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created byAndrea GallazziElisa LenardiPietro Navarotto

A game of cunning, intrigue and deception

2 - 5 playersAges 14 and above

60-90 minutes

Object of the game

Components

In Brides & Bribes, you and the other players try to outmaneuver one another as scheming nobleman in Renaissance Genoa. Starting with a handful of loyal family members and few resources you will struggle to become the new Doge, Lord of Genoa, and the most powerful family in the city. Each turn you will send your family members to the Genovese boroughs to hire new employees, get new workers, increase your fame, and convince the local lord that your family is worthy of a marriage with his beautiful daughter.

The key to victory is sending the right person to the right place to increase your power!

1 x Gameboard resembling Genoa city in 16th century 5 x Player residences, one for each color55 x Wooden workers in five different colors (11 black, 11 blue, 11 green, 11 red, 11 yellow)15 x Wooden coaches in five different colors (3 black, 3 blue, 3 green, 3 red, 3 yellow) 1 x Wooden coach in white color 5 x Wooden cylinders in five different colors (1 black, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow) 5 x Wooden discs in five different colors (1 black, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow)24 x Workshop cards (4 Aurificis taberna; 4 Herbarium; 4 Hospitium; 4 Popina; 4 Publicus scriba; 4 Sarcinator)69 x Character tiles (5 Lords; 7 First brides; 7 Second brides; 20 Loyal characters; 30 Common Characters) 32 x Object tiles (8 Venenum; 7 Antidotum; 5 Vinum; 4 Anulus; 4 Edictum; 4 Vestis)45 x Small Ducato coins (worth 1)10 x Big Ducato coins (worth 5)18 x Influence tokens

Game board anatomy

Residence anatomy

Borough anatomy Workshop anatomy

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1 1. Village borough 2. Fortress borough 3. Citadel borough 4. Market borough 5. Port borough 6. Influence track 7. Doge’s Favor track 8. Distant colonies with four ships 9. Character’s abilities are not valid 10. Discard a character to change the Doge’s Favor order

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1. Lord’s symbol 2. First bride additional influence points 3. Second bride additional influence points 4. Borough symbol 5. Lord placement area 6. First bride placement area 7. Second bride placement area 8. Common character deck placement area 9. Worker placement area10. Influence token placement area11. Ducato coin symbol12. Delegations placement area

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1. Object produced2. Influence points granted3. Name4. Workers required to buy workshop5. Pay 1 Ducato to buy back the used object

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1. Workers placement area2. Tiles placement area3. Ducato coins placement area4. Gain 1 Ducato for each worker5. Pay 1 Ducato for each common character6. Gain 1 influence point for every 5 Ducato (see page 12)

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Character tile anatomy

Setting up the game

Object tile anatomy

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1. Prestige value2. Charm value3. Character name

7. Borough’s symbol 8. Bride’s dowry 9. Bride’s influence points

4. Ability’s condition5. Ability 6. Family color

Lord BrideLoyal Common

First brides have charm values of 8/9/10 and the tile’s back has gold rings.Second brides have charm values of 5/6/7 and the tile’s back has silver rings.

With 3 players activate the port borough and 2 randomly selected boroughs.

With 4 players activate the port borough and 3 randomly selected boroughs.

With 5 players activate all boroughs.

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1. Name2. Ability’s condition for use3. Ability4. Object origin: light background = workshop5. Object origin: dark background = bride’s dowry

The rules explained here are for 3 to 5 players.The 2 players rules are explained in the page 15.

• Place the game board in the middle of the table.

• Choose as many boroughs as the number of players by randomly picking a worker. The borough of the same color of the chosen worker will be considered “in play”. The port must be always chosen. The game will be played only in the “in play” boroughs.

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• On each “in play” borough place the following components:

• Each player chooses a residence and takes:

Choose one Lord with prestige of 3 and shuffle it with additional randomly chosen Lords to reach the number of the boroughs “in play”. Then randomly place one of them face up on each “in play” borough.

Shuffle the corresponding common characters deck and place it face down. Then, turn the uppermost tile face up. In the Port borough (and only there) always start with the Sicarius as the uppermost tile. It will be available in the first round.

A Ducato coin is not placed on the Ducato coin imprinted on the game board.

1 randomly chosen first bride

1 randomly chosen second bride

1 influence token

1 worker of the same color of the borough

- The 4 corresponding loyal characters of the same color- The 3 coaches of the same color- 2 Ducato coins- 1 worker of a player’s choice (may also be from a borough not “in play”)

• Place the player discs (one disc for each player color) on the “0” (zero) space of the influence track.• Place the player cylinders (one cylinder for each player color) in random order in the top dock of the Doge’s Favor track, starting from the 1.

• Depending on the number of players: a. In a 5 players game, give 1 additional Ducato to the third and fourth players in the Doge’s Favor track. Then, give the white coach to the fifth player. b. In a 4 players game, give 1 additional Ducato to the third player and the white coach to the fourth. c. In a 3 players game, give 1 additional Ducato to the second player and the white coach to the third.

• The player with the white coach is the starting player.

• Create piles of influence token, Ducato coins and workers close to the game board.

• Next to the game board, place the workshop cards face up in decks of the same kind and in descending influence order (higher numbers on top). Place object tiles close to their corresponding workshops paying attention to separate objects with light and dark background.

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1 Send a delegation to Genoa: Place one of your tiles face down on a Genoa borough. Place one coach over the tile.If you already placed a delegation, you cannot start a new one in the same borough.Send a delegation to the distant colonies: Place one of your tiles face down on an available ship. Place one coach over the tile. If you already placed a delegation in a ship, you cannot place a second one.Reinforce a delegation: Add one of your tiles face down under one of your delegations; maximum 3 tiles total.Ask for Doge’s favor: Once per round, show one of your available character tile to the others players (they have to verify it is not an object), then discard it on your residence. You can now move the cylinder of your color into the first available position in the other dock of the Doge’s Favor track.Pass: You have to take this action when:• You have no more tiles.• You can’t reinforce your delegation; discard all your remaining tiles on the residence.You cannot take more actions during the tiles placement phase.

Sequence of play

1. Tile Placement

Delegation: 1 to 3 tiles face down with a coach placed overtop. Maximum number of tiles allowed per delegation: a total of 3 tiles (characters and objects).

Maximum number of coaches allowed: only one coach per player is allowed in each borough and in the distant colonies.

Object limitations: a minimum of one character tile is necessary to use object abilities in a delegation.

The game is played over 6 rounds or when a player reaches 20 (in a 5 or 4 players game) or 25 influence points (in a 3 or 2 players game).

All players take all their tiles into their hands.Starting from the first player and acting in clockwise order, each player takes 2 of the following placement actions until everyone has passed. The player can take the same action twice.

Each round consists of the four following phases:1. Tile placement: starting from the first player, every player sends their delegations into the boroughs and distant colonies.2. Distant colonies: delegations sent to ships perform their actions.3. Borough resolution: in boroughs, player activation order is defined by the importance of the characters. In this phase, players try to perform actions, to influence or to block the others.4. End of the round: players build workshops, gain new resources and new characters are revealed in the boroughs.

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Examples of 2 placement actions

Placement continues to cycle in clockwise order, until all players have passed.When all the players have completed their turns, adjust the Doge’s Favor track (see side section for details).

Starting with the first player, each player that sent a delegation to a ship can take the corresponding action a number of times equal to the number of character tiles (not objects) they placed here. Players have to reveal to others that the tiles are not objects.

Starting with the first player, in clockwise order, each player activates and resolves a borough of their choice. From now on, the borough will be called active borough.

2. Distant colonies

3. Borough resolution

I. Borough turn order

Object on ships: You can put an object in the distant colonies in order to occupy a ship and prevent another player from placing on to the ship. You will not be able to take the corresponding action.

Abilities on ships: All Character abilities are useless in the distant colonies area.

The possible actions are:• Pay 1 of your workers to take 1 of any color• Pay 2 Ducato coins to take 1 worker of any color• Pay 3 Ducato coins to take 1 worker of any color• Pay 4 Ducato coins to take 1 worker of any color.

It is possible to choose any worker color you wish (“in play” or not).

All players present in the chosen borough, pick up their delegation tiles, leaving the coach there.

They choose a character (loyal or common) as their guide. Then, they reveal it simultaneously and place it face-up in the borough, keeping their coach close by to show which family they are from.

The other tiles from the delegation are kept hidden in the hand of the owner, ready to be revealed in the “Actions” step.

The order of play in the borough is defined by the following criteria:1. Player married with the first bride.2. Player married with the second bride.3. Guide with the highest prestige value.

In case of a tie, follow the Doge’s Favor order.

Now, two steps follow: I. Borough turn orderII. Actions

DOGE’S FAVOR TRACK

The track is used to break ties in case two or more characters have equal prestige value.The player that has a higher position (lower number) on the Doge’s Favor track goes first.Example: the black player discards a character and moves their cylinder to the first available empty space (in this case on the space numbered “1”). Later, the green player does the same and moves their cylinder to the second space. At the end of the tiles placement phase all the other cylinders are arranged, without changing order, after those that have taken the “favor”.

7In clockwise order, starting from the first player, players can modify the borough turn order using the abilities of their tiles with the symbol Abilities are explained at page 16.

Following the borough turn order each player becomes the active player and declares one of the following actions:1. Marry the first bride2. Marry the second bride3. Employ worker(s)4. Hire the common character5. Collect influence token(s)6. Collect one Ducato

Once the active player has declared an action:1. The other players present in the active borough, in clockwise order, can play one of their tile’s abilities with the symbol (from their hands or the guide’s ability) in order to prevent or modify the action declared. (See page 14 for details).2. The active player can attempt to counter by playing one of their tile’s abilities.3. The other players can attempt to counter and this goes back and forth until players pass or run out of tiles to play (in which case they have to pass).

After the action is declared, the other players present in the active borough will have a chance to interact with the active player to modify the selected action using abilities with the symbol of their tiles.

II. Actions

THE ACTIVE PLAYER DECLARES AN ACTION

eg. The active player would like to employ a worker

ANOTHER PLAYER INTERFERES?

CAN THE ACTIVE PLAYER STILL TAKE THE ACTION?

CAN THE ACTIVE PLAYER COUNTERATTACK?

THE ACTIVE PLAYER TAKES

THE ACTIONeg.Employ worker

The interfering player executes the

counteraction

The active player skips

The active player takes the action

es. Take the worker with the different

color

The active player plays an ability

eg. Play the Sicarius and stop Giovanni

Granara

A PLAYER PLAYS AN ABILITY

AGAINST THE ACTIVE PLAYEReg. A player plays

Giovanni Granara to exchange workers

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Then, one of two situations can arise:1. The active player can take the declared action: the active player must complete the action even if it doesn’t turn out the way they originally wanted (e.g. they may have to take a worker of a different color or marry a different bride other than the one they wanted). Now the active player can play as many abilities as they want for achieving the declared action (e.g. the Anulus to increase the charm value) or additional results (e.g. the Mediator to change the color of workers).

II.b. Action resolution

II.a. Action declaration

Please remember that the abilities have to be used against the active player’s action and no tile can be used multiple times in each borough. (E.g. A player cannot play the Latro to steal a coin when the action declared by the active player is “employ a worker”; but the player can play the Latro when the action is “marry a bride” and the active player needs coins to pay the Lord’s bribe).

When a guide is assassinated, the owner must replace the guide with another character tile present in the same delegation. If this is not possible, the player: • Loses the possibility to take an action; • Withdraws the coach from the borough;• Discards all the tiles in the residence.In case the owner is the active player, they cannot take the declared action, they must skip and try to take an action (even the same one) as last player of the turn.

After taking the declared action, the active player can also play other abilities even if they are not related to their own action (e.g. they can play the Latro to steal one Ducato coin or play a Vinum to take a worker).As before, the other players are allowed to play abilities to counter (e.g. the Sicarius to assasinate the Latro).

2. The active player is not able to achieve the declared action (e.g. they do not meet the requirements to marry or another player prevented the action): in this case the active player has to skip.

Skipping means that the player becomes last in borough turn order and they will be able to declare an action later on (even the same one).

Each marriage gives:• 2 influence points, as indicated on the bride’s tile.• The dowry indicated on the bride’s tile.• The first bride gives 3 additional influence points, as indicated on the game board.• The second bride gives 1 additional influence points, as indicated on the game board.

Once each player has taken an action, the turn ends. All players discard their tiles from the hand and present in the borough (except for the married loyals) to their residence tiles placement area.

Now it is time for the next player, in clockwise order, to activate another borough. The borough resolution phase ends when all the boroughs in play have been resolved.

The guide of the active player can marry one bride if he meets the following conditions:• A loyal character is the guide of the delegation. • The guide has a prestige value equal to or higher than the Lord. • The guide has a charm value equal to or higher than the intended bride.

The active player can use abilities to increase the guide’s prestige and charm. Otherwise, just for the marrying action, it is possible to:1. Sacrifice one or more influence points to increase the guide’s prestige value by the same amount.2. Pay one or more Ducato coins to bribe the local Lord and therefore increase the guide’s charm value by the same amount.

Actions

1. and 2. Marry the first or second bride

Losing brides’ influence points: if a bride is murdered, only the additional 3 or 1 influence points gained from the marriage are lost.

Brides’ influence points: all influence points gained with a marriage must be immediately marked on the influence track.

If the marriage is successful, the active player places the loyal character tile face-up on top of the bride tile. The loyal character is now out of play as long as the relationship endures, but his ability is available until the end of the active borough resolution (if it has not already been used).

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The active player can take all workers available in the borough and place them in the worker placement area of the residence.

The active player can take the common character available in the borough and place it in the tiles placement area of the residence. This new character will be ready to use in the next round.

The active player can take all influence tokens available in the borough. The influence tokens must be immediately marked on the influence track and discarded into the influence token pile.

The active player can take one (and only one) Ducato from the Ducato pile and store it in the Ducato placement area of the residence. Note: do not place a Ducato coin on the game board, since this action is always available to the active player even if another player took this action before.

How to indicate if you did an action or use your guide’s ability?

3. Employ worker(s)

4. Hire the Common Character

5. Collect influence token(s)

6. Collect one Ducato

When players take an action, they place their coach on the guide.

When players use the ability of their guide, they turn it 90 degrees.

When players take an action and use the ability of their guide, they place the coach on the guide and turns it 90 degrees.

When players marry a bride, they put their guide on top of the bride’s tile, leaving their coach on the borough to indicate that they are still present in the borough and they may play other tiles.

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1 1All the players with delegations in the active borough pick up their delegation tiles into their hands and leave their coaches on the borough.

The players choose one character tile to be their guide. They place their guides face down in the active borough beside the corresponding coach.

All players reveal their guides simultaneously.

As guides: the red player reveals Luigi Granara; the black player has Raffaele Oliva and the green player reveals the Geminus.

The green player has no ability to stop them since they only have the just revealed Geminus.The red player, instead, has in their hand the Venefica and they play it! Thanks to the Venefica’s ability, the local Lord will not allow any marriage this turn! Therefore, the black player tries to counter the ability of the Venefica and plays from their hand the Sicarius to kill the Venefica.

The guides of the red and black players, have 3 prestige value. The red player would go first since they are ahead on the Doge’s Favor track, but the black player reveals the Tabularius to increase his prestige. The black player can play it in this step since it has the symbol

The Tabularius is placed close to Raffaele Oliva and increases the guide’s prestige to 5.

Now Raffaele Oliva gets to declare an action.

Example of a borough resolution

Here an example of a borough resolution in the port borough with 3 delegations.Green delegation: the Geminus.Red delegation: Luigi Granara, the Venefica and the Amica.Black delegation: Raffaele Oliva, the Tabularius and the Sicarius.

I. Borough turn order

II. ActionsThe black player declares they would marry the second bride Verdina. Now the other players, in clockwise order, can try to stop them using the tiles’ abilities with the symbol

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Thanks to the Tabularius, the black player has enough prestige to match the 5 required by the local Lord.

Now the red player can take the worker and also can use the Luigi Granara’s ability. Therefore, they can take one additional black worker.

The black player bribes the local Lord with 1 Ducato coin to match the necessary Verdina’s charm value.

Since the red player has taken an action, they put their coach on Luigi Granara tile. Then, since they have used the ability of Luigi Granara, they turn it by 90 degrees.

The black player puts their guide Raffaele Oliva on top of the second bride’s tile.

The black player gains 2 influence points + 1 additional influence point that they mark in the influence track.

The black player can also get the dowry: an antidotum and a worker of his choice. But, the red player plays from their hand the Amica that allows them to steal the dowry! (Except the 2 influence points)

Therefore, the black player can “go” to the local Lord Andrea Imperiale and marries Verdina:

The red player has no ability to counteract the Sicarius. The Venefica and the Sicarius are placed back to their corresponding tiles placement area of their residence.

The Amica and the Tabularius are placed back to their corresponding tiles placement area.

Following the borough turn order, the red player takes their turn and declares they would take the worker.

The black player already played all their tiles and used all their abilities, so they can’t stop the red player.Also the green player is not able to stop the red player.

Now is the green player’s turn and declares they would take the common character available in the port borough. None of the other players can affect the declared action, so the green player can take the common character.

Since the green player is not very happy of the Emissarius showing on the board, they can use the ability of the Geminus: look at the next character in the deck and decide which common character to take. The green player finds the Calumniator and happily takes it instead of the Emissarius.

The turn ends and all delegations are brought back to the own residence alleys. Another borough can be resolved.

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4. End of the round

Game end conditions

After every borough has been resolved, the round ends.Following the player order of the Doge’s Favor track:

1. Each player receives 1 Ducato for each worker that the player has in the residence.2. Each player can build only one workshop per round and take the corresponding influence

points (marked immediately in the influence track) and object into their tiles placement area of the residence. It is not possible to have more than one workshop of each type. (See page 14)

3. Check for game end conditions. (See bottom)4. Each player must pay 1 Ducato for each common character they own (no payment is required for

loyal characters and objects). In case that the player does not have enough money to maintain the common characters or doesn’t want to pay for them, they must discard the unpaid common character(s) into the box.

5. Each player may pay 1 Ducato to buy back each used object coming from a workshop they own. Dowry objects can not be bought back. (See page 15)

Another round begins.

Before starting a new round:

1. In each borough: • Discard into the game box the common character that has not been taken. • Turn face up the next common characters. • Add a worker of the corresponding color, even if workers were not taken during the round. • Add an influence token, even if tokens were not taken during the round.

2. The white coach is passed to the player on the left. That player now becomes the first player.

3. Every player retrieves to their hands all the tiles from their tiles placement area of the residence. All tiles are now ready to be played in the new round.

Now it is time to start a new round! Start again with the tile placement phase.

Game end conditions are checked during the “End of the round” phase. The game ends when:

• With any number of players - the 6th “end of the round phase” is completed (the common character piles will be depleted).• In a 4 or 5 players game - one player reaches at least 20 influence points.• In a 3 players game - one player reaches at least 25 influence points.

Once one of these conditions is met, players add 1 additional influence point for every 5 Ducato coins they have in their residence.

The player who has earned the most influence points and has at least one loyal character married with a bride is elected the new Genoa Doge and win the game!

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Assassinating a bride

In case of a tie, the new Genoa Doge is who in order has:

• The majority of marriages with first brides.• The majority of marriages with second brides.• The majority of workshops.• The majority of Ducato coins.• The player who lives closest to the sea!

Earning influence points

Players can earn influence points when:

• They take the influence tokens available in a borough as an action.

• Each time they marry, they earn 2 influence points plus:

a) 3 additional influence points, if they marry the first bride. b) 1 additional influence point, if they marry the second bride.

• They build a workshop and earn the influence points indicated on it.

• After the victory conditions are met, they get 1 additional influence point for every 5 Ducato coins they have in their residence.

TIP: it is always possible for a player to assassinate their own bride in order to free the loyal character married to her.

A bride that is not married cannot be assassinated since she is under the protection of the Lord.

Only brides married in previous rounds can be assassinated.

The active player can, during their turn, attempt to eliminate a bride by playing a Sicarius or Venenum tile in the active borough (in addition to the action declared).

The player whose marriage is attacked can prevent the assassination by playing the Custos or an Antidotum present in their delegation.

If the attempt succeeds, the bride is murdered and:

• The bride is placed out of the board.

• The loyal character returns to the owner’s tiles placement area of the residence and can be used in the next round.

• The marriage is no longer in place and the owner loses the corresponding additional influence points previously gained by the marriage (3 for the first bride, 1 for the second bride, as noted on the game board). The 2 influence points gained from the bride tile are not lost.

• If the murdered bride was the first bride and the second bride is married, then the second bride and the loyal character are shifted to the first bride placement area and their owner receives 2 additional influence points. A new second bride is picked randomly from those out of play and placed on the second bride placement area.

• In every other case, the murdered bride is immediately replaced by a new bride of the same type drawn from those out of play.

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Tiles abilities

Workshops

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1 Ability’s condition: when a tile ability can be used:

Type of ability.

Abilities are shown in the lower space of each loyal, common and object tile.

Players can take a workshop if they pay the required workers indicated on the workshop card.

Each workshop provides:

Each workshop has a name :

Aurificis taberna = JewelryHerbarium = ApothecaryHospitium = Hospital

Popina = Tavern Publicus scriba = Notary Sarcinator = Tailor

An object that players place immediately in their tile placement area of the residence and can use during the game.

The influence points indicated on it that should immediately be marked on the influence track.

Players can buy only one workshop during the end of the round phase.Only one workshop per type is allowed for each player per game.In order to do it, players return the needed workers to the worker pile, take the topmost workshop card and place it beside their residence.

A complete explanation of the abilities is in the list of tiles and clarifications. (See page 16)

There are two types of abilities on the tiles:

• Abilities with an effect which is immediately resolved. The tiles are used and then discarded in the tiles placement area of the residence, unless they are guides. To show that a guide has used his ability, twist it 90° on the board. (See page 9)

• Abilities with a prolonged effect. The tiles are used but kept face up in front of the tiles owner until the end of the borough resolution (to remind all players that the ability is still active and affecting the play). These abilities are marked by an hourglass symbol.

Objects have a different behavior when they are used for their abilities. (See page 15)

Borough turn order

Actions

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Objects

Special rules for 2 players

An object can always be placed on the game board:• As a bluff, if played alone. • To use its ability; in this case it

must be played in a delegation where at least one character is present and still alive.

During a game turn, it is possible for all characters of one delegation to be eliminated. In this case the object(s) present in that delegation cannot be used this round and must be returned to the tiles placement area of the residence.

Objects have special rules:

• An object that has been used is discarded in the corresponding object deck.• In order to use an object, at least one character must be present in the delegation.• An object can’t be assassinated. • At the end of the round a used object can be bought back at the cost of 1 Ducato coin.• A player can never have more than one object of the same type (exceptions for those coming from a dowry).• An object taken from a dowry has a darker background. When used, it cannot be bought back but it is discarded in the corresponding object deck.

With two players, there are only few differences in the setup of the game:

• Choose 3 boroughs by randomly picking a worker. Remember that the port must be always chosen. • Each player chooses a residence and takes: - The corresponding loyal characters of the same color - The 3 coaches of the same color - 2 “Ducato” coins - 1 workers of choice• Each player also chooses another residence’s color and takes: - one additional coach of the same color, that can be used as the others. - Two of the corresponding loyal characters: the special loyal character (the unique one for the family) and the loyal character that gives you two Ducato each time you marry. • So, each player starts with: - 6 loyal characters - 4 coaches - 2 Ducatos - 1 worker• The older player takes the white coach.• The Doge’s Favor track is not used. Each time the first player, the one with the white coach, is considered ahead in the Doge’s Favor track. • The game ends when a player reaches 25 influence points or when the 6th round is completed. • All the others rules are the same.

To better balance the game, we suggest to play with the following combinations:

VSVSVS

Player 1: yellow + blackPlayer 1: red + blackPlayer 1: yellow + red

Player 2: red + bluePlayer 2: green + bluePlayer 2: black + green

When you successfully take the worker(s) available in the active borough, play the ability to take one additional worker of the same color of the borough.

When you or another player, as an action, declare to take the common character, play this ability to exchange the common character in the active borough with the one of another borough. This ability can only be used when at least one common character is available in both boroughs.

When you or another player, as an action, declare to take the worker, play this ability to exchange all worker(s) in the active borough with those of another borough. This ability can only be used when at least one worker is available in both boroughs.

Play this ability to steal one Ducato coin from a player present in the active borough.

When you or another player, as an action, declare to take the common character, play this ability to look at the face down tile below the available common character. You may decide to switch them or not.

When you successfully take an action (except the action “collect one Ducato”), play this ability and take one Ducato coin from the coins pile.

Play this ability as a Custos’s, to defend one of your married brides present in the active borough or one of your character present in the same delegation from the Sicarius or Venenum. The Custos can be used only once against a single Sicarius or Venenum but it is possible to have multiple Custos in the same delegation as protection against multiple murder attempts!

When you successfully marry a bride in the active borough, play this ability to receive 2 Ducato coins from the coins pile in addition to the bride’s dowry.

List of tiles and clarification

Loyal characters abilities

Isacco Carretto

Mileto CarrettoTaddeo FogliettaLuigi GranaraLuca MalabitaRaffaele Oliva

Filippo CarrettoOberto FogliettaEnrico GranaraMatteo Malabita

Isandro Oliva

Carlo CarrettoFranco Foglietta

Gianluca GranaraPaolo MalabitaGeremia Oliva

Giorgio Granara

Antonio Oliva

Aldo Foglietta

Raineo Malabita

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When you or another player, as an action, declare to take the common character, play this ability to look at the face down tile below the available common character. You may decide to switch them or not.

Play this ability to reduce the prestige value by 2 of one guide present in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution.

When a player, as an action, declares to marry a bride, play this ability to prevent any marriage in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution. This ability also affects the Venefica’s owner.

(2x in the game)

Play this ability to reduce the charm value by 2 of every guide present in the opposing delegations for the rest of the borough resolution.

Play this ability to force one player to change their guide with another character from their delegation (if possible).

Play this ability to increase the charm value by 3 of each bride of the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution.

(2x in the game)

Play this ability to steal 1 Ducato coin from one player present in the active borough and to take 1 Ducato coin from the pile of coins.

Common characters abilities

VILLAGE: Characters coming from the village are distinguished by the sickle icon.

PORT: Characters coming from the port are distinguished by the bag icon.

Geminus

Calumniator

Venefica

Leprosus

Emissarius

Puella

Latro

When another player, as an action, declares to marry a bride in the active borough, play this ability to take one Ducato coin from all the other players present (including the marrying one). It does not matter if the wedding succeeds or not.

Play this ability to increases the prestige value by 2 of the guide of your delegation in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution.

(2x in the game)

Play this ability to assassinate a character or a bride in the active borough:• The assassinated character is discarded in their own tiles placement area of the residence.• The assassinated bride is discarded and another comes into play (see special rules at page 13).The Sicarius can’t be stopped by another Sicarius/Venenum.

(3x in the game)

Play this ability to exchange one unmarried bride from the active borough with one unmarried bride of the same type available in another borough (first bride with first; second bride with second).

Play this ability to exchange one unmarried bride in the active borough with one, of your choice, of the same type from the box (first bride with first; second bride with second).

Play this ability to reduce the prestige value by 1 of all other guides present in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution. Your guide is unaffected.

Amicus

Tabularius

Sicarius

Corruptor

Tutor

Magistratus

CITADEL: Characters coming from the citadel are distinguished by the hat icon.

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When another player, as an action, marries a bride in the active borough, play this ability to receive the bride’s dowry instead of the marrying player (the marrying player still gets the influence points).

Play this ability to increase the local Lord’s prestige value by 2 for the rest of the borough resolution.

(2x in the game)

When you successfully take the worker(s) in the active borough, play this ability to change the worker(s) to a color of your choice. If there is more than one worker present, they must all be changed to the same color.

Play this ability to look at the hidden tiles of all the other players that they keep in their hand.

Play this ability to pay: • 1 worker from your residence to take 3 Ducato coins or• 1 influence point to take 6 Ducato coins.

Play this ability to defend your bride, present in the active borough, or a character, present in your delegation, from the Sicarius or the Venenum. The Custos can be used only once against a single Sicarius or Venenum but it is possible to have multiple Custos in the same delegation.

(2x in the game)

Play this ability to force the active player to change the action just declared (all actions can be prevented except “collect one Ducato”). The active player does not skip their turn, but instead must choose a different action.

Play this ability to increase the charm value by 3 of your guide for the rest of the borough resolution.

Amica

Fraudator

Mediator

Falconarius

Mercator

Custos

Maga

Poeta

FORTRESS: Characters coming from the fortress are distinguished by the sword icon.

MARKET: Characters coming from the market are distinguished by the scale icon.

Play this ability to prevent anyone the taking of the workers from the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution. It prevents also the ability of the Vinum object. This ability affects also the Praeco’s owner as well.

When you or another player, as an action, declare to take the common character, play this ability to exchange the common character available in the active borough with one available of another borough. This ability can only be used when at least one common character is available in both boroughs.

Praeco Scurra

The Antidotum works like the Custos (as a guard).Play this ability to defend a married bride, present in the active borough, or a character, present in the same delegation, from the Sicarius or Venenum.

(in the game: 4x light background + 3x dark background)

The Venenum works like the Sicarius. Play this ability to assassinate a character or a bride in the active borough:• The assassinated character is discarded in their own tiles placement area of the residence.• The assassinated bride is discarded and another comes into play.A Venenum can’t be stopped by another Venenum/Sicarius.

(in the game: 4x light background + 4x dark background)

Play this ability to increase the charm value by 4 of the guide of your delegation in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution.

(4x in the game)

Play this ability to increases the prestige value by 3 of the guide for the rest of the borough resolution.

(4x in the game)

Play this ability to become the first active player in the active borough for the rest of the borough resolution. The Edictum takes precedence over any marriage. When two players use the Edictum in the same active borough follow the Doge’s Favor track to choose which one goes first.

(4x in the game)

Play this ability to take a worker of the same color as the active borough from the pile of workers. You don’t need to have taken the worker as an action before.

(in the game: 4x light background + 1x dark background)

Antidotum VenenumAnulus

Vestis

Edictum

Vinum

Objects abilities

21

Lord of the borough

Influence point

Ducato coin

Worker of one color

Worker of any color

Prestige value

Charm value

Marriage

One guide / All other guides

Borough turn order phase

Actions phase

Ability with a prolonged effect

When a player declares to marry

When you successfully marry

When a player declares to “hire the common character”

When a player declares to “employ a worker”

When you successfully take a worker

Sacrifice one or more influence points to increase your own guide’s prestige

Discard a character and move your cylinder to change the Doge’s Favor order

Pay one or more Ducato coins to increase your own guide’s charm value

Character’s abilities are not valid

One player / All other players

Any action / any action except “collect one Ducato”

Assassinate

PreventLook at the tiles

Character tile / Character deck

Dowry

Take or pay to

Change

Steal

Exchange

Symbols

Bride tile / Bride deck

Tiles’ symbols

Lord’s symbols Game board’s symbols

Short Rules

Words

THE GAME IS PLAYED OVER 6 ROUNDS OR WHEN A PLAYER REACHES 20 OR 25 INFLUENCE POINTS.

1. TILES PLACEMENT 4. END OF THE ROUND

2. DISTANT COLONIES

If one player has reached the game end conditions, the game ends.Otherwise, another round begins:

3. BOROUGH RESOLUTION

Takes 2 of these actions:• Send a delegation in Genoa• Send a delegation to the distant colonies• Reinforce a delegation• Ask for Doge’s favor • Pass

Following the Doge’s Favor track:• Each player receive 1 Ducato for each worker• Each player can build a workshop• Check for game end conditions• Each player must pay 1 Ducato for each common character• Each player can pay 1 Ducato to buy every used object coming from a workshop

I. Borough turn order:• Player married with the first bride• Player married with the second bride• Highest guide prestige value

In this phase, it is possible to play tiles with the symbol

• Set each borough: - add a worker - add an influence token - discard the face up common character that has not been taken - turn face up the next common character• The white coach is passed to the new first player.• Every player retrieves all their tiles from their residence.

II. Actions:• Marry the first or second bride• Employ worker(s)• Hire the common character• Collect influence point(s)• Collect one Ducato coin

In this phase, it is possible to play tiles with the symbol

ACTIVE BOROUGH: borough that is being resolved.

CHARM VALUE: the value in the ruby on the right of a bride or of a loyal character. It indicates the attractiveness needed for marrying the brides.

COMMON CHARACTER: characters hired in the boroughs.

DECLARE: when the active player says aloud the action that they would take in the active borough.

DELEGATION: a pile of 1 to 3 tiles (characters and/or objects) put in a borough or in a distant colony.

ACTIVE PLAYER: player that declares an action in the active borough.

ADDITIONAL INFLUENCE POINTS: these influence points are indicated on the game board above each bride. Each time a player marries a bride, they earn the corresponding influence points.

23

Curiosity: the meaning of the Latin names!

EMPLOY WORKER: take a worker.

HIRE A COMMON CHARACTER: take a common character.

GUIDE: the character (loyal or common) of the delegation that is chosen during the borough turn order phase.

LOYAL CHARACTERS: starting characters of a player with the colored background of the same color of the residence.PRESTIGE VALUE: the value in the shield on the left of the local Lord or of the loyal character or of a common character. It indicates the status.ROUND: a round finishes when all the “in play” boroughs are resolved. Each round consists in the following four phases: 1. Tile placement 2. Distant colonies 3. Borough resolution 4. End of the round

Thanks to all our backers on Kickstarter!

A special thanks to:

Anders Flonk ; Andrea Vitagliano ; Andrew “Dr. Drew” Schiemel ; Asami Iwashita ; Carlo Rigon ; Cesare Navarotto ; Corinna Vigier ; Daniele Madama ; Dimitrios Filippatosthx ; Emilia Ciardi ; Francesco Lenardi ; Francis Helie ; Francisco “Paco” ; Franck Alexandre ; Geoffroy Baylaender ; Gianluca Lodi ; Gianni Cottogni ; Gregory ; James H Jones ; Jim Groffen ; Kah Phun Ooi ; Lauren Chaplo ; Lorenzo Favilli ; M. Thoudal ; Marcus Ervin III ; Markus Bayer ; Martin Mußmann ; Mattia Bergomi ; Maxfield Stewart ; Nicola Tateo ; Paolo “Unicorn” Fabbrizio ; Paolo Baronio ; Paolo Cella ; Petr Shestov ; Richard Stephens ; Saul & Otto ; Sebastian D’Alesio ; Sheng “YoSoO” Ye ; Shigeru Nakasone ; Steffen Kober ; Tony Hooker ; Van Tuykom Alex ; Wade Woelfle

A special thanks also to our backers of Spieleschmiede campaign:

Andrea & Päde Lüscher-Caderas ; Ansgar Höber ; Daniel Scherm ; Manfred Meier ; Markus Suritsch ; Steffen Dannemann ; Thomas Licher

Amica = LoverAmicus = GroomsmanAntidotum = AntidoteAnulus = RingCalumniator = DefamerCorruptor = BeguilerCustos = GuardEdictum = EdictEmissarius = RatFalconarius = Falconer

Fraudator = CrookGeminus = DoubleLatro = ThiefLeprosus = Plague SpreaderMaga = CharmerMagistratus = MagistrateMediator = MediatorMercator = MerchantPoeta = BardPraeco = Barker

Puella = DamselScurra = JesterSicarius = AssassinTabularius = ArchivistTutor = TutorVenefica = HagVenenum = PoisonVestis = SuitVinum = Wine

Credits:

Game design by Andrea Gallazzi, Elisa Lenardi, Pietro NavarottoIllustrated by Alan D’AmicoGraphic design by Paolo Ghilardelli

Special thanks for English rules to: Andrew Oborn, Andrew Schiemel, Gary Perrin, Michael Hartwell, Olav FakkeldijSpecial thanks for French rules to: Jean Dorthe, Jean-Michel AuziasSpecial thanks for German rules to: Pierre Dierks, Peer Lagerpusch

Contributors: Adrian Smorley, Alberto Rossi, Alessandro Bertonazzi, Alessandro Zanelli, Andrea Gherardi, Beat-Giva, Dave Armstrong, Gary Perrin, Giuseppe Gandolfini, Il Baro, Marco “Il Carpando”, Stefano Consolaro, Stefano Torre

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