As Lent approaches, it's carnival time in Venice! The Doge, Signior Giovanni del Lago, has decreed this a day of general celebration. There will be divers entertainments during the afternoon, including gaming, singing, and mask-making for young & old. Local artisans will display their works, and those possessing them are invited to display any Royal Writs they have been presented.
The local masters of defense invite others skilled in that art to take some exercise with them in the great hall. Later, a visiting commedia dell'arte troupe will enact a farce. As is proper for a carnival, food will be available for many hours, so come prepared to eat when you wish.
The carnival will culminate in a masked ball in the evening; the Doge has set the masquerade theme to be Classical Rome, and will bestow prizes for superior costumes.
The Doge, alas, is drawing towards the end of his career, so whispers are now rising in both the great houses and the dark alleys, concerning the succession. Ancient grudges inform the day's high-stakes politics; knives -- and wits -- are being sharpened. It is rumored that amidst the carnival's diversions, an assassination will be attempted....
