Francesco Petracca - Poeta Laureato

The Senate of Rome has declared that Francesco Petracca the Arezzo-born writer and diplomat is to be crowned as Rome's first Poet Laureate since ancient times. He is to be presented with the symbolic crown of laurel leaves on the 8th April in a great public event upon the Capitol to which all are invited.

Petracca's public sponsors in this matter are Senators Giordano Orsini and Orso dell'Anguillara. However, many see the hand of the young up-and-coming notaio from the Aventine, Cola Di Rienzo, who is known for his enthusiasm for the customs of antiquity, and is known associate of Petracca.

There are rumours of a lavish festa to be held in his honour later that day upon the Palatine, with a more selective guest list.

Marco’s Journal : V is for Vendetta

Well, we have Providence to thank for our lives; somehow we survived a well-planned ambush by professional soldiers. Certainly Father Arturo calls it a miracle, and he was certainly crying out for God’s help while I lay unconscious.

But I should start at the beginning.

We were at the Black Cat for a gathering of Cola’s ‘family’ – an evening of food, wine and good news – a bonus from the city council for the continued absence of flying monkey-demons haunting the streets at night. It looks like we got them all, for now anyway. Ten florins each topped off a cheerful evening in good company. It should have been our last.

We had made our way through the dark streets of Rome and were nearly back home at the House of Crows., when ahead of us a woman cried for help as she was dragged into a dark alley. I do not like to see a woman molested, and made after her, followed by my good companions. I did not forget to check the first corner in case it was a ruse, but followed up an empty close as the girl continued to resist. At the second corner I was met by a large man carrying a heavy axe, wearing armour under his voluminous cloak. All I had was a dagger in my belt and a truncheon in my hand. It was obvious that he was a veteran equipped for battle, and this was no fair fight. After two crunching blows with his axe – I could admire his professional stance with buckler at the bottom of his two-handed grip, and shrewd overhand strikes in the cramped close – before I was struck down. Most soldiers meet their end in a sudden pain in mud and blood and darkness. But lo! I awoke from just this condition being helped up by my rather dishevelled companions, and we staggered back home with a spear and a heavy axe which did not belong to us.

Apparently I had missed the best bit – Father Arturo wrestling my conqueror to the floor and crying loudly for God to save us from Murder, whilst from the rear Friar Giovanni and Astore faced off a fully armed Pavisier and a Cross-bow man. On the streets of Rome indeed! Apparently Astore fought them to a standstill in desperate straits, and they lost heart when the Axeman suddenly fled the scene, leaving his weapon behind. Back home, as Friar Giovanni bandaged my arm, I pointed out who our assailants must be. We were warned that the woman Astore had injured – a year or so ago now – had three sons who were professional soldiers off to the war in the South. Our ambushers were three soldiers, fully equipped for battle, who trapped us in a tight alley a few streets from home by using actors as a lure. They had only murder in mind, so it seemed clear who was behind this.

Over a week, while my wounded arm recovered, Friar Giovanni asked around, and found that the brothers had returned from war, were displeased with the compensation paid, and had been asking about us. They had hired rooms near the ambush point, allowing them a den for spying around and hiding their armour and battlefield weapons. We knew they were local boys from Rome, so probably living back in their home neighbourhood near their sick mother and their uncle. They had sent no message, no demand for money, but had decided instead on the murder of Astore and any companions who happened to be nearby as a Vendetta.

So what to do? Well, Friar Giovanni mentions the need to forgive others and then turn the other cheek, although I believe he was belabouring our assailants with a staff while I was unconscious. Our patron made it clear he would not protect us, while any solution was our affair and must keep his name out of it if we were to remain part of his “family”. So dealing with this Vendetta needs careful thought. The Friar offers words from the Testament, Genesis – “whoever sheds the blood of man, by man will his blood be shed”, but also Matthew – “forgive those that trespass against thee seventy times seven, for so shall the Lord do unto you”. Which didn’t really narrow our thoughts much.

We talked the night away, and all of us are loath to fight fire with fire and bring violence to their home once more. We have all asked for forgiveness, and I think Providence tests our resolve. At first my heart burned with anger at those who would have murdered us, but so can I understand their anger at the fate of their own mother. So I forgive them for their sin, as I have been forgiven. Turning the other cheek is too hard for me, so instead we hired some door-guards so we might sleep more peacefully at night, and will take precautions against another ambush in the streets.

After deciding to ponder on a solution for a while Astore, Father Arturo, Friar Giovanni and I went once more into the great darkness below the city. I took the front after applying “eyebright” ointment, and Astore took the rear, with our men of God bearing torches between us. We learned that the under-dark is truly huge as we walked miles along large passages and ignored countless small side-ways as we explored. We found one way back up to the living world guarded by a stout door, watchmen and a barking dog. We crept passed that, and had almost become resigned to returning empty-handed when I spotted a corpse floating in the underground river that flows in the darkness below. As we fished it out, an ectoplasmic ooze enveloped Friar Giovanni and tried to suffocate him in the same manner as its last victim. He seemed doomed to drown until Father Arturo drove it back into the water with an Exorcism. The corpse wore a large pouch containing three coins and two objects from the ancients.

A restorative potion got the Friar going again so we made straight-way back to the living world with what we have found. Hopefully they will be worth more than what was consumed in winning them, for any wealth fetched from the underworld is dearly bought.

******

8 - The Boys are Back in Town

Staggering home to the House of Crows after a night of pleasant revelry at the Black Cat, the party found themselves in the midst of a deadly street ambush. Ill equipped for combat and facing three heavily armed men, they did well to escape with their lives. That they did so reflects both stout resistance and the Grace of God. It seems that at least one of the assailants could not stomach the slaying of a man of God and fled in the face of Father Arturo’s righteous ire. Meanwhile at the other end of the alley in which they were penned Astore kept a pavissiere at bay and disrupted the crossbowman’s opportunities to shoot. Marco was knocked unconscious and Fra Giovanni was pierced in the arm by bolt.

On their return to the House of Crows, the party took stock and realised that their attackers must be the Fratelli Pozzoli, returned from the service of King Robert in Naples, seeking revenge for the dreadful assault on their mother last year. They conclude that while they may have seen this attempt off that they may anticipate others in the future. Their pleas for assistance from Cola fall on deaf ears. He plainly considers the assault on Esmerelda Pozzoli to be inconsistent with the public image he wishes to present. They resolve to hire some muscle to guard the House of Crows at night and left it at that.

Once recovered from their wounds they turn once more to exploring the passages under the House of Crows that stretch off into the darkness below the city. There they discover that they are not alone in having an access point into this secret network of tunnels, encountering a set of steps leading up to a doorway that is clearly guarded by both men and dogs. In another area they fish a body out of a watercourse, only to find it occupied by some kind of spectral creature that is exorcised by Father Arturo – though not before it has latched onto Fra Giovanni to feed upon his life-force. It is banished just in time. They feed him a Restorative and help him home.