Francessco Conti

“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”

[continess]

Francesco Conti - Leader of Clan Venatore

Italy was a motherland, one that had nurtured him and taught him how to execute his most deadly intentions most graciously; he had been taught how to negotiate a contract and how to always have the power to hold the last word from a young age. Born to an obedient mother and a successful father, a brother to three sisters, he had been prepared to be the head of the family and he followed in his father’s footsteps well. Born to rule, he had created connections to last him a lifetime but he was not aware his lifetime would be longer than expected.

When he was in his thirties, he was introduced to the supernatural, he had already been married, family business as a merchant growing steadily – a woman and a beautiful daughter waiting for him at home, proud of what he had accomplished. And yet, there was a world that had to offer him more. One night he was at the right place, at the right time – a woman offering him the world, him offering her a safe passage on one of the ships he had been trading with.

He did not think – the life of immortality offered more than the life of a merchant; all it took was a night for him to kiss his daughter and wife goodbye (even if that did not know it was a goodbye). There was a stable plan, he would die a hero and be reborn as an immortal. His immortality offered him more than his mortality, more connections, more possibility, more ways to be great.

He had been a businessman his whole life, he had learned how to walk in the sunlight and how to trade the alignments of his vampirism for benefits. He had lived in many places, created many connections with the sole purpose of establishing control, with the sole purpose of having his power reach where his hand could not.

It was how he ended up in Westray, a place where he could establish control – through business, through a power, through a clan – a clan that would not bend, a clan that would follow the rules as long as necessary, for there would be a day where he would be the one making the rules.

Francesco did not appear as a friendly man, just like a determined one and it was how he had established his one place in the city many years ago, a place that offered him a seat at a table that would listen to his words. Westray was no different, he had great connections here too – not friends, for friends were useless if the lacked ambition and power.  

It was why he was now married to a wife who shared his power, one who was an equal, one who wanted more of life. He is known around town for his word and for his principles and often the lack of them.

Now in Westray, he does not allow anyone to stay on his way – for he will abide by the rules of the town but he has created rules of his own and those rules were his own law.

[continess]

EVENT 02

Noble and dark are two words commonly used to describe vampires. Usually, the word of choice would never be ‘asleep’, and yet it fits to describe most vampires in Westray during this fateful night. This does in fact include the owner of the Orchid, the supposedly most prestige establishment in town - or at least it was, until the Grand Viridian showed up. Could this have been a clever trick from Franceso himself to pull Alexios through the dirt? Hm.

Given he is missing his ring just like the other residents are missing something, or someone, it is unlikely. Perhaps one could have called a bluff, if it were not for what’s spread out on his floor, arranged to read a riddle: 100 dollar bills. But they smell like death, and are better left untouched.

“I’m a hidden traitor, unseen and unknown, I work from the inside, on a secret home. What am I?”

franceso conti, welcome to the hide & seek! who are you playing with? well, wouldn’t you like to know. your character is missing one sacred object. they can choose to search for them, or they can get lost in their worry and don’t. (but who knows, maybe they’ll find their way back home on their own).

your character was not sorted into a search group. if they want to search for their lost object, they must do so on their own, or send someone else to do it.

please post this plot drop and your character’s reaction to it, which can be as short as one paragraph, or as long as you want. you can make two choices for your character: are they searching for their lost object? can they solve their riddle or not? please include these choices in your reaction response.

The possibility of his home becoming a war zone was low, every wall created with the ability to protect, every inch monitored. The words of his father echoed in the back of his mind – the greater the power the more vicious the enemies. A throne built with the thought that they would want to burn it down and that he would not burn along with it. It was almost impossible for someone to dare step on his way, he admired those who had the potential to become someone he would view as an enemy And yet, a hidden creature had managed to get into his home. He was certain it was magic – he was certain it was something he was not quite capable of himself. Pieces of paper mistaken for power, the familiar stench soaking the air. Francesco had never feared death, for it was beautiful; it was either the beginning or the end of a war, and he did not dread it. There was no desire in him to touch it, for it was a rule for his flesh to never be incriminated – only his mind, only his heart, for those were never visible by others. There was no fear nor anger in his body, what was presented before him was a challenge, a challenge that was raised by someone who was for once not an amateur – they have managed to take a ring and if he could not find them soon, he would allow them to keep it – not a truce, just a further act of aggression for Franceso never kicked the ones who were already lying on the ground. The bills spoke now, different language than the one he was used to hearing – a play of the mind, a play with someone’s thoughts and desires, his future rival had a good sense of humour and definitely a brain to accompany it. Franceso was not one to underestimate anyone; however, he knew there was no one to strong enough to play the game with the same ambition as he did. His eyes lingered over the intrusion of peace, his lips slowly curling into a smile. What a clever way to start the fight they were going to regret most.  A few moments as his eyes lifted from the stain in his home, fingers reaching for the phone in his pocket. “ Jason, start digging. We’ve got a mole.”