Lorenzo Bascio
Lorenzo Bascio
The son of Giano and Filippa Bascio, and thus, a grandson of Senator Nicolaio Bascio, Lorenzo is a member of the notorious House of Bascio.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Lorenzo was born with all of the advantages of a Patrician upbringing in the Aeriscan capital of Abria as well as being the grandson of a sitting Senator. Young, wealthy and strapping at 6’2”, he is keenly aware of his advantages over others and cultivates their romantic and sexual interests with a seemingly chaotic mix of aloof arrogance and intimate tenderness. His enthralled admirers give him ready access to many secrets within the city.
Lorenzo’s less than gentile treatment of the lower classes of Abria led a young Oameni shopkeeper who was an associate of the Ratcatchers to refer him to his sponsor for financial humbling in 112 PR. The Ratcatchers saw him as a fat purse who was distantly related enough from a Senator that they believed there would not be serious repercussions. They were unaware of his true standing within Abria's underworld. Lorenzo quickly became aware of the plot and found it a diverting way to map the structure of the upstart criminal guild.
At 17 he saw a 19 year old daughter of House Alator, Francesca, and decided that he must have her and bring her to heel; she was bright, from a prominent family and a fiercely independent advocate for the lower classes. He used some of the resources of his house to gather information on her.
Francesca was initially charmed by his overtures, but she quickly perceived his streak of casual cruelty and rejected him, first privately and then publicly when he would not be able to desist. The consummate politician, even as a teenager, he made a great show of being lovelorn, but respecting her as his love curdled into a fierce resentment.
After his public humiliation, he decided that the Ratcatchers could be of great use to him. He had Francesca assassinated and planted evidence that implicated the Ratcatchers and particularly "the Halfling", Alexandru Croitoru. Doge Marinus Alator was outraged and had the Halfling Quarter rousted in retaliation. Alexandru managed to slip out of the city with the help of his Ratcatcher connections, but many of his friends and family were killed in the ensuing bloodshed.
The elites of Abria outwardly grieved the loss of one of their own, but privately were relieved. Certain figures hidden the shadows of Aeriscan society were both impressed and concerned by Lorenzo’s cunning and ruthlessness.
Sexuality
Lorenzo is not very discriminating in his choice of lovers, being willing to bed both men and women alike. He views sex as just another arena in which one must struggle for dominance. A sadist, he enjoys causing his sexual partners both physical and mental anguish through pain and humiliation.
Morality & Philosophy
Lorenzo judges all interactions by their potential to aid or hinder his own personal advancement. As long as there is the possibility of personal gain, Lorenzo would be willing to perform any action, regardless of its legality or ethical considerations. The concepts of friendship and altruism are completely alien to him; he only sees a world of dominators and the dominated. Thus, while Lorenzo is willing to cooperate with others for the purpose of furthering their common goals, he has no compunction against betraying an ally if it means he will gain an advantage by doing so.
Social
Religious Views
Publicly Lorenzo honors Ator as his patron, but his personal shrine contains extensive iconography associated with the cult of Esperus, who his family has seen as a protector since before the fall of the Rexan Empire.
Relationships
