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Originally posted by DanielMcCollum
I hope you guys don't mind, I have a really short reign and so, rather than post a boring little peice about my riegn, I'm trying to strech it out and explain the history of my Doge
Not that I've ever done that.
But go ahead it helps define the character and makes for a better read. Great start. Joe
On the Rise
Using what little influence that he had left in political circles, Marco Barbango entered the military not as a common foot soldier, but in command of several units on the field. A faithful and even handed man, he quickly drew the eye of General Antonio DeMedici oneo f the lesser known figures of that great family.
DeMedici took Barbango on as an assisstant and Marco was soon paying the general back for his generocity. Although lacking the ingenuity of some members of the general's staff, he was loyal and hard working. The two men became closer, and developed an almost father-son relationship.
Marco Barbango served with distinction for 5 long years, engeneering the destruction of the Sicilian rebellion, as well as taking a strong hand in the movement of the troops in the Balkan penninsula. He was considered one of the more liberal of military commanders of the time, and seemed unwilling to give up the ideals which had helped him come so far. It was he who convicned DeMedici to pardon the leader of the Southern peasents revolt, who refused to take plunder and even would disribute a full half of his wages to the poor of which ever city he was stationed in.
In early 1560 Antonio DeMedici passed away after contracting pneumonia in the South of Italy. Having never married, or possesing any close family, the elder man willed his great wealth to his most trusted companion; Barbango.
In the blink of an eye, the Barbango family's fortunes had turned around. Added to their own holdings, the DeMedici capital allowed for investment into trading ventures, expecially in the between the East and the lands of France and Spain.
By 1563 the Barbango family was, once again, a force to be recogned with in Venetian politics. In March of that year Marco was elected to serve in the Venetian Republic, assuming the seat left vacant by his father's death so many years ago. Feuled by years of near poverty and the sudden confirmation of his faith, young Marco Bargango entered the Senate determined to fight for the rights of man and for reform. Stormy years where ahead.
Using what little influence that he had left in political circles, Marco Barbango entered the military not as a common foot soldier, but in command of several units on the field. A faithful and even handed man, he quickly drew the eye of General Antonio DeMedici oneo f the lesser known figures of that great family.
DeMedici took Barbango on as an assisstant and Marco was soon paying the general back for his generocity. Although lacking the ingenuity of some members of the general's staff, he was loyal and hard working. The two men became closer, and developed an almost father-son relationship.
Marco Barbango served with distinction for 5 long years, engeneering the destruction of the Sicilian rebellion, as well as taking a strong hand in the movement of the troops in the Balkan penninsula. He was considered one of the more liberal of military commanders of the time, and seemed unwilling to give up the ideals which had helped him come so far. It was he who convicned DeMedici to pardon the leader of the Southern peasents revolt, who refused to take plunder and even would disribute a full half of his wages to the poor of which ever city he was stationed in.
In early 1560 Antonio DeMedici passed away after contracting pneumonia in the South of Italy. Having never married, or possesing any close family, the elder man willed his great wealth to his most trusted companion; Barbango.
In the blink of an eye, the Barbango family's fortunes had turned around. Added to their own holdings, the DeMedici capital allowed for investment into trading ventures, expecially in the between the East and the lands of France and Spain.
By 1563 the Barbango family was, once again, a force to be recogned with in Venetian politics. In March of that year Marco was elected to serve in the Venetian Republic, assuming the seat left vacant by his father's death so many years ago. Feuled by years of near poverty and the sudden confirmation of his faith, young Marco Bargango entered the Senate determined to fight for the rights of man and for reform. Stormy years where ahead.
This sounds quite in keeping with McCollum morality
Good job to all of you, even though you are A-Teamers, especially those who just finished their first AARs.
Good job to all of you, even though you are A-Teamers
, especially those who just finished their first AARs.
I second you Sharur. Good job to all, even the AAR virgins. Venice is alot of fun and Im glad I hooked into this project. I just can't wait until its my turn to play....
Then all hell will break loose.
Then all hell will break loose.
The Senate Years
The Barbango who assumed the crown of the Doge in 1485 was a fundementally differant man than the one who first stepped upon the Senate floor in 1463. Although hardened by years of uncertanty and the military, Marco was psychologically unready to face the bustling politics of the Venetian capital, a city which rivaled Constantinople in palace intrigue.
His early years as a Senator where marked by a quiet demeanor and a strange willingness to be lead about by others. In 1467 Marco was involved in a shady shipping transation which, when exposed, almsot cost him his career. Responding in anger and self rightousness, he lashed out against those who had "tried to trick me, who have sought to take the good name of myself and others and drive is through the mud in an effort to either blackmail or destroy any opposition to your own rule". This was the first such attack he had ever made, and its sheer force rescued him in a time when his career could easily have been crushed.
Despite this, it was not until the time of Doge Tron when Barbango first entered the spotlight of Venetian politics, but viciciously attacking the Doge's economic plans as being "foolish, outdated, and so blindingly short sighted that one has to wonder if the Doge is capable of thinking for than five minutes into the future". Instead of cutting all funding to naval technology, it would make more sense to increase it, there by creatign father and better ships for the merchants, who woudl then be able to sail faster and better trade routs and bring in more gold to the Republic.
Barbango also came to the forfront as the opposition to Vendramin's war against the papacy, which he felt was unholy and motivated by Satan himself. Marco Barbango was a beliver in the recreation of the Roman Empire, and the unification of Italy, but hoped that the Papacy, shown the might of Venice and its blessing by god, would transfer the title of Roman Republic to the city, and opt to join of its own free will. To force the issue, seemed to him, to be follish and immoral. It is interesting to point out, however, that uppon gainign the title of Doge, Marco refused to give the Papacy freedom and even crushed a rebellion by Roman nobles.
More than just attacking the policies of Doge's, Barbango advocated a policy which was, suprisingly, ahead of its time. He attacked the heredical landed aristocracy and pointed to a system where every man would be able ot rise to power and wealth upon his own merits and his own work. Having seen the poor first hand, he seemed to believe that given the chance to prosper they would and this would bve better for the country as a whole. Barbango was even able to tie this into the teachings of Christ, and walked a dangerous line towards being labeled a heretic by the church(it is thought that his oppsoition otop their annexation into Venice stayed the hand of more than one angery pope)
In 1478 with the election of Doge Mocenigo, Marco Barbango's career launched itself into a new level. Barbango had been spending the last 10 tears of his life buildign up a political machine the likes of which Venice had not seen, and would not see again, in years. He champoning of the lower classes would, in many cases, have hurt him had it not been for a shrewedness and evne veiciuousness in dealing with his enemies. In 78, he planned on running a good friend, and ally, Giovanni Medaken for the Dogeship who he could work with to get his own plans across. Medakan was a famous Venetian war hero who's prestigue would allow him to do things which Barbango could not. Sadly, Medakan made several bludners durign the campaign and lost out, barely, to Mocenigo.
Doge Mocenigo providered sutible fodder for the rgitous reformer. Here was an example of everything that Marco Barbango had preached against. He was "born with a silver spood placed into his mouth, and fed upon the blood of the common man".
To make matters worse, Mocenigo was, perahps, one of the msot incompitent Doge's that Venice had seen in years, and Barbango held no punches. He attacked the Doge's economic plans, he dealt with his dealign of rebels in Romania as well as Italy. When Mocenigo incited a riot and rebellion in Rome, it was Marco who was the first to condemn the foolish move. All in all, the only policy which he agreed with the Doge upon was the sending out of missionaries into the Balkans and Anatolia and those he took creidt for himself, claiming that his faction had "forced that incompitent fool to do what needed to be done, no matter the cost!"
It seemed as if much of the Republic was beginning to agree. Pushed by the chaos which seemed to be enveloping the nation, the merchants and, even, the nobels where beginnign to turn away from Mocenigo and climb int othe Barbango camp. When the Doge was shot whiel triyng to flee Bujak in 1485 there was no doubt as to who would be nominated for the position. Despite a last ditch effort by the Conservative factions, Marco Bargango was elected the next Doge of Venice.
The Barbango who assumed the crown of the Doge in 1485 was a fundementally differant man than the one who first stepped upon the Senate floor in 1463. Although hardened by years of uncertanty and the military, Marco was psychologically unready to face the bustling politics of the Venetian capital, a city which rivaled Constantinople in palace intrigue.
His early years as a Senator where marked by a quiet demeanor and a strange willingness to be lead about by others. In 1467 Marco was involved in a shady shipping transation which, when exposed, almsot cost him his career. Responding in anger and self rightousness, he lashed out against those who had "tried to trick me, who have sought to take the good name of myself and others and drive is through the mud in an effort to either blackmail or destroy any opposition to your own rule". This was the first such attack he had ever made, and its sheer force rescued him in a time when his career could easily have been crushed.
Despite this, it was not until the time of Doge Tron when Barbango first entered the spotlight of Venetian politics, but viciciously attacking the Doge's economic plans as being "foolish, outdated, and so blindingly short sighted that one has to wonder if the Doge is capable of thinking for than five minutes into the future". Instead of cutting all funding to naval technology, it would make more sense to increase it, there by creatign father and better ships for the merchants, who woudl then be able to sail faster and better trade routs and bring in more gold to the Republic.
Barbango also came to the forfront as the opposition to Vendramin's war against the papacy, which he felt was unholy and motivated by Satan himself. Marco Barbango was a beliver in the recreation of the Roman Empire, and the unification of Italy, but hoped that the Papacy, shown the might of Venice and its blessing by god, would transfer the title of Roman Republic to the city, and opt to join of its own free will. To force the issue, seemed to him, to be follish and immoral. It is interesting to point out, however, that uppon gainign the title of Doge, Marco refused to give the Papacy freedom and even crushed a rebellion by Roman nobles.
More than just attacking the policies of Doge's, Barbango advocated a policy which was, suprisingly, ahead of its time. He attacked the heredical landed aristocracy and pointed to a system where every man would be able ot rise to power and wealth upon his own merits and his own work. Having seen the poor first hand, he seemed to believe that given the chance to prosper they would and this would bve better for the country as a whole. Barbango was even able to tie this into the teachings of Christ, and walked a dangerous line towards being labeled a heretic by the church(it is thought that his oppsoition otop their annexation into Venice stayed the hand of more than one angery pope)
In 1478 with the election of Doge Mocenigo, Marco Barbango's career launched itself into a new level. Barbango had been spending the last 10 tears of his life buildign up a political machine the likes of which Venice had not seen, and would not see again, in years. He champoning of the lower classes would, in many cases, have hurt him had it not been for a shrewedness and evne veiciuousness in dealing with his enemies. In 78, he planned on running a good friend, and ally, Giovanni Medaken for the Dogeship who he could work with to get his own plans across. Medakan was a famous Venetian war hero who's prestigue would allow him to do things which Barbango could not. Sadly, Medakan made several bludners durign the campaign and lost out, barely, to Mocenigo.
Doge Mocenigo providered sutible fodder for the rgitous reformer. Here was an example of everything that Marco Barbango had preached against. He was "born with a silver spood placed into his mouth, and fed upon the blood of the common man".
To make matters worse, Mocenigo was, perahps, one of the msot incompitent Doge's that Venice had seen in years, and Barbango held no punches. He attacked the Doge's economic plans, he dealt with his dealign of rebels in Romania as well as Italy. When Mocenigo incited a riot and rebellion in Rome, it was Marco who was the first to condemn the foolish move. All in all, the only policy which he agreed with the Doge upon was the sending out of missionaries into the Balkans and Anatolia and those he took creidt for himself, claiming that his faction had "forced that incompitent fool to do what needed to be done, no matter the cost!"
It seemed as if much of the Republic was beginning to agree. Pushed by the chaos which seemed to be enveloping the nation, the merchants and, even, the nobels where beginnign to turn away from Mocenigo and climb int othe Barbango camp. When the Doge was shot whiel triyng to flee Bujak in 1485 there was no doubt as to who would be nominated for the position. Despite a last ditch effort by the Conservative factions, Marco Bargango was elected the next Doge of Venice.
I like this Daniel. Seting up your Doge as a sort of "opposition" man to earlier ones. That really gives a me a good feel for a republic like Venice, where one would expect such things.
Originally posted by Secret Master
I like this Daniel. Seting up your Doge as a sort of "opposition" man to earlier ones. That really gives a me a good feel for a republic like Venice, where one would expect such things.
Thanks, I appreciate it. To be honest, I just thought it would be fun to give some background to such a short lived Doge. He was going to fail buit, dammit, i was doing to make you guys FEEL his failure and understand what was going on to make it happen
So I, in essence, created the backstory for a character who was part Robert LaFollette, Jimmy Carter and JFK And, well, I noticed that very few people were writtignf in any referances to the reigns of past DOge's, or whjat they where doing before they became doge. Since I was writting the biography of a man, I figured I needed to include such things, and how those Doge's would ahve affected him
On a side note, and this goes out to Sharur, just what did you mean when you said "This sounds quite in keeping with McCollum morality". Are all my characters REALLY that self rightous, or do I allow to much pof my own politics slip into them
Whimpering radical. Because of him, I inheritted venice in such desperate straits.
Er... umm... I digress.
Er... umm... I digress.
Ah, the good old days
Hmph!
On a side note, and this goes out to Sharur, just what did you mean when you said "This sounds quite in keeping with McCollum morality". Are all my characters REALLY that self rightous, or do I allow to much pof my own politics slip into them
Probably both
Remember Robert & Donal McCollum (who you STILL haven't removed from your sig )?I agree with SM, it's nice to finally see a Doge who genuinely dislikes his predecessors, even if his policies are a bit odd, and it's also nice to see the other Doges tied in. Sometimes it does feel a bit disconnected in these collaborative efforts...
Originally posted by Sharur
Ah, the good old days
Hmph!
Thought I'd try to fit you in there one way or another
Originally posted by Sharur
Probably both
I agree with SM, it's nice to finally see a Doge who genuinely dislikes his predecessors, even if his policies are a bit odd, and it's also nice to see the other Doges tied in. Sometimes it does feel a bit disconnected in these collaborative efforts...
Hey, what can you say, I guess I'm just that type of guy, poltically(what else cna you say for a man who's idols are RFK, Robert La Folette, and Teddy Roosevelt).
Thanks for the compliment about trying to work in past Doge's. I agree that things can get a bit disjointed, so I enjoy working such things in when I can. Hey, Faelen, woudl you mind if I fit your character in a little bit as my brother? Just wondering, fi not its OK(I can write him however you'd like me to)
Yes, I'd been assuming they were brothers (your character gets a write in as a baffoon. And there had best be agood explanation as to why I got the game in such straits
).He also has to be a mohammedan hater, a bit touched in the head (due to the loss of his daughter, which relates to the first one) and be a fundamentalist, rabid catholic. Especially as he spent almost his entire reign reducing us to three orthodox provinces.
Reign of Fire
Marco Barbango came to power in the wrong era. Had his dogeship occured, even one to two decades later, it very well might have been once of peace and prosperity, rather than the bitter string of defeats which fate dealt him. Unfortuantly, riding the tide of opinion, he was washed into the position November of 1485.
Perhaps Barbango's greatest mistake was believing that the massive wave against Moncenigo which put him in power was, in fact, a popular mandate in which to push through his reforms. The Doge's first action was to issue a decree which placed heavy restrictions on the traditional landed nobility, and there by gained that groups ire for the remainder of his reign, and life.
However, one must remember that, despite what was to occure later, the initial few months of his reign where ones of peace and stability. Within three months Venice had recovered from the horrors and mismanagement of the Moncenigo reign. Also, due to the Doge's "Wealth at Home" program, state merchants which had been laying dormant durign the reign of his precesessor where given insentives to work out of the city of Venice itself, there b gaining the Republic a monopoly in its home port, other merchants where also sent to Paris and Portugal strengthening Venetian trade in those regions as well.
Also, Barbango took pleasure in the official submission of Rumilia, Macedonia and the Morea to the Catholic faith. To be honest, these missions where begun during the reign of Moncenigo, but the Doge was quick to point out that "had it not been for myself and other strong minded Catholics, desperate to save the souls of the heathen, Mocenigo would never have dared to drain his coffers for the good of the people!"
Despite these gains, the Doge made several fundemental mistakes during his reign. We have already mentioned his first and greatest, but others exist as well. Perhaps one of the most dramatic of such was the growing feud between he and his brother Augustino.
Augustino was the second son of three, and was the trader and merchant of the family. Much of the Barbango family wealth can be traced to the shrewd investiments made by Augustino following Marco's inveritign of the DeMedici fortune. Unfortuantly for the brothers, Augustino was a born conservative who looked upon his brother's political career with disdain at best, and down right loathing at worst. Over the years the two of them quarlled bitterly, Marco claiming, with soem evidence, that had it not been for hsi leadership durign the crisis and his inheiting of the fortune, the family would have little. Augustino would respond by pointing out it was his investments which had made the family wealthy again and that it was Marco who owed him more. This rivalry would play out on the stage of Venetian politics for generations, the descendants of the two brothers caught in one of the msot vicious feuds in Italian history.
Another critical mistake of Marco Barbango was his seeming inability to hold any level of patience what so ever. It was as if, having attained the power who had so long yearned for, he wished to use it like it was going out of style. No place is this more evident than in the decision to invade Sienna and Tuscanny in late 1485.
The war, from its onset, was a badly run affair. No sooner had it been declared than the armies of Seinan and Tuscany marched on Venetian Italy and delt the Venetian army a stunnign defeat in Romagna and the March. Although Venetian numbers would eventually overwhelm the defenders, with both enemy nations udner seige by Febuary of the next year, the defeats seemed to show weakness in the Republic's military and in the strength of her Doge. The nobels, long looking for the chance to break free from his yoke, took the time to rebel throughout Italy and the Balkans.
To the Doge, this just confirmed his suspicions. The nobels where the enemies of the reformers and, by extension, God himself. The Senate, for its part, too kthe side of the Doge, unwilling to allow civil wars to destroy the Repubic of Venice as they had that of Rome, no matter how much they might sympathise with the rebellious nobels.
It was all for naught, though. On August 14th, 1486 an assassin hired by a minor noble in Rome snuck into the Doge's palace. That morning the Doge hurried around a corner after breakfast to get to a meeting as he did every morning, when the assassin struck stabbing the man twelve times before before being struck down by the palace gaurds. The great expirment of Marco Bargango had come to an end.
Following the Doge's death the Republic found it self in a dangerous position. In the middle of a war of Italian hemoragyl, with the armies of rebellious nobels near Venice waiting to force the choice of their own canidate, the Senate fell back upon time honored tradition of choosing a relative of the dearly deseased. After all, the Barbango name was still magic with the churhc, lower andm iddle classes, and Augustino was known to be more conservative as to not insult the nobels any further. The descision was made, not two weeks after the death of Marco Barbango, his brother Augutino assumed the role of Doge.
......... The End
Questions, comments? Tiem to Faeleen to take the reigns
Marco Barbango came to power in the wrong era. Had his dogeship occured, even one to two decades later, it very well might have been once of peace and prosperity, rather than the bitter string of defeats which fate dealt him. Unfortuantly, riding the tide of opinion, he was washed into the position November of 1485.
Perhaps Barbango's greatest mistake was believing that the massive wave against Moncenigo which put him in power was, in fact, a popular mandate in which to push through his reforms. The Doge's first action was to issue a decree which placed heavy restrictions on the traditional landed nobility, and there by gained that groups ire for the remainder of his reign, and life.
However, one must remember that, despite what was to occure later, the initial few months of his reign where ones of peace and stability. Within three months Venice had recovered from the horrors and mismanagement of the Moncenigo reign. Also, due to the Doge's "Wealth at Home" program, state merchants which had been laying dormant durign the reign of his precesessor where given insentives to work out of the city of Venice itself, there b gaining the Republic a monopoly in its home port, other merchants where also sent to Paris and Portugal strengthening Venetian trade in those regions as well.
Also, Barbango took pleasure in the official submission of Rumilia, Macedonia and the Morea to the Catholic faith. To be honest, these missions where begun during the reign of Moncenigo, but the Doge was quick to point out that "had it not been for myself and other strong minded Catholics, desperate to save the souls of the heathen, Mocenigo would never have dared to drain his coffers for the good of the people!"
Despite these gains, the Doge made several fundemental mistakes during his reign. We have already mentioned his first and greatest, but others exist as well. Perhaps one of the most dramatic of such was the growing feud between he and his brother Augustino.
Augustino was the second son of three, and was the trader and merchant of the family. Much of the Barbango family wealth can be traced to the shrewd investiments made by Augustino following Marco's inveritign of the DeMedici fortune. Unfortuantly for the brothers, Augustino was a born conservative who looked upon his brother's political career with disdain at best, and down right loathing at worst. Over the years the two of them quarlled bitterly, Marco claiming, with soem evidence, that had it not been for hsi leadership durign the crisis and his inheiting of the fortune, the family would have little. Augustino would respond by pointing out it was his investments which had made the family wealthy again and that it was Marco who owed him more. This rivalry would play out on the stage of Venetian politics for generations, the descendants of the two brothers caught in one of the msot vicious feuds in Italian history.
Another critical mistake of Marco Barbango was his seeming inability to hold any level of patience what so ever. It was as if, having attained the power who had so long yearned for, he wished to use it like it was going out of style. No place is this more evident than in the decision to invade Sienna and Tuscanny in late 1485.
The war, from its onset, was a badly run affair. No sooner had it been declared than the armies of Seinan and Tuscany marched on Venetian Italy and delt the Venetian army a stunnign defeat in Romagna and the March. Although Venetian numbers would eventually overwhelm the defenders, with both enemy nations udner seige by Febuary of the next year, the defeats seemed to show weakness in the Republic's military and in the strength of her Doge. The nobels, long looking for the chance to break free from his yoke, took the time to rebel throughout Italy and the Balkans.
To the Doge, this just confirmed his suspicions. The nobels where the enemies of the reformers and, by extension, God himself. The Senate, for its part, too kthe side of the Doge, unwilling to allow civil wars to destroy the Repubic of Venice as they had that of Rome, no matter how much they might sympathise with the rebellious nobels.
It was all for naught, though. On August 14th, 1486 an assassin hired by a minor noble in Rome snuck into the Doge's palace. That morning the Doge hurried around a corner after breakfast to get to a meeting as he did every morning, when the assassin struck stabbing the man twelve times before before being struck down by the palace gaurds. The great expirment of Marco Bargango had come to an end.
Following the Doge's death the Republic found it self in a dangerous position. In the middle of a war of Italian hemoragyl, with the armies of rebellious nobels near Venice waiting to force the choice of their own canidate, the Senate fell back upon time honored tradition of choosing a relative of the dearly deseased. After all, the Barbango name was still magic with the churhc, lower andm iddle classes, and Augustino was known to be more conservative as to not insult the nobels any further. The descision was made, not two weeks after the death of Marco Barbango, his brother Augutino assumed the role of Doge.
......... The End
Questions, comments? Tiem to Faeleen to take the reigns
Sounds like our Venice is having more than its fair share of assassinations. We can't enough bloodshed out in the rest of the world, so we have to rub out our own leadership.
It reminds me of an old chant we used to do in my younger years... "Blood, blood, blood makes the grass grow..."
It reminds me of an old chant we used to do in my younger years... "Blood, blood, blood makes the grass grow..."
Originally posted by Faeelin
Yes, I'd been assuming they were brothers (your character gets a write in as a baffoon. And there had best be agood explanation as to why I got the game in such straits
Hey, hey hey, you didn't get the game in that bad of shape, yes you where in the middle of a war with a few revolts, but so what. My Doge just happened to die at the worst possible time, otherwise things would have gotten better, I swear
Nicely done Daniel. I got a really nice feel for your Doge and I think you pulled off a very short reign with great aplomb.
I think Faeelin will do just fine with the situation...after all, we A-Teamers laugh at such trivial things as the occasional revolt or little war. Muahahahahahaha.
I think Faeelin will do just fine with the situation...after all, we A-Teamers laugh at such trivial things as the occasional revolt or little war. Muahahahahahaha.
Agostino, the Merchant of Venice
“O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge you King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for you. Exercise upon me all your rights. I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to lead a good Christian life and to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred royalty and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen.” Thus completed, Agostino Barbango, Doge of Venice, rose and walked out of St. Mark’s.
Agostino had never been a man to covet the materials of the real world. As a boy, he had wanted to become a priest, in order to spread the word of God to the heretics of Greece. His parents, of course, had other plans for their son. A Brabango? A priest? Absurd! Therefore, instead of entering the Seminary, he entered the market. As time passed, he grew to be a shriewd merchant, becoming good friends with Greeks and Mohammedans. But the tolerance of the latter had been changed by an event in his travels.
Agostino had been visiting the factory of his family in the busy port of Alexandria. The Sultan was on rather good terms with Venice (despite the bloody conquest of the Mediterranean that they were engaged in), and for the most part, trade was very profitable there, for Agostino and his family.
However, that all changed, one day. Agostino was returning to his home, when he heard a piercing shriek. Rushing to it, he saw the men of the Sultan standing by the entrance, loading things onto a cart.
“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded. “How dare you enter my house and take of it. What would the Sultan say?”
In heavily accented Italian, one of the men replied, “There is a new Sultan. He has decided to levy a tithe on all the merchants of Venice as a sign of their loyalty. As for your daughter? Well, she quarreled when we tried to take the possessions from the house. The wench should’ve remained silent.”
Agostino tried to rush in, but a guard knocked him to the ground. “My daughter! My ducats!” he moaned, and then all went black as a club from a guard came down.
Agostino awoke several hours later, only to see that they were long gone. Limping into his house as fast as he could, he walked through the remains of the door, and went to his daughter’s room. Her, and all her possessions, were gone.
Agostino was a broken man. He returned to Venice, where news of what had happened caused quite a commotion. Although he had still made a great fortune, many said he would never recover from his loss.
Once again, Agostino turned to religion. As he was praying on the ship that returned him to Venice, asking God what could be done to bring her back, an eagle flew overhead. Flying over St. Mark’s banner on a fortress, it flew off, towards the rest of Italy. It was then that he knew what he must do.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. I swear, Persephone, that your death shall not be in vain. Venice shall follow the eagle, as God commands.”
“O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge you King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for you. Exercise upon me all your rights. I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to lead a good Christian life and to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred royalty and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen.” Thus completed, Agostino Barbango, Doge of Venice, rose and walked out of St. Mark’s.
Agostino had never been a man to covet the materials of the real world. As a boy, he had wanted to become a priest, in order to spread the word of God to the heretics of Greece. His parents, of course, had other plans for their son. A Brabango? A priest? Absurd! Therefore, instead of entering the Seminary, he entered the market. As time passed, he grew to be a shriewd merchant, becoming good friends with Greeks and Mohammedans. But the tolerance of the latter had been changed by an event in his travels.
Agostino had been visiting the factory of his family in the busy port of Alexandria. The Sultan was on rather good terms with Venice (despite the bloody conquest of the Mediterranean that they were engaged in), and for the most part, trade was very profitable there, for Agostino and his family.
However, that all changed, one day. Agostino was returning to his home, when he heard a piercing shriek. Rushing to it, he saw the men of the Sultan standing by the entrance, loading things onto a cart.
“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded. “How dare you enter my house and take of it. What would the Sultan say?”
In heavily accented Italian, one of the men replied, “There is a new Sultan. He has decided to levy a tithe on all the merchants of Venice as a sign of their loyalty. As for your daughter? Well, she quarreled when we tried to take the possessions from the house. The wench should’ve remained silent.”
Agostino tried to rush in, but a guard knocked him to the ground. “My daughter! My ducats!” he moaned, and then all went black as a club from a guard came down.
Agostino awoke several hours later, only to see that they were long gone. Limping into his house as fast as he could, he walked through the remains of the door, and went to his daughter’s room. Her, and all her possessions, were gone.
Agostino was a broken man. He returned to Venice, where news of what had happened caused quite a commotion. Although he had still made a great fortune, many said he would never recover from his loss.
Once again, Agostino turned to religion. As he was praying on the ship that returned him to Venice, asking God what could be done to bring her back, an eagle flew overhead. Flying over St. Mark’s banner on a fortress, it flew off, towards the rest of Italy. It was then that he knew what he must do.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. I swear, Persephone, that your death shall not be in vain. Venice shall follow the eagle, as God commands.”
Indeed, such an afront to the People of Venice must needs be met with a swift and deadly response. There shall be no rest for the righteous until the evil Sultan lies dying upon the ground.
Go get 'em Faeelin.
P.S. I like the way you've chosen to approach writing abour your reign.
Go get 'em Faeelin.
P.S. I like the way you've chosen to approach writing abour your reign.
Good job so far Faelin. So two Barbango's who where ready to enter the preisthood at one point, maybe we should ahve tried to become Popes and not Doges Good work so far, lets unify Italy under a single banner and don't go around calling me a radical or anything
Good work so far, lets unify Italy under a single banner and don't go around calling me a radical or anything