Sessione 1 -- It's party time!

The party was summoned by Francesco Dandolo to his mansion in Venice, where he briefs them on a critical mission: attend a grand banquet hosted by Giuliano Mocenigo, a wealthy silk merchant, to uncover and foil an assassination plot against Doge Pietro Ziani. The party must navigate the banquet, identify rival faction agents, gather intelligence on trade deals, and stop the Society of the Red Scarf’s assassination attempt.

The Dandolo family mansion sits on the Grand Canal, a three-story edifice of white marble with arched windows and a red-tiled roof. The exterior is adorned with gilded lion statues, symbolizing Venetian power. Inside, the grand hall is a display of wealth: frescoes of naval victories cover the walls, a crystal chandelier hangs from the vaulted ceiling, and a long mahogany table dominates the room. Francesco’s private office, where the meeting occurs, is smaller but no less opulent—shelves of leather-bound ledgers, a map of Venice on the wall, and a heavy oak desk cluttered with quills, wax seals, and a silver goblet. The air smells of ink and old parchment, with a faint tang of saltwater drifting through an open window.

Francesco Dandolo, a wiry man in his late 50s with sharp gray eyes and a neatly trimmed beard, stands behind his desk, dressed in a crimson doublet with gold embroidery. His tone is clipped and authoritative, but there’s a flicker of unease in his gaze as he addresses the party.

“You’re here because Venice stands on a knife’s edge, and I need people I can trust—or at least control. The Dandolo family has bled for this city’s prosperity over the years. Now, we face a threat that could unravel it all. Doge Pietro Ziani, our leader and a man I’ve backed for years, is in danger. Whispers of an assassination plot have reached my ears, and I believe it will strike at a banquet tonight, hosted by Giuliano Mocenigo—a silk merchant with more ambition than sense."

"I’ve chosen each of you for a reason. Let’s be clear—I don’t expect miracles, but I do expect results. Here’s why you’re here:"

"Gianna, you come from the Bankers’ Guild, and I know you’ve seen the rot in our ranks. I also know you’re a Templar at heart—loyal, disciplined, and not afraid to swing a sword. The Guild and my family are aligned, and we need the Doge alive to keep our influence. You’ll pose as a guard for my wife, Caterina. Your job is to watch for trouble and protect Ziani if things go south. I don’t care about your qualms with corruption—just do your duty."

"Guido Falcone, you're a cleric, but one with a… unique talent. I’ve heard of your birds, how they find the lost and carry whispers. St. Francis would be proud, I’m sure. You’ll pose as a servant at the banquet, using your birds to keep watch outside Mocenigo’s palazzo. If you spot trouble—assassins, spies, anything—send word to the others. And if we need healing, you’ll be there. "

"Nico Voss and Salina Meraxes, you two are a matched set, aren’t you? Normally, your kind are regarded with suspicion and contempt, but I’ve heard of your exploits—you're thieves and con artists, and damned good at it. The Dandolos don’t usually deal with your kind, but these are desperate times. Nico, you’ll slip into the banquet as a servant, moving unseen to eavesdrop and steal whatever secrets you can. Salina, you’re the star of the night—I’ve arranged for you to perform as the evening’s entertainment. Dance, charm, and pry secrets from loose lips. You both know the underbelly of this city better than most. Find the plot, and stop it."

"Pietro Cartaforba, I’ll be frank—I don’t see why you’re necessary. You’re a clerk, a numbers man, and I’ve little use for ledgers in this mess. But your uncle, the Patriarch of Venice, insisted you join this team. He says you’re to take a visual accounting of Mocenigo’s artwork—something about suspected tithe evasion. I don’t care for Church business, but I won’t cross the Patriarch. You’ll attend the banquet as a guest, representing the Dandolo banking interests. Keep your eyes open and don’t embarrass me."

"The banquet is at Mocenigo’s palazzo, a den of vipers if ever there was one. You’ll need to identify agents from rival factions—nobles, guilds, foreign ambassadors—and uncover any covert deals threatening our trade. Most importantly, you must stop this assassination. I don’t know who’s behind it, but I suspect the Society of the Red Scarf—a shadowy group that’s been stirring trouble for months. They’re ruthless, and they’ll have muscle with them. If you succeed, you’ll have the gratitude of the Dandolo family—and Giuliano Mocenigo, if he’s smart. If you fail, Venice burns, and we all lose. Now go—don’t keep Mocenigo waiting.”

Salina danced in the salon. She made her way over by two noblemen, Bartolomeo Morosini and Enrico Malipiero, to overhear them discussing politics centered around the rivalry between Venice and Byzantium. The airy salon is a haven for pre-dinner mingling, its many windows letting in the golden light of the setting sun. A door opens to the front patio, where the scent of roses drifted in. Plush divans and chairs were scattered around, and a harpsichord sits in one corner beside a table of art supplies—paints, charcoal, and parchment. A lute and a set of panpipes lie on a side table, ready for guests to play. A trio of musicians accompanied Salina’s performance.

Nico was sent from the busy kitchen with some hors d'oeuvres.  Knowing he was to be on the lookout for an assassination, he checked out his tray of food for poison. Deciding that they were fine, he took the tray into the main dining room where he found three noblemen in deep discussion, their voices echoing off the high stone walls. Two of the noblemen were Byzantine ambassadors. One, Lord Nikos Dragos, couldn't devour the appetizers quickly enough. The other, Leonidas Kouris, was more reserved. The grand dining room was lit by a massive iron chandelier dripping with candles. A long oak table, set for many guests, was laden with silver platters of roast peacock, candied figs, and crystal goblets of wine. A large fireplace crackled at the far end, its mantle carved with sea serpents. Heavy tapestries depicting Venetian naval victories hang on the walls. The ambassadors were toasting to the prospect that the Doge's speech "will be his undoing."

Pietro entered as a guest through the front door. A small, elegant foyer greeted him as he stepped in from the front patio. The floor was polished marble, inlaid with a mosaic of a leaping dolphin. A gilded mirror hung on one wall, reflecting the soft glow of a brass candelabrum. Two wooden benches with velvet cushions flanked the door to the dining room. The air carried the scent of jasmine from the patio’s plants, mingling with the faint aroma of roasting meat from the kitchen. A nervous servant named Luca offered to take Pietro's cloak, but Pietro declined. When asked why he appeared so nervous, Luca said that he had been hearing rumors that there would be trouble that evening, and he really didn't want to get caught in the middle of any violence. In order to calm him down a bit, Pietro decided to make small talk and asked if there was anything particularly worth admiring in the mansion (besides, he was supposed to be noting Mocenigo's artworks anyway). Luca replied that the large tapestries in the dining hall depicted the Venetian victories at Alghero and Gallipoli, and the salon had music and artistic entertainments.  

Gianna, acting as security for Lady Caterina Dandolo, stuck by her in the salon. She was speaking with Lady Isabella Mocenigo, and Lady Sofia Contarini. She made a slow circuit around the room, checking the many windows to ensure they were locked and secured. While she was doing that, she was making a point of eavesdropping. The ladies were discussing the rumors of a Red Scarf plot against the Doge, and what a disaster it would be for Venice if he were to be assassinated. One of them took it for granted that if such a plot were real, it Byzantium would surely be to blame.

Back in the kitchen, Guido started trying to pry rumors out of the servants. He began by inquiring about the head chef, Marco. The servant told him that Marco and most of the servants worked directly for the Mocenigos, but that a few servants (like Guido himself) were hired on just for this event. Marco had been a renowned pastry chef in Genoa, but Mocenigo wooed him away with a better offer (and was quite proud of it). As they were talking, another servant handed Guido a tray of glasses and said, "You must be new at this. Here. Take these glasses into the library and see if anyone is thirsty."  

Back in the salon, Salina cast ESP to hear the thoughts of some of the guests. Listening in on Lady Contarini's thoughts, as she was listening to Caterina Dandolo, Salina overheard "The Dandolos think they run Venice, but the Contarini have deeper roots."

Pietro began scouting around the house when he stumbled on the library, a cozy retreat with walls lined by oak bookshelves stuffed with leather-bound tomes on history, trade, and navigation. Two reading tables were surrounded by cushioned chairs, and a few candles flickered on a silver candelabrum. Windows overlooked the front patio, and a locked door was partially hidden by a shelf. Discussing politics in hushed tones, he recognized Doge Pietro Ziani. Pietro joined the conversation with much deference, and Ziani introduced him to the host, Giuliano Mocenigo. Pietro complimented the many tomes in the library, and said he would love to have the chance to discuss them with Mocenigo sometime.

In the dining hall, Guido approached the Byzantine ambassadors with drinks. Dragos said, "Well, Ziani's speech tonight will be his last, if the Red Scarf has its way!" Matteo, the other guest, clapped back: "Venice is the city of masks, isn't it? You never know who's hiding his true face!" They all laughed until Guido approached, and they were very happy to get their hands on some drinks (especially Dragos, who took two).  He then proceeded into the library where he found Pietro.  Pietro said he had a suspicion about the tapestries in the dining room. He had peeked behind them quickly and saw nothing, but he thought that in his role as a servant, Guido might be able to look while arousing less suspicion.

Pietro got Mocenigo to introduce him to the rest of the group -- Tommaso Quierini, a naval contractor; Antonio Grimani, head of the Grimani family; and Alvise Zane, a ship builder. While making small talk about the library, Mocenigo took Pietro over to the bookshelves and encouraged him to browse.  Guido distributed the last of his drinks and then took a breath of fresh air out the open window. He checked the status of the birds he positioned around the house. Using his animal training skill, he  had trained them to raise alarm if something dangerous was approaching the house.  As he was doing that, Pietro managed to find a hollowed out copy of The Glories of Byzantium. Inside, he found a secret deal between Mocenigo and a Sicilian merchant. He looked over his shoulder to see his host preoccupied with his conversation, so he slipped the document in his pocket. Knowing what a great rival to Venice Sicily is, he thought it would be valuable later.

Gianna spoke with one of the servants preparing cold hors d'oeuvres in the small room adjacent to the salon. In that conversation, the servant said she was very concerned about all the rumors involving the Red Scarves.

Guido was sent into the wine room to get stronger drinks for the Byzantine ambassadors from Bianca, another servant. He sees her downing a quick drink herself. She was in the process of giving him more glasses and a bottle of grappa when he was joined by Nico, who managed to managed to convince her to give him the key to the wine cellar so he could get something from down there. Nico went down in the wine cellar while Guido went back to the dining hall.

Both made clandestine discoveries. In the wine cellar, Nico found a secret passage that led further underground while Guido found a dagger magically concealed behind one of them. The proximity of its place to the seat obviously reserved for the Doge told him that he had almost certainly stumbled on a key part of the assassination plot. As Nico explored the catacombs he found, Guido pocketed the dagger and slipped into the kitchen so he could replace it with a spoon greased up with butter. He then decided to find Nico.

Nico, however, was deep into the labyrinth of corridors and rooms he found. He went down one corridor, noting charcoal graffiti indicating the presence of the Carbonari. After setting off a dart trap triggered with a pressure plate, he managed to find some discarded parchment scraps that further solidified the connection. He found the parchment when he had checked a couple of the six small stalls in one large chamber.  Continuing on before checking them all, he passed into a large octagonal chamber with three alcoves at the far end. It apparently had been one of the Carbonari’s secret ritual spaces, hidden beneath the city. The walls were rough-hewn stone, blackened with soot and carved with intricate flame motifs. A large circular table dominated the center, its surface etched with a massive triangle-and-flame symbol, surrounded by 12 wooden chairs. The floor was stained with ash and wax from past rituals. At the northern end, three small alcoves were recessed into the wall, each containing a stone pedestal. The air hummed with an eerie energy, and faint whispers echoed from the shadows.

Nico decided to turn back and collect more members of the party before investigating any farther just as Guido was descending the stairs into the wine cellar. At that moment, Marco called all the guests to take their places in the dining hall, as dinner was about to be served.