01-04-2010, 11:27 AM
Well I said in my introduction I was interested in the background of the Warhammer World, and here is the proof. I have created an elaborate background for my namesake Antonio, and all of his family and extended family, for family politics are very important in Tilea. This is by far the most extensive background material I have ever written (I even had to write a family tree to keep track! 
) but was the most entertaining.
For anyone who is interested in the city of Miragliano this website has proved to be essential in getting the history write, and knowing about the Old Families in the city :http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~rossi/Wfrp/miragl.html
I do know that Miragliano is supposed to be ruined now, but all of this is set before its fall to the Skaven, and my army will be said to be in that time period.
Right, enjoy, and see if you can spot what all my characters are going to represent in the game. Most of the male characters will be present in my army, the females may appear in a diorama or as objectives.
Ciao!
Familia Cornuti de Miragliano
Antonio de Miragliano (and Emilia Cornuti)
Little is known of the early life of Antonio, not even his real surname, for he appears to have come out of nowhere, the bottom tier of society and first appears in records in 2460, forging himself a small empire on the islands, becoming a member of the elite Grassi class through procuring several lucrative trade contracts all over Tilea and the Old World. He has even managed to work himself into the Old Dynasty of the Cornuti family, marrying the young Emilia Cornuti and producing an heir, Enzo. Despite his marriage into the ruling family, Antonio refused to take their name, taking instead the name of the city, keeping him shrouded in mystery in many of the upper circles of the city and the whole of Tilea.
Antonio’s businesses range from the normal, such as trade and banking, but due to his shady background, he has tentacles that reach into all aspects of the city, including its dark underworld. Many of the powerful crime families owe some form of favour to him, many brothels benefit from his protection and some say that he has strong ties with the Guild of Thieves. Whatever is true, his influence stems far in all levels of Miraglianese society, perhaps a reason why he chooses to associate his name with the city he seems to rule.
Obviously, in Tilean society, and in a place such as Miragliano, ridden with infighting between families and politics dictating all of life, someone as powerful as Antonio needs protection. His trade businesses mean he owns a small fleet and enough men to man it, forming his own private army. His Palazzo is heavily guarded by many soldiers who form his personal bodyguard, of whom his son Enzo is leader. Antonio can also assume command of several other parties should the need arise, including Cornuti household troops, provided by his wife’s family, for he has commanded them many times before. He can also count on a vast variety of miscreants recruited by his links with the cities underworld, which he always acquires for reduced prices.
With considerable military strength, Antonio is often called upon to defend the city from attacks, along with the other great military lords. As such he has fought of many Skaven invasions, as well as many attacks by other cities, earning himself a great reputation. His skill over the years has often proven itself in that he has led the combined Miraglianese army himself, and more often to victory. He commands his own forces regularly too, accompanying transport trains across Tilea and into the rest of the Old World to assure the success of his businesses. However as an aging man, nearly sixty five years old, his own battle skills are limited, and he often uses his son to lead his armies for him. He sometimes even hires himself as a general to the highest bidder, but this is rare and only when he is in need in extra money, or is commanded to do so to earn more favour from his adopted family.
Antonio desperately desires to become the Duce of Miragliano, thus truly gaining total dominance over the city and the state in general, giving a real meaning to his assumed name. He is not obvious with his political desires and is very subtle with his movements, including his assassinations of leading rivals, and clever marriages for his children to allow him to become the most powerful Duce when it finally takes place.
Emilia Cornuti is the beautiful firstborn child of the Duce Alessandro Cornuti, leader of the city of Miragliano and his wife Isabella Vachiamelli. Antonio is said to have wooed her in his youth, and despite not being of one of the great noble families, the Duce permitted the marriage, believing he had already secured an heir in the form of his young son Romeo. Emilia is fairly passive, but stunningly beautiful so never fades into the background. She bore Antonio his four children and performed all the duties of a highly influential wife. She often uses her influence as the Duce’s first born child, and favourite, to Antonio’s benefit, for she also wishes him to become Duce when her father dies.
Giuseppe Moretti de Miragliano (and Lucrecia Cortez de Bilibali)
Just like Antonio, little is really known about Giuseppe, and little still is. Apart from his seemingly meteoric rise in notoriety after the marriage of Enzo and Alisa, the noble families are left bemused as to his social standing. Technically Giuseppe is a member of the Grassi, so is not a social outcast when it comes to Miragliano, but he is half Arabyian his surname taken when young, meaning ‘dark skinned’, and is often looked down upon for this reason. He shares the name ‘de Miragliano’ with Antonio, taking it years ago when becoming his blood brother. He is the only known link to Antonio’s past, but whenever asked about how he knows him, he becomes suddenly quiet and changes the subject. His actual standing in the Grassi is just as shady as his character, for no one knows how he acquired all the money he seems to have, or exactly what business he runs, but no one ever asks, or at least no one who does gets a straight answer.
Supposedly Giuseppe is the son of an Arabyan Shiek, Abdul Fasah, and his Tilean peasant mother, Lucia de Falvore (Falvore being a small outlying town near Miragliano). He was abandoned by his father for he was a disgrace to the Arabyan people back at home, and could not be discovered. When his mother died before he reached adulthood, he made his way to the city and fell into the criminal underworld, presumably where he met Antonio.
Giuseppe is actually the reason rumours fly about Antonio’s links with the Guild of Thieves. Unbeknownst to most, he is its head; known as the ‘Grey Owl’ or ‘Le Gufo Bianco’, and this explains his vast wealth and shady personality. Despite his notoriety, not even many in the Guild know he runs the whole operation. Only a few people in the city know of his true occupation, including Antonio and Enzo. Giuseppe commands legions of thugs and criminals in the streets, and has influence too amongst the Mafia families and all criminal activists. This great influence is the reason why Antonio can acquire a seemingly endless hoard of commoners should he so need, as is why he always knows of all underhand activity in the city, and Giuseppe uses the criminals to act as eyes and ears at all levels of society.
Giuseppe also wields significant magical power, seemingly commanding darkness and shadows, perhaps the reason he seemed to rapidly climb the ladder of the Guild of Thieves. He has proved useful to Antonio on the battlefield for this reason, protecting his forces and occasionally turning the darkness upon the enemies, striking them down to aid the sway of the battle, although this is rare, for Giuseppe is very much against violence.
Giuseppe’s wife, Lucrecia Cortez, is a young Estalian noblewoman, found by Antonio for his friend as repayment for all that he does for him. Her family, the Cortez Family in Bilibali, Juan Cortez de Bilibali and his wife Lisa Cuatro de Magritta, are a valuable trade contract of Antonio’s, and as such the marriage was favourable to him, as is everything he seems to do, for it secured this trade link further, and brought in influence in Estalia, furthering his international reputation.
Enzo Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alisa Moretti de Miragliano)
Antonio Cornuti de Miragliano
Claudia Cornuti de Miragliano
Enzo is the first and only son of Antonio de Miragliano and Emilia Cornuti. He fell in love with Alisa Moretti, only daughter of Antonio’s old friend and shady member of the Grassi, Giuseppe Moretti. Antonio allowed this marriage, hoping to bring the Morettis further into the elite of Miragliano.
Enzo is Antonio’s personal assistant, leader of his bodyguard and right hand man. He has been trained since his childhood, following in his father’s footsteps in every way, so that he should be able to take over Antonio’s empire at any point. He does have some traits of his own, acquired during the period in which Antonio famously banished him for five years, in order to give him experiences like his own early life. During these five years it is said that Enzo fell into the same underworld that raised Antonio, becoming briefly part of the Cacciabores dell' Ombra, Miragliano’s Assassin’s Guild, where he is said to have met Alisa. This has certainly been useful to Antonio, as even the fear of having a trained assassin as a son has reduced any threats to him and his empire.
After his years of banishment Enzo returned to his family and continued to act as Antonio’s lieutenant, proving himself an excellent commander of armies in his own right, so much so that he, now his father’s age prevents him from fighting as much as he would wish, leads the army from the front on his noble Estalian steed, provided to him by Alisa’s grandparents as a marriage gift.
Alisa Moretti de Miragliano is almost as shady as her father. Stunningly beautiful, still retaining the Arabyan roots of her father and combining it with the natural beauty of the Tilean race, she seems to never have aged. This may be something to do with the magical inheritance from her father. Although not as powerful a sorcerer as he, she does seem to have some command of the shadows, making them conceal her and seemingly carry her effortlessly when she moves. She is set to inherit control of the Guild of Thieves, and is also a trained assassin like Enzo from the Cacciabores dell’Ombra, making her another useful asset to Antonio.
Antonia and Claudia Cornuti de Miragliano are both the daughters of Enzo and Alisa. They are both of marrying age, but Enzo is awaiting instruction from his father as to who they should marry. As they will lose the new dynastical name of Cornuti de Miragliano if they marry into the Old Families of Miragliano, Antonio has seen it to be beneficial to marry them to lesser known members of the Grassi, who, when he finds them, he will accept into his family as equal grandsons. Evidently something grand is being planned here, and many Mercenary Generals and Merchants in the city have been jumping at the opportunity to marry the beautiful granddaughters of the man who is set to be the most powerful man in the city.
Alberto Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alice von Rittermark)
Frederico Cornuti de Miragliano
Alberto was the first born son of Enzo and the firstborn grandchild of Antonio, making him extremely important to Antonio. At such a young age he is yet to truly prove his worth in the Cornuti de Miragliano family, but has shown immense talent on the battlefield, following in his father’s footsteps as a natural leader and horseman, sometimes riding with other noblemen of the city to battle with Antonio, including amongst those his own cousins, and he often assumes control over them.
Alberto was again strategically married, but this time to open a trade link with the Empire. Alice von Rittermark is the daughter of a wealthy Altdorf land owner, Count Otto von Rittermark and his equally rich wife Countess Freida Hansburg, making the marriage a very prosperous deal for Antonio, and providing his grandson with a great deal of wealth and gaining the whole family recognition in the Empire.
Frederico Cornuti de Miragliano is the most recent addition to the Cornuti de Miragliano family, but not the first great grandchild of Antonio, just the first to carry his name, establishing the dynasty properly in Miragliano, for it now spans four generations. His name is a bastardisation of the Empire name, Frederick, for he is also heir to great estates there, as well as the whole of Miragliano, making Antonio very pleased.
Duce Alessandro Cornuti (and Isabella Vachiamelli)
The Duce Alessandro Cornuti is a very old man, verging on eighty years old. He is somehow kept alive by modern medicine and presumably some form of magic. He is however entering his final years as Duce, diagnosed with a terrible infection that will eventually kill him. Thus the race is on to find his successor, and preferably for him, one within the Cornuti family.
The Duce has hated Antonio from the moment he met him, only letting him marry his daughter through a combination of money, the desire of his favourite daughter and the confidence he held in his young male heir Romeo. Antonio has posed a threat to his dominance constantly, even before he met him, for he assumes more control over the city that its supposed leader. He is happy however that he married into the Cornuti family, rather than any of the others, for this would have caused him much greater pain.
As Duce, the only influence Alessandro has over Antonio is outside of the city, controlling all the marshland and the towns which reside in it and belong to the city. He normally uses Antonio to protect these lands when he can, in particular years ago when he was younger and rasher, for he wanted him to perish on the battlefield. The two men’s desire for each other to die is obvious, as it would be advantageous to both, but this is what keeps them both alive, for any suspicious deaths would be instantly pinned on the one left standing. Instead, Antonio uses the advantage of his relative youth to wait out the illness and be left standing as the new Duce.
Isabella Vachiamelli was Alessandro’s wife, but she perished years ago, dying in childbirth with the final Cornuti daughter, Lucia. She was not a particularly notable woman, average looking and one of several Vachiamelli daughters, strategically married into the families to secure stability in the city. She bore Alessandro all his children, and was partially influential in the decision on the marriage between Antonio and Emilia, for Emilia was her favoured child, and as she desired the marriage, Isabella worked her charm on the Duce to help the decision along.
Romeo Cornuti
Romeo Cornuti was the second child and only son of the Duce Cornuti, destined to be his heir from birth. He was only young when Antonio married his older sister Emilia and thought nothing of the man’s rise into his family, and certainly did not wish him any harm or see him as a threat. Antonio saw differently however, furthering his political ambitions by killing Romeo by pushing him from his window in the Cornuti Palazzo in the famous ‘Defenestration de Miragliano’. He cleverly framed the once powerful Vegnutti family, who were forced to leave the city for plotting a perceived coup against the Duce and the Cornuti family.
Bianca Cornuti (and Rodrigo Fulvini)
The second youngest daughter of the Duce Cornuti, Bianca was quickly married off into the great families of Miragliano, namely the Fulvini. After her brother’s untimely demise Rodrigo began to work his political abilities to his favour, falling in closely with the Duce and spreading his influence, hoping to secure the now open position of heir to the Duce. Antonio soon put a stop to the young upstart, recruiting him into his army to fight against the Skaven who were invading the city, but tasking an agent to kill him with a recovered Skaven throwing star, making it seem like he died valiantly in battle. Bianca was so distraught she went into mourning, becoming a nun leaving the position as heir open to Antonio.
Lucia Cornuti
The youngest of Duce Cornuti’s children, Lucia is the sole thing standing between Antonio and his chance to become Duce. The Duce has not yet married her off, for he is afraid of what might happen to the husband, but wishes to marry her to prevent Antonio succeeding him. Although Lucia has many suitors, it may be a while before she marries and bears children.
Maria Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alfonso Vachiamelli)
Emilio Vachiamelli
Bianca Vachiamelli
Lucia Vachiamelli
Antonia Vachiamelli
Maria Cornuti de Miragliano is the second child and eldest daughter of Antonio and Emilia. She is fairly pretty, and was strategically married off into the Vachiamelli family, retying links broken when her grandmother Isabella died.
Alfonso Vachiamelli is an arrogant man, chosen only as he, for some reason, was Maria’s preference of all the young Vachiamelli men. He sometimes fights alongside Antonio, providing renowned crossbowmen from his personal army. Many of these crossbowmen end up in the famed Marksmen of Miragliano when their contract ends with the Vachiamelli family.
Emilio Vachiamelli is just as arrogant as his father, and incredibly headstrong. He sometimes joins with his cousins and other nobles in the Knights that join Antonio’s army, and sometimes Antonio wishes he would end up on the wrong end of a rival Tilean pike.
Bianca, Lucia and Antonia are all eligible women in the Vachiamelli family but Antonio has no control over their marriages. Thus they are now no use to Antonio, just an extra motivation for the Vachiamelli to support him.
Rosa Cornuti de Miragliano (and Paolo Fulvini)
Caterina Fulvini
Bartolomeo Fulvini
Rosa is the third child of Antonio and again was married strategically to the old ruling family, the Fulvini, to prevent an uprising should the dispute as to the right heir to the Duce arise upon his death. She is again, fairly attractive, looking most like her mother, and has produced two children during her marriage.
Paolo Fulvini is a rich merchant in his own right, as well as the only eligible son of the Fulvini family. He had valuable trade links, but not the right means in which to protect them, so Antonio stepped in, and the two have become good trade partners. Paolo has ventured to Cathay and the New World, and as such knows of many good mercenary leaders from his expeditions; making him a useful asset to Antonio should he require some extra men.
Bartolemeo is fast becoming a famous mercenary general in Tilea, taking in the footsteps of his father, and again, this makes him useful to Antonio as regards contacts in the country and across the Old World.
Caterina is a new upstart at court, being exceptional beautiful but also incredibly intelligent. She is currently unmarried as the Fulvini have not made plans for her. It is likely she will be married abroad to one of Paolo’s rich business contacts, as long as she does not choose her own lover, which it seems she is likely to do.
Gemma Cornuti de Miragliano (and Michelangelo Cielvini)
Ezio Cielvini
Gemma is the youngest daughter of Antonio and Emilia, and as her name suggests, is the jewel in the crown of the family. She is the most beautiful of all the daughters, surpassing her mother in looks.
This is perhaps why Michelangelo Cielvini was drawn to her, for him fast becoming a famous artist in the city. Fortunately for Antonio, this is not his only talent, for his incredibly intelligent too, and often acts as an accountant for his father in law when he is not painting. He does not however posses any aggressive bones in his body, and will never be seen fighting on the same field as Antonio.
Ezio is just as handsome as his mother is beautiful, but with such relaxed parents, he has begun to fall off the rails. He is the youngest of Antonio’s grandchildren, but besides Alberto, is his other favourite, reminding him of his own young self. Most women in Miragliano fantasise about Ezio but he remains a bachelor. Being so handsome, confident and rich it is no surprise he can often be found duelling in the streets with fellow nobles, and it is in this guise he occasionally joins Antonio on the battlefield, trying to prove himself further as Miragliano’s greatest street fighter.
If you have managed to get here, I salute you sir!
) but was the most entertaining.For anyone who is interested in the city of Miragliano this website has proved to be essential in getting the history write, and knowing about the Old Families in the city :http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~rossi/Wfrp/miragl.html
I do know that Miragliano is supposed to be ruined now, but all of this is set before its fall to the Skaven, and my army will be said to be in that time period.
Right, enjoy, and see if you can spot what all my characters are going to represent in the game. Most of the male characters will be present in my army, the females may appear in a diorama or as objectives.
Ciao!
Familia Cornuti de Miragliano
Antonio de Miragliano (and Emilia Cornuti)
Little is known of the early life of Antonio, not even his real surname, for he appears to have come out of nowhere, the bottom tier of society and first appears in records in 2460, forging himself a small empire on the islands, becoming a member of the elite Grassi class through procuring several lucrative trade contracts all over Tilea and the Old World. He has even managed to work himself into the Old Dynasty of the Cornuti family, marrying the young Emilia Cornuti and producing an heir, Enzo. Despite his marriage into the ruling family, Antonio refused to take their name, taking instead the name of the city, keeping him shrouded in mystery in many of the upper circles of the city and the whole of Tilea.
Antonio’s businesses range from the normal, such as trade and banking, but due to his shady background, he has tentacles that reach into all aspects of the city, including its dark underworld. Many of the powerful crime families owe some form of favour to him, many brothels benefit from his protection and some say that he has strong ties with the Guild of Thieves. Whatever is true, his influence stems far in all levels of Miraglianese society, perhaps a reason why he chooses to associate his name with the city he seems to rule.
Obviously, in Tilean society, and in a place such as Miragliano, ridden with infighting between families and politics dictating all of life, someone as powerful as Antonio needs protection. His trade businesses mean he owns a small fleet and enough men to man it, forming his own private army. His Palazzo is heavily guarded by many soldiers who form his personal bodyguard, of whom his son Enzo is leader. Antonio can also assume command of several other parties should the need arise, including Cornuti household troops, provided by his wife’s family, for he has commanded them many times before. He can also count on a vast variety of miscreants recruited by his links with the cities underworld, which he always acquires for reduced prices.
With considerable military strength, Antonio is often called upon to defend the city from attacks, along with the other great military lords. As such he has fought of many Skaven invasions, as well as many attacks by other cities, earning himself a great reputation. His skill over the years has often proven itself in that he has led the combined Miraglianese army himself, and more often to victory. He commands his own forces regularly too, accompanying transport trains across Tilea and into the rest of the Old World to assure the success of his businesses. However as an aging man, nearly sixty five years old, his own battle skills are limited, and he often uses his son to lead his armies for him. He sometimes even hires himself as a general to the highest bidder, but this is rare and only when he is in need in extra money, or is commanded to do so to earn more favour from his adopted family.
Antonio desperately desires to become the Duce of Miragliano, thus truly gaining total dominance over the city and the state in general, giving a real meaning to his assumed name. He is not obvious with his political desires and is very subtle with his movements, including his assassinations of leading rivals, and clever marriages for his children to allow him to become the most powerful Duce when it finally takes place.
Emilia Cornuti is the beautiful firstborn child of the Duce Alessandro Cornuti, leader of the city of Miragliano and his wife Isabella Vachiamelli. Antonio is said to have wooed her in his youth, and despite not being of one of the great noble families, the Duce permitted the marriage, believing he had already secured an heir in the form of his young son Romeo. Emilia is fairly passive, but stunningly beautiful so never fades into the background. She bore Antonio his four children and performed all the duties of a highly influential wife. She often uses her influence as the Duce’s first born child, and favourite, to Antonio’s benefit, for she also wishes him to become Duce when her father dies.
Giuseppe Moretti de Miragliano (and Lucrecia Cortez de Bilibali)
Just like Antonio, little is really known about Giuseppe, and little still is. Apart from his seemingly meteoric rise in notoriety after the marriage of Enzo and Alisa, the noble families are left bemused as to his social standing. Technically Giuseppe is a member of the Grassi, so is not a social outcast when it comes to Miragliano, but he is half Arabyian his surname taken when young, meaning ‘dark skinned’, and is often looked down upon for this reason. He shares the name ‘de Miragliano’ with Antonio, taking it years ago when becoming his blood brother. He is the only known link to Antonio’s past, but whenever asked about how he knows him, he becomes suddenly quiet and changes the subject. His actual standing in the Grassi is just as shady as his character, for no one knows how he acquired all the money he seems to have, or exactly what business he runs, but no one ever asks, or at least no one who does gets a straight answer.
Supposedly Giuseppe is the son of an Arabyan Shiek, Abdul Fasah, and his Tilean peasant mother, Lucia de Falvore (Falvore being a small outlying town near Miragliano). He was abandoned by his father for he was a disgrace to the Arabyan people back at home, and could not be discovered. When his mother died before he reached adulthood, he made his way to the city and fell into the criminal underworld, presumably where he met Antonio.
Giuseppe is actually the reason rumours fly about Antonio’s links with the Guild of Thieves. Unbeknownst to most, he is its head; known as the ‘Grey Owl’ or ‘Le Gufo Bianco’, and this explains his vast wealth and shady personality. Despite his notoriety, not even many in the Guild know he runs the whole operation. Only a few people in the city know of his true occupation, including Antonio and Enzo. Giuseppe commands legions of thugs and criminals in the streets, and has influence too amongst the Mafia families and all criminal activists. This great influence is the reason why Antonio can acquire a seemingly endless hoard of commoners should he so need, as is why he always knows of all underhand activity in the city, and Giuseppe uses the criminals to act as eyes and ears at all levels of society.
Giuseppe also wields significant magical power, seemingly commanding darkness and shadows, perhaps the reason he seemed to rapidly climb the ladder of the Guild of Thieves. He has proved useful to Antonio on the battlefield for this reason, protecting his forces and occasionally turning the darkness upon the enemies, striking them down to aid the sway of the battle, although this is rare, for Giuseppe is very much against violence.
Giuseppe’s wife, Lucrecia Cortez, is a young Estalian noblewoman, found by Antonio for his friend as repayment for all that he does for him. Her family, the Cortez Family in Bilibali, Juan Cortez de Bilibali and his wife Lisa Cuatro de Magritta, are a valuable trade contract of Antonio’s, and as such the marriage was favourable to him, as is everything he seems to do, for it secured this trade link further, and brought in influence in Estalia, furthering his international reputation.
Enzo Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alisa Moretti de Miragliano)
Antonio Cornuti de Miragliano
Claudia Cornuti de Miragliano
Enzo is the first and only son of Antonio de Miragliano and Emilia Cornuti. He fell in love with Alisa Moretti, only daughter of Antonio’s old friend and shady member of the Grassi, Giuseppe Moretti. Antonio allowed this marriage, hoping to bring the Morettis further into the elite of Miragliano.
Enzo is Antonio’s personal assistant, leader of his bodyguard and right hand man. He has been trained since his childhood, following in his father’s footsteps in every way, so that he should be able to take over Antonio’s empire at any point. He does have some traits of his own, acquired during the period in which Antonio famously banished him for five years, in order to give him experiences like his own early life. During these five years it is said that Enzo fell into the same underworld that raised Antonio, becoming briefly part of the Cacciabores dell' Ombra, Miragliano’s Assassin’s Guild, where he is said to have met Alisa. This has certainly been useful to Antonio, as even the fear of having a trained assassin as a son has reduced any threats to him and his empire.
After his years of banishment Enzo returned to his family and continued to act as Antonio’s lieutenant, proving himself an excellent commander of armies in his own right, so much so that he, now his father’s age prevents him from fighting as much as he would wish, leads the army from the front on his noble Estalian steed, provided to him by Alisa’s grandparents as a marriage gift.
Alisa Moretti de Miragliano is almost as shady as her father. Stunningly beautiful, still retaining the Arabyan roots of her father and combining it with the natural beauty of the Tilean race, she seems to never have aged. This may be something to do with the magical inheritance from her father. Although not as powerful a sorcerer as he, she does seem to have some command of the shadows, making them conceal her and seemingly carry her effortlessly when she moves. She is set to inherit control of the Guild of Thieves, and is also a trained assassin like Enzo from the Cacciabores dell’Ombra, making her another useful asset to Antonio.
Antonia and Claudia Cornuti de Miragliano are both the daughters of Enzo and Alisa. They are both of marrying age, but Enzo is awaiting instruction from his father as to who they should marry. As they will lose the new dynastical name of Cornuti de Miragliano if they marry into the Old Families of Miragliano, Antonio has seen it to be beneficial to marry them to lesser known members of the Grassi, who, when he finds them, he will accept into his family as equal grandsons. Evidently something grand is being planned here, and many Mercenary Generals and Merchants in the city have been jumping at the opportunity to marry the beautiful granddaughters of the man who is set to be the most powerful man in the city.
Alberto Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alice von Rittermark)
Frederico Cornuti de Miragliano
Alberto was the first born son of Enzo and the firstborn grandchild of Antonio, making him extremely important to Antonio. At such a young age he is yet to truly prove his worth in the Cornuti de Miragliano family, but has shown immense talent on the battlefield, following in his father’s footsteps as a natural leader and horseman, sometimes riding with other noblemen of the city to battle with Antonio, including amongst those his own cousins, and he often assumes control over them.
Alberto was again strategically married, but this time to open a trade link with the Empire. Alice von Rittermark is the daughter of a wealthy Altdorf land owner, Count Otto von Rittermark and his equally rich wife Countess Freida Hansburg, making the marriage a very prosperous deal for Antonio, and providing his grandson with a great deal of wealth and gaining the whole family recognition in the Empire.
Frederico Cornuti de Miragliano is the most recent addition to the Cornuti de Miragliano family, but not the first great grandchild of Antonio, just the first to carry his name, establishing the dynasty properly in Miragliano, for it now spans four generations. His name is a bastardisation of the Empire name, Frederick, for he is also heir to great estates there, as well as the whole of Miragliano, making Antonio very pleased.
Duce Alessandro Cornuti (and Isabella Vachiamelli)
The Duce Alessandro Cornuti is a very old man, verging on eighty years old. He is somehow kept alive by modern medicine and presumably some form of magic. He is however entering his final years as Duce, diagnosed with a terrible infection that will eventually kill him. Thus the race is on to find his successor, and preferably for him, one within the Cornuti family.
The Duce has hated Antonio from the moment he met him, only letting him marry his daughter through a combination of money, the desire of his favourite daughter and the confidence he held in his young male heir Romeo. Antonio has posed a threat to his dominance constantly, even before he met him, for he assumes more control over the city that its supposed leader. He is happy however that he married into the Cornuti family, rather than any of the others, for this would have caused him much greater pain.
As Duce, the only influence Alessandro has over Antonio is outside of the city, controlling all the marshland and the towns which reside in it and belong to the city. He normally uses Antonio to protect these lands when he can, in particular years ago when he was younger and rasher, for he wanted him to perish on the battlefield. The two men’s desire for each other to die is obvious, as it would be advantageous to both, but this is what keeps them both alive, for any suspicious deaths would be instantly pinned on the one left standing. Instead, Antonio uses the advantage of his relative youth to wait out the illness and be left standing as the new Duce.
Isabella Vachiamelli was Alessandro’s wife, but she perished years ago, dying in childbirth with the final Cornuti daughter, Lucia. She was not a particularly notable woman, average looking and one of several Vachiamelli daughters, strategically married into the families to secure stability in the city. She bore Alessandro all his children, and was partially influential in the decision on the marriage between Antonio and Emilia, for Emilia was her favoured child, and as she desired the marriage, Isabella worked her charm on the Duce to help the decision along.
Romeo Cornuti
Romeo Cornuti was the second child and only son of the Duce Cornuti, destined to be his heir from birth. He was only young when Antonio married his older sister Emilia and thought nothing of the man’s rise into his family, and certainly did not wish him any harm or see him as a threat. Antonio saw differently however, furthering his political ambitions by killing Romeo by pushing him from his window in the Cornuti Palazzo in the famous ‘Defenestration de Miragliano’. He cleverly framed the once powerful Vegnutti family, who were forced to leave the city for plotting a perceived coup against the Duce and the Cornuti family.
Bianca Cornuti (and Rodrigo Fulvini)
The second youngest daughter of the Duce Cornuti, Bianca was quickly married off into the great families of Miragliano, namely the Fulvini. After her brother’s untimely demise Rodrigo began to work his political abilities to his favour, falling in closely with the Duce and spreading his influence, hoping to secure the now open position of heir to the Duce. Antonio soon put a stop to the young upstart, recruiting him into his army to fight against the Skaven who were invading the city, but tasking an agent to kill him with a recovered Skaven throwing star, making it seem like he died valiantly in battle. Bianca was so distraught she went into mourning, becoming a nun leaving the position as heir open to Antonio.
Lucia Cornuti
The youngest of Duce Cornuti’s children, Lucia is the sole thing standing between Antonio and his chance to become Duce. The Duce has not yet married her off, for he is afraid of what might happen to the husband, but wishes to marry her to prevent Antonio succeeding him. Although Lucia has many suitors, it may be a while before she marries and bears children.
Maria Cornuti de Miragliano (and Alfonso Vachiamelli)
Emilio Vachiamelli
Bianca Vachiamelli
Lucia Vachiamelli
Antonia Vachiamelli
Maria Cornuti de Miragliano is the second child and eldest daughter of Antonio and Emilia. She is fairly pretty, and was strategically married off into the Vachiamelli family, retying links broken when her grandmother Isabella died.
Alfonso Vachiamelli is an arrogant man, chosen only as he, for some reason, was Maria’s preference of all the young Vachiamelli men. He sometimes fights alongside Antonio, providing renowned crossbowmen from his personal army. Many of these crossbowmen end up in the famed Marksmen of Miragliano when their contract ends with the Vachiamelli family.
Emilio Vachiamelli is just as arrogant as his father, and incredibly headstrong. He sometimes joins with his cousins and other nobles in the Knights that join Antonio’s army, and sometimes Antonio wishes he would end up on the wrong end of a rival Tilean pike.
Bianca, Lucia and Antonia are all eligible women in the Vachiamelli family but Antonio has no control over their marriages. Thus they are now no use to Antonio, just an extra motivation for the Vachiamelli to support him.
Rosa Cornuti de Miragliano (and Paolo Fulvini)
Caterina Fulvini
Bartolomeo Fulvini
Rosa is the third child of Antonio and again was married strategically to the old ruling family, the Fulvini, to prevent an uprising should the dispute as to the right heir to the Duce arise upon his death. She is again, fairly attractive, looking most like her mother, and has produced two children during her marriage.
Paolo Fulvini is a rich merchant in his own right, as well as the only eligible son of the Fulvini family. He had valuable trade links, but not the right means in which to protect them, so Antonio stepped in, and the two have become good trade partners. Paolo has ventured to Cathay and the New World, and as such knows of many good mercenary leaders from his expeditions; making him a useful asset to Antonio should he require some extra men.
Bartolemeo is fast becoming a famous mercenary general in Tilea, taking in the footsteps of his father, and again, this makes him useful to Antonio as regards contacts in the country and across the Old World.
Caterina is a new upstart at court, being exceptional beautiful but also incredibly intelligent. She is currently unmarried as the Fulvini have not made plans for her. It is likely she will be married abroad to one of Paolo’s rich business contacts, as long as she does not choose her own lover, which it seems she is likely to do.
Gemma Cornuti de Miragliano (and Michelangelo Cielvini)
Ezio Cielvini
Gemma is the youngest daughter of Antonio and Emilia, and as her name suggests, is the jewel in the crown of the family. She is the most beautiful of all the daughters, surpassing her mother in looks.
This is perhaps why Michelangelo Cielvini was drawn to her, for him fast becoming a famous artist in the city. Fortunately for Antonio, this is not his only talent, for his incredibly intelligent too, and often acts as an accountant for his father in law when he is not painting. He does not however posses any aggressive bones in his body, and will never be seen fighting on the same field as Antonio.
Ezio is just as handsome as his mother is beautiful, but with such relaxed parents, he has begun to fall off the rails. He is the youngest of Antonio’s grandchildren, but besides Alberto, is his other favourite, reminding him of his own young self. Most women in Miragliano fantasise about Ezio but he remains a bachelor. Being so handsome, confident and rich it is no surprise he can often be found duelling in the streets with fellow nobles, and it is in this guise he occasionally joins Antonio on the battlefield, trying to prove himself further as Miragliano’s greatest street fighter.
If you have managed to get here, I salute you sir!
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