Vencarlο Orisini's page

"I suggest what Tural's got planned is the last thing we do today before we go to sleep," Vencarlo comments. "My acquaintances at the Black Bird ranch, where Trinia's staying, could help us with provisions if we pay them a visit tomorrow."

@Tural: Do your thing! :)

@Corven & Weiss: The story about Queen Ileosa surviving a bolt to her temple and using the bolt to kill the man who shot it, the leader of the Sable Company, has turned into a rumor that spread throughout Korvosa. You're familiar with it, albeit perhaps a slightly warped version due to the way rumors evolve.

@Tural: Sure is!

Vencarlo, being very quiet up till now, raises a hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vencarlo Orisini, swordmaster and owner of the Orisini Academy in the Korvosan neighborhood of Old Korvosa. Also, as most of you recently learned, I am Blackjack."

"It was indeed I who saved Trinia that fateful day, but I am not to thank for her safe departure from the city. It was this group of heroes who escorted her out of the city and to a new life, here in Harse."

He nods at Neolandus. "My dear friend Neolandus Kalepopolis is, officially still, the seneschal of Korvosa. He's the only one who's in an official position of power to dethrone Queen Ileosa, which is also the reason he'd be a dead man if he were to go back to the city."

"Now I believe you had some news to share about the Queen's powers, which you insisted should wait until we'd arrived safely in Harse?" Vencarlo looks at the seneschal, waiting for said news to be shared.

When Tural came to get the others, Vencarlo (now disguised as Blackjack) drank a potion that turned him invisible. As you approach the guards he whispers, "quorthos, I'll tap your shoulder once I'm inside with you. That'll be the sign I'll be off exploring."

Once you're inside the Palace Quorthos feels the tap on his shoulder, and Vencarlo/Blackjack is off.

"I took over when I was in my late twenties," Vencarlo responds, meanwhile putting Blackjack's gear back into the sack. "Though me mentor would occasionally still act as Blackjack or help me out, when I was in need of some assistance. This allowed Blackjack to be in multiple places at once, or instantly move from on side of the city to the other side."

"My predecessors have done many things, even too many for me to remember. They made a stand in times of injustice, took out dangerous criminals, and much more."

"My next action would be to free the Seneschal, and to see if there's anything he can do to remove the Queen from power. Though I'm not sure if my secret's not known by the Arkonas. The Queen has obviously figured out I am Blackjack, and the Arkonas have intricate networks through which they gain their information. It may therefor be better if I do not join you when you go to the Arkonas' palace tomorrow. Not visibly, at least."

"I suggest you go in the morning, and request an audience with Glorio Arkona. He's the patriarch of the house. I can join you under the cover of invisibility and, once inside, explore the mansion during your audience. If I'm able to locate the Seneschal, we can later formulate a plan to extract him from that part of the Palace."

Vencarlo looks from face to face. "Agreeable?"

@Mavor: That'd be enough to know Blackjack's been around for a loooong time.

@Baer: Same here, but I guess their jaws are on the floor?

"I cannot think of anything you don't know yet, Quorthos. Though it's safe to assume they've invested at least some of their immense wealth in some type of security. So we have to be wary for traps, guards, and maybe the odd creature."

Just when Vencarlo's about to reply to Mavor, Baer says something that makes him choke. A brief moment later he's recovered, and starts explaining: "There have been other Blackjacks before me. The name of Blackjack is constantly passed down from mentor to student, once the time is right."

"My mentor, his mentor, and those before him were rather traditional when it came to Blackjack's image. They always chose a human man, and learning to fence with a rapier and throw daggers were obligatory for their students. I personally wouldn't object to a female taking over, or someone using other weapons. I wouldn't mind if someone from another race would be the next Blackjack, is what I think. It'll only add to the mystery of Blackjack. The only requirements I'd set are being capable, and possessing love for Korvosa and its citizens."

"Of course I know Trinia Sabor, Quorthos. Wasn't I the one who asked you to get her out of Korvosa?"

Vencarlo opens the sack he's holding and removes a very familiar set of clothes from it; Blackjack's. He also takes Blackjack's rapier and some daggers from the sack.

"Does this suffice as proof?" Vencarlo then asks, changing his voice to be a bit lower and recognizable as Blackjack's.

"I do not wish to abandon Korvosa," Vencarlo replies to Mavor. "I hope we'll find the Seneschal, and that he'll be able to help our cause."

Vencarlo looks like he's pondering something, and takes the sack he retrieved from his house off his back. "Friends... there is something that I think I should tell you before we move on. I suspect it's the reason why they're after me. Also, you've already observed that I seem to know certain things while I shouldn't... After all this, you have the right to know."

He takes a deep breath and sighs, straightening his shoulders. "I am Blackjack."

"Alright then," Vencarlo says, and gets to it.

"Within Korvosa's law system there's one person who can legally remove the ruling monarch from power, if there's a case of corruption and that case can be proven. That person is the one holding the position of seneschal of Castle Korvosa, currently a man named Neolandus Kalepopolis."

"Over the years I've spent a lot of time within the inner circles of nobles, and it's fascinating what one can learn from them. I've also been in touch with other important people, like Field Marshal Kroft, for an extended period of time. She has told me she personally witnessed how the Queen killed the leader of the Sable Company, Marcus Endrin."

Vencarlo then asks if you know what happened, and you inform him Cressida told you. He quickly recaps for Imoya: Endin shot a bolt into the Queen's temple, then she pulled it out, grabbed him by the throat, lifted him up with one hand, and rammed the bolt into his skull. Endin died instantly.

"There's no question something sinister's going on. A human shouldn't have the strength to live after taking a bolt to the temple, let alone do what the Queen did after being shot, unless there's some very powerful magic going on. News has reached my ears that Kalepopolis learned something about what makes the Queen this powerful, and that he was investigating this."

"Was, because Kalepopolis is now missing," Vencarlo adds, shaking his head with a sigh.

"And that brings us to yet another person, an artist names Salvator Scream. I have reason to believe he knows the whereabouts of Kalepopolis, as the seneschal is a close friend of his and they were often seen together in the past. What's more, I have invited Salvator over to my house twice before, in an attempt to learn more from him. I sensed he was hiding something from me."

"I had planned to invite Salvator again some time soon, but with the Red Mantis after me I doubt that's a good idea. There are some personal items I'd like to retrieve from my house though... Perhaps we could go there together, and then pay Salvator a visit?"

"Just make sure you're not recognized," Vencarlo responds, nodding his head in understanding. "Disguise yourself properly."

He bends over to the table and pours himself another drink. After taking a sip from his newly poured glass he says, "I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do for you now, unless there is perhaps something else you'd like to discuss."

Vencarlo grins bemused at Quorthos's proposal to deal with whoever's watching the house. "If I'd wanted the queen's watchman gone I'd have done it myself. I'll remind you I've been running this fencing school for quite a while. I do, however, wish to avoid giving the queen an excuse to come after me."

He nods at Tural. "If ever the need arises I'll be sure to call upon you. For now, let's avoid unnecessary conflict."

"Now to this plan of infiltrating the physician's... The clothes the physician's wear look rather generic. You can some make-up or whatever to change your looks just in case you have to take the mask off, but you could try mixing with them while they go about their daily duties and wear their masks. It's just a proposal though, and I'm simply throwing it out there."

Vencarlo doesn't miss the hidden question in Quorthos's eyes and nods understandingly. "I don't know how to contact him, but he occasionally contacts me. Though the occasions have grown fewer since there's always someone outside watching my house or Academy..."

"Which brings me to say that I will gladly offer you advice on the course of actions you could take, but I can't assume a very active role. What's more... If you decide to abduct a physician after this visit, and you're caught or seen doing it, that will likely lead to me being arrested in the near future..."

Vencarlo laughs as he moves his arms apart. "And I wouldn't like that!"

He shifts in his seat and continues talking in a more serious tone. "Baer, you mentioned you've obtained the mask of one of the physicians. It can't be too hard for one of you to disguise yourself as a physician and enter the place where they stay, to search their belongings. Or infiltrate them as they go about their daily business and see what exactly it is they do."

"That sounds like a good idea, Quorthos. Did you know the Bank of Abadar has the largest amount of stored money in Korvosa? A lot of money passes through the Bank. Maybe, if the clerics know which coins to remove from circulation, you can slow the spread of blood veil?"

"As for the unholy symbol you found on one of the physicians, I'd say it'd be a smart move to investigate these physicians a bit more. See if more of them carry the same symbol. Maybe also let someone take a look at the mask you found, to see if it holds special properties or is purely part of the physicians' garb."

Vencarlo listens as you tell him about the alley with the corpses and the vampires. He asks to see the key.

"This is the key to a safe deposit box at the Bank of Abadar. You should find out what's in safe 261 when you head there for your friend the priest."

"I suggest you also ask the priest about the weaknesses of vampires. I do not know a great deal about them, but I know they have weaknesses related to the church. Knowing those will likely help you if the missing vampire decides to come after you, with or without friends of his."

Not sure if you have more questions for Vencarlo, but in case you decide to leave his place: it's currently 8 pm.

This reminds me you all have at least one of those potions of monkey fish left. Most of you didn't use any and those have two left. Make sure to add them to your gear, 'cause you may be able to use them later on. Or maybe you could sell them, that's of course up to you.

"I see," Vencarlo says as he moves to the edge of his seat.

"This pouch with silver coins you found. Do you still carry it with you? If it's indeed the source of blood veil, then you may not want to carry it with you all the time. The chance of being struck with the disease may increase considerably."

Vencarlo leans back in his seat and ponders for a moment. "I recall the existence of a spell that detects disease, used by the clergy. Perhaps you can contact a cleric to inspect the coins for you?"

Did you also mean to tell Vencarlo about the vampires?

East is ---> on the map. Vencarlo's academy is quite far to the west of the bridge connecting Old Korvosa and North Point.

I made the quarantined area visible on the map. You don't have to pass through it on your way to Vencarlo.

You move away from the bridge and the quarantined area and arrive at Vencarlo's academy not much later. Vencarlo opens the door when you knock. "What a pleasant surprise! Come in! Come in!"

"It is good to see you again!" he says as he closes the door behind you.

He escorts you to his living room and offers you to sit down. "I hope you had a pleasant trip outside of town? And tell me, were the goods I gave helpful?"