Necrofagi Beneath Piazza Navona

Cola di Rienzo is fast becoming the most celebrated name amongst the ordinary folk of Rome.

When the market traders of the Porta Navona realised that their people were going missing at nights, it was not the cavaliere of the Orsini stationed in their fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo just across the bridge who came to their rescue nor the soldiers of the Colonna in their comfortable palazzo just up the hill. Instead it was the humble notary from the Aventine, all the way on the other side of the city, who sent aid in the form of a small band of soldiers and priests. These brave souls penetrated the ancient underdark below the piazza to discover and extirpate a nest of Necrofagi that had taken up residence below the piazza and were stealing out to feed upon the local population at night.

Not only did these stout fellows slay both the corpse-eaters and their brood-mother, but they also rescued four of the Missing who were awaiting their terrible fates in the "larder" of these vile demons. The entire district gives thanks to Cola di Rienzo, for without his swift intervention who knows how many poor Romans they might have carried off and how swiftly their population might have grown.

Strozza Loses Face over Brothel

Revellers on a Midsummer's Night on the Quirinale were entertained by the sight of three of Giacomo Strozza's henchmen badly beaten and stripped to their shirts, trailing their sorry arses back to their caserma after an unsuccessful visit to a local brothel.

Anyone who knows anything about the Quirinale area knows that Giacomo Strozza has been throwing his weight about the Trevi Rione, putting the arm on businesses there and taking protection money. No-one seemed to be able, or willing, to rein him in, least of all the Colonnas with their grand palazzo just down the hill. Indeed it is rumoured that Strozza is a Colonna bastard and has their tacit support. It appears he set his sights upon La Deliziosa, a decent brothel at the better end of the Rione, most famous for the services of the exotic courtesan, La Bella Scura.

No-one who knows anything about the feisty Donna Giulia, proprietoress of La Deliziosa, would expect her to quail before the threats of a bunch of thugs and chancers like Strozza's gang - and she didn't. She did not waste her time on fruitless appeals to Colonna or any other of the "great" houses, but instead sent across town to the Aventine to seek the aid of Nicola di Rienzo, a humble Notaio, but a man who has a fast-growing reputation as a man who will seek justice for the poor and the oppressed of Rome. He did not hesitate but dispatched a handful of volunteers to help her. Strange to relate it is said that the group included a couple of priests - though what interest they had in the succour of a brothel is not known.

When Strozza's men came to collect, di Rienzo's men were waiting and the thugs were soundly beaten and sent home in humiliating fashion. Strozza has lost a great deal of face and it is said that as a result many of the businesses in the Rione from whom he was collecting have banded together to refuse him.

2 - Summer 1340

La Deliziosa

It is a few days before mid-summer when Trucco, one of Cola Di Rienzo's lieutenants, approaches Marco da Pitigliano with a request from the Capo. It seems that over in Rione Trevi there is a client of Cola's in distress. Trucco tells Marco of a gangster, by the name of Giacomino Strozza, throwing his weight around and demanding protection money from local businesses. Trucco tells him to take a couple of lads to the Deliziosa - a brothel of the better sort - and put himself at the service of Donna Giulia the proprietoress.

Marco sets off with his companions, Rocco del Mare and Fr. Giovanni and a young guide by the name of Pino. When they arrive they are surprised to find a priest, Father Arturo Quotidiano, sitting drinking wine in the cortile of the brothel with an ugly ugly looking brute called Astore Tollo. It seems that they had just rescued one of Donna Giulia's doormen from a beating handed out by this Strozza's men. They readily agree to help.

After a day spent watching the gang's caserma. Marco and his fellows decide that it is best to lay a trap for the gangsters when they come to collect - or to carry out their threat to abduct La Deliziosa's star turn, La Bella Scura.

On midsummer night Strozza's righthand man Turo and a couple of henchmen turn up to demand the money or the girl. When Donna Giulia refuses him, Turo decides that he and his men are sufficient unto the task of abducting La Bella Scura. He is mistaken. As they enter the courtyard they are surprised by Cola's men. Turo tries to escape but is brought down by a well aimed roof tile thrown by Pino. All three are given a good drubbing. They are stripped to their shirts and despatched back to their boss with the message that La Deliziosa already has protection.

The Necrofagi

The group are next asked to attend to a plea for help from merchants in Piazza Navona. Their contact, Signore Arminio, tells them that people have been disappearing from their area at nights. He leads them down into the old passageways beneath the strangely elongated market square that is Piazza Navona. There he shows them a fissure leading further down into the depths. It seems that a hat known to belong to one of the victims was found. He provides the group with lamps and a flask of oil.

They make their way down the rubble slope into a set of passages below. There they find a band of Necrofagi - corpse-eaters or ghouls feasting upon a frech body. After a fierce fight, including a struggle with a much larger ghoul, they find an inner room with a huge, bloated female of the species lying upon a veritable bed of charnel. She is in the process of giving birth. Withstanding her terrible shrieks, as his companions waver, Astore steps forward to drive his cinquedea, through her guts and end her unholy existence.

In the room beyond they find a "larder" in which lie four victims, frozen to immobility by the chilling touch of the Necrofagi, but still alive.