So I've been looking at the fanmade Venice Unmasked Setting (check it out here), and I'm really interested in using it as a setting for my game. However, I'm interested in giving the Venice Freehold a 2e update.
Luckily the Freehold already practically has a ready made story in the form of the Doge, an anonymous ruler that commands the Court of Carnival and the freehold as a whole. Extending on that I've been considering a bulwark taking the form of a grand ball during the final week of Carnival. During these nights the doors are opened wide for all manner of Hobgoblins, Huntsmen, and True Fae to attend. However, during this time, all changelings are protected by the mantle of the Carnival. All changelings are essentially anonymous under the mantle's mask, unable to have their identity detected through any magical means, nor can they be unmasked by force. However, if over the course of the ball, a true fae or huntsmen can uncover the identity of a freehold member by mundane guile, than the bulwark is broken.
One thing that I'm considering however is a full revamp of the courts present in Venice. I'm a big fan of the "build-a-court" system, and it makes sense to me that the Changelings of Venice would be independent enough to consider something different from the roman-rooted seasonal courts. Additionally, the Court of Carnival itself always felt like it pushed the other courts to the periphery. In the 2e system I thought it might be more fitting that the mantle of Carnival was more specifically linked to the Doge, who would extend that mantle as an overarching force upon the freehold as a whole. (Particularly strongly during the season of Carnival.) In that sense, only the Doge and his close underlings bear a true mantle of Carnival through their masks, but anyone within the freehold can gain access to some of its effects through court goodwill with the Doge himself (though this might be linked more to a persona that was created within the Doge's court than with the Changeling themselves.) During Carnival, this goodwill pays off even more, allowing those favored changelings to gain temporary access to high mantle effects through their goodwill, though all are protected with the same anonymity during the week when the bulwark is renewed. Likewise, in order to preserve their anonymity, the Doge and their underlings would be nominal members of the other courts (though not powerful ones as they technically would only have goodwill in their adopted court, Carnival's mantle providing all the necessary elements to keep up appearances.
That said, while I've figured all this out, my biggest issue is coming up with something to take the place of the seasonal courts within Venice. The only thing I'm really sure of is that I'm interested in a successor to the court of water described in the book, who would occupy themselves with many of the matters concerning the waters and canals around Venice. Another one is a court based on Venice's role as the furthest Western end of the Silk Road, revolving around the exoticism and wonder of the Orient, but I'm not completely married to it. Other than that though I'm drawing up something of a blank for a suitably Venetian theme to link them around in an organic feeling manner.
The one idea I've considered is the tarot suits, given that the tarot deck has roots in Italy, but I worry that I'd get too involved with their occult meanings, which might be out of place given that they're just seen as playing cards in Italy, and only gained occult significance after the French and English got their hands on them.
Any ideas?
Luckily the Freehold already practically has a ready made story in the form of the Doge, an anonymous ruler that commands the Court of Carnival and the freehold as a whole. Extending on that I've been considering a bulwark taking the form of a grand ball during the final week of Carnival. During these nights the doors are opened wide for all manner of Hobgoblins, Huntsmen, and True Fae to attend. However, during this time, all changelings are protected by the mantle of the Carnival. All changelings are essentially anonymous under the mantle's mask, unable to have their identity detected through any magical means, nor can they be unmasked by force. However, if over the course of the ball, a true fae or huntsmen can uncover the identity of a freehold member by mundane guile, than the bulwark is broken.
One thing that I'm considering however is a full revamp of the courts present in Venice. I'm a big fan of the "build-a-court" system, and it makes sense to me that the Changelings of Venice would be independent enough to consider something different from the roman-rooted seasonal courts. Additionally, the Court of Carnival itself always felt like it pushed the other courts to the periphery. In the 2e system I thought it might be more fitting that the mantle of Carnival was more specifically linked to the Doge, who would extend that mantle as an overarching force upon the freehold as a whole. (Particularly strongly during the season of Carnival.) In that sense, only the Doge and his close underlings bear a true mantle of Carnival through their masks, but anyone within the freehold can gain access to some of its effects through court goodwill with the Doge himself (though this might be linked more to a persona that was created within the Doge's court than with the Changeling themselves.) During Carnival, this goodwill pays off even more, allowing those favored changelings to gain temporary access to high mantle effects through their goodwill, though all are protected with the same anonymity during the week when the bulwark is renewed. Likewise, in order to preserve their anonymity, the Doge and their underlings would be nominal members of the other courts (though not powerful ones as they technically would only have goodwill in their adopted court, Carnival's mantle providing all the necessary elements to keep up appearances.
That said, while I've figured all this out, my biggest issue is coming up with something to take the place of the seasonal courts within Venice. The only thing I'm really sure of is that I'm interested in a successor to the court of water described in the book, who would occupy themselves with many of the matters concerning the waters and canals around Venice. Another one is a court based on Venice's role as the furthest Western end of the Silk Road, revolving around the exoticism and wonder of the Orient, but I'm not completely married to it. Other than that though I'm drawing up something of a blank for a suitably Venetian theme to link them around in an organic feeling manner.
The one idea I've considered is the tarot suits, given that the tarot deck has roots in Italy, but I worry that I'd get too involved with their occult meanings, which might be out of place given that they're just seen as playing cards in Italy, and only gained occult significance after the French and English got their hands on them.
Any ideas?
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