Badass Dragoons of the Highlands - Turn 3 - Florence (c.1503)

[messana]

Italy flourishes in the 16th century as the Renaissance continues to blossom. Michelangelo is nearly finished with the statue of David. Da Vinci has begun work on the Mona Lisa. The city of Florence bustles with the energy of art, fashion, and commerce. The Medici dynasty, humiliated by the failure of Piero II in his surrender to the French just nine years earlier, has been expelled from the city and democratic reforms are beginning the slow process of recovering from the corruption and decadence of that time. The great Duomo il Firenze looms majestically over the skyline.

The next Armistice had been called and the Immortals trickled into the the city, commenting on the fine Tuscan weather and wine.

Turn 3 Deadlines
Orders must be submitted by Fri Oct 13 by 2200 EDT.

Travel options for Turn 3 have been posted below.

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Newly Exposed Game Mechanics

Extended Combat: Immortals must select seven combat stances this round. The Archivist should warn you if you haven’t submitted enough stances.

Arch-Nemesis: Battles that end in a stalemate between nemeses make both participants committed to the beheading of the other. Should they meet again, both players will enjoy a bonus of +10 to each attack roll against each other. Your current arch-nemeses (if any) have been added to your character sheets.

Reflexes I: As your reflexes improve, you will discover you can read your opponent’s stance and quickly shift to a new position. This will improve your existing stance by 1 step in the first combat round. For example: you’ve selected Reckless (target 70) and your opponent has selected Aggressive (target 30). With Reflexes I, your submitted stance will be changed to Normal on the fly - improving your target to 60 and decreasing your opponent’s target to 40. If you already have the best stance against your opponent, Reflexes I will not improve it further. If both combatants have this ability, there is no effect.

Sturdy I: As endurance increases, so does the amount of damage you can take. With Sturdy I, your base HP increases from 5 to 6.

[messana]

@donald_petersen

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | "Bon" McEvoy           |  5 |  4  |  3  |  3  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 257
  | Origin: Scottish
  | Weapon: Chinese Broadsword
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Bark McBarkruff [ghoti]
  | 

@KeisterButton

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Maud d'Oilly           |  5 |  4  |  3  |  3  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 441
  | Origin: Frankish
  | Weapon: Viking Broadsword
  | 
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):  
  |  Harry Farnsworth [Wisconsin_Platt]
  |

@CleverEmi

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Rachel McGinty         |  5 |  3  |  3  |  2  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Unknown
  | Origin: Scottish
  | Weapon: Katana
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   T.D. Himself [guest_account_7]
  |
  | The Kurgan have caught your scent and are on your trail.
  |

@eve

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Aeaba Taylor           |  5 |  2  |  4  |  3  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 603
  | Origin: English
  | Weapon: "Mightier Than"
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Maple Clamphoof [glutnix]
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):  
  |   Evelyn Wolff [Nightflyer]
  |

@pogo

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | The Ratchet            |  5 |  5  |  2  |  2  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 837
  | Origin: Serbian
  | Weapon: "Pokolj"
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):  
  |   NESSIE [penguinchris]
  |

@guest_account_7

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | T.D. Himself           |  5 |  6  |  2  |  2  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Older than Dirt
  | Origin: Unknown
  | Weapon: Wicked Rapier
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Rachel McGinty [CleverEmi]
  |   The Three Sisters [ChickieD]
  |

@daneel

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Zero Demos             |  5 |  2  |  3  |  3  |  5  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 3103
  | Origin: Minoan
  | Weapon: Damascus Longsword
  |
  | Arch-Nemesis (+10 all attacks):  
  |   The Worker [manwich]
  |

@ghoti

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Bark McBarkruff        |  5 |  3  |  3  |  3  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Woof ruff
  | Origin: Scottish
  | Weapon: Canine Swordcane
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Mr. Collins [David_Falkayn]
  |   "Bon" McEvoy [Donald_Petersen]
  |

@glutnix

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Maple Clamphoof        |  5 |  3  |  2  |  5  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 1079
  | Origin: Kwakiutl
  | Weapon: Mooseblade
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Aeaba Taylor [eve]
  |   Halmar [tobinl]
  |

[messana]

@DreamboatSkanky

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Bag of Hammers         |  5 |  2  |  2  |  4  |  5  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 729
  | Origin: Byzantine
  | Weapon: "Good Ol' #2"
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   "Hep" Burn [miasm]
  |

@Hadley

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | shemp                  |  5 |  4  |  2  |  3  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 3847
  | Origin: Babylonian
  | Weapon: Giant Lobster Claw
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Halmar [tobinl]
  |   Mr. Collins [David_Falkayn]
  |

@durhamindurham

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Groß Wilhelm           |  5 |  2  |  2  |  4  |  5  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 1084
  | Origin: Germanic
  | Weapon: Zweihänder
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   "Hep" Burn [miasm]
  |   Juan [strokeybeard]
  |

@Nightflyer

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Evelyn Wolff           |  5 |  2  |  3  |  4  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 304
  | Origin: Kievan Rus'
  | Weapon: Lovely Karabela
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):
  |   Aeaba Taylor [eve]
  |

@manwich

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | The Worker             |  6 |  2  |  1  |  3  |  7  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 953
  | Origin: Unknown
  | Weapon: Polished Cedar Board
  |
  | Abilities:
  |    Sturdy (+1 HP)
  |
  | Arch-Nemesis (+10 all attacks):  
  |   Zero Demos [daneel]
  |

@strokeybeard

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Juan                   |  6 |  4  |  1  |  2  |  6  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 792
  | Origin: Iberian
  | Weapon: Sharp Toledo Rapier
  |
  | Abilities:
  |    Sturdy (+1 HP)
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Jane [MalevolentPixy]
  |   Groß Wilhelm [durhamindurham]
  |

@SteampunkBanana

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Red Dog                |  5 |  3  |  1  |  5  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 253
  | Origin: Creek
  | Weapon: Wicked Axe
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Other Pendragon [teknocholer]
  |   Jane [MalevolentPixy]
  |

@old

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Mom                    |  5 |  3  |  6  |  2  |  2  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Unknown
  | Origin: Unknown
  | Weapon: Paring Knife
  |
  | Abilities:
  |    Reflexes I (Improved results in round 1)
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):
  |   Ennis [gwwar]
  |

@MalevolentPixy

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Jane                   |  5 |  3  |  3  |  3  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Unknown
  | Origin: Unknown
  | Weapon: Machete
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Juan [strokeybeard]
  |   Red Dog [SteampunkBanana]
  |

[messana]

@ChickieD

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | The Three Sisters      |  5 |  4  |  4  |  2  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 21503
  | Origin: The Sea
  | Weapon: Katana
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   T.D. Himself [guest_account_7]
  |

@gwwar

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Ennis                  |  5 |  4  |  4  |  3  |  2  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Unknown
  | Origin: Unknown
  | Weapon: Longsword
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):
  |   Mom [old]
  |

@penguinchris

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Nessie                 |  5 |  5  |  3  |  3  |  2  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: Unknown
  | Origin: Scottish
  | Weapon: Enormous Longsword
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Other Pendragon [teknocholer]
  |
  | Comrade (-5 all attacks):  
  |   The Ratchet [pogo]
  |

@tobinl

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | ElHar Aziz             |  5 |  3  |  1  |  4  |  5  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 253
  | Origin: Pellucidarian
  | Weapon: Pirate Cutlass
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Shemp [Hadley]
  |   Maple Clamphoof [glutnix]
  |

@Wisconsin_Platt

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Harry Farnsworth       |  5 |  2  |  4  |  3  |  4  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 283
  | Origin: Atlantean
  | Weapon: Atlantean Cutlass
  | 
  | Comrades (-5 all attacks):  
  |  Maud d'Oilly [KeisterButton]
  |

@teknocholer

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Other Pendragon        |  5 |  3  |  4  |  3  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 1036
  | Origin: Welsh
  | Weapon: Saxon Langseax
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Red Dog [SteampunkBanana]
  |   NESSIE [penguinchris]
  |

@miasm

  +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | "Hep" Burn             |  5 |  2  |  4  |  4  |  3  |
  +------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 390
  | Origin: Scottish
  | Weapon: Hinduwani Urumi
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Groß Wilhelm [durhamindurham]
  |   Bag of Hammers [DreamboatSkanky]
  |

@David_Falkayn

   +-Character--------------+-HP-+-STR-+-REF-+-PER-+-END-+
  | Mr. Collins             |  5 |  4  |  2  |  4  |  3  |
  +-------------------------+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  | Age: 1803
  | Origin: Egyptian
  | Weapon: Papyrus Scroll
  |
  | Nemesis (+5 all attacks):
  |   Bark McBarkruff [ghoti]
  |   Shemp [Hadley]
  |

[messana]

Everyone should have a private message updating their hidden bonuses and/or abilities. Travel destinations should be up here in a little bit - thanks for your patience.

[daneel]

Ah, the wheel turns and our tale moves on. No, we haven’t got to the part where I met your mother yet. I think we’d just covered Belgrade? Yes, that was right - onto the next chapter.

As ever, I was fighting the good fight against my old enemies. Having moved west, I had established my new identity as a tradesman in the Republic of Venice, by the name of Antonio Grimani.

By the end of the 14th century I was thriving. Indeed, I had hopes of being elected Doge in time.

In time, I was appointed the commander of our navies, by dint of a generous donation. Inevitably, war with the Ottomans followed.

Unfortunately, the war did not go well. I’d never quite gotten the knack of commanding sea battles, and we were also somewhat outnumbered. In the aftermath, I was banished. Since the alternative was losing my head, I was happy enough with this, and anyway, it was fortunate timing, because I felt the call again, and travelled to Italy.

Ah, the renaissance! The art, what a time to be alive.

But as ever, my search for my arch-nemesis continued. I heard reports of a man with a long plank in Rome, but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, unfortunately I discovered that a bit too late.

Bit embarrassing, really, although I think I did a decent job of finishing it off.

[archivist]

TRAVEL options for Turn 3

1. Serve with Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566): "The Ottoman Empire reaches its zenith in this century under Suleiman. His fleets dominated the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf. He himself was an accomplished poet, the cultural development of the empire during his reign was astounding."
   Factions: n/a
   Effects: +1 STR

2. Battle of Okehazama (1560): "Heavily outnumbered, Oda Nobunaga labored to find a way to remove the threat facing the Owari province. The outcome would be one of the defining moments of the Sengoku period."
   Factions: Oda, Imagawa
   Effects: +1 REF

3. Circumnavigate the Globe with Magellan & Elcano (1519-1522): "Departing from Seville in 1519, it was the first voyage around the world in mortal history. And sailing is so much faster than walking."
   Factions: n/a
   Effects: +1 PER

4. Battle of Pavia (1525): "Wars continued to rage unabated across the European continent throughout the 16th century.
   The forces of the Holy Roman Empire clashed with the French holdings in what would become northern Italy in a decisive battle."
   Factions: France, Spain, Germany
   Effects: +1 STR

5. The Great Siege of Malta (1565): "Overwhelmingly outnumbered, the forces of this tiny island made a stand against the most powerful empire in the world. The siege would last throughout the hottest months of the summer and deeply test the mettle of both sides."
   Factions: Ottoman, Spain, Knights of Malta
   Effects: +1 END

6. Acquire a copy of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543): "Copernicus’ greatest work was published in Nuremburg, mere days before the great scientist would die. Immortals are shocked by the theories contained therein, overturning nearly fourteen centuries of established consensus."
   Factions: n/a
   Effects: +1 PER

7. First Battle of Panipat (1526): "The great Mughal Empire was being established across what we now know as India and Afghanistan. In this enormous conflict, musket and cannon would again presage the transformation slowly taking place across the world. It would reign as an economic powerhouse of the world for centuries."
   Factions: Babur, Lodi, Afghan
   Effects: +1 REF

[archivist]

“What will they do next? One wonders.”

---

    Current status:      Awake and listening
    Order submission:    Available
    Submission deadline: 2017-10-13 23:00:00 -0400
    A strange header:    a53632f640fd8b15335e49f1d671eea38d2496b2

---

[teknocholer]

< break character >
For those interested in the history surrounding the fall of Constantinople and the siege of Malta, Roger Crowley is detailed and very readable.

1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West: Roger Crowley: 9781401308506: Amazon.com: Books

Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World: Roger Crowley: 9780812977646: Amazon.com: Books

< /break character >

[Old]

Mom (@old) participates in the mortal battle, but somehow fails to find an Immortal opponent.

Well. The ladies said they were all meeting at Frank’s Cafe for coffee at 10. I went all the way in to town and none of them were there. Humph!

[ChickieD]

@guest_account_7

or, uh, not to die, because we are immortal. But, prepare to be messed up.

[guest_account_7]

It was sometime in the 16th century when I realized that I wasn’t a cat.

I’d awoken after regrowing my tenth liver, and damn did I have a miserable hangover.

I took out the pain on those around me. As I do.

In the bloodshed that flowed following Floreance, I thought there were no witnesses.

Turns out, there was one.

And she was a

[DreamboatSkanky]

If you want me, kimono my house, mon amour…

I am sure that this motion don’t need no accompanying words

[Wisconsin_Platt]

Ah, Florence. So modern. So Timeless. Reminds me of my Nana’s house (when we kept the island above the water )

I simply must stop by Leo’s place and see what contraptions he is up to.

Speaking of such things, McBarkRuff (@ghoti) be careful out there.

[David_Falkayn]

I’m a librarian. I keep records. Looking at the almost two dozen duels so far, one would have done best if one had chosen these stances in these proportions. That is, those who favored Aggressive and disfavored Defensive would have had an advantage on average across those duels.

24  Agressive
21  Normal
16  Defensive
19  Reckless
20  Cautious

Yours in Truth
-Mr. Collins

[teknocholer]

[excerpt from The Diaries of Other Pendragon © 2017 by TrilloCom LLC]

After my wanderings across the ruins of Europe, all I wanted to do in Florence was bask in the sun and forget looking over my shoulder for assassins. The Medicis had prettied the place up a lot, and I liked nothing better than to buy a dish of zuppa inglese for a trifling sum and sit eating it at a table on the Ponte Vecchio, watching passersby and the boats on the Arno.

I was doing just that, and reading a book on Arabic calligraphy loaned me by Mr. Collins, when the waiter approached with another dish, saying, “Compliments of the lady, Sir Knight”. He nodded toward the bar, then said, “Huh, she was there a moment ago. Tall woman.”

“Perhaps she is shy,” I said. It seemed churlish to refuse her generosity so I ate, feigning good appetite. I had barely finished, though, when a great weariness overcame me, and I laid my head on my arms for a moment’s nap. Almost at once, though, I felt the harpstring vibration that signalled the presence of Immortals, and heard pained wails enough to cause women to miscarry, animals to perish and plants to become barren. I looked up to see my old enemy Red Dog, twanging his bizarre battle lute in the street, being ignored by the locals, who passed by quickly, carefully avoiding his empty hat on the pavement. He was aiming kicks at the small white dog I had seen in Beijing, which was yapping ferociously and trying to bite his ankles. “Ha!” I cried, recalling the recent unpleasantness in England, “white dog and Red Dog, the houses of Yorkie and Stratocaster.” This struck me as wonderfully funny and I laughed loud and long.

[biographer’s note: This passage has caused some controversy among scholars, with some suggesting the dog was a West Highland terrier, and others arguing that it was more likely an albino Yorkshire terrier. Sir Other is misremembering this encounter, or possibly he never knew that Yorkies are not white. The obvious anachronism re the musical instrument is surely excusable in a person of his age.]

My amusement came to an abrupt end when I glanced at the river to see a fearsome serpent-like head and neck above the water, swimming upstream. It turned to look at me with a stare of such terrifying malignance as to burn the scales off a basilisk, and I was suddenly taken back to Agincourt, where, I recalled, I had carelessly Scotched the snake, but not killed it. Dizzy as I was, I leapt up to flee, but felt a tug at my sleeve, and looked down to see a street urchin who said, “Vieni, vieni, Signore, you like pictures? Molto bunga bunga. Vieni.” The cobblestones were undulating like waves on the sea, and I knew not where else to go, so I followed as he led me down ever-smaller lanes and alleys, stopping at a plain wooden door, which he opened.

I was abruptly in a grand room, rich as a palace, facing a curious painting on the wall. It depicted a maiden sans clothes, modestly covering herself with her hands, and I felt again the vibration, or something like it.

My eyes seemed fixed on her form as by some charm, but as I was trying to discern whether she was a natural redhead, a tiny far-off voice sounded in my head:

Beware! Beware!
Her flashing eyes are not down there!
Weave a circle round them thrice,
Spy not her tits, thou knave ill-bred
For that have countless mortals bled;
They’ll have your head off in a trice.

Wait! They? I blinked and dragged my gaze upwards to her face, to find the portrait had changed to an image of three maidens, dressed in diaphanous gowns.

Each had the face and ancient eyes of the lady I had seen in the tavern in Avignon so long ago, but more, it was the face of Sylvia (not her real name) the woman I had loved and lost (wait, how many times?) in the past. Could it be?

A hand on my shoulder woke me, and I lifted my head from the table as the waiter said, “Curfew has sounded, sir. Time to go home.” The streets were empty as I stumbled to the inn.

My head is full of questions. Whence came this vision, and what does it mean? Whose was the tiny warning voice? Who is Sylvia? What is she?

Now I am afraid to sleep.

[David_Falkayn]

The Birth of Venus, and the Three Graces from Spring. Both Botticelli. The second a personal favorite the ruling Medicis, as the masterpiece’s visual grammar incorporates Medici symbols of power (eg the Oranges).

I can’t speak for your tiny warning voice, sir, but your eye is keenly discerning.

Aces.

-Mr. Collins

[daneel]

I may not from Florence, but even I know that to speak well of the Medicis at this time is not well advised, Mr Collins. Piero has been in Venice in exile for nearly 10 years now. Be careful your words do not reach the ears of Machiavelli.

Perhaps you should pay more attention to current affairs, and less to your “studies”.

[David_Falkayn]

Wise Words, Zero. Thank You.

But as we know, The Wheel of Fortune turns ever on. Even our steadfast patriot Niccolo may one day bend with the wind.

[penguinchris]