myriad discussions

Fata

Fata. Fate. I have been refining (in my own mind) the notion of Fate, the theme of Fate, and how it applies to Venice. When I first conceived of Venice as a building project and story base, it really centered around magic. However, as stories began to take place in that environment, the true nature of Venice's story has become one of Fate. This was not done consciously; it just happens to be the very real-world theme of this city.

For those of you who are unaware, Venice has two main challenges: the rising tides in the Adriatic, caused in large part to the dredging of the Lagoon to make room for bigger ships for more industry following WWII -- and of course let's not forget the rising sea level due to global warming -- and sinking. The dredging of the Lagoon upset the delicate balance of things for the city (and for the wildlife of the Lagoon), combined with continued building, pollution, age and other factors. The two combine for a very bad Atlantian concoction and fingers are crossed for 2030, when the next great 30-year cycle flood is to occur. The world engineering community and World Heritage UNESCO hope that their MOSE (Moses) floodgate project will be adequate. Most fear that it is already obsolete. The floods that used to happen only once a year now happen with regularity, with water levels increasing.

The population of Venice has been dwindling over time, particularly within the last twenty years, as Mestre, the mainland "suburb" grew and began sucking away the industry and the youth population. Over 50% of Venice's current population is over the age of 65. Children are a blessing and a growing rarity as most believe Venice's fate (her 'fata') cannot be overcome. At the same time, there is hope and there is renewed energy to renovate and restore. It is a real-life Pandora story.

I have woven these challenges into the fabric of Venice's story. The principal and permanent characters associated with Venice are largely magical (though some are celestial) and are all concerned with the nature of Fate. In addition, I introduced the fate witches from the 7th Sea system and linked the declining numbers of gondoliers to the City's increasing endangerment, making the gondoliers a complex system of water warlocks, whose knowledge and skills are passed down from father to son. But there are fewer and fewer children and fewer and fewer gondoliers.

I have also come to the conclusion that everyone who enters Venice is woven into the Fate of the city by the Fate Witches, that in essence each man and woman and child has a fate ascribed to them. This also ties into the In Nomine systems and characters in play and who are centered in Venice. Demons of Fate and Angels of Destiny have their greatest front/battleground in this City, even as London was the epicenter of Lust and Decay (among others).

The principal characters are:
     Albizzina ~ A fate witch who has turned against her powers and gift, having assigned her fate perhaps to someone else. For those of you interested in Celestial matters, she may be an agent of Destiny at this point. Or could become one if one wished to make an attempt;
     Cosimina ~ A master level fate witch, perhaps the highest ranking fate witch in Venice. One of the two wives of Paolo, the Guardian of Venice, the leader of the Gondoliers.
     Paolo ~ Called the Guardian of Venice, he is the leader of the water warlocks (Gondoliers) and is entrusted with managing the Lagoon and canals, and to a greater extent the Adriatic
     Kit ~ Sentinel of Aspirations (Angel of Dreams), who found his Destiny to aid the Redemption of the former Angel of Love/Prince of Lust there and also battled the Fate of Falling himself.
     Cesare ~ A sorcerer, seeker of the Doge's Gold. Currently, a much changed Cesare. His own Fate, or perhaps his Destiny, has led him away from Venice and to Poitiers, France. With a vampire lover.
     Nathaniel ~ A Time mage, not surprisingly consigned to Venice as a penance/punishment. Perhaps that was his fate... perhaps his fate has yet to be discovered.