Brave man. Selflessly risking the wrath of the weasel for his companions. He will be remembered for his valor.
Seriously, my brain got sprained trying to think of Euro as ominous.
A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
- Thread starter ellinor
- Start date
Brave man. Selflessly risking the wrath of the weasel for his companions. He will be remembered for his valor.
Seriously, my brain got sprained trying to think of Euro as ominous.
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
I doubt it will matter where they're going, at least for a while, but I was a little curious about some of the family relations. I assume that "Intransigent the Just di Vitanni" is related to Giovanna (and thus to Rose and Tavi) somehow. Is she another sibling besides Marco? A niece or aunt? A more distant relation?
Just trying to keep track of the family trees, because it seems like it might be relevant later.
Just trying to keep track of the family trees, because it seems like it might be relevant later.
Just trying to keep track of the family trees, because it seems like it might be relevant later.
You think you're confused. One of the reasons I decided to play an "outsider" character in the campaign was that I looked at that incredibly detailed and well-designed multi-faction family tree and thought "I ... am lost. Like all good Method disciples, I will use that."
Now, what's interesting here is that although I tend to be more of a pulp roleplayer, the tone and detail of the campaign is definitely addictive. Last session I wound up having a chat with Fajitas about Kormick's evolving religious issues and something that can only be described as 'transference.' One of the reasons it's always fun to change it up in play styles/DM's,
Seonaid
Explorer
Dude (dudette?), weasels are NASTY when provoked!
Sounds like we need a graphic!
Is that the end of that post?
Fajitas
Hold the Peppers
I'd just like you to remember: you asked for this...
Families and social structure are, unsurprisingly, very important in Pol Henna. And, since we had an entire multi-story adventure set there (back when it was Dar Henna) in the old campaign, centered around Lira/Giovanna's family and her arranged marriage, we developed this material pretty deeply.
The oldest child of the head of the house (be they male or female) is in line to take over the house. Younger children tend to do one of three things:
1) They serve the head of the house in some capacity (a sort of consigliari role, but without the criminal overtones)
2) They enter one of the many clergies to serve the city on behalf of the house (Pol Henna has a lengthy history of public largesse. A noble house is seen as week and venal if they don't contribute to the good of the city. This is largely why Hennan Justicars keep their family names--to show that their family is involved).
3) They get married off into another family as part of a political alliance. When this happens, the non-blooded spouse (be they male or female) takes the family name of the blooded spouse, and is, to all intents and purposes, part of the new family now.
So, with that in mind, Giovanna is the youngest of four siblings, and the only girl. Her three eldest brothers are half brothers from her father Niccolo's first marriage. Only Marco is her full blooded brother.
Her brothers are:
Paulo di Vittani- (~20 years older) The current Doge of Pol Henna. Technically the head of the di Vittani household, but his duties as Doge (and the necessary propriety of being Doge) prevent him from handling the day-to-day affairs of the household. Married to Agnessa Christina Rioro di Vittani, formerly of the di Rioro family (an allied family on the council). They have several adult children.
Rizardo di Vittani- (~18 years older) Current functional head of the di Vittani family. Rizardo spent many years serving in the Hennan merchant marine fleet. He is married to Sophia Anna di Vittani, a minor source of embarrassment as she is a commoner and not a member of a noble house. Rizardo is, and was always, Lira/Giovanna's favorite brother. They have three children.
Pascal Vittani di Contini- (~15 years older) Generally considered the lay-about wastrel of the family, Pascal was married off into the di Contini family, where he is now a wastrel. His wife is Pauletta Tamara di Contini. The di Contini family is not on the Council, but they have close historical ties with the di Vittanis. They have several children, but they are di Continis.
Marco di Vittani- (~4 years older) Idiot and thug. Marco works for Paulo as a blunt instrument in the running of the di Vittani household. He is married to Serena Celestina Angiuli di Vittani, a vacuous child formerly of the di Angiuli family (also a Council ally). Serena, for the record, spent an entire meal once while Marco was in jail in Dar Pykos (long story) hitting on Thatch and making everyone really uncomfortable. They have a passel of idiotic, thuggish children. No one speculates on whether or not they are actually Marco's if he's anywhere in hearing range.
Giovanna Niccolira Pauletta Rufina Pulcer Marie Allessandra Vittani di Raprezzi- Lira/Giovanna, of course. She was ultimately married off into the di Raprezzi family to Dante, part of an alliance that not only helped bring the di Raprezzi family onto the Council, but helped create the voting bloc that made Paulo Doge.
(ASIDE: Dante is the oldest child of the di Raprezzi household. He will become head of the house when his mother, Simona, dies or steps down. Dante and Giovanna's eldest child, Diego (Tavi and Rose's elder brother) will be Dante's successor, etc. Dante has two sisters, Mariela (who accosted Tavi on behalf of her daughter Mercedes), and Fiorenza, who spends much of her time traveling as a factor for the di Raprezzi trading interests.
The di Raprezzis, for the record, are all sorcerers and have been (in secret) for generations, due to pretty stringent selective breeding habits. Up until now, they haven't been marrying children out of the family, but now that they are a) openly sorcerous, and b) finally a major house on the Council, there is speculation in many social circles that either Tavi or Roseanna may be married out of the family to form alliances.)
Let me tell you what an unbelievable trip it was when Lira/Giovanna finally returned to Dar Henna with the rest of the party, and I had to run the dinner scene wherein the ENTIRE di VITTANI FAMILY (including Lira/Giovanna's mother and father) was at the dinner table with the PCs.
Good times.
All of which is a very round-about of actually saying that Intransigent the Just di Vittani is actually Giovanna's aunt, one of Niccolo's sisters.
As I said, you did ask...
Last edited:
Fajitas
Hold the Peppers
I'll take that as high praise.
It is perhaps telling that the single most exciting roll of a natural 20 that has yet occurred in the game was rolled by jonrog--on a Religion check. Seriously, I've seen campaign-long villains defeated on a roll of a natural 20 without producing quite that big a reaction.
It's been a lot of fun having jonrog in the game. His style is... well, pretty staggeringly different than what we're used to. But over time, we've borrowed a little of his and he's borrowed a little of ours, and it's made for a fun, rich experience overall.
spyscribe
First Post
And what Fajitas doesn't mention is that he did it twice because we roleplayed the second incredibly awkward formal family dinner after Marco got back. Amazingly, Marco managed to not slug anyone - especially his sister - in the face.
And by the way, bless you for asking Cerebral Paladin. I have been sitting on some of this stuff with Fajitas since 2002.
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
And are you surprised that I found that all interesting and have a follow-up question?
So, is the expectation that Paolo's eldest will become doge and his second eldest the functional head of the di Vittani someday, assuming the di Vittani's can maintain their faction? I take it that the doge is an elected monarch chosen from and by the Council, but I'm curious how that plays out with the intra-family succession issues. Alternately, of course, Rizardo could be seeking to set up his eldest child to succeed him as the head of the family, which would, I take it, leave Paolo's children as a cadet branch in a way similar to what is expected to happen to Marco's children-- they are di Vittanis, but they are not The di Vittanis. Not that I ask because that's the sort of intriguey plot that I love or anything...
Fajitas
Hold the Peppers
You are correct in your assumption that the Doge is elected by and from the Council. However, seniority matters a lot. Paulo will be ousted as Doge either by losing an election (which he is unlikely to lose to a friendly challenger), or when he voluntarily steps down. At that point, even if he wants his eldest to succeed him, his eldest will be a newcomer to the Council. The next most senior member of their voting bloc will most likely be put forth as the new Doge candidate.
Paulo is an interesting case, in that even while Niccolo was the head of the family, he had Paulo hold the Council seat. Niccolo, despite his views on arcane magic, was extremely civic minded, and wanted his son to have as much experience as he could get, all the better to someday lead himself.
Thus, Paulo had more seniority than he might otherwise have had on the Council.
As far as Rizardo setting up his own children to take over the house... that wouldn't happen for a couple of reasons. One, it's not in Rizardo's character. He's not really into the whole political game. But two, and perhaps more importantly, it wouldnt' happen because once I sat down and did the math, I realized that Paulo's eldest is now in his/her late 30s or 40s and is clearly old enough to be running the house themselves.
These are the sorts of details that sometimes slip through the cracks when you jump your whole gameworld ahead a generation...
Seonaid
Explorer
Okay, I'm feeling dumb. How do you (they) know which person takes the new name? If it's not a male/female thing, which person is marrying into which family? Obviously if it's a commoner, the commoner is marrying into the noble family, but if it's two families on equal footing, who takes whose name?
Also, do commoners follow these "rules" (as best they can, considering their positions)?
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