Os tripeiros

A strange procession winds its way through the gates of Porto in the sweltering heat of May 1384, a city still reeling from the death of Fernando I and the political ripples of Beatriz’s marriage in Castile. Soldiers, clerics, scholars and rag‑clad tripeiros march side by side, their armor clanking, helmets glinting, and makeshift shields bearing faded emblems. The streets pulse with a mix of solemn chant and boisterous cheers, as each figure—whether a knight in shining breastplate or a monk brandishing a rosary‑tipped sword—adds a vivid thread to the tableau of chaos and ceremony.

Beneath the spectacle, the city is a tinderbox of shifting allegiances. The Master of Aviz’s urgent messages circulate among the crowd, hinting at secret pacts and looming confrontations. Listeners will be drawn into the tangled loyalties of nobles, mercenaries and common folk, all scrambling to choose a side as the fragile peace teeters on the brink of open conflict.