Battle of Agnadello
The Venetian army, led by Bartolomeo d'Alviano, is in full retreat as French cavalry charges shatter their formations. The Venetian Standard Bearer desperately tries to rally the troops while wounded
Setting
Rolling plains of Agnadello, Lombardy, with scattered vineyards and farmhouses in the distance. The battlefield is marked by trampled wheat fields and muddy patches from recent spring rains.
Characters
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
primary
A rugged Venetian condottiero in his late 40s, with a muscular build honed by decades of warfare. His face is weathered, marked by a prominent scar running from left temple to jawline. Dark, piercing eyes beneath thick brows survey the battlefield with tactical precision. His short-cropped salt-and-pepper beard shows flecks of mud from the fray.
Venetian Standard Bearer
secondary
A rugged soldier in his late twenties, with a muscular build from years of military training. His face is streaked with sweat and dirt, his dark beard matted with grime. His hands are calloused from gripping the heavy standard pole.
French Cavalry Captain
secondary
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 30s with a weathered face marked by a deep scar running from his left temple to his jawline. His dark brown hair is cropped short beneath his helmet, and his piercing blue eyes survey the battlefield with calculated intensity. His muscular build and upright posture betray years of military training.
Wounded Venetian Soldier
background
A young Venetian infantryman in his mid-20s, with a lean but muscular build from years of military training. His face is streaked with mud and blood, his dark hair matted with sweat and grime. A deep gash runs across his left thigh, staining his hose crimson, while his right hand clutches at a wound in his abdomen. His breathing is labored, his skin pale from blood loss.
Dialog
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Per tutti i santi! Hold that flank before they roll us up like a damned carpet!
Venetian Standard Bearer
Sier Alviano! The Gascons are circling behind us!
French Cavalry Captain
En avant! Break their center and the day is ours!
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
As Frontinus wrote - when surrounded, form the testudo! Pike squares now!
Venetian Standard Bearer
Per la Madonna! They're cutting through the Swiss!
French Cavalry Captain
That banner falls and Venice falls with it! À moi, mes braves!
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Stand fast, you sons of the lagoon! For San Marco and home!