Vespero's Vendetta

"A poisoned knife between the ribs is the sort of gift that most mercenary generals wish on their foes, but few would relish themselves. This keeps assassins like Vespero in constant employment, if only to make sure they're not working for the other side!"

—A brief summary of why Vespero never lacks for job opportunities^[1a]

Vespero's Vendetta are a famous band of Dogs of War who soon earned a notorious reputation as deadly duellists, reliable bodyguards, and expert saboteurs and assassins. The rivalry between the merchant princes of Tilea are so violent that everyone of a right mind would hire bodyguards. These bodyguards would protect their master from plotters, assassins, and rebels alike. Inevitably however, bodyguards of rival families or houses would often clash with other families and small street duels are an often common place in the largest of Tilean cities.^[1a]

It is said that Stabbio the Bad, exiled prince of Luccini, was the first to train his bodyguards as expert duellists, armed in what has since become the traditional duellist style. Others started copying his innovative style fighting after suffering at the hands of Stabbio's henchmen. A prince finding himself an exile or fugitive from his city is wise to hire a band of freelance duellist and use their services to regain or usurp power.^[1a]

History[]

"Assassination's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!"

—Vespero, The Wasp^[1a]

Capture23423423 — Vespero, captain of Vespero's Vendetta

This particular group of duellists is commanded by the dreaded Vespero, a young and reckless Tilean noblemen, more given to self-indulgence and dubious escapades then anything else. Verpero is known as "The Wasp" because of his personal duelling style which is best summed up as stubborn persistence ending in a very nasty sting. Vespero was the younger son of a powerful and wealthy merchant in the city-state of Luccini, but due to a quarrel with a rival family over the favours of a noble lady, he was forced into exile in Verezzo where he joined a local mercenary bodyguard company.^[1a]

Unfortunately, Vespero's romantic adventures got him into trouble here as well and his expert skill resulted in the untimely end of so many noble youths in the city that their families all swore vendetta's against him and put a bounty of one million gold ducats on his head! Hunted through the streets by rival duellists, he barely escaped from the city with his life. From that moment on, Vespero, together with his band of reckless young duellist (hand-picked by him as the best exponent of their arts) were up for hire to the highest bidder. They soon earned a notorious reputation, not only in street fighting but in various battles, coups, and revolts throughout Tilea and beyond.^[1a]

Vespero's Vendetta sometimes accompanied Tilean merchants as bodyguards to the Dwarf settlement of Barak Varr in the Badlands.^[5a]

Recently, Vespero turned up in Miragliano, where Borgio the Besieger gave him the opportunity to get even with his pursuers as part of the great prince's political intrigues. After the last and most successful assassination attempt on Borgio's life which ended in his death, and the street-fighting in Miragliano which followed, Vespero disappeared, although he was in no way implicated as being the person who killed Borgio, for Vespero has been well-paid and so was presumably as loyal as could be expected. Vespero's motive is more likely to seek out those truly behind Borgio's demise to get posthumous revenge as a final act of loyalty to his former protector.^[1a]

Appearance[]

Vespero1 — An example of a contract hiring Vespero's Vendetta by Duke Gaston de Baguette of the Chateau Miral.

The duellists of Vespero's Vendetta wear tight-fitting, black clothing and carry a cloak. They are youthful and agile, wear their hair long and dress in the latest Tilean styles. They are armed with an elegant duelling sword and a left-handed dagger, as well as carrying numerous throwing knives on their person. The daggers are used to parry opponents' sword thrusts and their hilt is therefore shaped so as to catch an adversary's blade.^[1a]

These weapons are kept concealed beneath their cloak so that the duellists can accompany their master, carry messages for him, or walk the streets of the city without attracting unnecessary attention or revealing that they are armed. In combat, the cloak itself is used to skillfully parry and catch opponents' weapon strikes. Vespero, like many of his troops, has several impressive duelling scars.^[1a]

Vespero has been blessed with a profile as fine as any imagined by even the greatest of sculptors, at least in his own estimation, and he sometimes wears a pair of perfectly-waxed moustaches. His rapier is enriched by gold filigree.^[7a]^[7d]

Personality[]

Vespero has great confidence in himself and in his abilities. His skill with the rapier, considered by him the noblest of weapons, was acquired in Remas -- some say under the tutelage of Valancourt of Nuln.^[4a]^[7c] He says he is second to none, even to those who have occasionally bested him. His belief in being the best doesn't stop with his fencing prowess, but is something he pursues in whatever activity he decides to undertake, from hunting with the bow to target shooting with blackpowder weapons.^[7a]^[7c]

Vespero had always counted himself a lucky man, born in the greatest city of the greatest civilisation the world had ever seen; not the largest or most powerful, perhaps, but certainly the greatest. He despises the Imperials, their cuisine and the weather of their land, finding them barbaric and fickle. He respects the knights of Bretonnia but finds their bigotry despicable.^[7a]^[7c]

Despite this, there is nothing that Vespero hates more than those who run from a battle, especially if empty-handed.^[7d]

In general, the daily rate to hire Vespero amounts to at least one golden crown, as a lower figure would offend the sensitivities of the entire company, according to him.^[7a]

The Art of Deception[]

"There must be a thousand of them, at least, probably more. Of course, if they were Tileans they would be easier to count. They would have the pride in their appearance that makes a true warrior stand out from his surroundings, a beacon of chivalry in the drabness of this northern squalor. I mean, look at them. Look at that one hacking through your men with an axe: no finesse, and no style. He works like a butcher, and he looks as though he might have been created out of mud."

—Vespero genuinely offended by the inelegance of his adversaries^[7d]

Vespero's second-in-command, who has risen to his position through his skill with the pen rather than the sword, supports his captain in negotiations and -- when he does not do it alone -- helps in writing the band's employment contracts. These are often adjusted, even during a battle, if Vespero believes that the terms previously signed are no longer valid.^[7c]

However, perhaps Vespero's most fortunate attribute is the unerring instinct he has for fleeting opportunity. He could sense the changing winds of fortune that blew through the Old World as well as a leviathan can smell prey in the blackest depths of the ocean. He knows that even defeat on behalf of his client still brings the possibility of attaining even greater wealth.^[7d]

This happened once during the siege of Flintmar, where after being hired as bodyguards by the Witch-Finder General Blyseden, Vespero and his troops massacred the general's personal guard once they saw the possibility of defeat. Half of the content of the paychest was offered to the band of Tileans who decided that half of the loot was a good deal since by accepting the offer they could continue to fight for the Elector Count of Averland.^[7d]

Identity[]

The face of Vespero is often covered by a mask. Since Vespero's identity is hidden, other assassins have sometimes taken advantage of this for their own benefit. For instance, to kill an Imperial noble on whom a bounty of 500 ducats hung, Liliana Falcone and Pietro, two Tilean criminals, disguised themselves as Vespero to meet their target for a duel.^[2a]

Hadrian Samoracci, another Tilean assassin of the same age, could be one of the pseudonyms of Vespero, as they share the same origin as a former noble of Tilea and the same title, "The Wasp." But rumours claim Samoracci was from northern Tilea, while Vespero is from Luccini in the south.^[8a]

Wargear[]

Grimacing Death Mask - Vespero likes to hide his identity behind a mask when he prowls the narrow alleys, pursuing the dubious political ambitions of whatever prince he is serving at the time. The mask, which represents the grimacing face of death, is the last thing Vespero's duelling opponents see before they meet their sudden end. The mask's winged, leering skull face throws Vespero's opponents into a panic.^[1a] There are even those who say that it is a hex object, at least as old as the fall of Mordheim and that even at that time it was used by a famous Tilean assassin.^[6]

Quotes[]

"Most noble of commanders, it is as the poets say. Only in war can a man truly find the truth of himself. I and my esteemed brethren have followed this maxim from the lands of our birth in beautiful Tilea to the miserable dankness of your lands, and it is that which brings us here today."

—Vespero The Wasp^[7a]

"Vespero: "You can see from my bearing that I am a veteran of a thousand desperate actions, and my brethren are almost my equals. In Remas, I learned the best, the most noble art of swordsmanship, and excelled above all others. In Quenelles, I fought single-handed against a Bretonnian knight, and showed him the true meaning of chivalry. In Nuln, I shot in the tournament of artillerists, and demonstrated to the experts how a true marksman behaves. -- Blyseden: "Did you win?" -- Vespero: "I beg your pardon?" -- Blyseden: "In these actions, did you win?" -- Vespero: "I acquitted myself, with distinction.""

—Vespero The Wasp to General Blyseden^[7a]

"That is why we have travelled so far, braving all the hardships and terrible cooking of this soggy land. It is always in search of the most righteous opponent. The knights of Bretonnia know something of this, too, although their understanding is clouded by superstition."

—Vespero The Wasp^[7a]

"My blade has known little rest in its lifetime. The steel thirsts for the blood of my enemies, or, for a small consideration, of yours."

—Vespero The Wasp^[7a]

"Those are my company’s initials, the ‘Vespero’s Vendetta."

—Vespero, gesturing to the twin Vs that he had cut into an unfortunate opponent^[7a]

"In Tilea, our retainers are pillars of strength. My cousin, the Magistrate Teo Polidorente, used to practise his marksmanship with a crossbow by balancing pieces of fruit on top of his servants’ heads. They always show marvellous courage. He gets through about a dozen a year."

—Vespero The Wasp^[7b]

"Don’t forget, the sun in Tilea is brighter and more cheerful than this weak-blooded northern one. Ah, how I miss my homeland."

—Vespero The Wasp^[7b]

Miniatures[]

The miniatures of Vespero's Vendetta were sculpted by Alan Perry. Their aesthetic was based on Italian late 15th and early 16th century clothes. The mask worn by Vespero was drawn for the character by another member of the team.^[9]

Trivia[]

The name of Vespero's Vendetta and of its captain are a probable reference to the graphic novel V for Vendetta.

The practice of carving the initials of the company on the body of Vespero's defeated opponent is a clear allusion to the fictional character known as Zorro, who shares the same custom, if in a less savage way.