Venice: The Invisible Grandfather and some vis sources
A brief episode this week, because I was busy writing the index of creatures with Might in the 5th edition. It’s useful for authors working under the Open License, but terrible copy for a podcast. In the Venetian book there’s always been a column sized gap at the end of the magical humans chapter. I just read a Venetian story in Italo Calvio’s Italian Folktales which is suitable. I can’t read it directly because Calvino’s words are still under copyright: but the idea isn’t. Folktales themselves cannot be captured by copyright, only the form of words each author uses. Here’s the summary that will be in my book.
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In one of the apparently abandoned palaces of Venice there’s an elderly man under a curse. He’s entirely invisible, except for his hands. Even if he dresses, his body remains clearer than glass, so only his gloves are visible. He rarely bothers to dress anymore in the summer. Traditional ways of detecting invisible objects, like throwing soot or flour into the air, are ineffective with the Grandfather. The soot or flour also becomes invisible, save on his hands.
His curse will be broken when he takes in someone off the street and raises them to a position of social importance. He may only use good counsel, coupled with his capacity to spy effortlessly, for this purpose. He cannot, for example, steal valuable things for his protege’s use. He never reveals why he is cursed: it is a matter of deep, personal shame.
The man has become very old waiting for success and visibility. He has come close three times and lost out at the last moment, forced to start again with a new street-waif. The unfaithful fiancé of his first protégé might have been Venetian culture and bad luck. The way the betrothed of the second girl drowned was suspicious. He might seek out magical aid, bartering his services as a spy to the magi. They can’t aid his newest charge directly, but they can see if whatever supernatural force cursed him is playing fairly.
The two proteges the Grandfather was unable to assist still live in Venice and help him in tasks other than breaking his curse. This might serve as a player character background or provide a covenant servant with a plot hook.
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There was also a space where I couldn’t get public domain art of red coral that I liked. It was filled with a small paragraph of vis sources.
Vis sources from the islands
Many of the islands could provide thematic vis sources for your covenant. Malamocco produces a variety of white asparagus that often contains Creo vis. It must be grown in complete darkness.
Sant Erasmo’s abundant artichoke crops provide the delicate, violet castraure. These are the first, small buds from each plant each year. They are an aphrodisiac. They are so valuable, but offered in such volume in the Rialto, that it is clear some farmers are selling secondary buds as counterfeits. The plants are descended from one of the many beautiful nymphs terrorized by Zeus with bizarre transformations.
San Gregorio Maggiore is one of the finest places in Europe to catch red mullet. Consuming this fish’s flesh causes lethargy so it is used in sleeping draughts. It was sacred in the Eleusinian mysteries and to Hecate. Some Romans trained them to come to the owner’s voice, as pets.
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The Venice book is out, but I’m waiting until DrivethruRPG lets me onboard before I push it on socials and put a pinned link on this page. There is a delay because I’m a new publisher there and their approval people are at a convention.
