The Endowed

[madammina]

Welcome to the Renaissance! Across the world, culture is being reborn, people are rethinking objectives, and The Endowed are enjoying new status as accepted members of society, with full Equality.

The Endowed are special, and compromise about half of the population. Each is gifted with their own singular ability. The Brotherhood of Nations, about 20 years ago, set up laws for how to deal and study the Endowed wtih the Endowed consent. Now, as part of the study, (which is to determine how and why some people get endowments) they are looking into an Orb... and rumors are stating the reason they have no money is because they have bought The Triad.

Meanwhile, Society has it's own problem. The Mafia has moved into the area. After controlling several countries, they are trying to take over Italy now. Though, they have run into some trouble. The Criminal underground aren't giving up their territory without a fight. And neither are the Merchants and commoners.

The Mafia's leader is an Endowed, a Youth Vampire who steals people's youth to supplement his own. His Opposition is the Thief called The Fox, of which nothing is known.

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The Fox crept up to the second story balcony. There were riches inside there. But what the Fox was after was a trophy. Something to Celebrate The Fox's 100th house that month. The Fox pushed against the lock with the black gloved hands, and then the latch clicked open. The Fox slipped in and crawled around to the back room. THe couple, some high ranking artisans with a history of mafia suppliers, were sleeping peacefully, never knowing... The Fox slipped into the room and with barely a breath, stole a piece of silver jewlery. Nice looking, but not worth much. With a grin that vanished into the Fox's head covering (revealing only the eyes) the fox slipped out into the night
--------
Brother Augustine was a devout brother, but he could not pay attention to his prayers this morning. He had been digging through the library last night "Pater Noster" Our Father when he had found a book. Well, he WAS in a library, but this one was wrapped in onionskin, like one that hasn't been opened yet "Que Es En Caelis" Who Art in Heaven and as he ripped off the paper, the book flopped open to an image of a Blue orb, and some text he had yet to decipher. But it was now bothering him. What did this blue orb have to do in anything? Particularly what was it doing in this monastery?

"Brother Augustine" THe Prior was standing next to him. "Are you alright? You weren't paying attention today."

"I'm fine, Prior." Augustine muttered as he walked back to the library. He needed to translate that book.

[Sugar Rush]

Manami just breathed in the somewhat fresh air that was located outside the bakery. As she sat there resting, she watched the world move around her, seemingly being ingornant of everything around it. A man was arguing with a coachman, anger distorting what could be a handsome face. The coachman for his part though, was just staring at the man, unflinching despite the spray landing on his face. She turned her head to see children darting around carriages, proving to each other how insane or brave they were. She sighs, getting up as she does so, and wipes off the dust from her skirt and twirl's back around to head inside to continue helping with the quite demanding chore of continusly making fresh bread.

She enters and makes her way to the back and adrons the proper attire that she needed and soon enough, flour was filling the air, as she worked. She hummed as she did so, not quite aware of her surroundings, but in a way, she was.

[Azrael]

Having finished much of his business, Pasha Simon decided upon himself to take the rest of the year off and relax. To get away from the usual business, the noble chose to spend time in his royal residence in Galata, the district where foreigners like himself were allowed to settle down and live as if they were still living under a Christian-run government. He sat down on his balcony and watched the guards that the Sultan persuaded him have protect him waltz outside the house with their halberds raised up high in the air. They look so silly for an elite guard with those gowns and funny hats. And to think that they are more powerful than even the most chivalric knights from France. thought Simon , as he took in the aroma of fresh air and rested his head on the chair, thinking about a conservation he had earlier with the Ottoman ruler.

I wonder why would the Sultan believe I know anything about the Endowed. thought Simon, as he took a sip of some coffee that one of his servants happened to serve him with just a couple of moments ago. I have all this time to myself. I might as well obtain some information on these people starting tomorrow.

[madammina]

Griselda Giacomo hung out by the front gates. She was arguing with one of the guards.

"Yes, I'm supposed to entertain here. NO! I'm not a dancer or a prostitute. I'm a jester." Among other things. The Basic flew back and forth before she got frustrated and stared him in the eye. "Let. Me. in."She enjoyed that internal click as her power activated, making him open the door.

"Thank you." and the assassin walked in. Now, where is that Pasha Simon? Before she could do anything, the court vizier (who had actually hired her) pulled her over

"There you are! Trouble with the guards? Anyway, your rooms are here. We're a little short, and you aren't muslim. So the guards from the Pasha will protect you too. You're just down the hall from him."

Oh, how lucky.

[Azrael]

Relaxing and watching the sunset from his balcony, moments like these made him wonder what his parents were doing right now. His father Jean had been exiled from his old principality in the French region of Champagne for decades now but has made up for his bad fortune in the motherland by attaining lower nobility status as the district commander of the Turkish garrison in Athens and running a farm. In contrast, his mother would be the faithful wife and stay as the manager of the villa they had outside of Athens and run the administration of the farm while his father Jean was busy training the local Turk soldiery. Probably way too busy to consider hiring someone to handle their business and take some time off to head to Galata and spend time with their son and catch up on times.

"With what's happening recently, I don't think they will have anytime at all to visit since tensions had increased to a new low between my country and our neighbor to the west." He thought again about the Endowed, these beings with special abilities as made blunt by the Ottoman ruler when he asked him about it. "So many problems going on. I just hope that whoever these Endowed are that they won't cause enough trouble to force Mehmed to send me back to the palace and report for duty."

[madammina]

Griselda knocked on the door. She opened it before any servant could, a vial in her pocket but she didn't want to use it now, and entered.

"Good Evening, Pasha. I'm your neighbor! The Jester, Griselda Giacomo." She flipped back her sandy blond hair and pulled a deck of playing cards from her sleeve. "Expert in tricks and tongue twisters. I've been hired for a few days. So, yourself? You Endowed?"
-----
The Fox made its way back to Selene. A few hairpins, and a gold pen. Not bad work. The Fox slid in the bar after leaving her dagger at the door. Everyone knew though it was more for prying things open anyway. The Fox pulled the notebook close to itself to scrawl down the drink then sat back.

Tonight was amateur night here. Hopefully Quicksilver would be here soon.

[Azrael]

Griselda knocked on the door. She opened it before any servant could, a vial in her pocket but she didn't want to use it now, and entered.

Right out of a sudden, the door was knocked open gaining the attention of the Ottoman official. He turned around and saw that a girl, dressed in ridiculous clothing although definetely a woman on the pretty side of the spectrum, had barged in and entered into his private quarters. On vacation, Simon was too lazy to have his servants go find someone to keep him happy and jovial for the weekend with mildly crude antics and humor so he had the court vizier find and pay the entertainment to come to the villa and stay for the weekend.

This entertainer has no manners. Mohammed certainly knows where to pick them. Must be from the south of Italy, typical of the locals from there to be ignorant of mannerisms and civilization in general. Simon thought as he eyed the girl suspiciously. I know well to keep an eye on her. Something about her doesn't seem right...could she be one of these Endowed I've heard about? Hm. I wonder.

"Good Evening, Pasha. I'm your neighbor! The Jester, Griselda Giacomo." She flipped back her sandy blond hair and pulled a deck of playing cards from her sleeve. "Expert in tricks and tongue twisters. I've been hired for a few days. So, yourself? You Endowed?"

"I suppose that you are an Endowed?" Simon narrowed his eyes and made sure to have his hand on the sword he had hidden under his armor. "Well, are you?"

[madammina]

Giacomo sensed he wasn't the real playing time, so she sat down a bit more delicately then she would have normally.

"Just with a good head for tricks. Wish I was though. Something like summoning things would make packing a whole lot easier." Like I would really say I could hypnotize people. Please, an assassin is stealthy. And the Holy Roman Empire wants a civil war here. She pulled a chair over with her leg and began to shuffle the deck. "Pick a card. And you never answered. Are you? I'm just curious. I had a few friends back home that were Endowed. Nothing really special, but they can be some nice people... or not. Just like us really." She looked back at him for a second.

"Actually, you don't look like you belong here either... French?"

[Azrael]

"Actually, you don't look like you belong here either... French?"

"You would be half-right." Simon said, wondering the intentions for an endowed out of all people to visit his household, especially the household of a relatively minor Ottoman noble. "I may have some French blood flowing through my veins although my mother is a Greek. I assure you that despite me supposedly not belonging here like you say, I spent so many years in Constantinople that I might as well be an ethnic Turk. I even converted to Islam out of my own choice so I would warn you about judging people based on their looks although it wouldn't hurt to go to France one of these days."

Remembering that she had asked him to pick a card, he pointed to the middle one. "By the way, I'll take that particular one that you have that card, miss Gia. So besides from my vizier inviting you here, what other reason has enticed you to leave that dreadful cesspit known as Italy and head to my king's lands."

[Organization_42]

It was an unusually chilly night in the Italian underground headquarters of the Mafia, but as Dominique lay silently on her bed, she felt her blood rushing and her body temperature was very warm. That meant only one thing: the Mafia had given Lust another assignment tonight. Technically, Dominique should have known what one of her own Vices was up to, but the knowledge that she had seven versions of herself performing all sorts of shameful deeds had become too much of a burden for the devout Christian woman. Lately she had established a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with them. Humility, the head of her Virtues, had warned Dominique that this was another form of refusing to take responsibility for her actions, but Dominique had been too upset to listen. How, she thought angrily, Can I possibly be expected to control fourteen pieces of me, all thinking and doing whatever suits them, even though they're a part of me?!

When she had asked Humility this, she had been reminded that each of her Virtues and Vices were only as powerful as she allowed them to be. And she KNEW that! But this curse that made her one of the Endowed just complicated her ability to ignore her flaws. It was so much easier to ignore the voices in her head rather than the people standing next to her!

Dominique sighed and rolled to the side. She still felt light-headed, but her blood pace had cooled somewhat, so Lust was probably wrapping things up. That was good, though she hoped that Lust wouldn't decide to break their rule and come bursting in to give a graphic description of the night's events. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, and Chastity walked in. Like all of the other Virtues and Vices, Chastity looked exactly like Dominque, from the clothes she wore to the long red braid that went down her back. She could also often sense what her other sisters were doing, which was why she had arrived. "I feel so dirty again," she said with disgust, and gave Dominique a hard look, "Where's Lust?"

"Don't ask me," said Dominique as she turned away. It was still hard to get used to talking to people who looked and sounded like her.

"Please, can't you keep her under control?! I'm afraid I will lose my mind!"

"Why don't YOU do that?" Dominique snapped, "Isn't that YOUR job?"

"Only if you let me!" protested Chastity.

"Not tonight. I'm tired and I want to sleep!" Thankfully, the door was shut soon afterwards, ending the brief conversation. But Dominique did not feel peaceful; instead she wanted to cry. Day in and day out, she tried so hard to follow the teachings of the Church, but deep down, she could not deny that a small part of her enjoyed the sensation of getting away with something evil. It disturbed her in her heart, and made her question whether or not she was too weak to handle this new hurdle that she had been presented with.

[madammina]

"By the way, I'll take that particular one that you have that card, miss Gia. So besides from my vizier inviting you here, what other reason has enticed you to leave that dreadful cesspit known as Italy and head to my king's lands."

"No Reason." She shuffled the card, Queen of Diamonds... interesting pick... "I was hired by your Vizier. I just came from the English court. And, don't call my home a cesspool." She felt for the slight cut in the side that meant it was the card. "It is really nice, the weather is great, our art is considered highly, our education is unmatched in Europe, Though we could use a few more Moors, and our trading is almost unmatched thanks to the fact we are almost surrounded by seas." An Elitist? This would turn into a satisfying assignment. If he kept on bashing Italy, I'll get one of these guards to put in some BellaDonna in his drink then have another slit his throat. If this is how he is naturally, he'll have enough enemies to pin it on.

She pulled out the Queen of Diamonds. "This your card?"

[Azrael]

"No Reason." She shuffled the card, Queen of Diamonds... interesting pick... "I was hired by your Vizier. I just came from the English court. And, don't call my home a cesspool." She felt for the slight cut in the side that meant it was the card. "It is really nice, the weather is great, our art is considered highly, our education is unmatched in Europe, Though we could use a few more Moors, and our trading is almost unmatched thanks to the fact we are almost surrounded by seas." "England. Interesting place from I eavesdrop on the English merchants that stop by the ports every few months or so." No wonder this Giacomo was so darn expensive when it came to taking out the gold florins! thought the Pasha. Had he known that he was unknowingly purchasing an entertainer who was previously stationed in England, he would had settled for the far cheaper alternative of renting a couple of Russian women from the slave markets and have his way with them for the weekend. After all, three women from the north would only cost about one hundred florin altogether, far more cheaper than the two thousand florins he paid for this one. "If I wanted art, I would go look in Constantinople and the weather is ideal here in Rumelia while the universities in Jerusalem and Constantinople are considered the finest in the empire perhaps even among the world. Plus you may be surrounded by seas, but we rule it."

An Italian nationalist? I would love to see her reaction when I tell her that Italy is only great after its people during the Fourth Crusade sacked and destroyed this city and made into a shadow of what it once was, something that Mehmed and we Ottomans had reversed by transforming it into the ideal Islamic city. If she continues believing that Italy is so high and mighty, I shall have the guards make sure that she would be sent back to her beloved boot on a floating barrel in the middle of the Mediterrean. Certainly she must think that such architecture here in my villa, which emulates that of the Romans and the Hellenistic Greeks before us, is sub-par to what they have in Venice or Milan or Florence.

She pulled out the Queen of Diamonds. "This your card?"

"Yes. It is my card." Simon said, grinning at the girl as she pulled the card. Queen of Diamonds. "Now what do I win?"

[madammina]

"What do I win." Great. Elitist and sexist. I may do this one personally. Or at least witness.

"I give nothing away for free... but I COULD make an exception in your case." She shifted to let her right shoulder show a bit more skin. She needed to know more about his schedule! "And, look, stop looking so high and mighty. I just don't like to hear one of my countries being called a cesspool. All countries have their strengths and weaknesses. I saw a few slave markets coming in. You may say you rule the seas, but we do the shipping over Europe... anyway, I try not to talk politics. I go to who pays the most and try to entertain them as best I can. Say... how good are you at tonguetwisters?" She stuck the card away. He will meet and work with a flirtatious woman, sometimes dangerous. Oh, you have no idea. But why work? What will happen to us that we will work together? He's going to be dead within the week.

"Mind telling me why your Sultan hired me for the week? Any people I should avoid at court, or types of jokes. I don't want to be beheaded because of a misstep or a mistimed joke."

[Azrael]

"I give nothing away for free... but I COULD make an exception in your case." She shifted to let her right shoulder show a bit more skin. She needed to know more about his schedule! "And, look, stop looking so high and mighty. I just don't like to hear one of my countries being called a cesspool. All countries have their strengths and weaknesses. I saw a few slave markets coming in. You may say you rule the seas, but we do the shipping over Europe... anyway, I try not to talk politics. I go to who pays the most and try to entertain them as best I can. Say... how good are you at tonguetwisters?"

"Not good at all. I tend to keep myself away from games due to my duties." Simon said, admitting his bad luck when it came to playing the games that he often found the Janissary guards indulging themselves in whenever they were not protecting his hide. He could never stop that low to the status of a peasant to play these uninteresting games. Oh what do we have here! Showing a little too much skin, are we? Giacomo was showing a little more skin at her right shoulder. How morally appalling for a woman to show that much skin to a man that's not even her husband! Just the way I like them. "And that's sad, I do like to meet a woman who isn't afraid to talk about politics. Anyways, I apologize for my behavior. Years stuck in the company of nobles and rich mercantile families can do that to a man."

"Mind telling me why your Sultan hired me for the week? Any people I should avoid at court, or types of jokes. I don't want to be beheaded because of a misstep or a mistimed joke."

"Sultan Bayezid was adamant on having me leave the palace and spend some vacation time here. I guess he wanted for me to have some decent company aside from the prostitutes or sex slaves living on the streets." He probably wondered why the Sultan wanted him to have this small break. Never the man who could accepts his servants remaining single and always occupied with royal affairs, His Majesty has spent years for him to find a woman that would be deemed acceptable enough to marry but he would always reject them, believing in the new idea of marrying for love and not for dowries as in the Islamic tradition. "Oh trust me, it's best if you avoid them all."

[madammina]

"Tongue twisters aren't a game really... hmm... Try saying this five times fast."
'The pellet with the poison is in the Chalice from the Palace. The Flagon with the Dragon has the brew that is true.'
"Sorry about the depressing subject matter, but it is either very simple or very complicated." She smiled and slid down a little more.

"And I'm sorry for your dull company. I find though military men have a bit of experience when it comes to telling stories." she give a slight wink. "But I guess you should have been eager for company. You didn't ask where my escort was." sex slaves? That's what she thought. Anyway, she had had to sleep with enough people while on the job. "And as much as I would like to get a tour of here, I need to do what I have been contracted to do. That includes entertaining the court. Songs are always good..." she started to mumble to herself. Come on... take the bait...