Scenario 2: Bastions of Love
Isabelle
Vendoras
future hangs in the balance as you struggle to reveal the identity and
motives of a daring spy.
As your father, the venerable Monsignor Pantalone,
is slipping into old age it is becoming increasingly important to show
your ability as the politician and advisor of the Pantalone familiy. While
beauty and wealth are useful tools, it is respect from Duke Sartorious
and his inner court that will open the doors to real power.
Through your extensive personal contacts in the
Vatican house of Cardinals you have gotten wind of a dastardly plot to
weaken the defences of Vendora to prepare for a Papal attack on the city.
The Pope's flunkeys have somehow found details about the Vendoran city
defences and plan to exploit them to their advantage.
The Vendoran city walls are a complex labyrinth
of gatehouses, murder-holes, portcullises, hoardings and secret passages.
Some of these doors are locked and hidden with great, almost magical skill.
The most secret of all secret routes leads directly into the dukes palace
garden. This hidden path is locked by a password and impossible to discover
without it. This password is what the spy will be looking for. You have
conned your father into telling you this most secret phrase and you intend
to use it to trap the spy and win a place beside the throne of Duke Sartorius.
Your
plan is a risky one. Well suited to your temperament. Through servants
of questionable reputation you have spread the rumour that you know all
the passwords and locations of secret doors in the city and may be convinced
to part with them for a price. You are hoping that such incentive will
make the spy come to you. Then, by giving the spy the password you will
set him up for a triumphant ambush in the secret passage. From there you
will march the villain into the chambers of the Duke and thus forever
secure a place in the Vendoran halls of power.
The
first part of your plan is already sprouting fruit as an unlikely duo
turns up for an audience in your garden. The two have in their letters
introduced themselves as Turetto Bodega, a Spanish military architecht
and a mysterious Scotsman called Tosh Mack Osh, but when you meet them
they seem strangely familiar…
Your Vatican contact was very specific that there would only be one spy and that he would be working alone, yet here you are with two quite likely suspects. The other possibilities are that they are confidence tricksters trying to sting you or (oh unlikely prospect) the actual honest-to-God Real Thing.
To completely succeed with your mission there are a number of things you have to figure out. Listed in a rough order of priorities your objectives are -
Find
out who of your guests (if any) is the spy.
Find out what the spies specific mission is.
Find out who is the spy's master.
Get
the spy to enter the secret passage, using the secret password, thus proving
your suspicions.
In
all of this it is vital that you never reveal that you're trying to reveal
a spy. Act casual, as if this is any old audience and see what you can
find out by subtle manipulation.
Ending
the game
You
end the game by giving the password and location of the secret door to
one of your guests. Then make them leave, and alone on stage, reveal your
intention to capture the spy and become the most powerful woman in Vendora,
nay, in all of Italy!
Tips
The
exact layout of Vendoras defences is not important in this scenario -
feel free to describe Vendoras military architecture however you like.
If
you can think of a way to further your power-ambitions within the framework
of the scenario even further than just impressing the count, please go
for it! If you pay your cards and fellow players well enough you may move
several steps closer to the ducal throne.
Need to powder your nose some more? Get more background on Isabelle here.
