Suliano Fabriano, more commonly known as Brother Sulien, is a black Dominican[2] monk at Saint-Mary-among-the-Vines in Giglia. As a Stravagante, he is a good friend of Rodolfo Rossi and Giuditta Miele, and becomes a mentor and father-figure to Sky Meadows. As the Senior Friar at Saint-Mary-among-the-Vines, he is highly respected by the other brothers and well-known in Giglia as a pharmacist who is an expert with both medicine and poisons.
Overview[]
Sulien's first appearance is in City of Flowers, as a pharmacist-friar at Saint-Mary-among-the-Vines in Giglia. Before becoming the senior friar at Saint-Mary-Among-the-Vines, Sulien had recently come from a religious house near Bellezza[2]. Sensing the time has come, he stravagantes to London and leaves a blue glass perfume bottle as a talisman for a new Stravagante to arrive in Giglia. Soon afterward, Sky Meadows arrives in Sulien's cell as the new Stravagante whom Sulien begins to guide Sky as his mentor.
At the friary, Sulien arranges for Sky to help him at the pharmacy and brings him on outings to meet with other Stravaganti, Giuditta Miele, Rodolfo Rossi, Luciano Crinamorte, and William Dethridge. Because of Sulien's expertise with medicine and poisons, he is trusted by the di Chimici and called upon to save Duke Niccolo when Camillo Nucci attempts to poison the Duke with mushrooms. Sulien also eventually becomes a father-figure to Sandro, who is attracted to Sulien's patience and kindness as he teaches Sandro how to read and begins to trust with the secrets of the Stravaganti.
In order to bring Georgia O'Grady and Nick Duke to Giglia and overcome the restriction that their talismans originally took them to Remora, Sulien and Giuditta stravagate to London to bring them new talisman to exchange for their previous ones. As the di Chimici weddings approach and the rivalry between the di Chimici and the Nucci begins to grow violent, Sulien and Giuditta attempt to find more information and plan in order to mitigate the worst possible scenario. Sulien's medical skills becomes especially valuable after the Massacre at the Church of Annunciation and he is responsible for saving the lives of the di Chimici princes, Gaetano and Fabrizio, along with Filippo Nucci and Barbara, the lady-in-waiting to the Duchessa of Bellezza. However, even Sulien's abilities are insufficient to save Duke Niccolo when he is poisoned during a duel of honour between the duke and Luciano at the conclusion of City of Flowers. He later presides over the wedding of Rodolfo Rossi and the Widow Bellini.
Sulien subsequently appears in City of Ships, when Gaetano approaches him to deliver a message to Arianna Rossi in hopes she will take in his sister Beatrice when she runs away from her eldest brother to avoid marrying a man she does not love. He appears again later in the novel with Sandro and Brother Dog, both whom he mentions as causing relatively harmless daily disruptions, awaiting the arrival of Isabel Evans in his cell and unexpectingly receiving Sky and Nick as well. To calm the suddenly chaotic group in his cell, he suggests a walk through the labyrinth in the friary before letting the group explore Giglia.
Notes and References[]
| The Talian Stravaganti Rodolfo Rossi · Guglielmo Crinamorte · Luciano Crinamorte · Paolo Montalbano · Falco di Chimici · Brother Sulien · Giuditta Miele · Professor Constantin · Flavia · Fabio della Spada · Giovanni · Fulvia · Germano · Corrado · Aurora · Ranieri | |||
| The English Stravaganti William Dethridge · Lucien Mullholland · Georgia O'Grady · Nick Duke · Sky Meadows · Matt Wood · Isabel Evans · Laura Reid · Ross · Julia · Sean · Emily · Rory · Caitlin |