Vencarlo #

Vencarlo Orisini è ben conosciuto fra la nobiltà di Korvosa sia per le feroci critiche al governo che per il suo eccellente talento come istruttore di scherma. Il suo alter ego Blackjack, però, è ancora più famoso…

Vencarlo Orisini is a tall man of advanced years, yet he has a twinkle in his eye and a bounce to his step that hints at the inner fire of a man under half his age. He wears his salt-and-pepper hair pulled back tightly into a bravo’s topknot. His eyes are a cast of deep green like the ocean after a storm. He is of old Chelish blood, and it shows. Orisini wears black leather gloves to ensure his touch doesn’t rust the pommel of his shining rapier. In fact, he owns two similar rapiers: a +1 rapier and a +2 keen rapier. The latter is his true weapon, inherited from his mother, but he keeps it hidden along with the rest of his vigilante gear in his bag of holding. When he speaks of his rapier, even if it is merely his +1 rapier, he does so in tones normally reserved for a loved one. You know that the two smaller fingers of his right hand never seem to bend—in fact, he’s missing these two fingers, and his gloves contain short lengths of wood to disguise that fact. If asked about his fingers, Vencarlo pauses for a moment, then admits he lost them a while back in an unfortunate duel and says he’d rather speak no more on the subject. (In fact, he lost the fingers in a duel with one of his students, Grau) Unknown to but a few, Vencarlo has long led a double life as a masked hero known to the people of Korvosa as Blackjack. Tales of Blackjack’s moves against corrupt politicians, cruel nobles, and greedy merchants have been part of Korvosa’s culture for 2 centuries, and although Blackjack hasn’t made an appearance in the last decade, stories about him remain as popular as ever among the peasants. Because Blackjack has existed for centuries, few believe him to be a single person. The most popular rumor surrounding Blackjack is that his role has been filled by a series of human men, with one training a replacement each generation. This is, in fact, the case—Vencarlo is simply the latest Blackjack in the line.

Incontro con i PG #

I PG incontrano per la prima volta Vencarlo durante i tumulti a seguito della morte del re, nell’ufficio di Cressida, dove si è recato per chiedere aiuto nell’indagare sull’ambasciatore del Cheliax qui a Korvosa, Darvayne Gios Amprei, e i suoi rapporti con il pericoloso malvivente che risponde al nome di Devargo Barvasi. In effetti, Devargo è entrato in possesso di alcune lettere riguardanti Darvayne e la moglie di un potente nobile del Cheliax, con le quali sta ricattando l’ambasciatore affinché lo favorisca nel commercio con il Cheliax. D’altra parte, l’ambasciatore stesso sta cercando di comprare al ribasso terreni e case a Korvosa, approfittando dei tumulti, per ritagliarsi un posto al sole nella Korvosa che conta. Successivamente, Vencarlo chiede aiuto ai PG per scortare Trinia presso la locanda Trots, poco a nord di Korvosa, ove hanno appuntamento con il suo amico Jasan che la porterà al sicuro. Cressida chiede ai PG di ritrovare Vencarlo e Neolandus, scomparsi a Vecchia Korvosa durante la quarantena. E in effetti i nostri liberano i due malcapitati dalle grinfie degli Arkona, insieme a MariaLuna McKon. E tutti insieme viaggiano ad Harse, presso la fattoria del Merlo, dove già li attendono Trinia e Jasan.