Memento Vivere

❖ The Basics ❖

❖ Name: Marco Antonio d’Ezzelini
❖ Nicknames: Cap’n;
❖ Titles/Occupation: Captain, Reggimento Corazzieri
❖ Age: Thirty-one
❖ Social Class: Nobility
❖ Gender: Male
❖ Face Claim: Santiago Cabrera


❖ Appearance ❖

Marco is 180.3 cm (5’11”), weighing in at 86.2 kgs (190 lbs)... with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes... He is exceptionally physically fit, with lightning reflexes, and is ambidextrous. Divinity has graced him with a youthful rage against old age; proffering a well-trimmed beard and moustache that forms his face to a wickedly charmed feature... as it could be the poster-child of evil façades.


❖ Personality ❖

Marco d’Ezzelini is charming, spiritual, but deadly. A great lover and a brilliant shot – definitely a man of fascinating contrasts. He remains a man of absolute integrity, and is deeply frustrated by corruption within the Republic. Brusque but good-humored, Ezzelini is both commander and elder brother figure to the Reggimento Corazzieri; their respect for him knows no bounds. Yet as the Republic continues to ascend unto oblivion, Ezzelini has learned the tough political reality of attempting to keep peace and stability in Veneto. His actions are ruled by his own sense of duty. As leader of the Corazzieri, he feels he has a heavy responsibility that he must uphold whatever the cost. With a hard exterior, he doesn't show any sign of weakness, even when the Doge questions his integrity. As part of his responsibility, he feels the need to keep some details quiet from those close to him, such as his men. When it comes to his Corazzieri, d’Ezzelini respects them and would fight for any of them if necessary. He doesn't take kindly to criticism for their skills or decisions. However, he is quite independent and often makes his own decisions. Ezzelini even goes as far as to defend his Corazzieri at court. As their leader, Ezzelini imposes a sense of responsibility over his men and incessantly displays loyalty to their cause whenever one of the Corazzieri is in trouble. Although, he does not inform the Corazzieri of every detail as he feels his sense of duty stands above everything else, no matter what personal feelings they might have against him. At court, Ezzelini bravely defends his men against any accused crime for the honor of Corazzieri. Ezzelini is known throughout the Cuirassiers' Regiment and throughout Veneto as being an amazing marksman with exceptional aim. He is also well versed in horsemanship, sword fighting, and hand to hand combat. Despite a rigid ethical regiment, he possesses a deep insight into human nature that makes him a faithful friend. Being the most romantic of the Corazzieri members, others cannot help but admire his effortless charm with women, despite the trouble it has caused in the past. Playful, but with a good heart, Marco shows a very sentimental side when it comes to the women, as he loves and cares for the women he's with and never mistreats them. At times, he can also display quite an intellectual side to his character, being a literati (those who love, read, and comment on literature) and an experienced code-breaker... In addition to this, he has good medical skills and is fluent in English and French.


❖ Briefly describe your character ❖ (≤ 140 characters)

Captain, Reggimento Corazzieri, Honest, trustworthy, loyal to the Republic, highly supportive of the Doge position;


❖ Likes ❖
❖ Fine books;
❖ thrill of breaking codes;
❖ womanly charms;
❖ lively music and dances;
❖ teaching his men to be better than he;


❖ Dislikes ❖
❖ Venezia’s upward political and economic spiral;
❖ politics;
❖ liars;
❖ disloyalty;
❖ lack of discipline;



❖ Skills ❖
❖ amazing marksman with exceptional aim;
❖ well versed in horsemanship, sword fighting, and hand-to-hand combat;
❖ very good with his words, in several languages;
❖ good medical skills;
❖ great lover;
❖ code-breaker;


❖ Strengths ❖
❖ possesses a deep insight into human nature;
❖ Charming, spiritual, but deadly;
❖ intellectual;
❖ a literário (those who love, read, and comment on literature);
❖ Trustworthy;


❖ Weaknesses ❖
❖ women;
❖ drinking;
❖ possibly his fascinating contrasts;



❖ Father --- Pilippo Aurelio d’Ezzelini;
❖ Mother --- Donna Esmeralda Inés de Sangria y Alvarado of Portugal;
❖ Siblings --- ⚜️ The Brothers d’Ezzelini ⚜️
❖ Spouse --- None, aware of;
❖ Lover --- Kiss n Tell? No, but he does brag about what and not whom, sometimes it is too obvious;
❖ Children --- None, he is aware of;


❖ Allies ❖
❖ His unit; especially Dante d’Ettore and Alessandro Vittore d’Varano;
❖ Enrico de Parma, Provveditore Generale degli Affari Militari (Superintendent General of for Military Affairs)


❖ Enemies ❖
❖ Those who would harm the position of the Doge and the Venetian way of life;
❖ Lucca Arcasian;
❖ Criminals, law-breakers, and those who do not obey the law;
❖ Members of the Cremisi d’Luna (Crimson Moon assassin guild) of the Venetian Republic;


Marco d’Ezzelini was born on March 22, 1543, in Anton d'Ezzelino and is a direct descendent of Ezzelino I, an ancient Veneto family. The youngest of six sons of Pilippo d’Ezzelini and Esmeralda Sangria of Portugal, Marco grew up an educated man under tutors in London and Paris... Being sixth in line of family pyramid, he would hold no title nor expected such; but did enjoy the fineries of nobility in his youth.

Marco grew up a spoiled child, his doting mother always protecting him; allowing him advantages equal to, or better than, his older brothers. It was not until he was 10 that he began to receive his education befitting a noble of Venezia... After the age of 12, he began to learn English and French from native speakers... But he was constantly reminded that he had failed to conform to his father’s desired path to life as a disciplinarian warfighter and Priest; and usually disciplined for his flirtatiousness with women. But what Marco did learn was how to be a letterario; for he found the desire to read, and in time he wrote comments on the pages regarding the literature he had read... shooting a rifle, which later, he found he had a natural ability for accuracy.... Hence mathematics, politics, and military strategy came later, and by the time he graduated Royal Naval Academy in London, he was prepared to return to Venezia. In 1564, at the age of 21, Marco was assigned to the staff of the Grand Admiral of the Republic of Venice, Federico Emo. There he would work on naval reforms with Admiral Emo based on the practices of the British Royal Navy, and his desires to have the Republic strong once again. He was also recruited for a variety of missions for his literary knowledge of several languages, and taught a variety of special skills like code-breaking, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand combat... but what he liked the most, which most soldiers did, was drink, fight, and enjoy womanly charms and wiles. This is also where he originally met Enrico da Parma, former Reggimento Corazzieri commander, and now the Provveditore Generale degli Affari Militari (Superintendent General of for Military Affairs) who, favors the Reggimento Corazzieri; and the young men, Dante d’Ettore, the scrappy mountain of a man nicknamed Tridano “Bull” de Mezzo, and a few other soldiers who would later become Corazzieri.

Then in 1567, he was assigned to the brand new ship, Fama, a 45-gun, a third-rate ship of the line... as a Gun-Deck Lieutenant and Marine commander, under Captain Aleppo Salamone. The Fama was the flagship of the twenty-four vessel Venetian Fleet sent to led raids on Ottoman targets along the Croatia Coast in retaliation for attacks on Venetian-flagged shipping.

Next as a Captain in the Venetian contingent on the ground, under Admiral Emo’s command, he led attacks against Cyprus... but despite valiant efforts, the siege failed. But under Emo, Ezzelini and his men fought bravely as they continued their mission to stamp out Ottoman piracy against Venetian trade, their achievements brought them great respect and fame in Venezia, stories of their work on the ground and aboard the great ship Fama spread throughout the streets and canals.

But as fate would have it, while moored in Pantelleria, a sub-isle of Sicily, 200 men, including Ezzelini, took sick... with 28 men dying... their dead bodies, and those who were sick, was sailed back to Venice aboard the ship, Diligenza, a 35-gun, a third-rate ship of the line. Once Ezzelini was out of the hospital, he found that he had been mustered out of service and the Diligenza had returned to the Croat Coast without him. And this caused Marco, in self-imposed exile, turned his back on war and being what his father wanted him to be, a soldier, in order to devote himself to the religious life, and to restore his faith in God who forgave his many contradictions; yet after 2 years of solitude, he remained as conflicted as ever. Only a chance encounter with Signor da Parma and his young friend, “Bull”, in Venezia brought Marco back to the military; though he did continue to follow his religion, to a degree.

And finally, in recognition of his service, he was assigned the task of reorganizing the Reggimento Corazzieri into not only a contingent for the Doge’s protection, but as a force to protect the people of Venezia and the Veneto. In this task, he found it difficult; as without supervision, the Corazzieri had too many people on payroll and not performing duties. The Corazzieri were considered a nuisance in the public’s view and held no trust by the city’s inhabitants. Ezzelini’s troubles had only started as he began to trim the unscrupulous and undesirables from the organization... and he would make more enemies than friends...

Having trained with the British military, Marco knew that their system was too rigid for what the Corazzieri would encounter, such as closed combat in the city or the Veneto against criminals, or even against well-trained armies such as the Ottomans. And if they ever came against the British or French in open combat, they would be no comparison to that might as well. Hence, Ezzelini chose to model his Corazzieri after the Chinese general and strategist Sun Tzu, in his The Art of War, which proved effective for nomadic and migratory tribes such as the Scythians, Goths, Vandals, and Huns using elements of guerrilla warfare to fight the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, and Alexander the Great.

And so it came to pass... Marco was assigned as a Captain under the Provveditore Generale degli Affari Militari... the Corazzieri would be his to train and used to protect the Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta to his utmost ability.

And, years later, it came to be, after hard work and support of his friends, Bull was able to join his friends as a member of the Corazzieri too. Next to be the Captain’s lieutenants were a Russian named Alexander Baranov, and a young upstart named Dante d’Ettore; his skill with a sword was unmatched even by Alexander, Bull, or the Captain. Recognizing fine talent and natural abilities with a sword and pistol, the Captain petitioned the Doge for Dante to join the Corazzieri to enhance his abilities. Thus, the four men were joined together in brotherhood, no man... or woman... could put asunder.

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