, to serve the Catholic Church as missionaries. They then travel to Rome where Pope Paul III formally recognises the new order in 1540. They become known to the World as the Jesuits and are the intellectual cutting edge of the Counter- Reformation. Loyola becomes the first Superior General of the Order and sends his followers out to create schools, colleges and seminaries across Europe. It is thanks to Loyala and the Jesuits that southern Germany and Poland remain Catholic and they go on to bring Catholocism to the New World. The Jesuits practice absolute obedience to the Order’s hierarchy according to their constitution drawn up by Loyala in 1554. Loyala dies in 1556 in Rome from malaria. He becomes a saint by 1622. Appearance: Loyola is of medium height and spare build. He has typically Spanish dark eyes and hair, which he keeps cropped short. Although soft-spoken his voice has strength and he is used to command. He brooks no dissent within the Order and demands total discipline. After his conversion, he practices a rigorously ascetic lifestyle. Father of the Jesuits Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Spanish 10 13 13 14 15 15 13 - Virtues: university education (3); +8 attributes (2); True Faith (5) Flaws: autocratic (3); plagued by visions of the Apocalypse (2); Ascetic (5) Skills: Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Etiquette 2, Heraldry 3, Latin 6, Liturgy 4, Melee 2, Oratory 4, Persuade 4, Quadrivium 2, Read/Write 6, Ride 4, Strategy & Tactics 3, Theology 6, Trivium 3

Physicians: Girolamo Fracastoro 1478-1553: born in Verona, Fracastoro studies medicine at the University of Padua where he is appointed professor at the absurdly young age of 19. Such is his eminence that he is appointed the official physician to the Council of Trent in 1545. Fracastoro comes up with the novel idea that epidemic diseases are caused by miniscule agents he refers to as ‘spores’ and advocates washing or burning to rid clothes and bedlinen of the infectious agents. In 1530 he gives the ‘French Disease’ the name it is known by down the ages – syphilis. He asserts the necessity of students learning anatomy by dissection of human cadavers. Appearance: Fracastoro is tall but of spare build. He has dark eyes and hair and a thick beard which he keeps well-groomed. He dresses richly and is conscious of his position as Italy’s foremost physician. Father of Modern Medicine Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 12 15 14 14 16 14 16 +1 Virtues: university education (4); +13 attributes (3); born into wealth (2) Flaws: abrasive personality (4); ? (3); poor bedside manner (2) Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 2, Gossip 1, Latin 6, Medicine 6, Oratory 4, Persuade 4, Poison Lore 2, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 3, Treat Disease 6, Treat Wounds 4, Trivium 4

Paracelsus 1493-1541: born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim in Switzerland he naturally chose to follow his father’s profession. He receives a profound humanistic education from the local Benedictines before studying medicine at Basel and Vienna. He achieves his doctorate from the University of Ferrara in 1516.

151 Thereafter, calling himself Paracelsus, he travels widely through France, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Russia before returning to Germany to establish a permanent practice but is forced to move frequently due to his abrasive personality provoking local animosity. Paracelsus’ methods are avant-garde. He rejects the established medical texts of Galen and Avicenna and instead insists on basing his practice on observation. He particularly focuses on the art of pharmacy and toxicology. However he is incredibly arrogant and antagonises almost everyone else in his profession: “I am Theophrastus, and greater than those to whom you liken me; I am Theophrastus, and in addition I am monarcha medicorum and I can prove to you what you cannot prove... I need not don a coat of mail or a buckler against you, for you are not learned or experienced enough to refute even a word of mine... As for you, you can defend your kingdom with belly-crawling and flattery. How long do you think this will last?...Let me tell you this: every little hair on my neck knows more than you and all your scribes, and my shoe buckles are more learned than your Galen and Avicenna, and my beard has more experience than all your high colleges.” Paracelsus dies in Salzberg in 1541. Despite his abrasive personality and confrontational attitude, he proves highly influential in the development of medicine for centuries. Appearance: Paracelsus is built on a large scale and uses his daunting physique to overawe others. He wears his wavy red hair at shoulder length and is clean-shaven. He has hazel eyes. King of Medicine Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: German 14(16) 10 11 12 16 14 16 +1 Virtues: university education (4); +8 attributes (3); born into wealth (2) Flaws: abrasive personality (4); hounded in many cities (3); obese (2) Skills: Bargain 1, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Etiquette 2, Fast Talk 2, Gossip 1, Latin 6, Medicine 6, Oratory 4, Persuade 4, Poison Lore 6, Quadrivium 3, Read/Write 6, Ride 4, Treat Disease 4, Treat Wounds 2, Trivium 4

Supernatural Characters: Merlin The Fisher King Gramarie Vampires: Greek and Transylvanian Greek supernature – the rediscovery of Greek learning introduces Greek monsters: Cyclops, Gorgon, etc

152 A Renaissance Timeline

Date Event 1450 Ludovico Sforza establishes his new dynasty in Milan by force 1453 England loses Gascony in the aftermath of the crushing defeat by the French at Castillon, ending the Hundred Years War. 1455 The Battle of St Albans sees the start of the Wars of the Roses in England 1477 Charles the Rash is killed by the Swiss at the battle of Nancy; Burgundy disintegrates; Maximilian marries Mary of Burgundy 1478 The Pazzi conspiracy kills Giuliano de Medici and nearly kills his brother, Lorenzo the Magnificent 1482 Isabella of Castile starts the conquest of Granada 1483 Edward IV of England dies; his brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester, kidnaps his nephews, Edward V and Richard, and they vanish in to the Tower of London, never to be seen again; Gloucester usurps the throne as Richard III. 1485 Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, invades England with French support, beating Richard III at Bosworth; as Henry VII he starts the Tudor dynasty 1492 Granada falls to Castile; Lorenzo de Medici ‘the Magnificent’ dies; Christopher Columbus discovers the New World 1493 Papal bulls divide up the world between the Spanish and Portuguese 1494 The start of the Italian Wars: Charles VIII of France invades Italy with his modern ordnance army; he successfully sweeps through Italy, capturing Genoa, Milan and Naples but Spain forces his withdrawal; the Medici are driven out of Florence 1495 Retreating from Italy, Charles VIII comes close to disaster at Fornovo but manages to retire without his artillery and baggage train 1501 an alliance between France and Spain conquers the Kingdom of Naples 1504 Spain falls out with France and the Kingdom of Naples becomes a Spanish possession 1507 Cesaré Borgia is killed in Spain 1509 League of Cambrai: France, the Emperor, Pope Julius II and others ally against Venice; battle of Agnadello – French beat Venetians; Henry VII dies and is succeeded by his son, Henry VIII 1512 League of Cambrai realigns: Julius II and Swiss expel the French from Italy; Julius and Imperial forces reinstall the Medici in Florence 1513 Battle of Flodden – English beat Scots, James IV dies 1514 Selim I takes Tabriz; Vasili III takes Smolensk 1515 Francis I of France defeats the Swiss at Marignano and occupies Milan; the future Emperor Charles V is declared of age in the Netherlands 1517 the future Emperor Charles V arrives in Spain; Martin Luther nails his ’95 Theses’ to the door of the cathedral church at Wittemburg – the Reformation is born; the Turks conquer the Mamluks in Egypt 1519 Charles V is elected Emperor after Jacob Fugger bribes the electors; Cortéz conquers Mexico 1520 Revolt of the Comuneros in Castile; Gustavus Vasa starts Swedish rebellion against Denmark 1521 Diet of Worms – condemnation of Luther; start of 1st war between Emperor Charles V and Francis I of France; the Turks conquer Belgrade 1522 Battle of Bicocca – Imperial victory over French and Swiss; Henry VIII of England and Charles V ally against France; Franz von Sickingen starts the Knights’ War, seeking to overthrow the Archbishop of Trier; Turks drive Knights Hospitaller from Rhodes 1523 Archbishop of Trier with help from Landgrave of Hesse and the Elector Palatine crushes the Knight’s War, Sickingen dies of his wounds 1524 Luther’s teachings and the generally crass behaviour of the German aristocracy provokes the Peasants War; Francis I conquers Milan (again)

153 1525 the Peasant’s War is ruthlessly crushed by the Swabian League; King Francis I of France is utterly humiliated by Imperial landsknechts under Georg von Frundsberg at Pavia; Albert of Hohenzollern, Hochmeister of the Teutonic Knights, secularises the order’s Prussian estates to become the Duke of Prussia under Polish suzerainty 1526 Peace of Madrid – Francis I regains his freedom at the price of ceding Flanders, Artois, Burgundy and all his Italian territories to Charles V; Francis I reneges on the Peace of Madrid and allies with Pope Clement VII, Venice, Florence and the Sforza of Milan against Charles V in the League of Cognac; the Turks defeat Archbishop Tomori and Louis II of Hungary at Mohacs and conquer Hungary 1527 George von Frundsberg drives the Sforza from Milan with Imperial and Spanish troops, Papal opposition collapses but when Frundsberg runs out of money his landsknechts sack Rome, Clement VII is a virtual prisoner in the St Angelo; Henry VIII of England belated allies with France in Treaty of Westminster and French army, with Genoese help from Andrea Doria, marches through France to besiege Naples; Medicis again driven out of Florence; 1528 Andrea Doria deserts French to join Charles V; plague decimates French army at Naples; French besiege Genoa; 1529 Andrea Doria defeats French relief force at Landriano, French position collapses, Milan falls to Imperial troops; Medici return to power in Florence; the Turks besiege Vienna but fail to take the city; Bale, Berne and Strasbourg join Reformation; Cardinal Wolsey falls after failing to obtain a divorce for Henry VIII of England 1530 coronation of Emperor Charles V at Bologna; Diet of Augsburg/Augsburg Confession (primary confession of Lutheran faith); Charles V gives Malta to Knights Hospitallers; Medici return to Florence (end of the last Florentine republic); Henry VIII of England demands the submission of English clergy to his authority rather than Rome 1531 Election of Ferdinand as King of the Romans; Schmalkaldic League: Protestant princes Philip I Landgrave of Hesse, and John Frederick I Elector of Saxony form alliance within the Empire against Emperor Charles V, they agree to maintain a force of 2,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry; Zwingli dies in Swiss religious war 1532 the English clergy submit to the authority of Henry VIII, the Reformation has come to England 1533 Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn; Pizarro conquers Peru 1534 Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt, Duke Christopher of Württemberg, Duke Barnim IX of Pomerania, as well as the free imperial cities of Augsburg, Hanover, Frankfurt am Main, and Kempten join the Schmalkaldic League; Act of Supremacy in England; Loyola establishes Jesuit Order; Lübeck intervenes in Danish civil war 1535 Francis I of France joins the Schmalkaldic League but is forced to withdraw by anti-French factions within the League, despite letters of support from Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent; Emperor Charles V takes Tunis and occupies Milan on the death of the last Sforza duke 1536 renewed war between Charles V and Francis I; Pilgrimage of Grace, a Catholic rebellion in northern England, is ruthlessly suppressed; Lübeck is defeated 1537 the Turks fail to take Corfu 1538 End of Imperial-French war; Denmark allies with the Schmalkaldic League; Geneva joins Reformation 1539 Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg joins the Schmalkaldic League 1540 Edict of Fontainebleau: France begins systematic persecution of heretics 1541 Diet of Regensburg: failed attempt at religious compromise 1542 4th war between Charles V and Francis I 1543 Charles V allies with Henry VIII of England; Charles V annexes Guelders to the Netherlands; Copernicus’ ‘On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres’ is published in

154 Nuremburg, it introduces the heresy whereby the Sun replaces the Earth as the centre of the heavens; Copernicus receives the first copy of his book on his deathbed 1544 peace of Crépy between Charles V and Francis I 1545 Frederick III Elector of Palatine joins the Schmalkaldic League; opening of Council of Trento 1546 Emperor Charles V declares war on the Schmalkaldic League; Council of Trento moves to Bologna; Dominican Giovanni Maria Tolovanni condemns Copernican heresy 1547 Battle of Mühlberg – despite superior forces, the Schmalkaldic League loses to Emperor Charles V due to incompetence; Henry VIII of England dies, Duke of Somerset creates protectorship on behalf of Edward VI, declares war on Scotland, wins victory at Pinkie Cleugh; Ivan IV declares himself Tsar of all Russia 1548 French lend aid to Scots against Somerset’s attempt to conquer Scotland 1549 Prayer Book Rebellion (over new Book of Common Prayer) and Kett’s Rebellion in England over enclosures are suppressed after a hard fight 1550 John Dudley Earl of Warwick ousts Somerset as protector in England and is created Duke of Northumberland 1552 Peace of Passau: Emperor Charles V is forced to concede limited freedoms to Protestant but it is the end for his dream of a united Empire; Duke of Somerset is beheaded after trying to overthrow Dudley as protector 1553 Edward VI dies (Dudley calls in a female conjuror out of desperation but neither she nor the Royal physician saves the young King), Dudley tries to install Lady Jane Grey but fails, Mary becomes queen and Dudley is beheaded, he publicly recants and accepts Catholic communion before his death, Mary returns England to the Catholic church 1554 Lady Jane Grey is beheaded after her father, the Duke of Suffolk, joins Wyatt’s failed rebellion; Queen Mary of England marries Philip II of Spain; Mary of Guise becomes regent for her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots 1555 Peace of Augsburg grants Lutherans official status within the Empire and allows individual princes to choose their states’ official religion, Emperor Charles V abdicates, he’s succeeded by Philip II in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the New World territories and by Ferdinand as Emperor, he retires to the monastery of Yuste in Extramadura, Spain 1556 the Spanish and Austrian branches of the Habsburgs separate 1557 Battle of St Quentin – Spain defeats France; England enters war against France; Pope Paul IV forced to make peace with Spain 1558 France recaptures Calais, the last of England’s holdings from the Hundred Years War; Ivan IV starts Livonian War, capturing Narwa and Dorpat; Queen Mary of England dies and is succeeded by her sister, Elizabeth, England is again Protestant; ex-Emperor Charles V dies of malaria in Yuste in Extramadura, Spain 1559 Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis between France and Spain; regency of the Guise for Francis II of France; Poland and Denmark intervene against Ivan IV in Livonia 1560 first edicts of toleration in France; Francis II dies and Catherine de Medici becomes regent for Charles IX; Turks capture a Spanish-Italian fleet off Gerba, Tunisia 1561 Sweden intervenes in Livonian War 1562 Religious wars outbreak in France; opening of 3rd session of Council of Trento 1563 Peace of Ambois ends religious war in France with concessions to Huguenots; end of Council of Trento; Heidelberg catechism; Denmark and Lübeck declare war on Sweden 1565 the great but the Turks cannot be the Knights Hospitaller of Malta 1566 Rebellion in the Netherlands; Suleiman the Magnificent’s last campaign, in Hungary, is unsuccessful 1567 Duke of Alva arrives in Netherlands, sets up Council of Troubles; Huguenots reopen religious wars in France 1568 start of the Eighty Years War - the Netherlands seek independence from Spain; Peace of Longjumeau fails to end French religious wars; Moriscos revolt in Granada; Emperor 155 Maximilian II and Sultan Selim II conclude peace treaty; Eric XIV of Sweden overthrown by his brothers, John and Charles; Mary Queen of Scots flees to England 1569 Pope Pius V creates Cosimo de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany; rising of the Northern Earls in England 1570 the Turks besiege Cyprus; Peace of St Germaine gives Huguenots free worship and security; Moriscos defeated in Granada; Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth of England; Peace of Stettin ends war between Sweden and Denmark; Ivan IV destroys Novgorod 1571 the Turks capture Cyprus from the Venetians on condition the garrison are allowed to leave but the Turks break their word and their leader, Marco Antonio Bragadin is flayed alive, other commanders are beheaded; Christian relief force: Venetian, Papal, Genoese, Savoyard and Hospitaller, engages Turks at Lepanto and inflicts first major naval defeat in 200 years but Cyprus remains Turkish; Crimean Tartars burn Moscow 1572 The Sea Beggars conquer Zeeland and Holland; Massacre of St Bartholomew against Huguenots 1573 Alva is replaced by Requesens in Netherlands; Venice makes peace with Turks 1574 Turks recapture Tunis from Spain; Henry of Anjou is crowned King of Poland but returns to France as Henry III to renewed religious civil war 1575 Stephen Bathory is elected King of Poland 1576 Collapse of Spanish authority in the Netherlands; further concessions to Huguenots in France leads to formation of the Catholic Holy League 1578 renewed unrest in Netherlands and revolution in the cities, Alexander Farnese succeeds Don Juan of Austria as Governor-General; Battle of Alcazarquivir - the Turks drive the Portuguese from Morocco 1579 Unions of Arras and Utrecht split Netherlands in to Catholic and Protestant lands, respectively 1580 Truce between Spain and Turks; Philip II of Spain conquers Portugal; Sweden conquers Estonia and Ingria from Russia 1581 7 northern provinces of the Netherlands abjure from Spain, Duke of Anjou becomes their official sovereign; Ivan IV accidentally kills his heir after striking him on the head with his staff 1582 Treaty of Yam Zapolsky – Russia cedes Livonia to Poland 1583 Sweden retains its conquests in the Gulf of Finland 1584 death of Duke of Anjou, Henry of Navarre becomes heir to French throne; assassination of William of Orange 1585 Philip II of Spain allies with Duke of Guise Holy League; further civil war in France; Farnese conquers Brabant and Flanders; Earl of Leicester Governor-General of the Netherlands 1587 execution of Mary Queen of Scots after she’s convicted of intruiging against Queen Elizabeth; Drake singes the King of Spain’s beard at Cadiz; Henry of Navarre defeats Royal army at Coutras; Boris Gudonov becomes regent for imbecilic Tsar Feodor; Sigismund III, son of John III of Sweden, is elected King of Poland; beginning of Catholic reconquest of Poland 1588 Holy League drives Henry III from Paris in ‘Day of the Barricades’; England defeats the ; Henry orders the murder of the Duke of Guise 1589 Henry III assassinated; Henry of Navarre fights Holy League and its Spanish allies for the throne of France to become Henry IV 1591 Philip II of Spain defeats rebellion in Aragon; Dmitri, younger son of Ivan IV is murdered, ostensibly by Boris Gudonov 1593 Henry IV of France returns to the Catholic faith; war between Turks and the Empire 1594 Henry IV enters Paris; rebellion in Ireland 1595 France declares war on Spain; Charles of Södermanland becomes regent of Sweden over his nephew Sigismund III, who remained King of Poland 156 1596 French alliance with England and Netherlands against Spain; Union of Brześć between Catholic church of Poland and Greek Orthodox of Lithuania 1598 Edict of Nantes; Peace of Vervins ends war between France and Spain; after the death of the last Este duke, Pope Clement VIII reclaims Ferrara; Feodor of Russian dies, Boris starts Gudonov dynasty 1600 Swedish Riksdag deposes Sigismund III and gives government to Charles of Södermanland; Henry IV of France invades Savoy

157 The Book of Fugger

Background: Brunhilde von Stolberg am Rhine is a noblewoman adventuring in the guise of Bruno with her small entourage of her maid, Helga, a german knight, Peter von Thorn, and a Portuguese rogue named Rodrigo.

After saving Jacob Fugger from robbery, he hires them as his agents to retrieve a stolen book. The above named player characters can be supplemented by Jacob’s two landsknecht guards.

While designed for the above pre-generated characters, this adventure can be run with the players’ own characters, but the PCs should include at least 1 noble and the majority of the party should be competent in hand-to-hand combat. It may be helpful to have one with a facility for magic.

Introduction: Augsburg is the second oldest city in the Holy Roman Empire. It is also the wealthiest; a city of merchant bankers, the foremost of whom are the Fuggers. Already the phrase ‘as rich as Fugger’ has become ubiquitous across Germany and Italy.

The Fugger fortunes were built on trading silver to Venice in return for silks, spices and other goods from the Orient. These goods travel over the Brenner Pass, which may be passable at any time of year, though most traffic passes over from April through September.

But this year the snows were hard and Countess Brunhilde von Stolberg am Rhine, Sir Peter von Thorn, Helga and Rodriguez del Puerto were forced to winter in Bolzano, coming over the pass in mid-March from Italy, passing through Innsbruck and reaching Munich a week later.

Munich, the seat of the Dukes of Bavaria, is riven by tension between the current Duke, William IV, and his brother, Louis. There are also uncomfortable rumblings about sales of indulgences by Dominican friars. After a few tedious weeks in the town, Brunhilde expresses an interest in the annual duel-fest in Augsburg in June. Augsburg is a free city governed by representatives of the guilds – though the Archbishop also has influence.

The Heist: so you find yourselves in Augsburg (the picture below is the view from the Munich road) the evening of Monday May 4th 1517, riding up a street which directions tell you should be

the Weinmarkt but which you are just beginning to suspect is not. It’s just getting dark and the 158 street seems empty, the right of the street is a vast building-site, with small houses taking shape as far as the eye can see. The weather has been fine all day with just a light breeze.

At this point anyone making a Listen test (9) hears the sound of steel being drawn down an alley to the left but before anyone can react a distant rough voice demands ‘Just give us your purse, moneybags, and we’ll let you go’.

Assuming they investigate: the alley is narrow, wide enough for only 1 on horseback, who must go carefully to avoid hitting his head on overhead projections, such as houses.

Fifty yards down the alley, where two more alleys feed in from the right to create a semi-circular mini-plaza, a very well-dressed old man and two landsknecht guards are surrounded by a gang of at least 6 ruffians armed with a variety of weapons, including a couple of swords and one crossbow.

There are actually 8 street thugs: Anton Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Fearful 9 12 12 11 12 10 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 4 + hatchet -3 + Phs -1 = +0; damage is d6+1-1 Melee: 1 + hatchet -1 + Phs -1 = -1; damage is d6+1-1

Boris Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Uncertain 11 12 9 10 11 13 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 2 + knife -1 + Phs 0 = +1; damage is d4+1

Caesar Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Uncertain 11 11 10 12 12 11 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 2 + unarmed 0 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d3-1 Melee: 1 + heavy club -1 + Phs 0 = +0; damage is d8+2

Dieter Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Fearful 11 12 13 12 10 9 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d4+2

Emil Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Uncertain 11 10 12 12 10 12 10 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d4+2

Fritz Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Aggressive 12 11 12 12 10 10 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 5 + shortsword -1 + Phs +1 = +5; damage is d4+1+1 Melee: 1 + shortsword +1 + Phs +1 = +3; damage is d6+1+1

Gustav Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Aggressive 13 12 10 12 8 10 14 5 4 4 6 5 5 5 Brawl: 4 + unarmed 0 + Phs +1 = +5; damage is d3-1+d2 Melee: 4 + heavy club -1 + Phs +1 = +4; damage is d8+2+d2

Herman Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Measured 11 10 10 12 13 12 10 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d4+2 Melee: 3 + broadsword 0 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Crossbow: 3 + Grc +1 = +4; damage is 2d6 159

Herman is the talker and the leader. Of the rest of his band Gustav and Fritz react aggressively, moving immediately to attack newcomers. Anton and Dieter drop back, clearly unwilling to fight. Boris, Emil and Caesar await developments. Herman calmly shoots his crossbow at an interloper if he has a line of sight, or at one of the landsknechts. The moment the odds look too long, Herman vaults over a wall and the rest of the band scatter.

An Evening at Home with Jacob Fugger: The old man (see picture) is Jacob Fugger; his two bodyguards are named Adolf and Ludwig.

Fugger insists on taking ‘Bruno’, Sir Peter, Rodriguez and Helga back to his home on the Weinmarkt where they are royally entertained. Brunhilde and Peter dine at his table, Rodriguez and Helga in the servants’ hall with Adolf and Ludwig but on excellent fare, far better than mere servants are accustomed to. Those servants that have their own homes have already gone but there are half-a-dozen who sleep on the premises and at least one will be willing to gossip. All are thoroughly loyal to their employer and will brook no criticism of him.

Jacob indulges in conversation: it comes out that he has no children of his own. He has recently adopted his nephew, Anton, as his heir and will leave him a substantial fortune even after paying for the Fuggerei, a housing estate intended for the poor of Augsburg, “Such as those poor wretches we encountered tonight.”

Jacob also collects works of art and has a substantial library, “mainly of humanist works”. When he mentions his book collection, he turns thoughtful, “Mmm! I wonder…” then he returns to his usual incisive manner, “…I wonder whether you might be interested in helping me in a matter of some delicacy? I perceive that you are in need of money, of which God has blessed me with a surfeit, while am in need of agents of discretion.

“Two years ago I purchased a book from the Aldine Press in Milan. Aldus Manucci specialised in printing humanist works in 160 the original Greek and Latin and I have dealt with him several times in the past. His work is good and his credentials irreproachable.

“But regrettably, Herr Manucci died two years ago and my purchase has been tied up in his estate. Then I learned last December that my book was finally on its way but, as you are only too well aware, this winter was hard and the courier was held up in Bolzano for some months.

“With the thaw in March I have been expecting my book to arrive at any time but it seems the courier, a merchant by the name of Albert von Sterzing, has vanished. I have made some inquiries and he was last heard of in Innsbruck. Albert is of good character, I believe he was murdered and my book stolen. He was carrying little else of value so I expect it was stolen to order. I resigned myself to having lost the book; I am out of pocket but, thanks be to God, I can afford to lose a few guilders.

“But then I received this letter (see letter) from someone calling himself ‘The Scourge’, offering me my book on payment of 200 guilders. He is willing to make the exchange at the old gibbet at the Meringerstrasse crossroads on the west bank of the River Lech some 7 miles south of Augsburg at dawn tomorrow.

“Now the money means nothing to me and I still want this work in my collection but I need an agent to act on my behalf, someone I can rely on to keep his word and not simply abscond with my money. The seller demands no more than two persons at the exchange.

“Aside from mundane complications, such as the seller not having the book or attempting extortion, I fear some delicacy may be needed. I purchased the book from Aldus Manucci perfectly legally in 1515 but Pope Leo X, before closing the Fifth Lateran Council in March, elected to add three tomes to the Papal list of forbidden books originally published by Alexander VI. Regretfully, my book is among these works, despite the Pope’s impeccable humanist education in Florence (you know he’s the son of Lorenzo de Medici).

“I hasten to add that my purchase was made before there was any mention of its anathematisation and so I regard my purchase as legitimate. Of course, as men of the World, we understand that rules for the common man may not necessarily apply to we who occupy a higher plane of existence. Once I have perused the work myself, I shall decide whether to enact the Pope’s order of incineration.

“What I desire is, first of all, my book. If I have to expend 200 guilders to reclaim my own property then so be it. But it is my property and if it is at all possible to regain my book more cheaply then I would be very grateful to whoever helped me.

“However, it would wound my merchant’s heart deeply to expend such a sum fruitlessly. In view of the possible dangers involved and the matter of delicacy required, I am willing to pay both of you 4 guilders to act on my behalf. In case you require force to overawe The Scourge, I shall also loan you my landsknecht bodyguards – I had only hired them with the prospect of having to make this assignation myself. If you reclaim my book without costing me the 200 guilders, then I will be very grateful indeed.”

Appearance: Jakob is medium height but burly build. His dark hair goes grey early but his shrewd intelligence and determination show clearly in his expression. A workaholic, he nonetheless takes time from his mercantile and political activities to build an impressive library of works of humanist philosophy. His reading leads him to become very socially aware in his later years. Merchant Prince Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP DB Native Language: Italian 13 13 12 14 15 13 11 +d2 161 Virtues: wealthiest man in Christendom (6); +15 skill pts (4); +8 attribute pts (2) Flaws: Owed huge amounts of money by the Emperor (6); hated by Protestants (4); feels guilt over his amassed wealth (2) Skills: Accounting 6, Appraise (bullion) 6, Bargain 6, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Etiquette 1, Gossip 1, History 2, Language: Greek 2, Language: Italian 4, Language: Latin 4, Persuade 4, Philosophy 3, Politics 4, Read/Write 6, Ride 3

The Old Gibbet: assuming Brunhilde and company wish to scout out the exchange, they find The Scourge has chosen well. The old gibbet at the Meringerstrasse crossroads on the west bank of the River Lech has no cover for several hundred yards in any direction. May 5th is full moon; there is no chance of concealing extra people close enough to intervene in the event of unpleasantness but Helga notices the adjacent river and recalls her Call Obscuring Mists spell on test of Int (8). The weather is perfect, just the lightest of breezes.

Shortly before midnight, two brigands arrive early on horseback from the west. Neither are particularly bright and they approach the Old Gibbet regardless of visibility. Their voices can be heard clearly, discussing how useful the fog is as it will allow them to wait unseen and count how many people Fugger is bringing.

The moment they see more than 2 people waiting, they try to escape. If surrounded, they give up; neither is a hero. If offered the money in return for the book, Klaus sneers; “Well, yer see someone else is after it, too. Offered more money, they have, so the price has gone up. It’s…er…300 guilders now.”

Hans Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL 14 12 10 12 8 10 14 5 4 4 6 5 5 5 Brawl: 4 + dagger -1 + Phs +2 = +5; damage is d4+2+d3 Melee: 3 + broadsword +0 + Phs +2 = +5; damage is d8+1+d3

Klaus Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL 10 11 15 12 10 10 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d4+2 Melee: 3 + shortsword +1 + Phs 0 = +4; damage is d6+1 Crossbow: 3 + Grc +1 = +4; damage is 2d6

Klaus and Hans don’t have the book but under any questioning they admit that the boss, ‘The Scourge’, has it still, though it’s true that another party is interested. “Tell yer wot – let us go an we’ll show you the way. After all, we ain’t dun nuffin.”

Gasthof Zum Mohren: the brigands currently operate out of an inn in Landsberg, 18 miles south of the old gibbet. The landlord gets a cut of their take. Their method is to watch the inn’s clientele for poorly defended merchants or other wealthy travellers. The brigands simply take note of where they are going and arrange an ambush. They move on every few weeks to prevent forces of law and order catching up with them.

The Gasthof Zum Mohren is a huge five-story inn serving travellers passing through Landsberg-am- Lech between Augsburg and Innsbruck and the other Alpine pass towns. The top floor rooms are for the servants. The guest rooms are all at the front of the house: the 3rd floor comprises 6 single rooms. The 1st and 2nd floors have 6 large rooms with large double beds. The 1st floor also has 2 162 communal dormitories. The ground floor has the hall to the left of the passage to the courtyard. This extends upward with a stair to the balcony serving the 1st floor rooms. The guest room immediately over the hall is, of course, charged at a lower rate to the other two, which are quieter, but it is this room that The Scourge has taken as his own, since the balcony and stair commands excellent access to the hall. The innkeeper’s family occupy rooms at the rear on the 2nd floor. The kitchens, bathhouse and brewhouse are at the rear on the ground floor to the right. At the right front is a private function room. The passage serves the usual courtyard with stables to the rear, separate from the inn itself.

In the morning the inn is near empty but several merchants and their flunkies (including 2 landsknechts who Ludwig reckons aren’t real landsknechts at all), 2 Dominican friars, a couple of local farmers, and 2 brigand spies arrive in the afternoon. The landlord introduces himself as Martin Keller and shows them in to the hall. He advises that there is gaming available in a back room this evening and asks what they would like to eat and drink.

If the party allow either Hans or Klaus to enter the inn they make a secret sign to the spies, one of whom nips upstairs and alerts The Scourge, who tells his lieutenant to take care of it. The brigands observe the party for a short while to get their measure before a dozen well-armed brigands charge in from all 4 doors. Tavin and Wolfgang (the lieutenant) shoot crossbows from above before joining the fray.

If Hans and Klaus are kept away from the inn and the party enter surreptitiously, then no fight may ensue. In which case change the timings so that the demon attacks after Peter enters the bar, or at least when he’s in a position to see the thing fly in through the upstairs window.

Helga’s sixth sense alerts her that she’s being watched on test of Int (8). If she looks about she notices one old man whom the others don’t. He’s an odd-looking fellow, clean-shaven but with long white hair and an eye-patch over his left eye. His clothes look a little like clerical vestments but he doesn’t seem to be a priest. However the cloth is good quality and looks new. Perhaps he’s a foreign bishop or abbot?

However, Helga notices that he notices her noticing and on test of Psy (8)she realises the old man is a fellow practitioner but before she can take things further a dozen thieves break in and force a vicious fight.

Most guests stay neutral (the ‘landsknechts’ vanish) and cower as the party battle it out. If things go badly the 1-eyed stranger intervenes and the bandits start to suffer delusions, cramps, etc. Otherwise he leaves the inn.

Leon Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Cautious 10 10 12 11 12 10 10 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + hatchet -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d6+1

Manfred Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Cautious 11 10 10 10 11 13 10 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 4 + knife -1 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d4+1 163

Norbet Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Bold 12 11 13 12 12 11 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 2 + dagger -1 + Phs +1 = +2; damage is d4+2+1

Otto Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Cautious 12 11 12 12 10 9 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 2 + dagger -1 + Phs +1 = +2; damage is d4+2+1

Paul Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Reckless 12 11 12 12 10 12 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs +1 = +3; damage is d4+2+1

Rolf Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Reckless 8 10 12 12 10 10 8 3 2 2 4 3 3 3 Brawl: 3 + shortsword -1 + Phs -2 = +0; damage is d4+1-d2

Sigmund Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Reckless 11 12 11 12 8 10 12 5 4 4 6 5 5 5 Brawl: 2 + knife -1 + Phs 0 = +1; damage is d4+1

Tavin Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Reckless 12 10 11 10 13 12 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs +1 = +3; damage is d4+2+1 Crossbow: 3 + Grc 0 = +3; damage is 2d6

Ulrich Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Fearful 10 11 11 12 10 12 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +2; damage is d4+2

Viktor Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Bold 11 11 11 12 10 10 11 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 4 + shortsword -1 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d4+1

Werner Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Fearful 11 8 11 12 8 10 8 3 2 2 4 3 3 3 Brawl: 4 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d4+2

Wolfgang Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Bold 14 10 10 12 13 12 12 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 Brawl: 3 + dagger -1 + Phs +2 = +4; damage is d4+2+d3 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 Crossbow: 2 + Grc +1 = +3; damage is 2d6

As the fight draws to a close, a shattering crash is heard from upstairs; “Oh what now?” exclaims the innkeeper as terrifying screams follow.

Purely by chance, Peter is closest to the stairs and presumably is up them first. As he charges up the stairs he meets two thugs hurtling down but looking back over their shoulders, clearly terrified. Peter must make a test of Phs (8) to avoid being knocked over on the stairs.

At the top, Peter hears shrill screams and an indescribable snarling noise, as of some fearful beast. The door of an upstairs private room has been pushed to but Peter easily shoulders it open. Peter (or 164 whoever) sees a horrible scene. People with a warrior background must make a test of Psy (7) to function, others need to roll Psy (9); complete non-combatants may roll Psy (11). (Special cases: Peter rolls Psy (5) thanks to his sword, Joyeuse; Adolf rolls Psy (9) due to his fear of the supernatural; if Rodrigo fails his Psy (9) his demon enrages his heart and throws him in to the fray.)

Dominating the room, a hideous demonic winged thing has one claw clamped around the throat of a sword-wielding brigand. Another claw is tearing the man’s face off while two more apparently disembowel him. The victim’s sword slips from his fingers as he expires. A horrible stench fills the room, a mixture of human excrement, blood and gore, and brimstone.

In the corner to the left another man lies prone, weakly trying to push his intestines back inside his belly; a vicious slash down the right side of his face has cost him an eye. A third man is hurriedly rifling the far corner of the room, apparently unfazed by the demon at his back.

The demon looks up at Peter and snarls, carelessly flinging the corpse aside. The way the body flies across the room to impact the wall hints at the vast strength possessed by the thing. Peter’s warrior reflexes pull his sword on guard just as the hideous thing launches itself at him.

Demon Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ura ula lra lla ch ab rl ll tl 18 18 18 - 6 18 22 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 9 8 8 8 8 Brawl: 7; damage is d8+2d3 Armour 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Melee: 5; damage is d8+2d3 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 11-12 9-10 8 6-7 4-5 2-3 1

People can come to the door but entering is highly dangerous with the frantic whirl of talon and blade. Anyone shooting randomly in to the melee rolls a d6 hitting the creature on a 4-6, Peter on a 2-3 and either the prone bandit or the other man on a 1. Someone who waits for the right moment (over several turns) can get off one clear shot (bullet, thrown knife or crossbow bolt) at the demon at their full skill percentage. It has no effect.

Any hit by the demon turns the melee in to a brawl but Peter can make a Grc test (7) to place his blade between him and the creature as it draws him forward, forcing the creature to relinquish him.

Peter’s sword does double damage to the demon. He should win. If Peter goes down then Agrippa may intervene, banishing the demon with a Word of Power. Either way, once the HP are exceeded the demon vanishes in a puff of foul-smelling smoke, leaving a room liberally splashed with blood and gore.

Each round there is a cumulative 10% chance that the thief will leap out of the window. If the demon is slain he will leap out on the following round. His name is Stefan Taube.

When the Fight is Over: once Taube is gone and the demon is no more, there’s only the poor wretch dying slowly on the floor holding his guts in his hands. His name is Carl Zimmer, AKA ‘the Scourge’. He has led the brigands successfully for the last 2 years but now he knows he’s dying. He groans, ‘a priest, get me a priest’. (Someone should remember the Dominicans downstairs.)

The friar puts his rosary in Carl’s bloody hands and asks him to make his peace with God, granting him absolution. If someone asks after the stolen book either during this or just after, Carl tells them to go to hell, at which the friar snaps, ‘That’s just where you’ll be going if die with sin on your soul; make such restoration as you can while you have the chance!”

165 Obviously cowed by the thought of what awaits him, Carl gasps, “Taube…hired us…to steal the…book…for his…patron…wouldn’t…give a name…thought…we might…get more if…we played…each side.”

He gasps and coughs blood; clearly his last moments are coming. If asked where it is he responds, “My…men?” (Presumably he’s told they’re all dead, wounded and/or captured and nods bitterly at the information) “Verdamned…book…killed…us all…ask…Keller…”

Carl dies but it doesn’t take long for someone to volunteer that the innkeeper is called Martin Keller. Keller says he keeps guests’ valuables in his lockup in his own room. Zimmer has given him a heavy satchel but he has no idea what was in it. “But who’s going to pay for all this?”

With a little soft-talk from the gentry, Keller can be prevailed to hand over the satchel.

Outside the Inn: If someone has thought to follow the 1-eyed man out the inn (he left during the fight), then they may be in a position to intercept Stefan Taube. Otherwise the 1-eyed man will do so, with a spell.

Stefan Taube Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP Hd LA RA Ch Ab RL LL Aggressive 11 15 12 14 13 12 15 5 4 4 6 5 5 5 Brawl: 4 + dagger -1 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d4+2 Melee: 3 + broadsword +0 + Phs 0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Jump 3

If Taube is questioned he proves very hard to crack; he seems more afraid of his patron than anything the party are likely to do to him. Helga may be able to put real fear in to Taube but just as he seems about to speak, his voice changes to something horrible, barbarously accented, but female. “This one will tell you nothing, spawn of the West.” And then something seems to consume Taube from within and he dies writhing in agony. As the body settles in the night, a huge cloud of insects burst from his open mouth and his skin sags. Investigation reveals that his skin and bones are intact but most of the flesh is eaten away from within.

On his left hand is a ring of bone with a piece of polished amber, made from a section of human arm bone. A strange symbol of a diamond with an arrow on top is carved in the stone. Helga may sense it is magical (Magic Sense+Int (7)).

Examining the Book: although stained with dried blood (probably the merchant’s), the contents are dry and undamaged. It measures 18” x 11½” and is covered in fine quality leather. The text is in Greek and none of those present pretend to understand it. Wherever the party are examining it, the 1-eyed old man will appear and ask to speak with the new owners.

The 1-eyed old man: if asked for a name, the old man says he is known in these parts as Agrippa. An Int test (10) by anyone identifies him as a famous scholar and magician (success by 5+ gives Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and success by 10+ gives Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim and the fact that he lectures in France – PCs with pretensions to humanist scholarship should have much higher chances of knowing the name - +3 on test).

Agrippa asks, “What are your intentions regarding that book?” If told that they are recovering it for their patron, Agrippa warns, “I didn’t ask the Pope to ban it for nothing; it’s dangerous! It was written by a madman centuries ago, at the time of one of the greatest onslaughts by the East upon the West. That threat was thwarted by Charles Martel.”

166 He says, “The thing that killed the brigands was a teyirang, a fearsome demon from the East, beyond the Golden Horde. I am astonished that you vanquished the thing without resort to an artefact.” If Peter reveals Joyeuse, Agrippa immediately recognises it, “Pon my damned soul – the sword of Charlemagne himself; well that explains a lot!” He looks at Peter with wonder.

“I believe the demon was sent by a magician-priestess from the Tartar lands who has come seeking that book. My…inquiries…indicate she wishes to use the book to enhance her powers. I believe she intends to use it to call down an affliction upon the West.

“The last time this happened, 200 years ago, the Great Pestilence swept out of the Tartar lands and slaughtered a third of all Christians. Ever since then the West has been on the defensive: the Turks advancing relentlessly in the Balkans; the Teutonic Knights, Lithuanians and Poles tearing themselves apart, at the mercy of an unholy alliance between Muscovy and the Tartars; and England and France at each other’s throats. But if she gets her hands on the book she will do something far worse.

“Those of us able to read the signs have long known that these few years, from 1515, are crucial. The West is vulnerable and many things are unsettling her. The Pope is about to face the greatest schism the Church has ever known and it will plunge all of Europe in to turmoil for more than a century. The West will remain vulnerable. That book is evil and should be burned, unless you want to see Tartars in Bremen and Turks in Vienna.”

If told that the book must go back to Jacob Fugger, Agrippa says, “So I cannot persuade you otherwise? Very well! Perhaps Herr Fugger will listen to reason. May I ride with you to Augsburg?”

Jacob Fugger meets Agrippa: when introduced to Agrippa, Jacob shakes him warmly by the hand, “I have but recently acquired your De occulta philosophia libri tres and I greatly admire it, my dear sir”. Agrippa might look very slightly shifty and confesses that he feels there has been a case of mistaken identity. He is not Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim but Ambrosius Aurelianus Agrippa. Jacob is slightly taken aback but warms to his guest as he reveals a shrewd and well- educated mind.

Agrippa repeats his assertion that the book is inherently evil (‘it killed Aldus Manucci’) and that a Tartar magician-priestess seeks to use it to cripple the West to allow her people of the East to overthrow Europe’s eastern borders.

Jacob examines his book; he has a smattering of Greek and quickly perceives the text is dense and dealing with occult matters. He is unwilling to part with it until he’s had a chance to read it thoroughly.

“Are you sure?” asks Agrippa, “Then let me ensure it is protected and perhaps we can set a trap for her.”

Jacob seems doubtful, asking Agrippa to step outside, he asks Brunhilde and Co their opinion, as they have seen Agrippa and may have a better grasp of this matter and his personality. They should be able to persuade Jacob to let Agrippa do his thing.

Whether or not Jacob Fugger agrees to Agrippa’s scheme, he pays Brunhilde and Peter their 4 guilders each and then gives half of whatever portion of the 200 guilders saved by their exertions.

167 In Fugger’s Library: Agrippa asks for salt, lots of salt, and asks Helga’s aid in drawing a pentagram in the stone floor of Jacob’s ground floor library. Once complete, Agrippa sets the book in the centre; everyone assumes places for ambush and wait for nightfall. Agrippa takes a place of safety with Jacob on a gallery.

Shortly before midnight, 4 winged Eliye, bird-like demons with scimitars, fly down out of the clouds, entering the library by the chimney.

As the Eliye distract the party, Khenbishmaa’s spirit walks unseen in the darkness. (Helga feels her presence on a test of Psy (8).) Khenbishmaa produces an ethnic looking pipe on which she makes a strange eldritch fluting.

Helga notices that Khenbishmaa and the demons all wear strange wooden stilts on their ‘feet’ that keep them a foot off the ground. She surmises that they are attached to the element of air, in which case they cannot withstand the element of earth. She advises that the easiest way to defend all combatants to cut their palms to let the blood run on to their sword blades and hold the points of their swords to the stone floor of the library, maintaining a connection with the earth. They can then fence with their daggers.

If a connection with Earth is not made, then the piping causes all who hear it to be overcome with dizziness, forcing Grc (9) tests to remain upright and slashing melee skills. All who fall down on the earth recover within 1 round but if they fight from the ground the Eliye get +1 for their height advantage and the prone combatant’s melee skill is halved. Khenbishmaa lets the Eliye distract the party while she grabs the book.

Eliye 1 Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ra la ch ab rl ll 10 15 18 - 9 15 15 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 Melee: 3 + Scimitar +0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Armour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 12 9-11 5-8 1-4

Eliye 2 Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ra la ch ab rl ll 10 15 18 - 9 15 15 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 Melee: 3 + Scimitar +0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Armour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 12 9-11 5-8 1-4

Eliye 3 Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ra la ch ab rl ll 10 15 18 - 9 15 15 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 Melee: 3 + Scimitar +0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Armour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 12 9-11 5-8 1-4

Eliye 4 Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd rw lw ra la ch ab rl ll 10 15 18 - 9 15 15 5 4 4 4 4 6 5 5 5 Melee: 3 + Scimitar +0 = +3; damage is d8+1 Armour 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 D20 19-20 18 17 15-16 13-14 12 9-11 5-8 1-4

Khenbishmaa Phs Con Qck Grc Int Psy HP hd ra la ch ab rl ll 8 18 16 12 18 20 15 5 4 4 6 5 5 5 Brawl: 2 + unarmed + Phs -2 = +0; damage d3-1-d2 Armour 1 2 2 7 7 2 2 Location D20 19-20 16-18 13-15 12 9-11 5-8 1-4

Peter’s sword, Joyeuse, should make short work of any Eliye, provided he keeps a link to Earth. Agrippa quietly removes a shoe and nicks his foot with his dagger. Everyone else may be in trouble.

168 Agrippa has his work cut out with Khenbishmaa but with his pentagram and his magical assaults, she will probably realise that she has been thwarted and vanish as she comes. Any surviving Eliye leave soon after, back up the chimney.

Any Eliye that die float slowly to the ceiling, where they evaporate over the next hour, but Eliye that touch the ground shrivel until they finish up as mummified monkeys.

If Khenbishmaa leaves with the book, Agrippa is horrified and demand all those present help him retrieve it. Otherwise he advises Jacob to destroy it, which he does, having seen demons for himself.

About the Book: it's the Necronomicon, black-letter edition, which means the printing resembles Gothic handwriting and is hard to read until you're used to it. This is a Greek text. The book itself measures 18” x 11½” and is covered in fine quality leather. It was Aldus Manucci’s last work.

The letter:

Herr Fugger, Iv yor buk, the wun lost inna Alps. Iff yew stil wan it, bee at the ole gibbet at the Meringerstrasse crosrodes on the west bank of the river wif 200 guilders tomow at dawn. Bring no moor than 1 uvver. The Scorge

Map of Augsburg Area Helga’s Divinations Helga’s tarot cards may throw up the following correspondences:

Khenbishmaa: Helga’s cards reveal the Devil (reversed) is acting against them. She is hidden and intends them harm, intending to act against Jacob Fugger soon.

1-eyed old man: he appears to be the Magician. The cards are contradictory regarding his intentions as he seems to be both on Helga’s side and not.

The Devil (especially reversed) – either Khenbishmaa or one of her demons;

The King of Cups – Jacob Fugger;

The Chariot – the Teutonic Knights

169 Renaissance Price List

Currency: Country Gold Value Weight Notes England Sovereign 20 shillings 16.05g Empire Gulden 60 Kreuzer Florence Florin 7 lire 3.5g Netherlands Guilder 20 schillings Spain Escudo 16 Reals 3.385g Venice Ducat 7 lire 3.49g

Country Silver Value Copper Weight Notes England Shilling 12 Pennies 9g England Penny 0.8g Empire Kreuzer 4 Pfennig Italy (most cities) Lire 20 soldi Italy (most cities) Soldo 12 denari Netherlands Schilling 12 Pfennig Spain Peso 8 Reals 29.2g ‘pieces of eight’ Spain Real 34 Maravedi 3.67g

Exchange rates for gold coinage: 1 sovereign = 4.25 ducats = 4.25 florins = 4 escudos = 7.5 gulden

In England a gold sovereign is worth 20 silver shillings or 240 silver pennies but under the Tudors the silver currency becomes so debased all foreign contries refuse to accept it. The gulden was similarly debased and to varying extents (each German city within the Empire produces its own coinage) but all gold coinage is exchanged on its actual gold content by weight, hence the exchange rates for gold are stable. In the game we assume the coinage in the Empire and the Netherlands is a constant and ignore the effects of inflation, which is rampant throughout the 16th Century at least partly due to Spain flooding the market with silver from the New World.

Wages Empire Italy London Spain Mercenaries: knight banneret/day 6G 3D 2L 16s 16s 3E 3¼R knight/day 3G 1D 4L 18s 8s 1E 9½R man-at-arms or squire/day 1½G 5L 19s 4s 9¾R Regular Army Esquires, constables, and centenars/day 50k 3⅓L 2s 3d 7¼R Mounted archers, hobilars, vintenars/day 25k 1⅔L 1s 1½d 3½R Armoured infantry/day 25k 1⅔L 1s 1½d 3½R Landsknecht Sergeant/mth 8G 4D 3¾L £1 1s 4d 3E 4¼R Landsknecht/mth 4G 2D 1L 17s 10s 8d 2E 2R Landsknecht Chaplain/mth 12G 6D 5L 12s £1 12s 6E 6½R Colonel/mth 400G 226D 4⅔L £53 6s 8d 213E 5⅓R Lieutenant-Colonel/mth 100G 56D 4⅔L £13 6s 8d 53E 5⅓R Captain/mth 40G 22D 4⅔L £5 6s 8d 21E 5⅓R Lieutenant/mth 20G 11D 2⅓L £2 13s 4d 10E 10⅔R Ensign/mth 20G 11D 2⅓L £2 13s 4d 10E 10⅔R Drummer/trumpeter/piper/mth 4G 2D 1L 17s 10s 8d 2E 2R Doctor/mth 40G 22D 4⅔L £5 6s 8d 21E 5⅓R Bodyguard/mth 4G 2D 1L 17s 10s 8d 2E 2R Labourer/day 7k 10s 4d 1R Baron per yr 625G – 2500G+ 350-1400D £80-£333 333-1333E Reichsgraf per yr 1000G – 27500G 566-15,500D £133-£3667 533-14,666E Sergeant at Law (top lawyer) per yr 3500G 2000D £462 8s 1850E Chief armourer/mth 14G 11k 8D 1¾L £1 18s 10d 7E 12r Other armourers in same shop/mth 9G 5D ¾L £1 4s 4E 129¾R Apprentices in same shop/day 11k 1p 15s 6d 1½R Master mason/day 2G 15k 1D 1L 18½s 6s 1E 3¼R 170 Master carpenter/day 45k 3L 2s 6½R Carpenters' Guild stipend to a sick member/wk 20G 11D 1⅓L £2 12s 8d 10E 8½R Weaver/day, no food 12k 16s 6½d 1¾R Chantry priest per yr 70G 39D 2¾L £9 5s 5d 37E 1½R Carters, porters, falconers grooms, messengers/dy11k 1p 15s 6d 1½R Kitchen servants/dy 3½k 5s 2d ½R

Weapons: Empire Italy London Spain Wheel-lock pistol 7½G 2D 3L 17s £1 4s 2E 6½R Pair of wheel-lock pistols + tools 25½G 14D 3L £3 8s 13E 10R Holsters for pistols 11k 1pf 15s 6d 1½R Wheel-lock carbine 20G 7D 1L £3 8s 6E 13R Shoulder belt for carbine 22½k 1½L 1s 3¼R Matchlock Musket 6G 34k 3D 5L £1 3E 8R Matchlock Arquebus 5G 37½k 3D 1⅓L 15s 3E Latch Crossbow 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Arbalest 2G 15k 1D 2L 6s 1E 3¼R Longbow - - 2s 6d - Shortbow 1G 4L - 8R Bowstring 3¾pf 1¼s ½d 4½m Cosh 2pf ½s ¼d 2¼m Light Club 2k 2½s 1d 9m Heavy Club 2⅓k 3s 1¼d 11m Dirk/Knife * 3½k 5s 2d ½R Dagger * 6½k 8½s 3½d 32m Falchion 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Hatchet 9½k 12½s 5d 1⅓R Wood Axe 13k 17½s 7d 2R Gladius/Shortsword 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m War Axe 34k 2¼L 1s 6d 4¾R Mace 45k 3L 2s 6½R Cutlass/Broadsword 45k 3L 2s 6½R Sabre/Longsword 45k 3L 2s 6½R Rapier/Epee * 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Foil * 1G 3¾L 2s 6d 8R Hand-and-a-half Sword 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E Double-handed Axe 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Double-handed Sword 2G 15k 1D 2L 6s 1E 3¼R Short Spear 6½k 8½s 3½d 32m Long Spear 11k 15s 6d 1½R Halberd/Bill 1G 2k 4L 2s 2s 9d 8¾R Shield 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Target or Buckler 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E

Ammunition: Empire Italy London Spain Dozen arrows 1G 5L 1s 6d 10R 12 lead shot (musket) 6D 12 lead shot (arquebus) 4D 12 lead shot (pistol) 3D 6 shot bullet mold 11k 1pf 15s 6d 1½R Powder/lb (¼ of projectile weight/shot) 18¾k 1L 5s 10d 2⅔R lead/lb (34 pistol, 20 arquebus, 14 musket shot) 3D

Armour: Empire Italy London Spain Armet 2G 50k 1D 4½L 7s 6d 1E 8R Barbute 1G 26k 5¾L 3s 10d 12¼R Bascinet 2G 22½k 1D 2L 8s 6s 4d 1E 4¼R Burgonet 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Cervelliere/cap 43k 2L 17s 1s 11d 6R 4½m Great Helm 2G 15k 1D 2L 6s 1E 3¼R Kettle hat 1G 3¾L 2s 6d 8R Morion 1G 15k 5L 3s 4d 10⅔R

171 Nasal helmet 52½k 3½L 2s 4d 7½R Salade 1G 11k 4½L 3s 2d 10R 4½m Coif 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E Arming cap 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Chamfron (for horse) 2½G 1D 2L 18s 6s 8d 1E 5⅓R Milanese harness 62½G 20D 3L £8 6s 8d 33E 5⅓R Pauldrons (plate *) 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E Couters (plate *) 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E Vambraces (plate *) 2½G 1D 2L 18s 6s 8d 1E 5⅓R Cuirass (plate *) 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Placart (plate *) 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Faulds (plate *) 5G 37½k 3D 1⅓L 15s 3E Cuises (plate *) 4½G 2D 3L 17s 12s 2E 6⅓R Greaves (plate *) 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E Sabatons (plate *) 4G 41k 2D 4½L 12s 6d 2E 8R Total (plate *) 51G 15k 29D 6s £6 16s 8d 27E 5⅓R Full normal harness made locally 25G 14D 1L 3s £3 6s 8d 13E 5⅓R

Jack (brigandine) 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Vambraces (brigandine) 1G 15k 5L 3s 4d 10⅔R Greaves (brigandine) 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E

Hauberk (mail) 22½G 12D 5¼L £3 12E Habergeon (mail) 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E Shirt (mail) 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Sleeves (mail) 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Hose (mail) 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E Chauses (mail) 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E

Vambraces (cuir boulli) 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Cuirass (cuir boulli) 2G 50k 1D 4½L 7s 6d 1E 8R Greaves (cuir boulli) 34k 2¼L 1s 6d 4¾R

Aketon (quilting) 1G 18¾k 5L 4s 3s 6d 11¼R Jack/Buffcoat (quilting or doubled leather) 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E Boot (doubled leather) 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m Shoe (doubled leather) 11k 15s 6d 1½R

Coat (fabric) 45k 3L 2s 6½R Jack (fabric) 34k 2¼L 1s 6d 4¾R Arming Doublet (fabric+mail) 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Sleeves (fabric) 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Hose (fabric) 45k 3L 2s 6½R * = plate proofed against pistols is 1pt tougher and costs half again. Milanese armour is automatically pistol-proof.

Clothes: Empire Italy London Spain Hose 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Dress (basic) 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Gown (fashionable) 375G 212D £50 200E Belt (for sword, etc) 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Doublet 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Cap 18¾k 1L 5s 10d 2⅔R Hat 34k 2¼L 1s 6d 4¾R Coat (sleeved) 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R Cloak (long woollen) 45k 3L 2s 6½R Cloak (Italian short) 1G 18¾k 5L 4s 3s 6d 11¼R Shirt or Chemise 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Petticoats 45k 3L 2s 6½R Slippers 2k 2½s 1d 9m Shoes 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Riding boots 11k 15s 6d 1½R Spurs 11k 15s 6d 1½R

172 Purse 2G 3¼k 4s 1½d 13½m Robes (cleric or scholar) 3G 1D 4L 18s 8s 1E 9⅔R Silk/yd 5G 37½k 3D 1⅓L 15s 3E Best woollen cloth/yd 2G 37½k 1D 3L 8s 7s 1E 6½R Average woollen cloth/yd 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Poor woollen cloth/yd 1G 3¾L 2s 6d 8R 25 yds of canvas 2G 50k 1D 4½L 7s 6d 1E 8R

Food: Empire Italy London Spain Loaf 2k 2½s 1d 9m Ale/quart 2k 2½s 1d 9m Wine/bottle 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Dried figs or prunes/lb 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Spices/lb 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E Beef/lb 3½k 5s 2d ½R Basic meal at an inn 3½k 5s 2d ½R Meal for knight or gentry 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Meal for a lord 45k 3L 2s 6½R Trail rations for 1 week 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Horse fodder 1 week 45k 3L 2s 6½R

Accommodation: Empire Italy London Spain Private room in an inn (sleeps 2-4) * 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Bed in communal dorm in an inn * 11k 15s 6d 1½R Stabling in an inn, including fodder * 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Rent for bottom-end room in city/mth 2G 30k 1D 3L 6s 8d 1E 5½R Rent for rural cottage/yr 1G 52½k 1D 0L 9s 5s 1E Rent for merchant’s house/yr 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E * = note: monasteries offer free overnight hospitality to all comers; inn rates may vary due to quality and location with large towns being more expensive than rural inns.

Tools: Empire Italy London Spain Iron shoe for plough 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Plough 2G 50k 1D 4½L 7s 6d 1E 8R Vice 5G 2D 5¾L 13s 4d 2E 10⅔R Yoke 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Spade & shovel 5½k 7½s 3d 27m Axe 9½k 12½s 5d 1⅓R Auger 5½k 7½s 3d 27m Anvil 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Hammer 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m Bellows 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Chisel 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Spinning wheel 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Loom 45k 3L 2s 6½R

Livestock: Empire Italy London Spain Warhorse (destrier) 750G 425D £100 400E Warhorse (courser) 300G 170D £40 160E Palfrey 75G 42½D £10 40E Rounsey 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E Hack 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E Carthorse 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Nag 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Mule 45k 3L 2s 6½R Ox 11G 15k 6D 2½L £1 10s 6E Cow 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Pig 1G 52½k 1D 9s 5s 4E Sheep 32k 2L 2s 1s 5d 4½m Goose 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Chicken 2k 2½s 1d 9m

173

Transport: Empire Italy London Spain Saddle and riding tackle 1G 7½k 4½L 3s 9½R War saddle and riding tackle 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Queens chariot 15,000G 8500D £2000 8000E Noble’s chariot 1,500G 850D £200 800E Chariot 150G 85D £20 80E Cart (wooden only) 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Cart (iron shod) 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E Guide for 1 night 3½k 5s 2d ½R Ferry ride for 1 man and horse 3½k 5s 2d ½R Barge 150G 85D £20 80E Wherry 37½G 21D 1¾L £5 20E Rowing boat 3¾G 2D 17½s 10s 2E Hire small ship & 26 crew/week 37½G 21D 1¾L £5 20E

Real Estate: Empire Italy London Spain To build a 1 room hovel 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E To build a 2 room cottage 15G 8D 3½L £2 8E To build a 3 room house 22½G 12D 5¼L £3 12E To build a craftman’s house 112½G 63D 5¼L £15 60E To build a merchant’s house 450G 255D £60 240E To build a courtyard house 1,500G 850D £200 800E To build a wooden gatehouse 225G 127½D £30 120E To build a stone gatehouse 750G 425D £100 400E To build a stone tower 7,500G 4,250D £1,000 4,000E To build a small castle (per yr for 12yrs) 3,750G 2,250D £500 2,000E To build a small church 1,875G 1,062½D £250 1,000E To build a palazzo 1,800G 1000D £240 950E

Miscellaneous: Empire Italy London Spain Book (small Latin breviary) 30k 1pf 2L 1s 4d 4R 10m Book (2 vol edition of Euripides or Homer) 2G 38k 3pf 1½D 7s 6d 1E 6R 20m Book (5 vol complete works of Aristotle) 19G 24k 3pf 11D £3 10E 5R 22m Rush (tallow, burns 15 mins) 2pf ½s ¼d 2¼m Candle (tallow, burns 3 hrs/lb) 3½k 5s 2d ½R Candle (wax, burns 4 hrs/lb) 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Torch 3¾pf 1¼s ½d 4½m Lantern 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Fuel oil/pint 3½k 5s 2d ½R Lute 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Pipe 2k 2½s 1d 9m Tambour 3½k 5s 2d ½R Kettle drum 11k 15s 6d 1½R Horn 45k 3L 2s 6½R Table 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m Chair 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Pot (earthenware) 2k 2½s 1d 9m Pot (pewter) 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Pot (brass) 1½G 6L 4s 12¾R Ewer (pewter) 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Basin & ewer (earthenware) 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m Basin & ewer (pewter) 1G 4L 2s 8d 8½R Tankard (pewter) 11k 15s 6d 1½R Tankard (earthenware) 2k 2½s 1d 9m Barrel 7½k 10s 4d 1R 2¼m Vat 11k 15s 6d 1½R Cask 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Tun 30k 2L 1s 4d 4¼R Wineskin 7k 5s 4d 1R Blanket 1G 18¾k 5L 4s 3s 6d 11¼R Sheet 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m

174 Towel 22½k 1½L 1s 3R 7m Tinderbox (with flints) 2k 2½s 1d 9m Astrolabe (brass) 7½G 4D 1L 15s £1 4E Backpack 11k 15s 6d 1½R Sack 2pf ½s ¼d 2¼m Flask (leather) 3¾pf 1¼s ½d 4½m Saddlebags (pair) 15k 1L 8d 2R 4½m Wineskin 3½k 5s 2d ½R Rope (½”, 50ft) 11k 15s 6d 1½R\a Necklace (gold) 7½G 4D 3¼L £1 4E Necklace (silver) 45k 3L 2s 6½R Ring (gold with diamond) 56¼G 31D 6L 2½s £7 10s 30E Ring (gold with ruby) 10G 5D 4⅔L £1 6s 8d 5E 5⅓R Ingot gold (1 lb) 1110G 628D 4L £147 18s 591E 10R Ingot silver (1 lb) 22G 56k 13D £3 1s 2d 12E 3R 26m Ingot lead (10 lb) 44G 7k 25D £5 17s 7d 23E 9R Ingot iron (10 lb) 53G 30D £7 1s 2d 28E Ingot copper (10 lb) 176G 100D £23 10s 94E Ingot tin (10 lb) 415G 235D £55 6s 221E Ingot bronze (10 lb) 265G 150D £35 10s 141E Quicksilver (10 lb) 400G 228D £53 13s 4d 215E Bulk tin from source (1cwt) 187G 30k 106D £25 100E Bulk lead from source (1cwt) 56G 32D £7 10s 30E

Gold and silver plate: at a time when large denomination coins were simply non-existent, large quantities of cash were frequently transported as ‘plate’, literally metal plates and eating utensils made from bullion. This ‘plate’ was typically valued as the equivalent weight of ingot metal multiplied by two for the workmanship involved. Of course, true masterworks might be valued much higher but such masterworks (cf the Cellini salt-cellar) were usually not used for the purpose of cash transfers.

Bills of Exchange: of course the shrewd traveller transports cash around in the form of Bills of Exchange, effectively paying in cash at the branch office of an international bank (such as the Medici) and taking letters signed by the manager prove this to another branch office elsewhere.

Weights & Measures: in reality these varied widely in the Renaissance with every town or village using its own measures. For ease of play we shall use the British Imperial units, many of which date from before this era.

Length Volume Weight Area 1 league = 3 miles 1 tun = 2 butts 1 ton = 20 hundredweight 1 hide = 4 virgates 1 mile = 8 furlongs 1 butt = 2 hogsheads 1 hundredweight = 4 quarters 1 virgate = 30 acres 1 furlong = 10 chains 1 hogshead = 2 barrels 1 quarter = 2 stones 1 acre = 4 roods 1 chain = 22 yards 1 barrel = 2 kilderkins 1 stone = 14 pounds 1 rood = 40 perches 1 yard = 3 feet 1 kilderkin = 2 firkins 1 pound = 16 ounces 1 perch = 30.25 sq yds * 1 foot = 12 inches 1 firkin = 8 gallons 1 ounce = 16 drachms 1 gallon = 4 quarts 1 drachm = 22½ grains * 1 quart = 2 pints 1 pint = 4 gills 1 grain is the weight 1 gill = 5 fluid ounces of a grain of wheat

* = No really, I didn’t invent the system – OK these units were mostly used only in England but I’m sure things were equally irrational in Italy or anywhere else in Europe.

175 Bibliography

For a factual account of the Renaissance and how it transforms Europe, read William Manchester’s ‘A World Lit Only by Fire’; it is not a dry academic work and truly brings out what life was like in the early Renaissance. For those who prefer something to provoke their imaginations I can do no better than recommend Tim Powers’ evocative novel ‘The Drawing of the Dark’; set during the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1529, it first got me thinking about a Renaissance RPG. For a wider choice of background reading…see below!

General: The Renaissance: a Very Short Introduction Jerry Brotton The Renaissance Alison Brown Renaissance Europe J R Hale A World Lit Only by Fire William Manchester

Florence & the Medici: The Florentine Renaissance Vincent Cronin The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance Paul Strathearn The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici Christopher Hibbert

Rome: The Families who Made Rome Anthony Majanlahti The Pope’s Daughter Caroline P Murphy

Venice: Venice: Pure City Peter Ackroyd The Imperial Age of Venice: 1380-1580 D S Chambers

The Borgias: The Borgias Michael Mallett The Borgias: the Hidden History G J Meyer Cesaré Borgia Sarah Bradford Lucrezia Borgia Sarah Bradford Lucrezia Borgia Rachel Erlanger

Women of the Renaissance: The Deadly Sisterhood Leonie Frieda

Artist’s Biographies: Leonardo da Vinci Charles Nicholl

Events: April Blood Lauro Martines (about the Pazzi conspiracy) The Lost Battles Jonathan Jones (Michaelangelo vs da Vinci) The Artist, the Philosopher and the Warrior Paul Strathearn

Military: The Art of War in Italy: 1494-1529 F L Taylor Weapons & Warfare in Renaissance Europe Bert S Hall Fornovo 1495: France’s Bloody Fighting Retreat David Nicolle (Osprey publication) Pavia 1525 Angus Konstam (Osprey publication)

Fiction: The Drawing of the Dark Tim Powers 176