Post by Mouselord on Aug 11, 2015 6:17:17 GMT
Disclaimers: First, I'm going to be adding to this a little to flesh out the story, so yes it will get longer
second. I actually haven't made a bio in a while (since Nexus) and have forgotten most of the WRP lore and fluff so I may have made some mistakes about it. Also yes Doria is a real Italian family from Genoa but I only used their name, these Doria (their name means threads of gold) are nothing like the historical Doria who were mercenaries and generals and admirals. Nothing like mine.
Third, I know the story is...cheesy. It's kinda the point to be cheesy, it's a standard story, nothing flashy no REAL plot twists. The story is supposed to be cliche.
Forth, I am not the narrator or Venser if you take offense at their view hate the medieval ages.
Thank you,
Mouse
Name: Venser Ottaviano Doria
Age: 32
Nationality: Rhodok
Hair: Golden blonde
Eyes: heterochromia iridium eyes (two different colored eyes) one eye is a washed out blue, and another is an amber brown
Facial Markings: Other than his heterochromia Venser’s face is angular and sharp. He has a scar on his chin from a bar fight from when he was younger
Skin Color: Mediterranean
Height: 5’6
Weight: 120 Pounds or 54.5 Kg
Build: Slight
Body Markings: Venser has a brand on his back of his family crest. A sign of loyalty, other than that a series of minor scars from a hard life fighting.
Interests: Money, family, power
Dislikes: failure, disloyalty, cowardice
Strengths: Ruthless, ambitious and driven. A fair shot with his Crossbow.
Weaknesses: Slight build makes him weaker in melee, arrogant, greedy.
Skills: One time merchant, assassin, and family enforcer Venser has picked up many trades. Venser skills are only rudimentary though, he cannot forge a sword even though he may know the basics, he may know how to cauterize a wound but any more is beyond him. A jack of all trades, master of none. Except his crossbow, that he is extremely skilled in.
Fears: Death of his family, enslavement, complete and total defeat.
Profession: Assassin and Spy
Background/History:
Below is the tale of Venser Ottaviano Doria of Yalen but first let us introduce him to the reader:
Upon the death of their father the two brothers were assaulted by all the families of Yalen who had bid their time in the shadows while their feared conquer aged. With the elder Doria’s death they finally struck. They assaulted the two brothers as they prayed at the Maker’s Church. Six assassins struck out against the two brothers and their families. Doria after Doria fell but eventually the assassins were slain. Five Doria died in Yalen’s church among them Andrea, and two of his sons, and one of his daughters. Cesare lost a son and his wife. The only survivor of Andrea’s line was Agostino, a boy of six. Cesare proved himself a quick learner of his father’s methods and struck out against the Ten Families that struck out against him and his family. Of the some one hundred among those Ten families only a few young girls and wives survived. After this Cesare built a grand monument to all the dead Doria, a magnificent tomb of marble that still stands in Yalen’s town square. After that he founded the Dorian Assassins. These were to be the family guard, their spies, their enforcers, their assassins against all their foes. Never again would the Doria family be caught off guard. Three decades would pass. The young boy who watched his entire family slaughtered grew to adulthood. Agostino married well, into Jelkala money, to advance the family’s business in that city. He had three children, first a girl who died at three, second a boy that was stillborn and lastly Venser Ottaviano Doria.
Venser was a small sickly child, courtesy of his mother, Giulia was herself rather frail. Venser was thus the most minor of the Doria and was destined to be an ambassador of the Doria family abroad. He was thus schooled at great expense in history, medicine, theology, and on languages learning Swadian, Ancient Calderic, and Sarranid in addition to his native Rhodok. He was never good at blade work or using the cleavers of his people. He was simply not strong enough to fight armored and stronger foes. Starting at nineteen he was to travel throughout Caldera as Merchant and representative of the Doria…
The Emir smiled and spoke to Venser “Ah Doria, I have not had one of you infidels grace my presence in a while. Not since the last war when I was slaughtering your kinsfolk at the passes. But One, blessed be his name, forgive me for rambling. Doria why now have you and your ilk returned to blessed Sarria, protected by the One, blessed be his name?” Hamazen of course already knew the answer, the Doria family wanted to move their silks beyond Hamazen’s town of Ahmerrad and into the rest of the Sultanate. The greedy Hamazen was charging outrageous tolls for this and seizing Doria silk when their merchants could not pay. It was outrageous, and it would stop.
“Your grace, understand your attitude towards Doria caravans are taking money out of both our coffers. Our silk will not flow towards the rest of the Sultanate and others cannot sell, as we will stop them. The other half of the Sultanate will groan for lack of good clothing and they will blame you.”
“Why blame me? You are the one’s stopping the other merchants from coming. I think you are full of air little sickly Doria,” Hamazen gave a corpulent laugh at that, as if it were funny. Time for the kids gloves to come off.
“If you will not allow us to engage in legitimate business we will be forced to sell to your radical rebels at greatly “reduced” prices, the ones that one to bury in sand and trample you will camels? The ones who will destroy Sarria in holy war? If you oppose the Doria any longer-“
“You cannot fund those anarchists!”
“Then we will fund them to destroy you, and then if you survive we will send our assassins after you and not a Emir will lift a finger to help you-“
“They will you filthy infidel!”
“Because they will be poor from their lack of silk, and the massive rebellion attacking their caravans. They will be starving, how possibly could they strike at the Doria then?”
“Your family is not that powerful,” Hamazen croaked in anger “You cannot hope to do half the things you promise.
Venser smiled. “If I can do half the things I just said Your Corpulence you will be a dead man just the same, or you can take Doria money. The silk will flow and you will be just as rich and just as alive.”
Hamazen stuttered angrily “I should have you killed, may the One (blessed be his name) forgive me for even thinking of killing a guest!
Venser snorted and said “You cannot kill me, or the Doria will destroy you. Now Your Corpulence do we have an agreement?”
As Venser was mounting his horse to leave his servant Antonio asked of him "How did the negotiations go?"
Venser pleased to boast said “Hamazen agreed to our terms Antonio. He decided to take our money instead of the mere threat of death.” Everybody had a weakness once you found it all you needed to do was...squeeze. The two mounted their horses and rode off back towards the family patriarch, Cesare.
Venser entered the family Palazzo amid the local festival of Carnevale. Everybody wore masks and partook in games. It was a night of loosened morals, it was said everything was permitted by the Maker on Carnevale and the citizens of Yalen seemed to believe it. As Venser dismounted he was greeted by his half-sister and stepmother, Cornelia and Fiore respectively. A gift of Venser’s mother dying was Agostino’s remarrying. Fiore was a nice enough women, but unnecessarily to Dorian needs and politics, she seemed to make father happy though with the birth of Cornelia. At sixteen and already considered one of the flowers of Yalen she was everything Venser was not. Gracious, humble, lovable...healthy.
Fiore smiled at Venser and said “You have returned Venser, successful I hope?”
Venser contemptuously said “But of course Fiore, Hamazen was easy to twist to the families goals. The silk must flow and I convinced him of that.
Cornelia smiled and said “Venser you should know before you talk to Uncle Cesare that father has found me a husband!” Cornelia was positively beaming at joy, whoever the man was he must have been a catch. “It’s Stefano da Montone!” A catch indeed, Stefano was said to be kind and intelligent but the Montone’s were not allies of the family. A strange marriage indeed more to ponder on later.
Wishing his stepfamily well Venser disappeared to the depths of the Palazzo. He eventually was ushered into the presence of his grand uncle Cesare. The man had not aged well and it was said he was on his last legs. The famous double eyes of the Doria, one blue and one amber had both faded to milk and the famous patriarch of the Doria was now blind. His mind though was still sharp.
“Uncle I have done as you wished, Hamazen was bullied into allowing our silk to pass at the usual amounts of bribes for “infidels”, Venser said respectively. If there was one man who deserved Venser’s respect it was Cesare, it certainly wasn’t his father.
“Good Venser, I am pleased by this development. Now the family can leave management of Sarria to lesser agents, those without Doria blood. You did quite well Venser but I have one more task for you that requires you to leave immediately.”
“Uncle?” What could be so important that he was make Venser leave in the most important holiday in Yalen? Usually such tasks were left to the assassins.
“My heir, Sebastiano is overseeing our expansion into the Swadian Kingdom and dines with the Duke of Suno. He must return here and be replaced by you, a trusted agent. The truth is Venser, I fear that I need to complete my son’s education of familial politics. There is much I fear, I believe...it is of no matter now. Send Sebastiano home to me and replace him and I will send you instructions afterwards.”
“Yes sir. I will do as you instruct and depart immediately.” Venser made to leave but Cesare was not done with him.
“Venser?” Cesare looked at Venser with strained eyes, eyes that could see nothing and he said “How long have you served this family? Directly that is?
“Three years Uncle Cesare, as ambassador of the family and enforcer of your will.”
Cesare nodded and said “Perhaps it is time I found you a wife, and gave you your just reward. When I pass on Sebastiano will not know of your good work and will not reward you, but that is as he should. One does reward family members for doing nothing. Like your father! He has sat all these years and ate our food and deemed fit to call it shit.
Venser nodded, all his life he worked to prove he was better than his father, one day perhaps all would see. Venser left the depths of the Palazzo and made his way to the courtyard outside. There he found his father waiting for him. Clad in the ornate clothing fitting Carnevale his father was only Dorian in his eyes. Everything else betrayed a life of weakness. A smile that came too easily, an arrogance from deeds not deserving of pride, and a sword on his hip that he could barely use. “Venser what’s the rush? It is Carnevale, and you are in the greatest place in the world to celebrate it!”
Venser had no time for his father though and brushed him off saying “I’m off to Suno father on Doria business.”
Something must have pissed off the old man then as he said “Now I’m a Doria too Venser and your father, you don’t have to be so haughty all the time. Don’t go to Suno Venser, not today at least, whatever my senile uncle wants it can wait till Carnevale is over at least?
Venser snorted and mounted his horse and called to the confused Antonio “No we are departing to Suno at once Antonio, get feed for the horses, we will stop at a tavern once the sun has set!” Then turning towards his father Venser said “Uncle Cesare has said it must be done at once and as a dutiful grandnephew it will be done, at once, father. Goodbye father, enjoy Carnevale for me.” Venser then led his horse out of the Palazzo with Antonio following him.
Sebastiano rubbed his head and said “What happened?”
Venser merely raised an eyebrow and said “If I have to explain that to you, you might have to question your wife who’s the father of her children. As for the drunkenness, I assume that was Swadian wine.”
Sebastiano merely shook his head and said “No, I didn’t… cousin, the last I remember was breaking my fast this morning with cheese and...I was drugged cousin! It’s some sort of tra-“Just then a cry came from the door way and Antonio fell to the ground dead, a bolt emerging from his chest. The Dorian Assassins guarding Sebastiano must already be dead. But why not kill Sebastiano earlier unless…they knew Venser was coming and they wanted to kill two birds with one stone? Whatever the reason the assassins, three of them advanced into the room. Clad in black robes and armed with daggers and small crossbows the assassins were the definition of Rhodok and cliché, all at once.
“Cousin get the guards I will hold them at bay,” Venser shouted and drew his dagger and went into the fray. Venser shouted in Swadian “Guards, murders in the apartments!” That would bring somebody…eventually.
The fight if you could call it that was short. Venser tried to stab one of the assassins and the assassin grabbed his hand and cut his torso with the blade. Venser screamed in pain and kneed the man in the groin. As the man doubled back in surprise and agony Venser stabbed his throat with his dagger. Sebastiano instead of getting the guards attacked the other two assassins and struck one with a broken chair leg (Maker knows how he acquired it) but before he could strike again the other stabbed his back with his blade and then the other one did. They started to cut Sebastiano to pieces but before they finished the Doria heir Venser attacked them screaming in rage. He jumped at one as Swadian sergeants burst into the apartment. Calling in their smooth language they called for the combatants to separate. The assassins seeing their prey was just about dead broke off their mauling and ran for it. They only made it six steps before the sergeants killed them. Sebastiano however was still bleeding at an alarming rate.
“Sebastiano stay alive,” Venser said and then in Swadian “Fetch a physician you idiots” to the sergeants. One rushed off to obey. Sebastiano however paid for his bravely the hard way. His heart burst and his lungs full of blood, the Doria heir was full of worthless blood that strangled him. He drowned in his own blood and died in Venser’s arms minutes before the physician arrived.
“You have my insurance Mister Doria that I will destroy who ever carried out this brazen act of violence against your cousin.” The Duke of Suno was promising the impossible. The only knowledge Venser could find on the assassins were that they were Rhodok and arrived a few days before Venser did. They obviously planned not to kill Sebastiano so obviously and smother him in his sleep but Venser and Antonio (Venser grieved for him) had arrived and foiled their complicated plan. Venser knew that the death of Sebastiano not only threatened his own position in the family (though he had been powerless to stop them right?), but also the entire family as a whole. A succession crisis was now possible and the threat of a conspiracy to destroy the Doria was also lurking in the shadows. Whoever struck at Sebastiano knew where he would be and how important he was to the operation of the family. Venser must return and inform Cesare immediately but first…
“Your Grace, it is understandable that you feel threatened by this act but perhaps it would be wiser to let us Doria investigate? The hand behind these common thugs is no doubt in Yalen and far away from you, but instead you can offer the family the trade rights Sebastiano was working towards, to honor the men of course Your Grace.”
The Duke nodded, after all the trade benefits Sebastiano proposed gave him gold and he needed gold to put down a revolt somewhere in his lands. “Of course Mister Doria, travel well back to Yalen and give my sympathies to Cesare, losing a son must be hard.” Venser nodded and made forth towards his home.
“MY SON IS DEAD!” roared Cesare at the family assembly. His reaction to the death of his son were predictable, his anger towards Venser for “allowing” this death to occur were not.
“I am sorry father,” came the voice of Lucio, another of Cesare’s sons.
“You are merely saying that to gain favor to succeed me your cur, away with you,” shouted Cesare and he would not speak till Lucio left the room. Then turning towards Venser he hissed “You left my son to die in that foreign land! You failed me, you are a disgrace to this family. If it were up to me alone you would cast out of this family as a failure and sold to the galleys to live a short and miserable fate!” Venser shuddered, such a fate was the worse any Rhodok aristocrat could imagine. “But it is not up to me, Venser it is up to this council of all the Dorias to decide your fate.” Cesare mentioned the council of all Doria adult males that made up the council. There was his remaining son Rodrigo, Sebastiano’s son Giulio, Venser’s father Agostino, and Lucio’s son Marco and Bartolomeo. Lucio would be included if Cesare had not banished him from the precedings. All together they made five people to judge Venser’s fate.
“We had heard two cases so far,” Rodrigo said rising from his seat “That of clemency” he nodded towards Marco who supported such a case “that of banishment and enslavement” he nodded towards his father “But I have a different fate in mind. One that is more useful to this family then mere banishment, and yet more deserving then clemency. I propose he is still cast out of the Doria family, his shame is too great not to, but instead of banishing him we make him one of our assassins. We make him a tool to protect other family members from the foes we face in the shadows.”
Rodrigo then sat and let his father, Cesare, speak “His record shows that already is a poor choice but I will let the council decide. “Clemency?” Marco rose his hand to show his approval. “Banishment and slavery?” He himself rose his hand as did Venser’s father. Venser merely opened his mouth in shock. His own father, wanted him dead, his own father that thought the family was foolish wanted to kill his only son. This could not be about Sebastiano. This was about Venser, his father wanted him dead… “Service?” Rodrigo, Giulio and Bartolomeo rose their hands. Cesare nodded and said “So it is, Rodrigo strip him of his ring, of his fine silks, and of his name and give him to Captain Francesco.”
Rodrigo stepped forward and said “Your ring Venser Ottaviano.” Venser shakily removed it as he watched the rest of the council leave. His father said not a word to him as he breezed past him. When Rodrigo took the ring he dropped it upon the marble floor and stepped on it cracked the signet of their family, the Black eagle upon a field of gold and white. Venser shook at the sound it of it. He was no longer a Doria. Then Rodrigo ripped the silk from Venser’s body and said “You are no longer Doria Venser, you are a bastard in the eyes of Rhodok law, to us Doria you are only a servant, nothing more, and probably less. Then a cloaked man appeared and hit Venser in the face, knocking him out.
Venser awoke to cold water being splashed on his face. The cloaked man kneeled before Venser and said “What has this family given me? A sheep? Or a fox? I am Captain Francesco of the Dorian Assassins, once as the least of the Doria you were greater than me, now you are the least of the assassins and all of us are greater than you.”
Venser shuddered again, disgrace, defeat. A month ago, any man who told Venser his fate was to be cast out of his family would have been told that was impossible. But sometimes it seems the impossible comes true.
“I may have been the least of the Doria, but I will never be the least of the Dorian Assassins,” Venser croaked proudly.
Captain Francesco snorted and sneered at Venser “You are an arrogant pub that’s for sure, but foxes are arrogant beasts. You’ll make a good assassin.
“I doubt it, I cannot swing a sword or wield a cleaver,” Venser said contemptuously taking aware of his damp and dark cell. The cell of prisoners.
“You can mix poisons and talk, you can fire a crossbow and bed a women. That means you can intimidate, you can charm, and you can deal with the Doria’s opponents. That is all you need. Not fancy blade work, did you think all Dorian Assassins were duelists?
Venser smiled and said “Well actually I rarely thought of you, considered you a bunch of unrefined thugs not worthy of my time.”
Captain Francesco laughed and said “You’re also honesty, blunt, and brave. You’re potential. One day I will mold you kid from rough and weak clay into true steel.
Venser rose his head to look Captain Francesco in the eyes and said “Teach me your skills, Captain, so that one day I will meet those that drove me to disgrace and I may end them.”
To my esteemed comrade in arms Santiago Piazzi,
It has come to my attention you have finally gotten a hold of the materials we require to begin Operation Nightfall, excellent! That means that we as a council must gather and begin our preparations for the fall of the Doria. Be warned though, I have heard that the D.A. are suspicious of your family and might strike out against you. DO NOT allow yourself to be captured alive as they will most assuredly torture you (and then kill you) for any information you might have. In any case we will gather where the Ten Families gathered to destroy the Doria the last time and pray the Maker rewards our sense of irony better then he rewarded the Ten Families we follow in the footsteps of. Come alone and show this note to the door man he will expect you. A
To the fall of the Doria
A
Venser scowled at seeing the letter, these were the conspirators behind the death of Sebastiano, he was certain of it. Captain Francesco would ask the bedridden Cesare for instructions but before the dying man could give the go ahead the conspirators might have already learned of Santiago’s death and fled. No, Venser must go now, his cloak would conceal his crossbow if he didn’t make any sudden movements and his daggers were properly hidden. One in his boat another in his sleeve. Yes, it was time to have vengeance upon this “A” and all his ilk, the scar of the Doria Eagle proving his allegiance that graced half his back and his eyes would be clue enough to his identity but perhaps the letter would dissuade the guards? It made not matter, violence was bound to happen eventually. Venser left a note for Francesco detailing his departure and his reasoning, in case Venser should fail. But no matter what, he intended to take vengeance upon these villains and then….demand answers of his father for that bitter betrayal five years ago.
It was raining as the hooded Venser arrived at the Palazzo di Proditores, the residence of the Proditores who orchestrated the attack on the Doria all those years ago. Now it was in the ownership of the Dellarove clan, a brutish family out of Swadia. Obviously they had joined in with the fools and would pay for their ignorance. None messed with the Doria and lived, whole and unbroken to tell of it. Ironically the house was in the square that contained the Dorian Monument. Erected by Cesare after the murders it showed Venser’s grandfather Andrea Marco Doria kneeling over the body of his eldest son, Giovanni with his sword, a sharp piece of marble, held aloft. The six assassins were depicted as villainous figures cloaked as devils and armed with daggers. The Doria as heroic angels. The women as screaming in terror and amid the dead and dying. Cesare’s first wife, the mother of Sebastiano was dying as Cesare fought over her body against an assassin. The sculptor a Ludovico Simoni showed his genius in the facial expressions of the people. As Venser passed his father he looked at his father and he saw something he never noticed. When he was younger and liked to fight in the taverns Venser had liked to boast his father was constantly crying in the town square but that was no longer what he saw in his marble father’s eyes. The six year old did indeed look as if he was about to cry but…there was no sadness in his facial expression. Venser paid it no mind as he approached the Palazzo. He showed the letter to the guards and said “Lord Piazzi wanted me to tell the sender of this message he could not arrive.” The two guards looked at one another and the elder of the two sent the younger towards the insides of the Palazzo. Venser smiled and said “That was a mistake.”
The elder spit and said “He was too green to notice your eyes Doria. He won’t inform them of your coming but I might have saved his life. You understand I have to try and sto-“ Venser drew his blade and slashed the man’s vocal cords silencing him and then he gave him the gift of mercy and went inside following the younger guard towards his victims.
The ancient Palazzo was darkly lit and as Venser approached he heard the sound of talking. Whatever they talked about, it ended tonight. Venser opened the door and entered and sitting at the head of the table was Agostino Maria Doria, his father. The other four men grew quite as Venser approached the table and sat down and took the dead Santiago’s place.
Agostino said “Gentlemen this is my son, named Venser Ottaviano Doria. Venser means winds of change. I meant it as irony thinking he would be the winds of change to the Doria, but he was no warrior. He could bring no sudden change to the Doria.
A young and handsome man then asked “Then why Master Agostino, is he here?”
Agostino looking dead on at Venser said “It’s really simply Stefano, he is here to kill every last one of us. He is a Dorian Assassin.” Then around twenty guards poured in from the doors and surrounded Venser.
Venser may have appeared calm to all those gathered there but inside he was simmering rage. Focusing himself to speak calmly he asked of his father “Why father? Why kill your own son? Why destroy everything your uncle and grandfather have worked for? That your Father worked for?”
Agostino signaled and said to his men “Spare killing him till I tell you, he must meet the Maker knowing the truth.” The guards relaxed which gave Venser space and more importantly time. “You should know Venser that I hated my father, my grandfather, my uncle. All of them shame all Rhodoks, all followers of Lazlo and me. They lie to gain money and power but all they are is bullies. Bullies that are cancerous towards this city. I love this city son, I always have and always will and to see it ruled by such a parasite is a fire in my blood that cannot stand. I have plotted the destruction of the family since I was eighteen. Not by murder as my predecessors have but by guile. The family would consume itself. Sebestiano’s death will ignite a Dorian Civil War and I will feed it. The family will be so weak they will have to step down from their role of dominance. To make sure though that they are weak I’ve slowly stripped them of their ablest allies. The Mayor now belongs to me, five of the cities families follow me, and I have blocked their accesses to money for years. I bribed Hamazen to stop Dorian silk. I arranged for the Duke of Suno to keep Sebestiano stuck in Suno so that I could arrange his death. I gave details to the assassins to strike down Sebestiano’s guards and servants.”
“But you weren’t counting on Cesare sending me to replace him, that’s why you tried to delay me,” Venser said coolly his blue eye, pale ice fixed passively on his father while his amber eye betrayed his inner rage and pain.
“Yes Venser and you messed up what was supposed to be a quite assassination and still you somehow survived. That is why I voted for your death at the council, I needed to silence you. It hurt me greatly Venser, trust me, to condemn my only son to certain death, but you were arrogant, cruel and utterly loyal to the Dorian cause. It was the only way others could enjoy freedom from Cesare’s tyranny.”
“Claudia’s marriage to Stefano was to bring him into your camp then?”
“Yes,” Agostino admitted.
Venser sighed and let loose one tear and then decided it was time to end this. With lighting speed he dashed under the table and out its left side. Pulling his crossbow from its sheath he fired one bolt into one guard who died instantly and he tried the door and it was locked. He turned to the guards he were charging him with war cleavers and picks. Then all hell broke loose.
Bolts flew from crossbows as Captain Federico and his assassins broke into the room and the Captian called out to Venser “You arrogant bastard you almost let this fools live. Now to business!” The five assassins he brought with him engaged the twenty some guards of Agostino who fled through a door behind him. Some of the other conspirators tried likewise but the Dorian Assassins would break out of combat to slay the unarmed aristocrats. The guards were many but the assassins were better trained and armed. Agostino and Stefano escaped the Palazzo room. But Venser cared nothing for the later, he followed his father out of the room.
Agostino was not the drunk he always appeared to be, he moved fast. Venser much younger moved faster though and was catching up to his father who started to run up the stairs. Venser roared after him and together they burst out onto the roof. It was dark and the rain and thunder had begun a truly great thunderstorm. Agostino pulled his sword and said to Venser smugly “You’re dead son, I am better then you at swordsmanship and you have no bolt to cheat with. I will end you today Venser and will leave your body for the rats!” Then drawing a Sarranid scimitar his father attacked him. Venser drew his dagger and threw it. His father laughed at the throw and dodged it. “You think that cheap trick will work Venser?” The second blade from Venser’s boat caught him in the arm. Agostino roared in rage and was ill prepared for Venser’s kick that drove him off the edge of the Palazzo di Proditores and onto his father’s marble sword. The impaled Agostino merely could looked at his son upon the roof above and croak “You were always a bad son, a bad brother, a bad person but I think…” A blood rasped cough “You will make a fine assassin.” Agostino then exhaled his final breath and died upon the sword of his father, shedding his own blood upon his marble self. Finally after half a century Agostino’s marble self shed tears for his father.
Cesare looked at his grandnephew and said “You did well Venser. You killed you father, and avenged my son. Vengeance is satisfied and I am no longer angry at you for your failure. You are now a Doria again, but still you must go.”
Venser unflinchingly said “Go where?”
Cesare sighed and said “I cannot house a kinslayer, a man guilty of patricide. The Maker will not allow it. You must go Cesare, anywhere but Yalen. Go, find a wife, die old like me, and full of regrets. But regrets of a life full and fulfilled. You are banished but not disgraced. Venser nodded and left the Palazzo numb to all the pain of killing his father, whom he hated, being banished by Cesare, whom he hated and leaving his home and family, which he loved.
Rodrigo rules Yalen still in all but name. More Ruthless then either of his predecessor patriarchs the city is now under the ruthless thumb of the able tyrant Rodrigo.
Of Venser who can say what happened to him? All we know is that Stefano was found in his country estate a bolt in his throat and robbed of all his mail and money.
TL;DR? Venser was disinherited for failing to protect his cousin and made an enforcer of his father, called a Dorian Assassin. He then eventually killed his father who orchestrated the killing of his cousin. Venser was then exiled from him family for the death of his father but was given back his name
Equipment: Siege Crossbow, pack of steel bolts, scimitar (his father’s), Red gambeson, leather boots and gloves. A light helm of any sort.
second. I actually haven't made a bio in a while (since Nexus) and have forgotten most of the WRP lore and fluff so I may have made some mistakes about it. Also yes Doria is a real Italian family from Genoa but I only used their name, these Doria (their name means threads of gold) are nothing like the historical Doria who were mercenaries and generals and admirals. Nothing like mine.
Third, I know the story is...cheesy. It's kinda the point to be cheesy, it's a standard story, nothing flashy no REAL plot twists. The story is supposed to be cliche.
Forth, I am not the narrator or Venser if you take offense at their view hate the medieval ages.
Thank you,
Mouse
Name: Venser Ottaviano Doria
Age: 32
Nationality: Rhodok
Hair: Golden blonde
Eyes: heterochromia iridium eyes (two different colored eyes) one eye is a washed out blue, and another is an amber brown
Facial Markings: Other than his heterochromia Venser’s face is angular and sharp. He has a scar on his chin from a bar fight from when he was younger
Skin Color: Mediterranean
Height: 5’6
Weight: 120 Pounds or 54.5 Kg
Build: Slight
Body Markings: Venser has a brand on his back of his family crest. A sign of loyalty, other than that a series of minor scars from a hard life fighting.
Interests: Money, family, power
Dislikes: failure, disloyalty, cowardice
Strengths: Ruthless, ambitious and driven. A fair shot with his Crossbow.
Weaknesses: Slight build makes him weaker in melee, arrogant, greedy.
Skills: One time merchant, assassin, and family enforcer Venser has picked up many trades. Venser skills are only rudimentary though, he cannot forge a sword even though he may know the basics, he may know how to cauterize a wound but any more is beyond him. A jack of all trades, master of none. Except his crossbow, that he is extremely skilled in.
Fears: Death of his family, enslavement, complete and total defeat.
Profession: Assassin and Spy
Background/History:
Below is the tale of Venser Ottaviano Doria of Yalen but first let us introduce him to the reader:
prologue
:
Born of the infamous Doria family in the Rhodok Kingdom Venser was blessed with the family’s signature trait. Two different colored eyes, one of ice blue representing the passionless nature of the family and an amber eye representing their ambition to gain power and wealth. His father was Agostino Maria Doria, one of the lesser Doria’s and Giulia Tucci of Jelkala daughter of a major magistrate under the Rhodok King. The Doria’s in the past three generations has come to great local power in Yalen through a mix of wealth, fear, and murder. The first Doria, Ottaviano build a merchant family by courting favor with the local mayor and using his protection as a safeguard as he struck out against all his rivals. Ottaviano then built a small trading empire off of selling Rhodok wool and silk to Vaegirs and Sarranids respectively. Ottaviano ruled then for a decade and a half, a decade in which his sons grew to adulthood and strength. They were Andrea Marco Doria and Cesare Lucio Doria.:
Upon the death of their father the two brothers were assaulted by all the families of Yalen who had bid their time in the shadows while their feared conquer aged. With the elder Doria’s death they finally struck. They assaulted the two brothers as they prayed at the Maker’s Church. Six assassins struck out against the two brothers and their families. Doria after Doria fell but eventually the assassins were slain. Five Doria died in Yalen’s church among them Andrea, and two of his sons, and one of his daughters. Cesare lost a son and his wife. The only survivor of Andrea’s line was Agostino, a boy of six. Cesare proved himself a quick learner of his father’s methods and struck out against the Ten Families that struck out against him and his family. Of the some one hundred among those Ten families only a few young girls and wives survived. After this Cesare built a grand monument to all the dead Doria, a magnificent tomb of marble that still stands in Yalen’s town square. After that he founded the Dorian Assassins. These were to be the family guard, their spies, their enforcers, their assassins against all their foes. Never again would the Doria family be caught off guard. Three decades would pass. The young boy who watched his entire family slaughtered grew to adulthood. Agostino married well, into Jelkala money, to advance the family’s business in that city. He had three children, first a girl who died at three, second a boy that was stillborn and lastly Venser Ottaviano Doria.
Venser was a small sickly child, courtesy of his mother, Giulia was herself rather frail. Venser was thus the most minor of the Doria and was destined to be an ambassador of the Doria family abroad. He was thus schooled at great expense in history, medicine, theology, and on languages learning Swadian, Ancient Calderic, and Sarranid in addition to his native Rhodok. He was never good at blade work or using the cleavers of his people. He was simply not strong enough to fight armored and stronger foes. Starting at nineteen he was to travel throughout Caldera as Merchant and representative of the Doria…
Part 1: Son of the Doria
Venser smiled as he entered the residence of Emir Hamazen, a greedy and fat Emir of Sultan Hakim V. This man was all that blocked a Doria caravan from entering the other half of the Sultanate. Venser at nineteen was a picture of arrogance and he knew it. Clad in fine Rhodok silks and with a bravado most youth seemed to have Venser sat before the hulking Emir.The Emir smiled and spoke to Venser “Ah Doria, I have not had one of you infidels grace my presence in a while. Not since the last war when I was slaughtering your kinsfolk at the passes. But One, blessed be his name, forgive me for rambling. Doria why now have you and your ilk returned to blessed Sarria, protected by the One, blessed be his name?” Hamazen of course already knew the answer, the Doria family wanted to move their silks beyond Hamazen’s town of Ahmerrad and into the rest of the Sultanate. The greedy Hamazen was charging outrageous tolls for this and seizing Doria silk when their merchants could not pay. It was outrageous, and it would stop.
“Your grace, understand your attitude towards Doria caravans are taking money out of both our coffers. Our silk will not flow towards the rest of the Sultanate and others cannot sell, as we will stop them. The other half of the Sultanate will groan for lack of good clothing and they will blame you.”
“Why blame me? You are the one’s stopping the other merchants from coming. I think you are full of air little sickly Doria,” Hamazen gave a corpulent laugh at that, as if it were funny. Time for the kids gloves to come off.
“If you will not allow us to engage in legitimate business we will be forced to sell to your radical rebels at greatly “reduced” prices, the ones that one to bury in sand and trample you will camels? The ones who will destroy Sarria in holy war? If you oppose the Doria any longer-“
“You cannot fund those anarchists!”
“Then we will fund them to destroy you, and then if you survive we will send our assassins after you and not a Emir will lift a finger to help you-“
“They will you filthy infidel!”
“Because they will be poor from their lack of silk, and the massive rebellion attacking their caravans. They will be starving, how possibly could they strike at the Doria then?”
“Your family is not that powerful,” Hamazen croaked in anger “You cannot hope to do half the things you promise.
Venser smiled. “If I can do half the things I just said Your Corpulence you will be a dead man just the same, or you can take Doria money. The silk will flow and you will be just as rich and just as alive.”
Hamazen stuttered angrily “I should have you killed, may the One (blessed be his name) forgive me for even thinking of killing a guest!
Venser snorted and said “You cannot kill me, or the Doria will destroy you. Now Your Corpulence do we have an agreement?”
As Venser was mounting his horse to leave his servant Antonio asked of him "How did the negotiations go?"
Venser pleased to boast said “Hamazen agreed to our terms Antonio. He decided to take our money instead of the mere threat of death.” Everybody had a weakness once you found it all you needed to do was...squeeze. The two mounted their horses and rode off back towards the family patriarch, Cesare.
Venser entered the family Palazzo amid the local festival of Carnevale. Everybody wore masks and partook in games. It was a night of loosened morals, it was said everything was permitted by the Maker on Carnevale and the citizens of Yalen seemed to believe it. As Venser dismounted he was greeted by his half-sister and stepmother, Cornelia and Fiore respectively. A gift of Venser’s mother dying was Agostino’s remarrying. Fiore was a nice enough women, but unnecessarily to Dorian needs and politics, she seemed to make father happy though with the birth of Cornelia. At sixteen and already considered one of the flowers of Yalen she was everything Venser was not. Gracious, humble, lovable...healthy.
Fiore smiled at Venser and said “You have returned Venser, successful I hope?”
Venser contemptuously said “But of course Fiore, Hamazen was easy to twist to the families goals. The silk must flow and I convinced him of that.
Cornelia smiled and said “Venser you should know before you talk to Uncle Cesare that father has found me a husband!” Cornelia was positively beaming at joy, whoever the man was he must have been a catch. “It’s Stefano da Montone!” A catch indeed, Stefano was said to be kind and intelligent but the Montone’s were not allies of the family. A strange marriage indeed more to ponder on later.
Wishing his stepfamily well Venser disappeared to the depths of the Palazzo. He eventually was ushered into the presence of his grand uncle Cesare. The man had not aged well and it was said he was on his last legs. The famous double eyes of the Doria, one blue and one amber had both faded to milk and the famous patriarch of the Doria was now blind. His mind though was still sharp.
“Uncle I have done as you wished, Hamazen was bullied into allowing our silk to pass at the usual amounts of bribes for “infidels”, Venser said respectively. If there was one man who deserved Venser’s respect it was Cesare, it certainly wasn’t his father.
“Good Venser, I am pleased by this development. Now the family can leave management of Sarria to lesser agents, those without Doria blood. You did quite well Venser but I have one more task for you that requires you to leave immediately.”
“Uncle?” What could be so important that he was make Venser leave in the most important holiday in Yalen? Usually such tasks were left to the assassins.
“My heir, Sebastiano is overseeing our expansion into the Swadian Kingdom and dines with the Duke of Suno. He must return here and be replaced by you, a trusted agent. The truth is Venser, I fear that I need to complete my son’s education of familial politics. There is much I fear, I believe...it is of no matter now. Send Sebastiano home to me and replace him and I will send you instructions afterwards.”
“Yes sir. I will do as you instruct and depart immediately.” Venser made to leave but Cesare was not done with him.
“Venser?” Cesare looked at Venser with strained eyes, eyes that could see nothing and he said “How long have you served this family? Directly that is?
“Three years Uncle Cesare, as ambassador of the family and enforcer of your will.”
Cesare nodded and said “Perhaps it is time I found you a wife, and gave you your just reward. When I pass on Sebastiano will not know of your good work and will not reward you, but that is as he should. One does reward family members for doing nothing. Like your father! He has sat all these years and ate our food and deemed fit to call it shit.
Venser nodded, all his life he worked to prove he was better than his father, one day perhaps all would see. Venser left the depths of the Palazzo and made his way to the courtyard outside. There he found his father waiting for him. Clad in the ornate clothing fitting Carnevale his father was only Dorian in his eyes. Everything else betrayed a life of weakness. A smile that came too easily, an arrogance from deeds not deserving of pride, and a sword on his hip that he could barely use. “Venser what’s the rush? It is Carnevale, and you are in the greatest place in the world to celebrate it!”
Venser had no time for his father though and brushed him off saying “I’m off to Suno father on Doria business.”
Something must have pissed off the old man then as he said “Now I’m a Doria too Venser and your father, you don’t have to be so haughty all the time. Don’t go to Suno Venser, not today at least, whatever my senile uncle wants it can wait till Carnevale is over at least?
Venser snorted and mounted his horse and called to the confused Antonio “No we are departing to Suno at once Antonio, get feed for the horses, we will stop at a tavern once the sun has set!” Then turning towards his father Venser said “Uncle Cesare has said it must be done at once and as a dutiful grandnephew it will be done, at once, father. Goodbye father, enjoy Carnevale for me.” Venser then led his horse out of the Palazzo with Antonio following him.
Part 2: Fall into Condemnation
Venser arrived in Suno quickly. In just a fortnight he arrived in the Swadian city wet and tired. Both he and Antonio were exhausted and eager to replace Sebastiano as guests of the Duke of Suno. As Venser arrived at the keep he approached a sergeant of the Duke and said “I am a messenger of the Doria clan from Yalen here to speak to Sebastiano Cesare Doria, a guest of your duke.” The sergeant nodded and ordered the portcullis risen and the two Rhodoks advanced inside. Under escort they were lead to the apartments of Sebastiano. Sebastiano the heir of the Doria clan, son of the murderer of ten major Rhodok trade families, grandson of a man who has risen from nothing to control an entire cities trade, guest of the second most powerful man in Swadia, was passed out drunk with two women in his bed. Unfaithful and weak, what an heir the Doria had. Venser turned to Antonio and said to him “Rid us of the whores and wake my cousin.” Antonio did so chasing the women out as Venser spoke to Sebastiano “Cousin, your father demands your immediate presence back in Yalen, I will replace you no fear.”Sebastiano rubbed his head and said “What happened?”
Venser merely raised an eyebrow and said “If I have to explain that to you, you might have to question your wife who’s the father of her children. As for the drunkenness, I assume that was Swadian wine.”
Sebastiano merely shook his head and said “No, I didn’t… cousin, the last I remember was breaking my fast this morning with cheese and...I was drugged cousin! It’s some sort of tra-“Just then a cry came from the door way and Antonio fell to the ground dead, a bolt emerging from his chest. The Dorian Assassins guarding Sebastiano must already be dead. But why not kill Sebastiano earlier unless…they knew Venser was coming and they wanted to kill two birds with one stone? Whatever the reason the assassins, three of them advanced into the room. Clad in black robes and armed with daggers and small crossbows the assassins were the definition of Rhodok and cliché, all at once.
“Cousin get the guards I will hold them at bay,” Venser shouted and drew his dagger and went into the fray. Venser shouted in Swadian “Guards, murders in the apartments!” That would bring somebody…eventually.
The fight if you could call it that was short. Venser tried to stab one of the assassins and the assassin grabbed his hand and cut his torso with the blade. Venser screamed in pain and kneed the man in the groin. As the man doubled back in surprise and agony Venser stabbed his throat with his dagger. Sebastiano instead of getting the guards attacked the other two assassins and struck one with a broken chair leg (Maker knows how he acquired it) but before he could strike again the other stabbed his back with his blade and then the other one did. They started to cut Sebastiano to pieces but before they finished the Doria heir Venser attacked them screaming in rage. He jumped at one as Swadian sergeants burst into the apartment. Calling in their smooth language they called for the combatants to separate. The assassins seeing their prey was just about dead broke off their mauling and ran for it. They only made it six steps before the sergeants killed them. Sebastiano however was still bleeding at an alarming rate.
“Sebastiano stay alive,” Venser said and then in Swadian “Fetch a physician you idiots” to the sergeants. One rushed off to obey. Sebastiano however paid for his bravely the hard way. His heart burst and his lungs full of blood, the Doria heir was full of worthless blood that strangled him. He drowned in his own blood and died in Venser’s arms minutes before the physician arrived.
“You have my insurance Mister Doria that I will destroy who ever carried out this brazen act of violence against your cousin.” The Duke of Suno was promising the impossible. The only knowledge Venser could find on the assassins were that they were Rhodok and arrived a few days before Venser did. They obviously planned not to kill Sebastiano so obviously and smother him in his sleep but Venser and Antonio (Venser grieved for him) had arrived and foiled their complicated plan. Venser knew that the death of Sebastiano not only threatened his own position in the family (though he had been powerless to stop them right?), but also the entire family as a whole. A succession crisis was now possible and the threat of a conspiracy to destroy the Doria was also lurking in the shadows. Whoever struck at Sebastiano knew where he would be and how important he was to the operation of the family. Venser must return and inform Cesare immediately but first…
“Your Grace, it is understandable that you feel threatened by this act but perhaps it would be wiser to let us Doria investigate? The hand behind these common thugs is no doubt in Yalen and far away from you, but instead you can offer the family the trade rights Sebastiano was working towards, to honor the men of course Your Grace.”
The Duke nodded, after all the trade benefits Sebastiano proposed gave him gold and he needed gold to put down a revolt somewhere in his lands. “Of course Mister Doria, travel well back to Yalen and give my sympathies to Cesare, losing a son must be hard.” Venser nodded and made forth towards his home.
“MY SON IS DEAD!” roared Cesare at the family assembly. His reaction to the death of his son were predictable, his anger towards Venser for “allowing” this death to occur were not.
“I am sorry father,” came the voice of Lucio, another of Cesare’s sons.
“You are merely saying that to gain favor to succeed me your cur, away with you,” shouted Cesare and he would not speak till Lucio left the room. Then turning towards Venser he hissed “You left my son to die in that foreign land! You failed me, you are a disgrace to this family. If it were up to me alone you would cast out of this family as a failure and sold to the galleys to live a short and miserable fate!” Venser shuddered, such a fate was the worse any Rhodok aristocrat could imagine. “But it is not up to me, Venser it is up to this council of all the Dorias to decide your fate.” Cesare mentioned the council of all Doria adult males that made up the council. There was his remaining son Rodrigo, Sebastiano’s son Giulio, Venser’s father Agostino, and Lucio’s son Marco and Bartolomeo. Lucio would be included if Cesare had not banished him from the precedings. All together they made five people to judge Venser’s fate.
“We had heard two cases so far,” Rodrigo said rising from his seat “That of clemency” he nodded towards Marco who supported such a case “that of banishment and enslavement” he nodded towards his father “But I have a different fate in mind. One that is more useful to this family then mere banishment, and yet more deserving then clemency. I propose he is still cast out of the Doria family, his shame is too great not to, but instead of banishing him we make him one of our assassins. We make him a tool to protect other family members from the foes we face in the shadows.”
Rodrigo then sat and let his father, Cesare, speak “His record shows that already is a poor choice but I will let the council decide. “Clemency?” Marco rose his hand to show his approval. “Banishment and slavery?” He himself rose his hand as did Venser’s father. Venser merely opened his mouth in shock. His own father, wanted him dead, his own father that thought the family was foolish wanted to kill his only son. This could not be about Sebastiano. This was about Venser, his father wanted him dead… “Service?” Rodrigo, Giulio and Bartolomeo rose their hands. Cesare nodded and said “So it is, Rodrigo strip him of his ring, of his fine silks, and of his name and give him to Captain Francesco.”
Rodrigo stepped forward and said “Your ring Venser Ottaviano.” Venser shakily removed it as he watched the rest of the council leave. His father said not a word to him as he breezed past him. When Rodrigo took the ring he dropped it upon the marble floor and stepped on it cracked the signet of their family, the Black eagle upon a field of gold and white. Venser shook at the sound it of it. He was no longer a Doria. Then Rodrigo ripped the silk from Venser’s body and said “You are no longer Doria Venser, you are a bastard in the eyes of Rhodok law, to us Doria you are only a servant, nothing more, and probably less. Then a cloaked man appeared and hit Venser in the face, knocking him out.
Venser awoke to cold water being splashed on his face. The cloaked man kneeled before Venser and said “What has this family given me? A sheep? Or a fox? I am Captain Francesco of the Dorian Assassins, once as the least of the Doria you were greater than me, now you are the least of the assassins and all of us are greater than you.”
Venser shuddered again, disgrace, defeat. A month ago, any man who told Venser his fate was to be cast out of his family would have been told that was impossible. But sometimes it seems the impossible comes true.
“I may have been the least of the Doria, but I will never be the least of the Dorian Assassins,” Venser croaked proudly.
Captain Francesco snorted and sneered at Venser “You are an arrogant pub that’s for sure, but foxes are arrogant beasts. You’ll make a good assassin.
“I doubt it, I cannot swing a sword or wield a cleaver,” Venser said contemptuously taking aware of his damp and dark cell. The cell of prisoners.
“You can mix poisons and talk, you can fire a crossbow and bed a women. That means you can intimidate, you can charm, and you can deal with the Doria’s opponents. That is all you need. Not fancy blade work, did you think all Dorian Assassins were duelists?
Venser smiled and said “Well actually I rarely thought of you, considered you a bunch of unrefined thugs not worthy of my time.”
Captain Francesco laughed and said “You’re also honesty, blunt, and brave. You’re potential. One day I will mold you kid from rough and weak clay into true steel.
Venser rose his head to look Captain Francesco in the eyes and said “Teach me your skills, Captain, so that one day I will meet those that drove me to disgrace and I may end them.”
Part 3: The Recreant Assassin
Venser leveled his crossbow at the door from the opposite roof top he sat upon and waited. His follow assassins would flush at least one of the hidden Piazzi, rivals of the Doria, out. At the sounds of fighting the door burst open and three men ran out into the Yalen night. The first fell immediately to Venser’s powerful crossbow. With trained speed he reloaded and talented precision he felled the second man. The third by now was approaching the cannel to take a boat and flee into safer waters. As he untied the rope connecting the boat to the city Venser silenced him with a third shot. Venser reloaded pleased with himself. His skills had increased greatly in his five years as a professional murderer. Now at twenty seven he could hardly remember his time as a spoiled and rich merchant prince. Now he was just an assassin. Approaching the bodies of his fallen victims Venser searched each one. The last carried a note:To my esteemed comrade in arms Santiago Piazzi,
It has come to my attention you have finally gotten a hold of the materials we require to begin Operation Nightfall, excellent! That means that we as a council must gather and begin our preparations for the fall of the Doria. Be warned though, I have heard that the D.A. are suspicious of your family and might strike out against you. DO NOT allow yourself to be captured alive as they will most assuredly torture you (and then kill you) for any information you might have. In any case we will gather where the Ten Families gathered to destroy the Doria the last time and pray the Maker rewards our sense of irony better then he rewarded the Ten Families we follow in the footsteps of. Come alone and show this note to the door man he will expect you. A
To the fall of the Doria
A
Venser scowled at seeing the letter, these were the conspirators behind the death of Sebastiano, he was certain of it. Captain Francesco would ask the bedridden Cesare for instructions but before the dying man could give the go ahead the conspirators might have already learned of Santiago’s death and fled. No, Venser must go now, his cloak would conceal his crossbow if he didn’t make any sudden movements and his daggers were properly hidden. One in his boat another in his sleeve. Yes, it was time to have vengeance upon this “A” and all his ilk, the scar of the Doria Eagle proving his allegiance that graced half his back and his eyes would be clue enough to his identity but perhaps the letter would dissuade the guards? It made not matter, violence was bound to happen eventually. Venser left a note for Francesco detailing his departure and his reasoning, in case Venser should fail. But no matter what, he intended to take vengeance upon these villains and then….demand answers of his father for that bitter betrayal five years ago.
It was raining as the hooded Venser arrived at the Palazzo di Proditores, the residence of the Proditores who orchestrated the attack on the Doria all those years ago. Now it was in the ownership of the Dellarove clan, a brutish family out of Swadia. Obviously they had joined in with the fools and would pay for their ignorance. None messed with the Doria and lived, whole and unbroken to tell of it. Ironically the house was in the square that contained the Dorian Monument. Erected by Cesare after the murders it showed Venser’s grandfather Andrea Marco Doria kneeling over the body of his eldest son, Giovanni with his sword, a sharp piece of marble, held aloft. The six assassins were depicted as villainous figures cloaked as devils and armed with daggers. The Doria as heroic angels. The women as screaming in terror and amid the dead and dying. Cesare’s first wife, the mother of Sebastiano was dying as Cesare fought over her body against an assassin. The sculptor a Ludovico Simoni showed his genius in the facial expressions of the people. As Venser passed his father he looked at his father and he saw something he never noticed. When he was younger and liked to fight in the taverns Venser had liked to boast his father was constantly crying in the town square but that was no longer what he saw in his marble father’s eyes. The six year old did indeed look as if he was about to cry but…there was no sadness in his facial expression. Venser paid it no mind as he approached the Palazzo. He showed the letter to the guards and said “Lord Piazzi wanted me to tell the sender of this message he could not arrive.” The two guards looked at one another and the elder of the two sent the younger towards the insides of the Palazzo. Venser smiled and said “That was a mistake.”
The elder spit and said “He was too green to notice your eyes Doria. He won’t inform them of your coming but I might have saved his life. You understand I have to try and sto-“ Venser drew his blade and slashed the man’s vocal cords silencing him and then he gave him the gift of mercy and went inside following the younger guard towards his victims.
The ancient Palazzo was darkly lit and as Venser approached he heard the sound of talking. Whatever they talked about, it ended tonight. Venser opened the door and entered and sitting at the head of the table was Agostino Maria Doria, his father. The other four men grew quite as Venser approached the table and sat down and took the dead Santiago’s place.
Agostino said “Gentlemen this is my son, named Venser Ottaviano Doria. Venser means winds of change. I meant it as irony thinking he would be the winds of change to the Doria, but he was no warrior. He could bring no sudden change to the Doria.
A young and handsome man then asked “Then why Master Agostino, is he here?”
Agostino looking dead on at Venser said “It’s really simply Stefano, he is here to kill every last one of us. He is a Dorian Assassin.” Then around twenty guards poured in from the doors and surrounded Venser.
Venser may have appeared calm to all those gathered there but inside he was simmering rage. Focusing himself to speak calmly he asked of his father “Why father? Why kill your own son? Why destroy everything your uncle and grandfather have worked for? That your Father worked for?”
Agostino signaled and said to his men “Spare killing him till I tell you, he must meet the Maker knowing the truth.” The guards relaxed which gave Venser space and more importantly time. “You should know Venser that I hated my father, my grandfather, my uncle. All of them shame all Rhodoks, all followers of Lazlo and me. They lie to gain money and power but all they are is bullies. Bullies that are cancerous towards this city. I love this city son, I always have and always will and to see it ruled by such a parasite is a fire in my blood that cannot stand. I have plotted the destruction of the family since I was eighteen. Not by murder as my predecessors have but by guile. The family would consume itself. Sebestiano’s death will ignite a Dorian Civil War and I will feed it. The family will be so weak they will have to step down from their role of dominance. To make sure though that they are weak I’ve slowly stripped them of their ablest allies. The Mayor now belongs to me, five of the cities families follow me, and I have blocked their accesses to money for years. I bribed Hamazen to stop Dorian silk. I arranged for the Duke of Suno to keep Sebestiano stuck in Suno so that I could arrange his death. I gave details to the assassins to strike down Sebestiano’s guards and servants.”
“But you weren’t counting on Cesare sending me to replace him, that’s why you tried to delay me,” Venser said coolly his blue eye, pale ice fixed passively on his father while his amber eye betrayed his inner rage and pain.
“Yes Venser and you messed up what was supposed to be a quite assassination and still you somehow survived. That is why I voted for your death at the council, I needed to silence you. It hurt me greatly Venser, trust me, to condemn my only son to certain death, but you were arrogant, cruel and utterly loyal to the Dorian cause. It was the only way others could enjoy freedom from Cesare’s tyranny.”
“Claudia’s marriage to Stefano was to bring him into your camp then?”
“Yes,” Agostino admitted.
Venser sighed and let loose one tear and then decided it was time to end this. With lighting speed he dashed under the table and out its left side. Pulling his crossbow from its sheath he fired one bolt into one guard who died instantly and he tried the door and it was locked. He turned to the guards he were charging him with war cleavers and picks. Then all hell broke loose.
Bolts flew from crossbows as Captain Federico and his assassins broke into the room and the Captian called out to Venser “You arrogant bastard you almost let this fools live. Now to business!” The five assassins he brought with him engaged the twenty some guards of Agostino who fled through a door behind him. Some of the other conspirators tried likewise but the Dorian Assassins would break out of combat to slay the unarmed aristocrats. The guards were many but the assassins were better trained and armed. Agostino and Stefano escaped the Palazzo room. But Venser cared nothing for the later, he followed his father out of the room.
Agostino was not the drunk he always appeared to be, he moved fast. Venser much younger moved faster though and was catching up to his father who started to run up the stairs. Venser roared after him and together they burst out onto the roof. It was dark and the rain and thunder had begun a truly great thunderstorm. Agostino pulled his sword and said to Venser smugly “You’re dead son, I am better then you at swordsmanship and you have no bolt to cheat with. I will end you today Venser and will leave your body for the rats!” Then drawing a Sarranid scimitar his father attacked him. Venser drew his dagger and threw it. His father laughed at the throw and dodged it. “You think that cheap trick will work Venser?” The second blade from Venser’s boat caught him in the arm. Agostino roared in rage and was ill prepared for Venser’s kick that drove him off the edge of the Palazzo di Proditores and onto his father’s marble sword. The impaled Agostino merely could looked at his son upon the roof above and croak “You were always a bad son, a bad brother, a bad person but I think…” A blood rasped cough “You will make a fine assassin.” Agostino then exhaled his final breath and died upon the sword of his father, shedding his own blood upon his marble self. Finally after half a century Agostino’s marble self shed tears for his father.
Cesare looked at his grandnephew and said “You did well Venser. You killed you father, and avenged my son. Vengeance is satisfied and I am no longer angry at you for your failure. You are now a Doria again, but still you must go.”
Venser unflinchingly said “Go where?”
Cesare sighed and said “I cannot house a kinslayer, a man guilty of patricide. The Maker will not allow it. You must go Cesare, anywhere but Yalen. Go, find a wife, die old like me, and full of regrets. But regrets of a life full and fulfilled. You are banished but not disgraced. Venser nodded and left the Palazzo numb to all the pain of killing his father, whom he hated, being banished by Cesare, whom he hated and leaving his home and family, which he loved.
Epilogue:
Where Venser wanders now, we do not know. All we know is that Cesare died a fortnight later and was succeeded by Rodrigo whom was selected by Cesare to lead the family upon the death of Agostino and learning of his plans. Rodrigo purged the town of Yalen again. The Mayor’s office was destroyed completely and the office made hereditary to a Doria, the five supporting families hunted down and destroyed. Claudia escaped from her family into Swadia where allies hid her and her children. Fiore was not so lucky. Reader I will tell you nothing more of her death only know that vileness that that women faced before her death, it was most shameful that in the name of the law, it was allowed.Rodrigo rules Yalen still in all but name. More Ruthless then either of his predecessor patriarchs the city is now under the ruthless thumb of the able tyrant Rodrigo.
Of Venser who can say what happened to him? All we know is that Stefano was found in his country estate a bolt in his throat and robbed of all his mail and money.
TL;DR? Venser was disinherited for failing to protect his cousin and made an enforcer of his father, called a Dorian Assassin. He then eventually killed his father who orchestrated the killing of his cousin. Venser was then exiled from him family for the death of his father but was given back his name
Equipment: Siege Crossbow, pack of steel bolts, scimitar (his father’s), Red gambeson, leather boots and gloves. A light helm of any sort.