From: wsb1@dolphin.upenn.edu (Bill Brickman)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 14:45:56 -0400 (EDT)
Note that by the dates I've worked out, Marius, who arrived in 1310, was in the court of the Conte when "Marco" was still a ward. I figure Marius doesn't want the annoying youngster around, messing up his relationship with the Conte. He can't kill him (the Conte won't let him), so eventually he tries to get Marco married off to Lidija. But, of course, long before Marius arrived, the Conte had promised his brother.... So Marco gets sent off. When Giovanni returns, Marius still doesn't want him around, and once he gets to be a pain in the Conte's side, he finds it easy to convince him to get rid of him once and for all. Or maybe he doesn't even tell the Conte, I don't know. Certainly with his paranoia of Knights, Marius hates Giovanni. But Giovanni survives again, due to his closer ties to the Conte than Marius, i.e. his years as a ward and his blood. If you want, Marius can eliminate poor Petro. The Conte currently won't admit Giovanni is his blood, due to the promise at the confession, and the only condition on him letting up on that promise is that Giovanni be re-instated as a Hospitaller, both of which keep Giovanni from being his heir (unless someone else wishes to dig up another family member??), and so keep Marius happy that the "Marco" problem has been dealt with.
As a side note, does anyone else want to stir the pot a little and come in with a character messed up in this local family? It would make for fun with Giovanni and local politics if someone decided to play another cousin of Marco d'Iago di Philippe di Ragusa, or better yet, the rakish son of the Conte (does he have heirs, now?). In all the games in which I've played that people played different family members, the fun was doubled. anyone for playing a grog who's an old fighter of the court who got pushed out by the new Ferali, as so "defected" to the Conte's "vassals"? IT brings a character to life in their environment, for sure.
Bill