Florence
Alexander Medici– Cicero’s older brother and arguably the rightful Duca di Firenze. There are a number of individuals who have been petitioning the King to have this corrected, but as of yet, requests fall on deaf ears.
Armani Beltrano is a thinker and proponent of the Humanist movement. As a linguist and translator he believes in sharing knowledge and promoting education for all citizens not just the privileged elite.
Cicero Medici is the Duca di Firenze, appointed to the position by the Emperor of Spain and Italy. Cicero maintains a firm stance in opposition of the French and is quite paranoid about the possibility and existence of spies in the Florentine Court.
Cortese Valerio works as an author who has become known for his biographies. He has dared to write about topics that other authors shy away from, notably women. He is a close friend of Beltrano and a supporter of the Humanist movement. (
Evelina della Chiesa (Cardinal) is the Pope’s representative and Cardinale in Florence. She attends to the needs of the Florentine people and dedicates much of her time to aiding the less desirable and fortunate. (
Hilaria di Firenze is an artisan and performer employed by the Medicis. She keeps her finger on the pulse of arts around Italy and has a competitive spirit with regard to putting on the biggest and best performances whenever the situation arises.
Jacomo Diamante is a political mover and shaker who is rumored to have the ear of the Emperor and his allies. He has been jockeying for Cicero’s title and position and as such has made himself unpopular in the Florentine Court.
Jianna Medici is the Duchessa di Firenze and the wife of Cicero Medici. She is a fervent supporter of her husband and his policies.
Loredanna Ferranti is the overprotected daughter of Maximo Ferranti. Her beauty is highly regarded among gentleman from around the Adriatic Sea but the fear of her father keeps most of her suitors at bay.
Maximo Ferranti holds a prestigious position in Florence that merchants have come to need and rely on- moneylender. His interest rates can be painful but his service is necessary in order for commerce, especially international commerce, to carry on.
Oriana Muraro is making quite the name for herself among the innovative thinkers of the burgeoning new fields of science and technology. With the acquisition of a Dutch telescope, Muraro has been evaluating the world with a new perspective. (
Roberto Stregone is a trained and guilded goldsmith who has made treasured works for the Catholic Church and the Medicis. Stregone is also a skilled sculptor and is competent working with a variety of mediums in addition to gold.
Holy See
Concetta Muraro (Cardinal) has been the voice of the Humanist movement within the Church. This push for change and reformation hasn’t been popular with other church officials but has been embraced by members of the Catholic populace.
Emanuela della Chiesa (Pope) is the current Pope presiding over both the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church. The pope has made few public appearances lately and rumors are beginning to spread regarding the health of Her Holiness.
Francesca Castello– (Cardinal) Francesca takes Canon law extremely seriously and does not hesitate to enforce violation and punish violators.
Illaria Stregone (Cardinal) leads the church’s effort to reclaim, study, and categorize artifacts, scrolls, and other papers within the Church’s library.
Lunetta della Chiesa (Bishop) is a close friend and ally of the Pope. Her devotion to the Pope is only dimmed by her devotion to her faith and the Church as a whole.
Savina Sala (Cardinal) has long served the Church with a great deal of fervor, however her zeal seems more controlled than some others in the organization.
Milan
Benecio Deprimente works as Vedetta’s servant and companion. He performs tasks and errands for the Church and despite his position maintains a humble disposition and demeanor.
Celina Riccardino is the wife of Renzetto Riccardino. Even though the couple is married, rumors are abound that Renzetto’s infidelities have embarrassed Celina one time to many.
Dominego Pavesi is known all across Italy for his wines. He has developed his own grapes and has a green thumb that is enviable by anyone trying to establish their own varietal or garden.
Federica Riccardino is Floriana’s younger sister who is eager to take her next steps in life, however she’s being held back by her sister’s indecision.
Floriana Riccardino is the elder daughter of Renzetto and Celina Riccardino. She has yet to declare her interest in a political marriage or in joining the Church. Politicos and family are beginning to pressure her into making a decision but she has been strong in her resistance of outside pressures.
Giovanni Intemperie is Suzetta’s brother who spends any time he’s not out sailing trying to defend his sister’s reputation and defending her professional choices. His defense of her has jeoparodized his own standing within Milan.
Montez Todaro has earned the patronage of the Riccardino family. Compared to other artisans, Todaro is fairly unknown. The artist community is anxiously awaiting the reveal of his first formal production and masque.
Nunzio Carmelo is a sailor who often works in the employ of merchants escorting luxury goods from the Ottoman Empire to Milan. Rumors have begun to circulate that Nunzio has had dealings with the Dutch and the French.
Primo Massimo is a retired soldier who served the Catholic Church well on its many conquests overseas. These days he spends his time creating weapons and metal goods for Holy See troops.
Renzetto Riccardino is the Doge of Milan. While his leadership of Milan seems to be successful, his personal life is rumored to be full of scandal.
Suzetta Intemperie is a professional courtesan kept in the employ of the doge despite the opposition voiced by the doge’s wife. Suzetta is assumed privy to many of the doge’s decisions before members of the Great Council.
Vedetta Massimo (Cardinal) came to the Church gladly and voluntarily. She maintains strong relationships and offers council to all the citizens of Milan. She has not come out with a strong position for or against the Humanist movement.
Naples
Argento Volpe teaches Italian style fencing at an academy that he started. Argento boasts that any of his pupils can best any Frenchman in a duel at any time. His dashing demeanor is the epitome of Italian machismo.
Bruno Ventura is a vagrant and a migrant who has traveled and lived in many of the Italian regions and as such has been able to collect a myriad of information on all of them. His loyalties to any one remain in question despite his present ‘residence’ in Naples.
Dianora di Napoli is both devout in her practice of Catholicism but she also seeks to understand and evaluate the world through a more scientific approach. She has lacked the funding and patronage to make more of a name for herself but she is hoping to remedy that during her trip to Venice.
Donatella Soldato is pregnant, unwed, and buried deep amidst a great scandal that is sweeping through Naples. She is a guilded silversmith and artist and the Duke has been left to weigh her talents against her moral shortcomings.
Esmerelda Carro is the mother of the Cavalo Carro and the Queen Mother of Spain. Though her title has no power, Esmerelda has a great deal of sway because she has the ear of the king.
Geomar Lancia is a doctor who does his best to embrace modern and developing science while not offending the classical sensibilities of the Catholic Church in his attempt to find a cure for the Black Death before it devours the entirety of Italy.
Horatia di Napoli ranks as the lowest of the low class residents of Naples. She’s a gypsy and a wanderer and as a woman she’s considered more lowly than Bruno Ventura. She offers skills as a mystic and a fortune teller, however many Catholics are fearful to participate in her pagan rituals.
Marco Cuoco has been appointed the Duke and ruler of Naples while the Emperor is away tending to other state affairs in Spain. His leadership is harsh and there are many subjects who fear opposing him because of his judicious use of capital punishment.
Orfeo Mano is a poet and writer with great promise but no support or patronage from a noble court. He struggles to make ends meet, but he strives to have his stories told on a larger scale to to get his message across to the masses.
Remegio Regino is a notorious gambler and ladies’ man. He also makes amazing wine that encourages people to overlook his other courtly shortcomings.
Sebastos Santini makes violins that musicians crave across Europe and the world. The demand for his instruments has created a lengthy wait list that he is struggling to fulfill because he’s had trouble sourcing quality materials lately.
Virgilio Selvaje is a Spanish noble who assists Marco Cuoco in the management of the Spanish lands in Italy. It is well known that Virgilio had wished for Marco’s title and holds a grudge over the matter.
Ottoman Empire
Levent Feryat is a soldier and hired guard for Turkish merchant ships who is in an intense competition with his brother. Levent is a broken-hearted man who still grieves the loss of his ex-wife.
Matei Savasci is a trader who has recently started moving luxury and trade goods from the East to Italy. He has run into some questionable luck with his trade routes so far, but he’s hoping to correct missteps and become profitable and wealthy.
Mercede Cuoco (Cardinal) fell out of favor with her contemporaries within the Catholic Church and as such she was appointed to the most unwanted position as the Cardinale Emissary positioned within the Ottoman Empire as a diplomat on behalf of the Holy See and other Catholic States with the hope of converting the Turks to Catholicism.
Runa Zenana is a favorite courtesan to the sultan. Unlike her European counterparts, those of her position and station are desired and sought after. Runa acts as both an adviser and a diplomat on behalf of the sultan.
Sancar Garip serves as the vizier to the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He handles most of the day to day operations of the Empire.
Vannozzo Scorrazzare was a military general in Venice before he renounced his citizenship and moved to Turkey. He still has friends in Venice and uses them to propel his mercantile business forward.
Veli Kader, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, has ushered many of his personal duties off to his vizier and as such has freed up his time to explore more creative aspirations and pursuits- like inventing and schmoozing with beautiful and available woman.
Volkan Feryat is the twin brother of Levent Feryat who is also a soldier. Instead of working in the same field of employment as his brother, Volkan works as guard in service to the sultan.
Venice
Antonio Forte has relocated to Venice to participate in the boom of invention and artistry taking place. Antonio has the potential to be one of the greatest inventors in the world, but his proclivity to drink, gamble, and woo woman is getting in his way.
Brancaleone Velloce is responsible for providing Venetians with quality wines from their own terra firme and acquiring new tastes and treats from around the world. He maintains good relationships with traders from across Italy and abroad to fulfill the desires of Venetian palates.
Breusio Bandiera is an experienced sailor and military man who has a plethora of tales from his time at sea. He is quite knowledgeable about wine and other luxury goods as well.
Brizio Pezzettino is the doge’s son who shares a good number of his father’s personality traits. He’s likable and expected to go into politics but it’s not certain is he’s following his heart or simply the expectations of his family and the citizen of Venice.
Elina Pezzettino is the doge’s daughter. She has yet to declare a path towards the church or to a political marriage. She has a reputation for being vaguely sneaky and conniving but others feel that its simply the privlege of her father’s position gone to her head.
Gessica Disegnare (Cardinal) is the Cardinale in Venice. She is a great counselor and people find it easy to open up to her. Some in the Holy See see her light handed demeanor as the cause of the scientific epidemic in Venice, but tithing in her dioceses is higher than the rest of Italy, so the Pope overlooks the lackadaisical methodology.
Henricus Pezzettino is the well liked Doge of Venice. His progressive social support has turned Venice into a sought after destination for philosophers, scientists, and artists. Regrettably, this same support is costing him favor with the Church.
Janella Pezzettino is the wife of the Doge and famed patron of the arts. She has been known to dabble in the artistic ventures herself and has summoned artists and entertainer from all across Italy for a weekend of masques and raucous entertainment.
Nerio Razza is a low level politician in Venice who holds his position based off of the esteem earned by his familial predecessors. Rumors are about across the region decrying the destitution of the Razza name; Razza has been trying to set aside these rumors, but it seems to be an uphill battle.
Pietro Piazza is an affable fellow who is friends with many of the well to do citizens of Venice. He’s spent some time on board ships and has dabbed with the idea of entering the political arena. Presently, he’s quite undecided on a path for his life.
Silvia Pezzettino is the daughter of the doge of Milan. She doesn’t have the same charisma as her brother Brizio or the same beauty as her sister Elina. As such, Silvia tends to be the most approachable of the powerful Pezzettino family.
Siyah Kedi is a merchant from the Ottoman Empire who has set up shop in Venice. His exotic weapons and wares have attracted quite a local following and he has found a good amount of success. The Church is quite skeptical of his presence.
Susana Spina is a servant in the Pezzettino household. She brushes elbows with Venetians of all classes and walks of life and has avenues of information and items that are quite lucrative.
Tibaldo di Venezia is a sculptor without patronage in Venice and he struggles to make ends meet. He derives inspiration for his art from a truly unique place and his pieces are unlike any others of the time.
Tumulo Scotti is Venice’s top artisan and most sought after playwright. His artistic works are edgy and experimental. He’s also been known to dabble in the sciences and has been seeking to combine the two in a new art form altogether.