Verazzano, Viscounty of
by Michael BerryArea:
392 square miles
Population:
AC 1000 - 1330
AC 1014 - 1200
Villages: (population values are given for AC 1000 and AC 1014)
Tor Verazzano (100/85): is a small settlement close to the Viscounts tower
Montello (266/250): is the largest village of the Viscounty located 8 miles northeast of Tor Verazzano.
Vico Rufo (100/85): is a walled village in the hills south of Tor Verazzano.
Ethnic groups:
Kerendian 80%, Thyatin 10%, Hattian 5%, Lupin 3%, Others 2%
Languages: Thyatian common
Ruler:
Griseo Fulvina (born 951, M16 (AC1000) M19 (AC 1014), AL - Chaotic)
House:
Sirecchia
Military:
The Kerendan Lancers are the remains of the army led by Lord Cesare Fulvina during the first years in the Highlands. The Kerendan Lancers are still the elite of Verazzano's fighters, heavy cavalry with field plate armor and a retinue of one squire and one sergeant. Since they are not paid and must cope with their expenses only through their own funds, there are only a few (10 or even less) of these knights at any one time. They are mostly Fulvina warriors or minor nobles of Verazzano
The Guard of Verazzano serves as both a police force in the Viscounty, and as guards for the ruling family. It is composed by 40 F2 men, equipped with heavy crossbows, gladii, daggers and scale mail armor. This crossbowmen claim to be the heirs of the defenders of the Thyatian forts in western Dythestenia, and of the men, led by Giovanni Verazzano, who defended Castle Verazzano against the Flaems.
Food:
Deficient. Food imported through Caurenze.
Trails:
The Vialœnga connects the village of Montello with Caurenze through the hills of the Two Volcanos Free Province and is the main commercial route into and out of Verazzano. It runs along the south bank of the Arnus River as it rated as a fair trail by GAAA. The trail itself continues on from Montello to Tor Verazzano.
A poor quality trail connects Vico Rufo to both Montello and Tor Verazzano. A poor trail also leaves Vico Rufo to the south and leads to Sirrechia and Orregiano in Caurenze. Bad quality trails connect the smaller settlements with each other and the village of Montello.
Economics:
The hills near the Village of Vico Rufo are covered with vineyards which producing a distinctive vintage of red wine. The people of the countryside raise sheep and goats, but most resources are devoted to the mines which produce white marble and iron. Much of the populations are employed in either mining or in metalworking (tools, weapons and armor) and are based in or near Montello. Those that are not are employed in agriculture. All trading is done with Caurenze and the Two Volcanoes Free Province.
Verazzano Monthly Financial Ledger (figures from AC1000)
Main resources: 1 mineral, 1 animal (marble, sheep/goats)
4 hexes: mountain; borderland; pop. 224; tax 11.2 dc
3 hexes: hills; rural; pop. 840; tax 84 dc
Verazzano: village; pop. 266; tax 26.6 dc
Total population: 1106 village/rural, 224 borderland
Tax Income: 121.8 dc
Resource Income: 609 dc
Standard Income: 974.4 dc
Council Tax: 341 dc
Net Cash: 389.8 dc
Overhead (35%): 136.4 dc
Available Cash: 253.4 dc
With 8772 XP/year, in 10 years the Viscount could gain 87220 XP.
Alternate: 1462 XP/year.
History:
Viscounts of Verazzano
Umberto Fulvina 829-846
Luigi II Fulvina 846-861
Orlando Fulvina 861-888
Ferruccio Fulvina 888-930
Lamberto Fulvina 930-963
Vittorio Fulvina 963-987
Griseo Fulvina 987-
Verazzano comes from "verres" and "zona", Thyatian for "male boar" and "zone", meaning, "land of male boars". The region of the upper Arnus River valley was sparsely settled by the Flaem or the Belcadiz prior to the arrival of the Thyatian settlers in AC 730 was settled by ethnic Kerendians of the main Thyatian group of settlers in. The Fulvinas, one of the most prominent Kerendian families, settled the hills of the upper Arnus River. When the Republic of Glantri was established in 829 Verazzano was made a Viscounty and the Fulvina family who had settled the area were declared the rules of the dominion and it is has been ruled by the family ever since.
In AC 858, when the Light of Rad ruling decided that only wizards could become nobles, the Viscount of Verazzano was Luigi Fulvina II, a warrior and not a wizard. However, old Luigi was able to make a deal with his nephew Orlando, although Orlando was not the next on the succession line, even counting only wizards (Orlando was the son of the third brother of Luigi. Ugone, Luigi's second brother and Orlando's uncle, should have become the next Viscount.). But Orlando, using his superior polymorph magic, was able to fool the envoys of the Council into believing that Luigi had studied and learned magic during the last years. As part of the deal, Orlando was named heir, and inherited the family title when Luigi died a few years later.
From that time on, the family traditions were slightly changed. All Fulvina firstborn were now trained to be wizards. This training is imparted during the early years of the children, before they enter the Great School. Most Fulvinas learn their magic from their parents or family tutors, and then go to the Great School to learn about "foreign magic". Younger sons either become mages, sometimes choosing different specialties from the family one, or they train as warriors. Most of them then become advisors for the Viscount of Verazzano, or they join the Grand Army as officers.
While the history of the dominion of Verazzano is one and the same with House Fulvina, the Fulvina family is not the only prominent family in Verazzano. The Da Verazzano family is also a prominent family of the region, descended from the great hero, Giovanni Verazzano; they were Seneschals of the Fulvinas, in charge of Castle Verazzano. After the Light of Rad, Ghiaio da Verazzano, known as "il Chiatto", planned to betray Viscount Luigi Fulvina II to his brother, Ugone. However, he was discovered and his conspirators were forced to flee Verazzano for their lives, but were ambushed by masnadieri (brigands) in the service of Fulvinas. The few survivors left Glantri altogether and eventually fled all the way back to Thyatis. However other members, who remained loyal to Fulvinas, were granted important charges to reward their loyalty.
The Fulvina family has remained in Verazzano since the formation of the Republic, and later the Principalities. The rather insular Fulvina never succeeded in winning higher titles mainly for their lack of contacts and political allies. Much of the strategy of the Fulvina family has actually centered not on rising up through the political ranks but directly, through indirect means, becoming a Princely family. A practice long practiced by the Fulvina family, marrying off daughters to important families, especially the ruling Di Sfonti, almost succeeded before Francesco di Malapietra claimed Caurenze over the Fulvinas when the Di Sfoni line died heir-less for the Principality of Caurenze.
Notable sites:
Castle Verazzano is the traditional home of the ruling Viscount. It is a square-based stone tower built by Lord Cesare Fulvina as part of a Thyatian-style castrum set on the top of a high hill. At that time, the tower was built with wood and earth, but it was magically transmuted to stone by Cesare's son, Lord Luigi, after the castrum was destroyed by Flaemish battlemages, who had attacked the Fulvinas while Ezzelino, Luigi's brother and captain of the cavalry, was away with his troops, raiding some Flaemish settlements. Luigi survived the attack thanks to the valor of his captain of the guard, Giovanni Verazzano, a priest of Protius who countered the effects of the Flaems' fire magic with his own spells, holding the tower while the Flaems were destroying the rest of the castrum, until Ezzelino arrived with his lancers. The captain died of the wounds received during the last charge of the Flaems, when he was finally out of defensive spells, and Luigi decided to name in his honor the tower he had defended. Then, to ensure better protection for the tower, he ordered his geomancers to transmute the entire building from wood to stone. Since Luigi's age, the Tower has been constantly fortified and augmented by his descendants, who also delved deep dungeons under the main building, and added a walls and a moat to the keep. It is connected by a subterranean passage with another Tower, La Vedetta, built in a higher position, which actually works as look-out Tower over the Valley and the trade. The tiny nearby village of Tor Verazzano is home to the few people needed to staff and support the Viscount’s tower.
The village of Montello was founded by Viscount Luigi II, as a capital for his Viscounty. Most of those who lived near Tor Verazzano moved to the new village, and only those who staffed the Tower were allowed to dwell in its proximity. When the marble mine was opened in AC 845, the need for materials for the majestic buildings of the Great School and Circus Lizzieni was a boost for Montello’s economy. In AC 899 Viscount Ferruccio Fulvina decided to build a great mansion for his family in the village, since the Tower was already too crowded, hampering his magical researches and experiments so he had it constructed in Montello. In ten years, Palazzo Fulvina was completed, with its ashlarwork façade and its frescoes, representing the family history, and the portraits of Ferruccio's ancestor, all painted by the greatest Caurenzan masters of his time. Currently, most of Griseo's relatives live in Palazzo Fulvina, while Griseo himself lives in the Tower with his wife, his brother, and some of their grandchildren. Griseo's oldest son, Lord Cesare, is the Priore (mayor) of Montello.
Coat of Arms:
Useful links:
Verazzano by Thibault Sarlat, Giovanni Porpora, and Agathokles
Nobility during the years by Harri Mäki
GPD Griseo Fulvina and History of House Fulvina by Giampaolo Agosta
The Economy of Glantri by Aleksei Andrievski