Prologue: Welcome to the magic...

 

 

Do you remember who I am? Do you remember anything about Torino? No? Ok, let me see what I can teach you…

 

Well arrived! Well arrived!

I'm your guide to the city... I'm respected both by the Sabbat and the Camarilla and I've got a lot of duties... You know. So I don’t have much time to spend with you.

 

<<Don't trust him. He doesn't belong to our blood. Have ya asked him who he is? His clan? Maybe he's a grumpy Lasombra...>>

 

Torino is a paradigm of a magic city. Its history is fascinating and sprinkled with esoteric legends. I will give you some quick information and hints. Then you have to work out by yourself what you want to do and how to reach the prizes.

 

<<Run away. Gotta do it long ago. But you’re too bold to step out of your position, "Seneschal"...>>

 

Ahem... Its foundation is due to ancient Egyptians (the first settlement is attributed to prince Fetonte, son of Isis) and its first known name was derived from an ancient native cult dedicated to a bull-god (bull is "Taurus" in Latin): AUGUSTA TAURINORUM.

 

<<Lair.  You know theoriginal name of the settlement, but you are too selfish to condivide it with a newby>>

 

Quiet, please! Now some more information: Torino traditionally belongs to the "triangle of white magic" (with Prague and Lyon) as well as to the "triangle of black magic" (with London and San Francisco). It has other esoteric geographic features: the old center of the settlement is standing on the 45th parallel (indicated by an ancient obelisk with an “astrolabium” at the top) and protected by a "ring of water" (river Po with its connection to the Sun, river Dora with its connection to the Moon, torrents Sangone and Stura) and by the four original Roman “castrum” portals at  the four "cardinal points". You can meet true mages, kindred-mages, Serpents, Tremere, infernalists in my beloved city... but beware! There is no truce here, so you can also meet your final death! You’ll have to move with caution...

 

<<Blah, blah, blah... make a night tour for him or stop this chattering. It's late! You have things to do right now…>>

 

Sorry – again - for the interruption... Don't worry. No one can see him: I will be surprised if you can. Now, returning to the subject....

Part of the city belongs to darkness: it stands over the original "vallis occisorum" (known nowadays as Valdocco district), place for burials and killing; it has a big network of sewers and passages under the urban soil and, near the center of those passages, in square "Piazza Statuto", there is the so-called "porta dell'Inferno"(in english "gate to Hell"). Nearby you’ll find "Rondò della Forca", where executions used to take place. Here you can find wraiths, and powerful ones. Don't use your Auspex and Necromancy without caution!

But part belong to "light": in the church of "Santa Maria di Piazza" there is a painting of the Virgin Mary attributed to one of the evangelists, and someone says the Virgin Veil is also kept somewhere in the neighborhood; in the church of "Corpus Domini" there’s a chalice tied to the most famous miracle occurred in Torino (in the 1453 the chalice was stolen from the Church of the village of Exilles but arrived in Torino and levitated until the bishop Ludovico di Romagnano prayed for its descent); finally, the Holy Shroud is kept in an appropriated Chapel; even the Holy Grail, according to the tradition, is buried under the Church "Gran Madre di Dio" (Great Mother of God). I think you can sense those places, and you have to flee from them... or do you want to experiment the effects of True Faith on you?

Other parts are just plain magic sources (someone has said they are Nodes) as the Egyptian Museum with its relics (but it’s domain of TabXam, a well known Follower of Set); and the alchemical caves, called "Grotte Alchemiche", under Palace "Madama", destination of mages and alchemists under the protection of house Savoia. You can take look at them if you like. But nowadays you won't find anything worth your time.

 

<<Yin and Yang... black and white... light and darkness... 0 and 1. Ain’t ya tired of this? Every time a newbie enters the city… Show your might... let him taste the power of madness...>>

 

Shut up! Don't interrupt me again, or you will face my wrath.

The most magical point of the city is in the square "Piazza Castello": the space in the railing between the statues of Castore and Polluce (known as the “Dioscuri”… I don’t know why but the word is strange… because the italian composed word DIO-SCURI can be translated as GOD-DARKs… so beware the DarkGods) is where white and black magic meet. It’s a good place, if you can endure the energies around it: it's considered as a safe place by all the mystic dwellers, kindred and lupines – I mean, the few that dare to enter the city (some have the permission!) instead of lurking in the woods around it. It's also the place in which you can introduce yourself to Paolo, "The Mistress", our Archbishop, main authority of the city.

Torino was a place of interest also for well-known mages such as Nostradamus (which carried out activities as a alchemist, astronomer, astrologist and "court mage" in the 15th century) and Gustavo Adolfo Rol (the most famous Italian "mage" of the 20th century). So, it can be interesting also for you, young thaumaturgist...

Good luck, farewell, and enjoy your staying...

 

<<And remember, if you have troubles… We can solve them, if not We can create some for you. We are RavATwoFaces. Bye>>

 

It’s a secret! No one can know we are one and two!

Ahem… you’ll have to forget the last part of our conversation. It takes only a second. Done.

 

What?! Do you remember who I am? Do you remember anything about Torino? No? Ok, let me see what I can teach you…

 

<<N-O-T…A-G-A-I-N… Please!>>

 

 

Go to 'Prologue part 2: Fetching the relic...'
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