Giovanni D'Amore's page

So it's nice to see everyone and if anyone's interested, I've recently acquired this book of poetry and I like to read a selection for you wonderful people. It's called, "The Green Woods Go On Forever"...

At this point, he seems to be reading some lovely Elven Poetry written by the ancient literary master Thessandra the Fair-Headed

Lovely poem, true master piece. Anyone else wish to perform a reading?

"I will have a Vudrani tea, please."

Giovanni catches Dravik's eye and touches the side of his chin with his forefinger.

Pops some champagne.

No worries, I'll serve myself.

A well to do gentleman wearing the clothing of Taldoran Nobility enters the tea room and places himself in a chair. He opens a copy of "Poetry from the Elven Masters".

“Mr. Giovanni, it seems you have a talent for finding the unlawful. This is to be greatly commended, and we can always use such people in our Society. It is unfortunate, but many of our colleagues don’t seem to respect the law; I hope that you might aid some of them in their waywardness. If people don’t respect and honor the law, all of society breaks down, and we can’t have that.

I have a certain respect for the law and an affinity for those who deal out justice to those who deserve. Though...*chuckle* I admit that I drink too much to be considered entirely "lawful".

If you ever need aid in upholding the law, or if you find the trail of some unlawful person or creature that you don’t think you could handle, let me know. I have quite a great deal of experience with such matters. I personally favor non-lethal tactics in the field to bring back the unjust and have them serve their sentences.

I will be sure to consider your offer. However the lethality of my methods, I'm afraid my teeth are a bit sharper tan yours. I take little joy in the lethal option but I'm afraid I'm not interested in over exertion when it comes to the defending my own life.

You were wise to decline the offer of the Aspis. While there maybe a moderate amount of unlawful members in our Society, I don’t believe that the Aspis Consortium could work within the law even if they wanted to.

They also don't seem terribly competent either. Never mind that, I'll start shifting my contacts and informants from Taldor to Absalom and I'll make them available to the society, let's see how they enjoy dealing with a real intelligence network.

It is unfortunate that your self defense prompted difficulties with your home government. I’ll see if father has any lawyers he might be able to send to assist you in repairing that difficulty.”

Part of the reason I moved to the Society is the possibility of doing some service to some lord that gets me a knighthood or a Baronet or something. Being a Nobleman will alleviate some of my legal problems but really we all know how the Grand Prince can be: a little legal pressure, some show of acquiescence...all will be well eventually. In the end, I did find a spy so there's that. I won't turn down any assistance you feel like giving.

"I am Inspel Veskel Sr., patriarch and head of the Veskel family of northern Taldor, as well as father of Inspel Jr. and Mirana, and sponsor of Torquat here. pleased to make your aquaintances."

I say, I believe we've met before! It was at one of those perfectly dreadful Harvest Balls they throw in Oppara, you know the ones with the awful music, your lovely cat commented on the decor and I was impressed by his good taste...

Yes, shameful, but then the Baron Moreno is a perfectly scandalous man.

He finishes his bruschetta with brie

I say this is spectacular brie, is this made by elves in Absalom or is it shipped in from Kyonin?

”Good the refreshments have arrived. I must apologize for this modest affair. If any of you find yourselves on my island or in my lodge in the future, I assure you the accommodations will be much more complete than this.

Giovanni, I believe you were going to tell us how you came to our Society.”

Ah yes, of course. One moment.

Giovanni downs his sake, says then fills his coupe with some sparkling wine. As refreshments are laid out, he picks at some aged Elven Brie with his cheese fork, rubs it across the toasted bruschetta, He examines the rest of the food and removes what appears to be a Varisian Style Meat Pie, samples it with his fork, is pleased with the consistency. Then continues speaking...

So I have always been rather strong willed. Papa says I got this from mother, though I have never met her, she died, you see. But Papa claims that she was a lovely woman, she worked as a maid in the family estate and because my father is not a particularly discerning man when it comes to his dalliances and he occasionally "mixes with the help" if you catch my drift. This is not an uncommon thing in Taldor as some of you may know but unlike most noblemen, Papa actually loves his little bastards and when he learned of my mother's death he brought me into the house with open arms. Father had always dreamed of a large family and so he has filled his household with about twelve of his illegitimate children. His one legitimate child is my half brother Marko, who lives in Oppara with his wife. Lovely people, throw the most fantastic parties. Any way, where was I?

Ah yes, Strong willed. Papa claims that I was a rather unusual child, he tried so hard to get me interested in some sort of proper trade like my brothers and sisters but I was simply too strong willed and rather lazy and I spent most of my time playing sports and maintaining my social schedule. As you all know, the Taldoran countryside affords many distractions for a young, moneyed fellow and damned if didn't acquire more than a few of those...distractions over the years, all of them female shaped sadly. I would've been happy to continue in this manner until about three years ago, I heard from my dear half brother that Papa was going to get married. Apparently the old goat had fallen for some sort of awful Chelish creature who was at least twenty years young than him and clearly after his money. Personally, I was happy for the old fool but poor Marko was certain she was some sort of gold mining floozy. He begged me to talk to my friends in the Taldan Constabulary to look into the awful witch.

Now it is true, I have one friend in the Taldan Constabulary, Lieutenant Roland, lovely man. I told him about the problem, he gave me a few files on the woman and claimed there was nothing out of the ordinary about her. I examined the files, asked a few questions and applied a little logic here and there and managed to discover a few things about my father's fiancee that no one else had uncovered and damned if I didn't prove that apparently, yes, she was in fact some sort of wanted criminal type. I reported the matter to the Constables and that, I assumed, was that.

But apparently it was all so terribly impressive to a series of people and Old Roland sadly couldn't stop telling everyone about it and soon various people began coming to visit me at the country house and asking if I could look into one thing or another for them and they would hand me small sums of money which I used to supplement my meager allowance from Papa.

This state of things continued for some time until I had acquired something of a small reputation in Taldor's countryside.

And then, unfortunately, things became rather serious. My little hobby attracted the attention of the Aspis Consortium which attempted to recruit me. I turned them down but they offered me a rather upsetting gift: They promised that if I joined their organization they would kill my father and half brother so that I could inherit my father's Barony and vast fortune. This was a terrible misstep on my part since they clearly had not taken the time to understand my unique family situation or the depth of my affections for my philandering old man. I turned them down and then, in revenge, pointed out to the Taldoran Government that the Grand Prince's favorite butler was an Aspis Agent (that was perfectly obvious though, no idea why no one else mentioned it before). This peeved the Consortium off a bit and they unfortunately sent a few people to kill me. The whole thing came to head when I agreed to meet one of their agents in a clock tower and I pushed him off the clock tower and well it got a bit messy.

So apparently at this point the Taldoran government was not overly fond of me and the Aspis fellows were interested in seeing me dead so I elected to take a bit of a sabbatical. Papa had an old friend in with the Pathfinders and they felt I be of some use to them (I'm not entirely sure why).

So here I am.

Mr. Gionani has an open invitation to join us, though I fear his particular palate will accept nothing other than that champagne stuff at this moment. Perhaps later . . .

Oh bugger all...pour the stuff Holds out champagne coupe Though if we're going to have sake, we should have a meal or at least a story. Pardon my asking but if I recall but isn't drinking good sake without a good story practically a sin in some parts of the Tien speaking world? If we're drinking, I'm in the mood for telling a tale.

Who wants to hear of how I wound up in this dreadful organization?

"Mr Giovanni-San, greetings, but what is this... Champagne you speak of? Is it similar to sake?"

"Sake? Perish the thought! Sake, as you know, is often served slightly warm and consumed in small mugs or cups. While some versions are chilled, they never reached the icy mystery of a proper bubbly. Champagne, unlike a good rice wine, is smooth but not invisible on the pallet, it dances mysteriously but never insults you. It is made from grapes and bubbles with carbonation. Champagne is a tad more formal than Sake as well, though not nearly casual enough for my tastes. It's properly served in a narrow glass called a "flute". The top of the glass is narrow so it preserves the drink's carbonation and thus allows the drinker to sip the contents at their gentlemanly leisure or with ladylike grace.

Of course there is a second way to consume the drink: using a coupe glass, which is wide brimmed and flat. It allows for a broader drinking experience, and opens the drink's flavor and scent into the air. A person using a coupe must down their champagne quickly because the glass does nothing for the drink's carbonation. Drinking from a coupe, in some circles, marks a person for ever as a drunken rake.

Giovanni produces a champagne coup from his luggage.

Oh my, where did that come from?

Anyway, when we finally do get some champagne, please don't pop the cork. It's terribly gauche and ever so over dramatic. Leave the showy stuff to the polloi and give a gentle twist at the top without a pop.

"Greetings. My name is Ayaki Metsumo. I have recently joined the Sovereign Court to expand my knowledge of these lands. May I enter so I may converse with all of you?"

Depends, do you have champagne?

”Renald, go see if there is anything of quality to eat and drink.”

And that's why they made her a Ventrue Captain, priorities.

Primrose fetch the glasses and sparkling wine. We must come to the rescue of Giovanni here. He seems of good folk.

Actually It's been established that I am positively beastly but please, pour the bubbly.

Ardisen nods his head at Giovanni.

"And the same to you. How are your affairs this fine day?"

Oh aside from the carriage thing, passable. Bit of a bumpy ride over the mountains.

"Oh, you're Giovanni. It is nice to meet you." She looks at Giovanni in a appraising manner. "You look like you might be interesting company. But I have a feeling you might not like my company."

*chuckles* Apparently you've heard of me and you still want MY company, so two bad reputations make one good friendship, I suppose.

"Apologises for my eccentric arrival, I've just returned to the city from a lengthy assignment and the prospect of some finer company was too tempting to resist. I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

Hardly. Welcome and salutations.

so...where's the shrimp cocktails and rum spritzers?

No idea but I have been trying to find the bloody champagne and the situation is becoming rather desperate!

Same here, I'm sure. Come, let me show you around the headquarters whilst your servants unpack your things. The amenities here are . . . passable, I should say. Afterwords might I persuade you to play a game of Kemari? It's an game from Tien Xia, played by courtiers and nobles. I've been trying to get it started over here but alas . . .

I am indeed familiar with Kemari, though I have never played it. Perhaps it is time to broaden my horizons. When in Absalom, eh?

Anyway, come, there is a fairly good library in one of the side rooms that has a genealogy of nobles of throughout Golarian. Why, my family is even there, though the information is woefully out of date of course . . .

A library? Spectacular. I must ask since it appears you are the authority on this question, how is their selection of poetry from Minkai and Quain?

Giovanni D'Amore, late of Taldor, etc. etc.

Positively charmed to meet you.

"If you are useless what point is there to you being here?You joined a cooperative organization with an established Hierarchy. This isn't a social retreat "

I'm sorry, I should have explained earlier: I consider my skills rather useless personally because I have lived with them my entire life but I suppose that chap who asked my father to send me here saw some kind of use for them. Something, something about "we would very much like to retain him", something, something.

I wasn't entirely paying attention.

(Seriously, where IS that champagne?)

My, my, this is a serious room. To Reynard Merci beaucoup Maître Reynard , votre aide est appréciée.

Now I recognize that you all have a lot of terribly high minded notions but, please understand, I actually have little interest in glory or breaking the grip tyranny or even in politics. I am here for much more practical reasons.

I am a practical man, which is why I chose the entrance closest to the street to unload my knick-knacks, which are now happily cleared, exactly as planned. I am terribly sorry but mindfulness, while terribly polite, is often a hindrance for my work (My work which, again, won't be at all useful to any of you strapping chaps). Unloading at one of those *yuck* "proper" entrances would've added ten extra minutes to the process.

(Wait, now be careful with that one it's an Alchemy set-)

One of the butlers drops a trunk and there's a loud smashing of glass.

Total loss by the sound of it. Ah, que sera sera, eh?

Now where was that champagne...

I beg your pardon but I am unused to using a "servant's entrance" and forgive me but I have always had a streak of gauche, why do you think they sent me away?

I AM terribly sorry but my wardrobe is essential to my process.

Ah, yes, that would be me. Sorry. Terrance and the fellows are just finishing with my wardrobe as we speak. Should be done sharpish.

Takes a moment to notice the Baroness Blakros, he bows to his betters.
Now were are the potables and how good are they? If there's Elven Champagne that's passable but a little Dwarven Brandy would be better. Also is there caviar? Elven Champagne without caviar is a tragedy.

"Torquat "Kyojin-Kira", warrior indentured to the Veskel family. I dare hope you bring more than good looks and fancy introductions to the field." Torquat introduces himself, carefully scanning the young man.

Giovanni takes the Bird-Man's hand in a polite but firm grip and gentle shakes it.

Master Torquat, a pleasure to meet you, I met the Elder Vekel at one of those god awful Harvest Balls in Oppara once (You know the ones I'm talking about, yes? Those perfectly dry things Lady Biernbauer throws every year) He was an admirable chap if I do say so. Bit on the serious side though, tad dour for my taste.

As for my skills, I'm afraid that I am terribly useless. A vestigial limb, really. In fact I only joined this organization so that my dear Papa could have a place to stash me after I caused a bit of a mess in the homeland. Apparently if you push an agent of the Aspis Consortium off a clock tower and accuse a member of the royal household of being a traitor, people get so terribly offended.

And as for what I bring to the field, I can honestly say I've never actually been in a field, or a meadow, or even a pasture. Still, I would say I'm not a hopeless case, just not very useful.

But I do have this terribly bad habit of finding and eliminating Aspis Consortium agents, it's a bit of a bother really but I am trying to behave myself these days. Self improvement and all that.

The young fop strolls inside and stands quietly while waiting to be announced.
"Master Giovanni D'Amore" states the Butler, "Of Taldor."

At your service.

You hear a bit of a commotion outside and you look through a window to see a lavish carriage with the symbol of a well known Taldoran Lord on it's doors, parked in front of the mansion as well dressed butlers carefully place the various carpet bags, steamer trunks, and various lavish possessions. A young nobleman in extremely expensive clothing and wielding a fancy walking stick exits the carriage. He stops when he notices that you're watching him from the window and he gracefully bows with the perfect manners of a Taldoran Gentleman.