Venice: The Ruyi

by Alberto Toso Fei

The mysteries and legends of the Queen of the Adriatic are unveiled through the interactive pages of the WhaiWhai an unconventional guide for tourists and travelers who are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary experience. In the WhaiWhai guidebook series, readers will experience an interactive treasure hunt through six cities, unlocking their mysteries and discovering their most charming corners. To play, all you need is the WhaiWhai guide and a mobile phone. Send a text message to WhaiWhai that includes a special code and immediately receive your first clue. As you travel to each new location throughout the city, a new clue is revealed. Each city has a different treasure, and finding it will be an exciting experience. WhaiWhai combines history and fantasy, allowing readers to step into a story that plays out inside the city, sparking their curiosity and making them the hero of an adventure. In The Ruyi, the reader discovers the backstreets of this city that was born from the waters. As the thirteenth century drew to a close, Marco Polo returned from China with Emperor Kublai Khan's legendary scepter, the Ruyi. After his death, as several serious revolts broke out throughout the Venetian Republic, the magical sword was hidden in the great traveler's tomb. Both tomb and scepter have since disappeared. Now, an encrypted journal has been found and the Invicibles, a brotherhood that has been after the Ruyi for centuries, have rekindled their interest in hunting it down. So the scepter must be tracked down before it falls into the wrong hands. Professor Carlo Dolfin, who discovered the journal and has become engrossed in the affair, needs help finding the scepter without tipping off the Invincibles, who could prevent him from finding it and even put his life in danger. The Ruyi is an object that can give unfathomable powers to whoever possesses it and bloody battles have been fought over it. The Republic of Venice was the first witness of its arrival in Italy, so the city carries signs of its passage.

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Alberto Toso Fei descends from an ancient family of glassmasters in Murano, and is an expert on the history and the mysteries of Venice. He is a journalist and has written a series of books that constitute an anthology of mystery in Venice and the lagoon.
---
Alberto Toso Fei è discendente di una antica famiglia di vetrai di Murano, ed è un esperto di storia veneziana e di misteri. Giornalista, ha scritto alcuni libri che costituiscono una sorta di antologia del mistero su Venezia e sulla laguna.