Doctor Polidori – A Historical NPC for Ghastly Affair

Tags

19th century, British, English history, English literature, Frankenstein, Free RPG, George III, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, Historic Figure, Historic NPC, horror novels, nineteenth century, Regency, role-playing game, Romance, Romantic Horror, Romantic poetry, Stats, Vampire

Presenting the Father of the Modern Vampire, Doctor John Polidori. Although eclipsed in fame by the great authors and poets with whom he associated, it was nonetheless Doctor Polidori who was responsible for establishing the image of the vampire as a dashing, sexually irresistible aristocrat. Of course, Polidori’s bloodsucking “Lord Ruthven” was meant as a satire of the Doctor’s infamous employer, Lord Byron!

 

Doctor Polidori (June 16, 1816)

Lord Byron’s personal physician, and future author of “The Vampyre”

Full Name: Doctor John William Polidori
Aliases: John Polidori, Dr. Polidori
Class: Everyman
Level: 4
Appearance/Most Memorable Characteristic: A handsome young man of Mediterranean mien. He seems to be favoring one leg when he walks.
Age: 20

Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 13
Strength: 9 Dexterity: 9 Constitution: 8
Perversity: 10
Assets: Handsome, Fast Learner, Natural Artistic Talent (drawing)
Afflictions: Sprained Ankle (temporary), Hot-tempered, Prone to Sickness, Compulsive Gambler

Speed: 9
Hit Points: 26
Attacks: 1 pistol, or caustic chemical splash.
Damage Bonus: +1

Special Abilities: Profession (+1): Physician | Avocation (+1): Writer | Affection (+1): Art | Academic Credentials (as the Mad Scientist Special Ability, instead of an Inheritance) | Social Contacts: Lord Byron (poet, employer); Mary Shelley (aspiring writer, recent acquaintance); Percy Shelley (poet, recent acquaintance); Claire Clairmont (Mary Shelley’s stepsister, recent acquaintance); John Murray (Byron’s publisher); Sir Henry Halford (King George III’s Physician-in-Ordinary); Gaetano Polidori (father); Frances Polidori (sister); John Soane (son of no-classical architect Sir John Soane).
Weaknesses: Phobia: Being Overlooked (Athazagoraphobia) | Prejudice: Homely People

Typical Equipment Carried: Stylish clothes, leather physician’s satchel (with vials of various chemicals), notebook, 1000p in local currency (55 Swiss francs).
Residence: The Villa Diodati, Lord’ Byron’s’ rented Villa on the shore of Lake Geneva.

Background:

• September 7, 1795: John William Polidori was born in London. His father was the Italian author and translator Gaetano Polidori. His English mother Anna Maria had been a governess.
• 1804: John began school at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire. The school, run by Benedictine Monks, eventually became one of the premiere institutions educating the British Catholic elite.
• 1810: Child prodigy John Polidori entered the University of Edinburgh to study medicine at the age of 15.
• 1814: John graduated from Edinburgh University, writing his thesis on somnambulism (sleep-walking). At 19, John was the youngest person to ever to graduate from the school with a medical degree.
• April, 1816: Lord Byron hired Polidori to be his personal physician and traveling companion, on the recommendation of Sir Henry Halford. Shortly thereafter John is contracted by Lord Byron’s publisher John Murray to keep a diary of his travels with Byron, for £500.
• April 25, 1816: Doctor Polidori and Lord Byron sailed from Dover towards Ostend, accompanied by three servants.
• April 26, 1816: Doctor Polidori and Lord Byron arrived in Ostend, and took lodgings. John immediately witnessed Lord Byron’s sexually predatory behavior, writing “As soon as he reached his room, Lord Byron fell like a thunderbolt upon the chambermaid.” The pair set out with their servants for Switzerland the next morning. Lord Byron’s elegant carriage, brought over from England and overburdened with his possessions, broke down almost constantly along the way.
• May 24, 1816: At Morat, John and Lord Byron stole bones from a ruined ossuary holding the remains of 15th century Burgundian soldiers.
• May 26, 1816: Doctor Polidori and Lord Byron reached the outskirts of Geneva, Switzerland around midnight. They took lodgings in the Hôtel de l’Anglerre, popular with traveling Englishmen.
• May 27, 1816: After boating with Lord Byron on Lake Geneva, Doctor Polidori met Mary Godwin, Claire Clairmont, and Percy Shelley, who by Claire’s connivance had been waiting on the shore. Mary and Percy initially mistook John for Lord Byron. Byron was not pleased to see Claire, but nonetheless invited her, Percy, and Mary to dinner that night.
• June 2, 1816: John began giving Mary Godwin lessons in Italian (the Tuscan dialect), and took her son William to be vaccinated against smallpox.
• June 10, 1816: John moved into the Villa Diodati with Lord Byron. Percy Shelly and Lord Byron became increasingly abusive towards Doctor Polidori, referring to him as “PollyDolly”, mocking his affection for a local girl, disparaging his writings, and otherwise goading him into angry outbursts whenever possible.
• June 15, 1816: John severely sprained his ankle after being cajoled by Lord Byron into leaping from a wall in order to escort Mary Godwin up a slippery, rain-slicked path. That night, he had a conversation with Percy Shelly about the principles of life, and whether human life should be considered as a mechanical or spiritual process – “whether man was to be thought merely an instrument”.
• June 16, 1816: Lord Byron challenges the group, forced inside by the inclement weather, to write ghost stories. Several days later Doctor Polidori will begin work on a ghost story, but not “The Vampyre”.

Personality and Role-Playing Notes:

Doctor Polidori is hung-strung, and quick to take offense. Consequently, he is always being goaded and needled by the sadistic Lord Byron. He loves art, but has strong opinions on aesthetics, and can be extremely judgmental of peoples’ appearances. Doctor Polidori is immensely proud of his academic achievements, and often annoyed by the way others seem to fawn over his employer. Polidori will quick to point out he is a physician, not a surgeon (which is a much lower status position in the early 19th century). He has a great fear of being ignored, and will do foolish things in order to be noticed and thought well of. He has a passionately romantic nature, and is developing an infatuation with Mary Godwin.

Doctor Polidori currently has a sprained ankle, from impetuously leaping to escort Mary Shelley up a wet path. He therefore walks with a limp – which Lord Byron may point out as evidence that the doctor is trying to imitate the poet in all ways! Doctor Polidori wants to be taken seriously as a writer, but Byron makes a point of disparaging anything he writes (and encouraging others to do the same). Nonetheless, Doctor Polidori is currently being paid by Byron’s publisher to keep journal of his experiences with the poet, and so will be keen to insert himself into any social interactions at the Villa Diodati.

Doctor Polidori in Your Game:

Anyone visiting the Villa Diodati in the summer of 1816 is going to encounter Doctor Polidori. If the PCs aren’t there to meet Lord Byron, may be trying to meet the former child prodigy, in order to seek his advice on some bizarre medical problem. Perhaps one of the PCs (or one of their loved ones) is a sleepwalker, experiencing horrible nightmares, or prone to fall into debilitating trances – all of which are Polidori’s specialty. In any event, Doctor Polidori will try to turn any conversation towards those topics – so he can feel like the smartest person in the room!

Another possibility is that the PCs are agents of Lord Byron’s publisher John Murray, sent to make sure Doctor Polidori is actually keeping his diary – and not just indulging in orgies with Byron.

John Polidori committed suicide by drinking poison in 1821 (although the death was officially recorded as being from natural causes). The Presenter could explore the possibility that in 1816 Polidori was already in communication with an actual Vampyre, who later made John one himself.

In 1800 John’s sister Frances married the Italian poet Gabriele Rossetti, and eventually gave birth to four children destined for fame – author and nun Maria Francesca Rossetti (who wrote a biography of Dante), painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti (co-founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood), literary critic William Michael Rossetti, and the poet Christina Rossetti (author of the classic “Goblin Market”). The Presenter could explore the possibility that Doctor Polidori’s family was haunted by fairies, and the John never died, but was actually whisked away to the Otherworld – with an illusory “stock” made of wood, leaves and moss left in his place. Perhaps Doctor Polidori was never really an ordinary human being at all, but a Fairy Changeling unaware of his own true nature until 1821 (when he chose to escape the Mundane World altogether).

Mary Shelley: a Historical NPC for Ghastly Affair

Tags

19th century, British, English history, English literature, Frankenstein, Free RPG, George III, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, Historic Figure, Historic NPC, horror novels, nineteenth century, Regency, role-playing game, Romance, Romantic Horror, Science Fiction Monster, science-fiction, scifi, Stats

The early adulthood of 19th century wild-child Mary Shelley was the stuff of romance novels, culminating in the creation of English-language Science Fiction genre with her classic “Frankenstein”. She would later go on to be the driving force behind the popularization of her husband Percy’s poetry, as well as being a pioneer of post-apocalyptic fiction (through her 1826 novel “The Last Man”). The following write-up is for Mary at age 18, when she is just about to create the now iconic figures of Victor Frankenstein and his Creature.

Mary Shelley (June 16, 1816)

Scandalous daughter of radical authors, and future creator of “Frankenstein”

Full Name: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin
Aliases: Mary Godwin, Mary Shelley (often used, although she is not yet Percy Shelley’s legal wife), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (future)
Class: Everywoman
Level: 2
Appearance/Most Memorable Characteristic(s): An exceptionally pale young woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She prefers loose clothing in light colors. Her emotions are very restrained. Those who knew Mary Wollstonecraft will note how much young Mary’s manner reminds them of her mother.
Age: 18

Charisma: 10 Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 12
Strength: 9 Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 9
Perversity: 10
Assets: Occult Knowledge, Historical Knowledge, True Love (Percy Shelley)
Afflictions: Scandalous, Prone to Melancholy

Speed: 9
Hit Points: 12
Attacks: 1 improvised weapon
Damage Bonus: +1

Special Abilities: Profession: Writer | Avocation: Writer  | Affection (+1): William Godwin (her father, although the two are currently estranged) | Social Contacts: William Godwin (father, radical author); Samuel Coleridge (author, family friend); Charles Lamb (author, family friend); Lady Margaret King, Countess of Mount Cashell (family friend, former pupil of Mary’s mother); Percy Shelley (poet, lover); Jane “Claire” Clairmont (step-sister); Thomas Jefferson Hogg (barrister, Percy’s friend, and briefly a secondary lover); Thomas Love Peacock (author); Lord Byron (poet, recent acquaintance; Doctor John Polidori (physician, recent acquaintance) (Note that because her Profession and Avocation are both “Writer”, Mary gets a special +3 Bonus on relevant Ability Checks).
Weaknesses: Phobia: Ridicule | Prejudice: High Society (despite the fact that Percy was born an aristocrat!)

Typical Equipment Carried: Loose white dress, reticule (with journal and pencil)
Residence: A cottage near the Villa Diodati, the house rented by Lord Byron on the shore of Lake Geneva.

Background:

• August 30, 1797: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born to Mary Wollstonecraft and radical author William Godwin, in Somers Town of north London. Mary Wollstonecraft was operated upon by a surgeon due to complications from the delivery, and developed a serious infection.
• September 10, 1797: Mary Wollstonecraft died from septicemia.
• December 21, 1801: William Godwin married Mary Jane Clairmont, who became Mary’s stepmother. Mary Jane’s illegitimate children, Charles and Jane, joined the household with Mary and her half-sister Fanny (Mary Wollstonecraft’s daughter by her lover Gilbert Imlay). Young Mary grew to intensely dislike her stepmother.
• November 11, 1812: Mary first met poet, atheist, and anti-monarchist Percy Shelley, who had come to her house to meet his political idol, William Godwin.
• May 5, 1814: Mary met Percy Shelley again. Percy, whose father was a wealthy Baronet, had come to finalize a loan to cover William Godwins’ extensive debts. Mary and Percy fell in love, and contrived regular meeting thereafter. Unfortunately, Percy was already married.
• June 26, 1814: Mary and Percy made love for the first time at her mother’s grave.
• July 28, 1814: Forbidden from seeing each other any more by Mary’s father, Mary and Percy ran away together to France. Mary’s stepsister Jane asked to accompany them. Since neither Mary or Percy spoke French (but Jane did), they agreed to take her. Percy eventually wrote to his wife and asked her to join him and Mary in a ménage à trois, but she refused. Rapidly burning through their money, Mary and Percy traveled through France to Switzerland, and took a boat-ride up the Rhine.
• September 2, 1814: During their Rhine journey Mary and Percy spent a night in Gernsheim, close to the ruined Castle Frankenstein.
• September 13, 1814: Completely broke, Mary and Percy arrived back in London. Mary’s stepsister Jane continued living with them, and began using the name “Clara”, or “Claire”. Mary experienced social ostracism due to living openly with Percy.
• November, 1815: Percy began encouraging Mary and his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg to become lovers.
• February 22, 1815: Mary gave birth to a daughter, two-months premature.
• March 6, 1815: Mary found her baby daughter dead in her crib.
• March 13, 1815: Mary recorded in her journal that she dreamed her dead baby had been revived.
• January 24, 1816: Mary gave birth to a son, William.
• May 2, 1816: Claiming to have become Lord’s Byron‘s mistress, Claire convinced Mary and Percy to accompany her to Switzerland to meet the famous poet. Unbeknownst to the couple, she had also told Byron that she and Percy were lovers, and had insinuated in a letter that Mary might be sexually available as well.
• May 27, 1816: Mary, Percy, William, and Claire met up with Lord Byron at a hotel outside Geneva. Byron was initially displeased that Claire had followed him to Switzerland, but later took advantage of the situation in his usual manner.
• June 1, 1816: Mary and Percy rented a small cottage on the shore of Lake Geneva, where they resided with William and Claire.
• June 10, 1816: Lord Byron and his physician John Polidori moved into a villa ten minutes away from Mary and Percy’s cottage. The group began spending their days together.
• June 16, 1816: After a sudden storm forced them all inside the Byron’s Villa Diodati, the group began reading aloud from a collection of ghost stories. Byron proposed that each create their own ghost story to tell the group.

Personality and Role-Playing Notes:

Contrary to her scandalous reputation in England as a shameless slut and enthusiastic home-wrecker, Mary’s demeanor is strikingly controlled and intellectual. She can even come across as “cold”. In fact she often suffers from deep melancholy that she does her best to hide. Mary still grieves the death of her first child, although she will not speak of her. Although she often seems overly serious, and fears being personally ridiculed, Mary actually possesses a good sense of humor. She is always conscious of being the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, and feels an obligation to live up to what she thinks would have been her mother’s expectations for her. At the same time, she feels guilty for having been indirectly the cause of her mother’s death. Mary is also deeply troubled by her current estrangement from her father. Mary will be vocal in her support of Free Love, the overthrow of monarchies, reforming the criminal justice system, educating the lower class, abolishing slavery, and equality for women. She (and Percy) make a point of never using sugar, because it is produced by slaves in the Caribbean. Above all, Mary will never let any statement supporting the existing social order go unanswered!

Mary Shelley in Your Game:

The Player Characters might be among the guests caught up in the intrigues, debates, and antics at the Villa Diodati during the stormy week of June 16th. With her obvious occult interests, Mary will be particularly keen to speak any Magicians or Mad Scientists she might encounter! It is possible that one of the PCs tells a story, or makes a remark, that inspires Mary’s future literary output. The Presenter should always explore themes of “Frankenstein” whenever PCs interact with Mary – death, immortality, responsibility towards one’s creations, guilt, rejection, social justice, and the limits of science. Mary might be encouraged by Percy to take a Player Character as a lover, just as he had encouraged Mary and his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg. It should be remembered that Mary’s five-month-old son William is with her, and she will not be able to go off on an adventure by herself, unless she leaves the boy with Claire, or one of Byron‘s servants.

Note: Different sources give conflicting dates for the chronology of events around the writing of “Frankenstein”, and disagree about how licentious the activities of that summer were. You should naturally present them in whatever way makes the best Gothic story!

Random Aristocrats and Noble Titles, Part III: Spanish and Italian

Tags

18th Century, 19th century, Ancien Regime, Beau Monde, Bon Ton, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, Regency, Romantic Horror, rpg, steampunk

Italy and Spain loom large in early Gothic stories. The first Gothic novel, “The Castle of Otranto” is set in Italy (although the described setting does not resemble the actual town of Otranto, or it’s real castle). Many other English authors followed suit; both in location, and casual approach to accuracy. Spain, on the other hand, is the setting for Lewis’ “The Monk”, Potocki’s “The Manuscript Found in Saragossa”, and countless tales focused on the supposed horrors of the Catholic Church.

A branch of the House of Bourbon has reigned in Spain since 1700, when the last Habsburg King of Spain (Charles II) died without an heir. The continued existence of the Spanish Inquisition gave 18th century Spain a reputation (in Britain and France at least) for being culturally backward, and out of step with the Enlightenment. The question of Spaniards importing French fashion and culture was a major source of social conflict throughout the 18th century.

Italy was not a unified nation in the period from 1765 to 1820. The Italian Peninsula was occupied instead by a patchwork of rival monarchies and republics. The cultural area that could be considered “Italian” had very fuzzy borders. The republic of Venice extended along the coast of modern Croatia, and the Republic of Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik) had a culture that mixed Croatian and Venetian influences. Nonetheless, it was already common in the 18th century to see the area of the Italian Peninsula marked as “Italy” on maps, and the people who inhabited it were generally considered to be a single ethnicity that spoke different dialects of one language.

Both Spain and the states of Italy were distinguished by the strong political influence of the Catholic Church, so it was perhaps inevitable that writers from Protestant Britain would malign both regions as benighted lands of cruelty, decadence, and supernatural evil!

As with the discussions of French, English, German, and Hungarian nobility, the presentation here is greatly simplified for game purposes.

Random Spanish Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence (d100)

1 – 25 | Hildalgo or Hildalga (Untitled Aristocracy)
26 – 30 | Infanzon (Untitled Aristocracy)
31– 35 | Escudero (Esquire)
36 – 49 | Caballero (Hereditary Knight)
40 – 41 | Orden de Calatrava (Knight of the Order of Calatrava) [Roll again for additional title]
42 – 43 | Order of Alcántara (Knight of the Order of Alcántara) [Roll again for additional title]
44 – 45 | Orde de Santiago (Knight or Dame of the Order of Santiago) (Male and Female membership) [Roll again for additional title]
46 – 47 | Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III (Knight of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III) [Roll again for additional title]
48 – 49 | Orden del Toisón de Oro (Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece) (Style: His Excellency) [Roll again for additional title]
50 – 59 | Don or Doña (Lord or Lady) (Style: His Lordship or Her Ladyship)
60 – 67 | Señor or Señora (Lord or Lady) (Style: His Lordship or Her Ladyship)
68 – 69 | Barón or Baronesa (Baron or Baroness) (This title is held only by Catalonian nobles) (Style: His Lordship or Her Ladyship)
70 – 74 | Vizconde or Vizcondesa (Viscount or Viscountess) (Style: His [or Her] Illustriousness)
75 – 84 | Conde or Condesa (Count or Countess) (Style: His [or Her] Illustriousness)
85 – 90 | Marqués or Marquesa (Marquis or Marquise) (Style: His [or Her] Illustriousness)
91 | Barón or Baronesa, Grandee of Spain (Baron or Baroness. Catalan only) (Style: His [or Her] Excellency)
92 | Vizconde or Vizcondesa, Grandee of Spain (Viscount or Viscountess) (Style: His [or Her] Excellency)
93 – 94 | Conde or Condesa, Grandee of Spain (Grand Count or Countess) (Style: His [or Her] Excellency)
95 – 97 | Marqués or Marquesa, Grandee of Spain (Marquis or Marquise) (Style: His [or Her] Excellency)
98 – 100 | Duque or Duquesa (Duke or Duchess) (Style: His [or Her] Excellency)

Notes about Spanish titles:

• A distinction is made between ordinary titled nobility, and the “Grandees of Spain” (who enjoy immunity from taxation and arrest by ordinary authorities, among other privileges). A noble who is a Grandee outranks a noble of any title who is not a Grandee. All Spanish Dukes are also Grandees of Spain
• The distinction between Grandees and other nobility was abolished under King Joseph Bonaparte, but reinstated after the re-ascension of Ferdinand VII.
  Spanish Nobility is addressed with “Don” (Lord) or “Doña” (Lady) before their given names.
• Grandees of the 18th century use the Style “His [or Her] Excellency”. For example, “Her Excellency, Doña Maria de Aguanera y de Oscuro, Marquesa of Zondo”.
• The system of Spanish surnames is notoriously tricky for non-Spaniards. A fictional Spanish aristocrat should have two surnames – the first being the first surname of their father, and the second being the first surname of their mother. Often, the two surnames will be distinguished from each other by the conjunction “y”. Aristocratic Spanish ladies do not change their surnames after marriage, but may indicate the first of their husband’s surnames after their own, with the conjunction “de”.
• Eighteenth century Spanish nobility will occasionally (but not consistently) use “de” as an ennobling particle before their surnames.

Random Italian Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence (d100)

1 – 15 | Patrizio or Patrizia (Patrician) (Otherwise untitled urban aristocracy)
16 – 20 | Cavaliere or Dama (Hereditary Knight or Dame)
21 | Knight of the Order of the Blood of Jesus Christ (Conferred by the House of Gonzaga) [Roll again for additional title]
22 – 23 | Sacro Militare Ordine di Santo Stefano Papa e Martire (Knight of the Order of Saint Stephan Pope and Martyr) (Conferred by the Duke of Tuscany) [Roll again for additional title]
24 – 25 | Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata (Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation) (Conferrred by the King of Sardinia) [Roll again for additional title]
26 – 27 | Insigne Reale Ordine di San Gennaro (Knight of the Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius) (Conferred by the King of Naples and Sicily; King of the Two Sicilies after 1816) [Roll again for [Roll again for additional title]
28 – 29 | Sacro militare ordine costantiniano di San Giorgio (Knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George) (Conferred by the King of Naples and Sicily; King of the Two Sicilies after 1816) [Roll again for additional title]
30 – 31 | Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro (Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus) (Conferrred by the King of Sardinia) [Roll again for additional title]
32 – 33 | Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani (Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem) (Conferred by the Pope) [Roll again for additional title]
34 – 35 | Knight of Malta (The Order of Malta is a sovereign entity) [Roll again for additional title]
36– 39 | Ordine dello Speron d’Oro (Order of the Golden Spur) (Conferred by the Pope)
40 – 43 | Signore or Signora (Lord or Lady) (Minor landed aristocracy)
44 – 49 | Nobile (Untitled son or daughter of a titled nobleman. Can also be a title unto itself.)
50 – 59 | Barone or Baronessa (Baron or Baroness)
60 – 69 | Visconte or Viscontessa (Viscount or Viscountess)
70 – 79 | Conte or Contessa (Count or Countess)
80 – 89 | Marchese or Marchesa (Marquis or Marquise)
90 – 95 | Duca or Duchessa (Duke or Duchess)
96 – 100 | Princepe or Princepessa (Prince or Princess)

Notes about Italian titles:

• Unlike French and British titles, Italian titles do not always carry a geographical signifier. One can be a Conte, for example, without being Conte of any place in particular.
• Italian nobles are addressed with the honorific “Don” (Lord) or “Donna” (Lady) before the name.
• Sovereign nobility (those who rule a state) also use their Style “Altezza” (Highness) before the name.
• The titles “Princepe” and “Princepessa” are more common in Italy than elsewhere, and do not necessarily indicate familial relation to a King or Queen.
• Italian nobles often (but not consistently) use the particles “de” (of) or “di” (from) before their surname, although neither automatically indicates aristocratic status.
• Italian titles can originate in grants from The Pope (who reigned as King of the central Italian Papal State), the Holy Roman Empire (of which most of Northern Italy was nominally a part), and Spain (which controlled the larger part of Italy from the 16th to 18th centuries), as well as from native secular authority. Additionally, Italians who supported Napoleon may possess Napoleonic titles of nobility.
• Napoleon was not ethnically French, but Italian. He was born “Napoleone Buonaparte” in Corsica, and his family were aristocrats of Florentine origin. Before declaring himself Emperor of the French, he bore the Italian title “Nobile”.

The Gothic Trope of the “Wicked Italian”

Italy was the required destination for affluent young Englishmen undertaking their “Grand Tour”, and the peninsula acquired a strikingly dual reputation in the British imagination. On one hand it was “Sunny Italy”, where the weather was warm and the living was (supposedly) easy. On the other hand, it was considered a decadent and haunted land thick with ghosts and banditti, where the ruins of an ancient past were always visible. To the Englishman of the late Georgian and Regency eras, it was Italy, not Transylvania, that was home to the world’s evil. For example, the high degree of sexual liberation enjoyed by wealthy wives in much of Italy was often remarked upon by English travelers, usually to demonstrate the place’s immorality relative to England. Lady Jersey may have had done the horizontal fandango with half of London, but in Italy there was a whole class of handsome young men who made their livings as live-in cicisbeos and cavalier serventes to upper class ladies. The dark reputation of the Italian aristocracy (and clergy) was not confined to England either. No less a person than the Marquis de Sade purported to be shocked by the immorality he witnessed in Italy! Furthermore, the complicated political situation of the Italian states (and the many possible sources of titles) made fraudulently claiming to be an Italian noblemen (or noblewoman) a relatively easy scam to perpetrate. The wicked Italian of dubious morality therefore became a stock character of Gothic novels, much as the Transylvanian nobleman would become after the publication of “Dracula”.

20 Creepy Churches in Isolated Places

Tags

18th Century, 19th century, Ancien Regime, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic location, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Napoleonic, Random Table, Regency, role-playing game, Romance, Romantic Horror, rpg, Victorian

In Gothic stories, the building that was meant to be a place of spiritual refuge can become a locus of terror. Here then are twenty disturbing houses of worship for the PCs to potentially encounter – whether as a unit of French soldiers lost in the desolate Spanish countryside during the Peninsula War, or as a group of English tourists wandering the lonely Italian hills. Each could simply be a bit of local color, or the seed of an entire Affair.

The most unsettling thing about this church is… (d20)

1 | The skeleton of the local Saint; dressed in bishop’s robes and suspended above the altar.
2 | The joins of the walls and floor, none of which seems to actually be at right angles to each other.
3 | The mummified bodies of a prominent local family, suspended in niches along the walls.
4 | The floor bulges from the numerous corpses buried underneath the stones, and every so often a grave beetle crawls out.
5 | The bizarre smell; a mixture of unwashed bodies, mold, incense, and a strange acrid odor otherwise impossible to identify.
6 | The way that the dust motes never settle, and actually seem to move horizontally without any discernible breeze.
7 | The grotesque frescoes depicting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with the faces of the Player Characters.
8 | The strangely wrought iron rood screen, whose design features several sharp points covered in some dried, brown substance.
9 | A stained glass window depicting Lucifer riding in glory across the local countryside.
10 | The disturbingly large and realistic gargoyles that leer from the facade.
11 | The curious mosaic floor, depicting anguished sinners looking up from Hell.
12 | The painted ceiling, which for some reason depicts not angels and saints, but pagan gods looking down from Heaven.
13 | Several iron rings set into the walls, of the kind used to chain prisoners.
14 | The strange inscriptions still faintly visible on the stones of the building, which were apparently looted from some ancient temple.
15 | The constant and inexplicable dripping of reddish water from the ceiling.
16 | A series of bas-reliefs depicting the Stations of the Cross, but all the figures have the heads of animals.
17 | All the windows are barred, and the interior bears the scorch marks of some previous conflagration.
18 | A series of seemingly random numbers and letters prominently carved into the pillars that hold up the ceiling.
19 | The door to a side chapel, carved with images of leering demons, and bound shut with chains and padlocks.
20 | The church is entirely decorated with human bones and skulls, which are set into the walls in decorative patterns, form the candle-holders, and embellish the altar.

100 Inherited Peculiarities of Inbred Noble Families

Tags

18th Century, 19th century, Ancien Regime, Beau Monde, Bon Ton, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, Random Table, Regency, Romantic Horror, rpg, steampunk

Odd-looking aristocrats were a staple of Gothic fiction because they were a reality of the 18th and 19th centuries. Inbreeding over many generations had filled the palaces of Europe with deranged families marked by physical peculiarities. The royal portraits of Goya, which look like harsh caricatures now, were actually considered to be flattering in their time! The ill-effects of inbreeding were ameliorated among the non-royal aristocrats of Britain (whose female members were known to actively refresh the bloodlines from time-to-time), and in those parts of Italy where aristocratic women were expected to openly take lovers (a practice ended in the repressive climate that followed the Napoleonic wars). In fact, the British upper class (aside from the royal family) had a reputation for being generally attractive. The astonishingly incestuous nobility of Central Europe, however, were manically obsessed with the purity of their blood (and with preventing land from leaving the family). Consequentially, they could be quite strange in appearance, and wracked with genetic disorders.

What Makes This Family Peculiar? (d100, 1d4 times)

1. Aged appearance, even when young
2. Albinism (ignore further results relating to eye or hair color)
3. Amber or yellow eyes
4. Androgynous appearance
5. Animalistic features (toad-like, lupine, aquiline, leonine, etc.)
6. Aniridic eyes (no irises; ignore further results relating to eye color)
7. Bald head
8. Bizarre taste in food
9. Bulging eyes
10. Bushy eyebrows
11. Can’t stand high-pitched sounds and voices
12. Can’t stand low-pitched sounds and voices
13. Can’t stand music
14. Cannot abide warm temperatures
15. Cannot stand bright light
16. Cannot stand cool temperatures
17. Club foot
18. Colorblindness
19. Craving for pain
20. Cruel nature
21. Cylindrical head
22. Deformed hand
23. Disproportionately long legs
24. Distinctive voice
25. Double-jointed
26. Dwarfish stature
27. Empathy with animals (horse whisperers)
28. Enlarged canine teeth
29. Extremely long-lived
30. Extremely pale complexion
31. Extremely tall
32. Farsighted
33. Flaming red hair
34. Freakish strength
35. Grotesquely prominent chin
36. Hairless body
37. Hearing problems
38. Heightened hearing (and can’t stand loud sounds)
39. Heightened sense of smell (and can’t abide bad odors)
40. Heightened sense of taste (and can only eat the finest food)
41. Hemophilia
42. Horrible body odor
43. Hunchback
44. Insensitive to cold
45. Insensitive to heat
46. Insensitive to pain
47. Intoxicating natural perfume
48. Jade green eyes
49. Large chin
50. Long arms
51. Long nose
52. Long tongue
53. Mania
54. Melancholy disposition
55. Men of the family are very well endowed (or are poorly endowed)
56. Morbid sensitivity
57. Narrow eyes
58. Nearsighted
59. Nervous twitch
60. Night-black hair
61. Noticeably small hands
62. Oddly-shaped ears
63. One eye larger than the other
64. Pear-shaped head
65. Piercing, dark blue eyes
66. Platinum blonde hair
67. Prodigious artistic talent
68. Prominent cheekbones
69. Prone to addiction
70. Protruding lower lip
71. Protruding teeth
72. Resistant to poison (and intoxication)
73. See visions / hallucinations
74. Sensitive to touch
75. Sexually insatiable
76. Sharply arched eyebrows
77. Shockingly thin
78. Short life span
79. Six fingers on each hand
80. Spheroid head
81. Squarish head
82. Staring eyes that never seem to blink
83. Sunken cheeks
84. Tail
85. Teeth tend to fall out
86. Tendency to be twins
87. Tendency to full hermaphroditism
88. Two different color eyes
89. Unable to properly pronounce a common phoneme.
90. Uncannily beautiful (all members of the family look like idealized statues come  to life; ignore any other result that indicates unattractive physical deformities)
91. Unique birthmark (shaped like a weapon, shaped like an animal, raised, etc.)
92. Unusually large hands
93. Very high hairline
94. Very weak chin
95. Very widely-spaced eyes
96. Violet eyes
97. Webbed fingers
98. Webbed toes
99. Women of the family have exceptionally large bosoms (or are without breasts entirely)
100. Youthful appearance, even when old

Of course, individual members (whose true paternity will no doubt be questioned) might not posses the peculiar qualities for which their family is known. Note also that the table excludes any supernatural Curses of the type endemic to noble houses in Gothic stories. See Table 6 of Remarkable Features of Estates and Manors for some suggestions regarding possible family Curses.

Random Aristocrats and Noble Titles, Part II: German and Hungarian

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18th Century, 19th century, Ancien Regime, Beau Monde, Bon Ton, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, Regency, Romantic Horror, rpg, steampunk

See also “Random Aristocrats and Noble Titles, Part I: French and British”.

There was technically no nation called “Germany” during the Ghastly Age (1765 – 1820). The area of modern Germany very roughly corresponds to that of the Holy Roman Empire, a feudal patchwork of some 1,800 (!) states nominally subject to an Emperor elected by the most powerful nobility. However, it had already become common by the end of the 18th century to refer to the Holy Roman Empire as Germany, or the German Empire, even though portions of it were neither German-speaking, nor ethnically German. Because there were so many small states (many of which could be walked across in an afternoon or less), the Holy Roman Empire makes a particularly good place to situate fictional countries created by the Presenter. Therefore, the table of Random German Aristocrats includes some sovereign, as well as non-sovereign titles. Because of the unique setup of the Empire, the German system of nobility is especially complicated, with holders of nominally lower titles often outranking holders of seemingly higher titles.

The territories that constituted the German-speaking Kingdom of Prussia were situated both inside and outside the formal borders of the Holy Roman Empire. The great rival to Prussia for leadership of the German-speaking states was the House of Habsburg (later Habsburg-Lorraine), who ruled a vast network of territories including the Archduchy of Austria. The Archdukes of Austria had also been elected Emperors since the 15th Century, and it was the Habsburg Emperor Francis II who formally dissolved the Holy Roman Empire as a political entity in 1806. Prussia eventually became the state that would impress its culture and values upon the future nation of Germany.

The 18th century Kingdom of Hungary was a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual state that includes the area corresponding to the modern Magyar-speaking nation of Hungary, but also Transylvania, and parts of modern Croatia, Slovakia, and Serbia. It was a possession of the Austrian Habsburgs, and the Archduke of Austria was also the King of Hungary (as well as being Holy Roman Emperor). The official language of State was Latin, but German was widely spoken in the towns. The higher titled nobility, like their fellow titled aristocrats elsewhere in Europe, spoke French as their preferred language. The lesser nobility spoke Magyar (Hungarian). The Habsburg royalty (who generally stayed in Vienna) spoke German. While the Archduchy of Austria was a part of the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary was not. The Kingdom was incorporated as a constituent part of the Austrian Empire in 1804.

Random German Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence (d100)

1 – 20 | Junker (Otherwise untitled aristocrat)
21 – 30 | Edler (Lowest hereditary title) (Style: “High Well-Born”)
31 – 40 | Ritter (Hereditary Knighthood) (Niederer Adel) (Style: “High Well-Born”)
41 – 45| Reichsritter (Imperial Knight) (Niederer Adel) (Style: “High Well-Born”)
46 | Knight of the Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception (Conferred by the Elector of Bavaria)
47 | Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle (Conferred by the King of Prussia) [Roll again for additional title, if any]
48 | Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle (Conferred by the King of Prussia)[Roll again for additional title]
49 | Knight of the Order of Saint John (Protestant Bailiwick) [Roll again for additional title]
50 – 51| Teutonic Knight (Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem)
52 – 53 | Knight of the Golden Spur (Non-hereditary, conferred by the Emperor)[Roll again for additional title]
54 – 56 | Herr (Lord) (Niederer Adel) (Style: “High Well-Born”)
57 – 62 | Freiherr or Freifrau (Baron or Baroness) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High Well-Born”)
63 – 64 | Burggraf or Burggräfin (Viscount or Viscountess) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High-Born”)
65 – 66 | Graf or Gräfin (Count or Countess) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High-Born”)
67 – 68 | Landgraf or Landgräfin (Landgrave or Landgravine) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High-Born”)
69 – 70 | Markgraf or Markgräfin (Marquis or Marquise) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High-Born”)
71 – 72 | Prinz or Prinzessin (Son or Daughter of a reigning Prince) (Hochedel or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “High-Born”)
73 – 74 | Fürst or Fürstin (Prince or Princess) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “Princely Grace”)
75 – 76 | Herzog or Herzogin (Duke or Duchess) (Non-sovereign, and/or “Niederer Adel”) (Style: “Ducal Grace”)
77 – 78 | Herr (Lord) (Lord) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
79 – 80 | Reichsfreiherr or Reichsfreifrau (Imperial Baron or Imperial Baroness) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
81 – 82 | Reichsgraf or Reichsgräfin (Imperial Count or Imperial Countess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
83 – 84 | Landgraf or Landgräfin (Landgrave or Landgravine) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
85 – 86 | Markgraf or Markgräfin (Marquis or Marquise) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
87 – 88 | Pfalzgraf or Pfalzgräfin (Count Palantine or Countess Palantine) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
89 – 90 | Reichsfürst or Reichsfürstin (Prince or Princess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Illustrious Highness”)
91 – 92 | Herzog or Herzogin (Duke or Duchess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Serene Highness”)
93 – 94 | Grossfürst or Grossfürstin (Grand Prince or Grand Princess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Serene Highness”)
95 – 96 | Grossherzog or Grossherzogin (Grand Duke or Grand Duchess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Ducal Serene Highness”)
97 – 98 | Erzherzog or Erzherzogin (Archduke or Archduchess) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Most Serene Highness”)
99 – 100 | Kurfürst or Kurfürin (Prince-elector or Princess-elector) (Sovereign “Hochadel”) (Style: “Most Serene Highness”)

Notes about German titles:

• The particles “von” (“of” [a family name]) and “zu” (“at” [a castle or territory possessed by the family]) generally indicate nobility. When the family name is the same as their castle or territory, the form is “von und zu”.
• The term “Hochedel” indicates high nobility that rules a state of the Empire, or that formerly ruled a state subsequently incorporated into another. “Niederer Adel” indicates lesser nobility that never ruled a state in their own right. A Reichsfreiherr (Imperial Baron) who rules a sovereign state of the Empire is Hochedel, and outranks an ordinary Graf (Count) who is Niederer Adel.
• The children of a titled noblemen are both noble and titled. The titles borne by non-reigning members of noble families are always the lesser equivalent titles employed by the Niederer Adel, even if their family is Hochedel. For example, the sons of a Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine) bear the lesser title Graf (Count). The son or daughter of a reigning Fürst or Reichsfürst bears the special title Prinz or Prinzessin.
• Some titles (such as “Graf”) can be either Hochedel or Niederer Adel, depending on whether or not the holder is also sovereign over a state of the Empire.
• Around the time of the French Revolution the German nobility begins to further distinguish between the “Uradel” (families ennobled before the 14th century) and the “Briefadel” (families ennobled by letters-patent after the 14th century). The former naturally look down upon the latter.
• Both the Uradel and Briefedel look down on everyone else. The least-important Junker is considered the social superior of the wealthiest non-noble financier.
• King George III of Great Britain is also the hereditary Prince-Elector of Hanover.
• The Holy Roman Empire is dissolved by Emperor Francis II in 1806, after the western states succeed to form the pro-French “Confederation of the Rhine”.
• The sheer number of German states and titles invites the assumption of false titles by impostors; for all the average person outside the Empire knows, there might actually be a “Fürst of Stierscheisseland”!

Random Hungarian Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence
(d20)

1 – 5 | Impoverished, or “Sandalled”nobility
6 – 10 | “Bene Possessionati” (Wealthy, but otherwise untitled nobility)
11 | Knight of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary [Roll again for additional title]
12 | Báró or Báróné (Baron or Baroness. German equivalent: Freiherr or Freifrau) (Magnate)
13 | Vicomte or Vicomtessz (Viscount or Viscountess. German equivalent: Vizegraf or Vizegräfin) (Magnate)
14 | Alispán (Viscount; hereditary deputy-administrator of a megye, or County. German equivalent: Vizegespan) (Magnate)
15 | Gróf or Grófnő (Count or Countess. German equivalent: Graf or Gräfin) (Magnate)
16 | Ispán (Count; hereditary administrator of a megye, or County. German equivalent: Gespan) (Magnate)
17 | Marki or Márkiné (Marquis or Marquise. German equivalent: Markgraf or Markgräfin) (Magnate)
18 | Herceg or Hercegnő (Duke or Duchess. German equivalent: Herzog or Herzogin) (Magnate)
19 | Ban (Croatian and Serbian title) (Magnate)
20 | Fürst or Fürstin (Prince or Princess. German title)

Notes about Hungarian titles:

• About 5% of the population of the Kingdom of Hungary is considered noble, a relatively high number. Most of those are untitled and relatively poor, however.
• Theoretically all nobles have the same rights and legal status. In practice, a distinction is made between the poor (or “sandalled”) nobility, the middle nobility (or “Bene Possessionati”), and the Magnates (titled nobility).
• Magnates have seats in the Upper House of the Hungarian Diet. They tend to not be Magyar in origin, and were mostly granted their titles by the reigning Habsburgs. The titles “Ispán” and “Alispán”, however, date from before the Habsburg period.
• Ispán and Alispán are also the titles of government officials responsible for the administration of the various Counties of the Kingdom. The two terms are only noble titles in Counties where the positions are hereditary.
• Many Magnates have German rather than Magyar titles. Since the Magyar word “Herceg” means both Duke and Prince, those who claim the title of “Prince” may bear the German title “Fürst”. Note also that most Magnates are likely to use the French equivalent of their titles at social events.
• The Magyar (Hungarian) language does not employ an “ennobling particle” between the given and family names. The title is is given first, then the family name, and lastly the given name.
• Nobles of German descent (or who have German titles) may give their name in the Western manner, however, with “von”, “zu”, or “von und zu” before their family name. Some Magnates may employ the French ennobling particle “de”.
• The “Bene Possessionati” tend to speak Magyar, wear Hungarian clothing, and otherwise eschew both French and German culture.
• The title “Voivode” (the title born by Vlad Tepes, or Dracula) is no longer used in the Kingdom of Hungary. Nonetheless, it might still be claimed by an individual whose memories seem to stretch over a longer period than seems logically possible…
• The historical “Order of the Dragon” (whose most famous member was Vlad Dracula) is extinct. Nobody should claim to still be a member…

Incest and the  House of Habsburg

Much of Europe was once ruled by the House of Habsburg, which maintained a hold in its territories through consanguineous marriages. While the royalty of Europe was inbred in general, the early modern Habsburgs were incest enthusiasts. Marrying your cousin was usual for aristocracy, but the Habsburgs also specialized in such innovations as marrying uncles to nieces. All that breeding from their own stock resulted in the inevitable rise of birth defects and mental retardation. It was easy to discern a pure Habsburg; they tended to have a distinctively long face, and often suffered from a protruding lower jaw that produced the infamous “Habsburg lip”. It’s little wonder that the original male-line Habsburgs died out in the 18th century, victims of their own polluted gene pool. Only the branches of the family that had become amalgamated with other noble houses (such as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine) survived.

Random Aristocrats and Noble Titles, Part I: French and British

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18th Century, 19th century, Ancien Regime, Beau Monde, Bon Ton, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, Regency, Romantic Horror, rpg, steampunk

The following tables are meant to allow Presenters to quickly determine the title(s) of figures met by Player Characters in High Society. They can also be used by Players to select the status and title(s) of their own characters. As complicated as it all looks, this is actually an extremely basic treatment that greatly simplifies matters. The system of nobility in pre-Revolutionary France was actually much more Byzantine than is practical to depict here, and was seemingly designed to confuse anyone who wasn’t actually raised an aristocrat. Likewise, the outline of the English aristocracy and their titles is sufficient for game purposes, but it would doubtless fail to pass muster with the editors of “Burke’s Peerage”.

The tables exclude actual royalty, whose appearance in a scenario should always be planned beforehand.

The masculine form of a title is given first, followed by the feminine. “Styles” are the honorific expressions that are supposed to be affixed to the name of an individual who holds a title.

When referring to holders of pre-Revolutionary French titles, the name is usually given: [Style][Given Name],[Title][Family Name]. The British form is usually: [Style][Full Name],[Title]. For example:

• The Very High and Powerful Lord Donatien-Alphonse-François, Comte de Sade
• Lord George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron
• His Grace, William Douglass, Duke of Queensberry

When directly addressing the holder of a noble title, the form is usually: [Style of direct address][Name]. For example:

• “Monsieur de Sade, I am confused as to why you keep such fearsome instruments of correction in your bedchamber.”
• “Lord Byron, surely you shall not discard me after so passionately demonstrating the firmness of your love!”
• “Your Grace William, Mademoiselle Parisot inquires if you quite enjoyed yourself while spying on the Gates of Venus.”

Remember that French is the language of High Society across Europe. Aristocrats from Portugal to Russia speak French to each other, and it is common for nobility to not speak the vernacular language of the common people. Aristocrats everywhere regard themselves as having much more in common with each other than with the middle and lower classes of their own countries.

Random French Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence (Pre-Revolution, or Ancien Régime) (d20)

1 – 4 | Gentilhomme or Gentilfemme (English equivalent: Gentleman or Gentlewoman) (Ordinary untitled aristocracy)
5 – 7 | Écuyer (English equivalent: Esquire) (Indicates an illustrious family, but otherwise untitled)
8| Chevalier (Hereditary knighthood, but not necesarily a member of an actual order) (Style: “Sieur”)
9 | Chevalier de l’ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis (Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis) [Roll again for additional title, if any] (Style: “Sieur”)
10 | Chevalier de l’ordre de Saint-Michel (Knight of the Order of Saint Michael) [Roll again for additional title, ignoring results below 12]
11 | Chevalier de l’ordre du Saint-Esprit (Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit) [Roll again for additional title, ignoring results below 12]
12 – 13 | Baron or Baronne (Style: “Very High and Powerful Lord” – “Monsieur” or “Madame” when addressed directly)
14 | Vicomte or Vicomtesse (English equivalent: Viscount) (Style: “Very High and Powerful Lord” – “Monsieur” or “Madame” when addressed directly)
15 – 16 | Comte or Comtesse (English equivalent: Count) (Style: “Very High and Powerful Lord” – “Monsieur” or “Madame” when addressed directly)
17 – 18 | Marquis or Marquise (English equivalent: Marquess) (Style: “Very High and Powerful Lord” – “Monsieur” or “Madame” when addressed directly)
19 | Duc or Duchesse (English equivalent: Duke) (Style: “Very High and Very Powerful Lord” – “Monsieur” or “Madame” when addressed directly)
20 | Prince du Sang or Princesse du Sang (descended from a former king, but not a child, nephew or niece of the current King) (Style: “ Monsieur Prince”, or “Madame Princesse”)

Notes about Ancien Régime titles:

• The French aristocracy of the Ancien Régime distinguish among themselves between the “noblesse d’épée” (“nobility of the sword”), whose ancestors were ennobled for medieval military in medieval times, and the “noblesse de robe” (“nobility of the robe”), who were ennobled later to hold governmental offices.
• The titles “Baron”, “Vicomte”, “Comte”, and “Marquis” are socially interchangeably without legal sanction. A Comte will often employ the title “Marquis”, for example.
• About 40 of the most powerful Comtes, Ducs, and Princes are further distinguished as Peers of France, and entitled to the Style “Monseigneur” (“My Lord”).
• An aristocratic family’s social status is determined by the length of time it has been ennobled, whether they are “noblesse d’épée” or “noblesse de robe”, the family’s accomplishments, and their current favor with the King, rather than their exact title.
• Unlike in England, the children of a titled French nobleman are also considered noble. They do not bear his title, however.
• The particle “de” (“of”) before a name often (but not always) designates nobility. The particles “du” (“of the” [masculine singular]) and “des” (“of the” [plural]) are also often seen before noble family names.
• Unlike English titles, French noble titles of the Ancien Régime generally indicate ownership and legal responsibilities (“seigneurial” rights) over a particular piece of land. However, a Gentlilhomme might also hold seigneurial rights over a property without possessing any other title.
• These titles, and their associated rights, are abolished in France in 1790, and replaced by the Napoleonic titles in 1808. The old titles are legally restored in 1814, but without the full seigneurial rights they carried before the Revolution.

Random Napoleonic Titles, in Ascending Precedence (Titles conferred from 1808 – 1814) (d20)

1 – 10 | Chevalier de l’Empire (Conferred upon members of the Légion d’honneur after 1808)
11 – 16 | Baron de l’Empire (Conferred upon wealthy financiers, some mayors, bishops, and army officers)
17 – 18 | Comte de l’Empire (Conferred upon government officials such as senators and ministers)
19 | Duc de l’Empire (Conferred upon high officials and marshals)
20 | Prince de l’Empire (Conferred upon members of the Imperial family, heads of vassal states, and great marshals)

Notes about Napoleonic titles:

• The Légion d’honneur (“Legion of Honor”) is created by Napoleon in 1802 to honor exceptional service to the state. It is made the lowest rank of the nobility in 1808.
• Napoleonic titles are conferred only upon men, except for former Empress Josephine, made “Duchesse de Navarre” in 1810.
• The titles are possessed for life, but are only hereditary if the bearer also has significant property and income of their own to pass to an heir.
• Napoleonic titles are essentially honorary, and do not confer any seigneurial rights of the kind that existed before the Revolution.
• The titles of “Chevalier”, “Baron” and “Comte” are stated before their bearer’s name. “Ducs” and “Princes” give their title after their name.
• Bearers of these titles are recognized as nobility after the Bourbon Restoration. The Légion d’honneur is maintained as a national order of knighthood.

Random British Aristocrats, in Ascending Precedence  (d20)

1 – 6 | Gentleman or Gentlewoman (No legal title, but may be “Lord” or “Lady” “of the Manor” when in their own home)
7 | Esquire (Indicates a Gentleman entitled to armorial bearings, or just one who is very pretentious.) (Style: “Esquire”, after the name)
8 | Knight of the Bath (Non-hereditary, by Royal appointment) Style: “Sir”, or “Lady” for the wife of a Knight) [Roll again for additional title, if any]
9 | Scottish Laird (Style: “The Much Honored”) (No seat in the House of Lords)
10 | Scottish Baron (Style: “Baron”) (No seat in the House of Lords) (Title can be sold)
11 | Baronet or Baronetess (Hereditary title, but no seat in the House of Lords) (Sir “Sir” or “Dame”)
12 | Knight of Saint Patrick (Non-hereditary, by Royal appointment after 1783) (Style: “Sir”) [Roll again for additional title, if any]
13 | Knight of the Thistle (Non-hereditary, by Royal appointment) (Style: “Sir”, or “Lady” for the wife of a Knight) [Roll again for additional title, if any]
14 | Knight of the Garter (Non-hereditary, by Royal appointment) Style: “Sir”, or “Lady” for the wife of a Knight) [Roll again for additional title, if any]
15 – 16 | Baron or Baroness (Scottish Equivalent: Lord of Parliament) (Style: “Lord” or “Lady”) (Peer, with a seat in the House of Lords)
17 | Viscount or Viscountess (Style: “Lord” or “Lady”) (Peer, with a seat in the House of Lords)
18 | Earl or Countess (Style: “Lord” or “Lady”) (Peer, with a seat in the House of Lords)
19 | Marquess or Marchioness (Style: “Lord” or “Lady”) (Peer, with a seat in the House of Lords)
20 | Duke or Duchess (Style: “His Grace,” or “Her Grace,”; “Your Grace” when directly addressed) (Peer, with a seat in the House of Lords)

Notes about British Titles:

• Only members of the Royal family bear the title Prince or Princess.
• Note that there is no such thing as a British “Count”. The British title for men is “Earl”. Oddly, the wife of an Earl is a “Countess”.
• Only Peers who sit in the House of Lords are actually nobility. Everyone else is a technically a commoner, even if their father is a Duke. There are only about 300 Peers in Great Britain at any one time.
• A woman may only hold a title in her own right only if all male heirs to that title are dead.
• The geographic indicators attached to English noble titles are essentially meaningless. For example, the Baron of Whigglesbutt does not necessarily own any land in that charming town known for its callipygian maids.

Of Aristocratic Bastards

Note: we’re talking about the illegitimate children of aristocrats here, not the questionable behavior of the upper class. Although the latter often led the former, of course!

The 17th, 18th, and very-early 19th centuries were a relatively permissive period for the upper class of Europe, when every self-respecting man of means maintained one or more mistresses, sometimes in his own house. Likewise, only the eldest children of many aristocratic mothers were the actual offspring of their legal husbands. The illegitimate children of noble men were often open secrets – treated as untitled Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, even if not formally acknowledged by the father. It was also common practice for royalty to actually bestow a noble title upon their illegitimate children, whether or not they formally acknowledge parentage. For example, a good portion of the British aristocracy is descended from Nell Gwyn, the mistress of King Charles II. On the other hand, an aristocratic mother who knew her baby would not resemble her husband might go traveling, give birth to the child in some location distant from home, and then place the child in an orphanage. Noble men might turn a blind eye to such behavior, so long as everything was kept relatively discreet, and the actual heir looked passably similar to his presumed father. Of course, the royal houses of Europe had long displayed the disastrous physical and mental effects of continual inbreeding, so quietly preventing the aristocracy from suffering the same fate wasn’t necessarily to be considered a bad thing. In any case, royal and aristocratic bastards, secret or acknowledged, are a Romantic staple that should appear in any game that features interactions in High Society.

Carmilla Karnstein for the Ghastly Affair RPG

Tags

19th century, Austria, classic horror, Free RPG, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, horror novels, irish literature, literary monster, nineteenth century, NPC, Regency, role-playing game, Romance, Romantic Horror, Stats, Vampire, Victorian Gothic

Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” is among the all-time great Gothic stories, a gorgeously atmospheric tale of predatory desire and deadly obsession. Carmilla herself is among the best-imagined literary vampires, who continues to inspire new works to this day. Here she is brought to beautiful (un)life for use in Ghastly Affair, the Gothic Game of Romantic Horror!

Carmilla
The obsessive lover, and bloodthirsty killer, of lonely young women

Full Name: Mircalla, Countess Karnstein
Aliases: Carmilla, Millarca (her aliases are always anagrams of “Mircalla”)
Class: Everywoman (Aristocrat) / Vampyre
Level: 5 / 10
Appearance/Most Memorable Characteristic: A stunningly beautiful young woman with large dark eyes, fine features, thick golden-brown hair, and a slim figure. Her manner is graceful but languid. She has extremely sharp, cat-like fangs that she does her best to avoid showing.
Age: About 20 (apparent)

Charisma: 20 Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 12
Strength: 8 (22 when she uses her Inhuman Strength) Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 8
Perversity: 15
Assets: Incredibly Beautiful
Afflictions: Obsessive

Speed: 9 (10 in wildcat form)
Hit Points: 60
Attacks: 1 (bite or punch – Carmilla dislikes changing into Vampyric Form to use her claws, but may attack in wildcat form)

Everywoman Special Abilities: Profession (Aristocrat), Avocation (Actress), Affection (Young Women), Inheritance (The ruined village and castle of Karnstein), Social Contacts (A team of servants bound in Dark Devotion who aid in her schemes)
Vampyre Special Abilities: Assume Vampyric Form; Revenant Immunities; Rise From Death; Supernatural Combatant; Vampyric Powers: Hypnotism, Inspire Dark Devotion, Inhuman Strength, Unnatural Charisma, Inflict Love, Transform Self into Cat, Bond With Victim, Create Vampyre, Walk Through Walls, Walk Through Shadows
Everywoman Weaknesses: Phobia (Funerals), Prejudice (Peasants)
Vampyre Weaknesses: Blood-Lust; Vampyric Debilities: Affected by Holy Symbols, Cannot Enter Homes Uninvited, Must Rest in Original Tomb (1 hour per day), Permanent Fangs, Haunted, Hunted, Obsessive Love, Vulnerable to Iron, Vulnerable to Holy Water, Obsessed with Anagrams (can only use aliases that are anagrams of “Mircalla”)

Typical Equipment Carried: A lovely dress. Antique jewelry. A valise (with dresses, chemises, a hand mirror, combs, and other small personal items)
Residence: Her tomb in the deserted village of Karnstein, in Styria (southeast Austria). A household with a lone young woman.

Background:

• 1678: Mircalla Karnstein is born in Castle Karnstein in Styria. The Karnsteins are already renowned for their bloodthirsty natures and infamous crimes.
• 1698: Mircalla, Countess Karnstein is killed by a Vampyre in her family castle, and cursed to become one herself.
• 1718: The Village of Karnstein becomes plagued with Vampyres. The Baron Vordenburg, a Demon Hunter who had been living in Moravia, takes it on himself to destroy all the Vampyres of Karnstein. Unfortunately, the Baron had actually been Mircalla’s lover in his youth. Unable to bring himself to destroy her body, he instead destroys the monument over her tomb, and thus obscures the site of her burial. In his old age, however, he becomes overcome with guilt and records the actual location of Mircalla’s tomb for posterity.
• 1798: The village and castle of Karnstein are now completely deserted.

Personality and Role-Playing Notes: Carmilla affects a weak and helpless demeanor to worm her way into households, but if cornered at night, she is a truly fearsome opponent. A favorite scheme is to find an estate or castle housing a beautiful but lonely young woman, and then fake a carriage crash nearby. She will then have one of her servants (masquerading as her mother) beg the owner of household to take Carmilla in as she recuperates. During the day Carmilla moves slowly but gracefully, and speaks as if half-asleep. She can fly into sudden rages, however, if she encounters a funeral, feels a peasant is being insolent, or thinks that someone is about to discover her true nature. While she had a male lover before her death, she now strongly prefers attractive young women as both victims and objects of affection. Carmilla will kill any convenient woman merely to satisfy her hunger, but the one women chosen as her beloved will be showered with affection and grandiose declarations of eternal love by day, even as she become the Vampyre’s prey at night. Carmilla is always being stalked by some Demon Hunter or distraught father, but has so far managed to kill, corrupt, or elude every one. She avoids assuming full Vampyric form, preferring to feed while in the shape of a wildcat. She is very sensitive about her permanent, cat-like fangs, and will try everything within her power to silence anyone who calls attention to them.

Carmilla in Your Game: It is Carmilla’s curse to always the cause of her love’s destruction. A beautiful female True Innocent would be in particular danger from Carmilla, as the Countess could not help falling into deadly love with such a young woman. Despite her need to rest at least an hour a day in her tomb, Carmilla’s ability to Walk Through Shadows means could be encountered in places as far away as Vienna, Venice, Prague, Munich, or Buda. Since she is always being Hunted, PCs who face Carmilla should be able to obtain aid against her. They might come into possession of the original Baron Vordenburg’s papers, or even meet one of the Demon Hunters descended from him! Note that the PCs will most likely be encountering Carmilla before the events described in the eponymous novella (set circa 1848). If they actually destroy her, assume that Le Fanu wrote “Carmilla” based on stories he heard about the PC’s experiences!

Source: “Carmilla” by Sheridan Le Fanu

Lord Ruthven – The Original Aristocratic Vampyre

Tags

19th century, British, English history, English literature, Frankenstein, Free RPG, George III, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, horror novels, literary monster, nineteenth century, Regency, role-playing game, Romance, Romantic Horror, Romantic poetry, Stats, Vampire

Lord Ruthven is the original literary Vampyre aristocrat, created by John Polidori as a direct parody of Lord Byron. He is also a product of the same storytelling contest at the Villa Diodati that inspired Mary Shelly to write Frankenstein! Relatively young, and not particularly powerful for his kind, Lord Ruthven makes a good early antagonist for characters not yet ready to confront the likes of Carmilla Von Karnstein or Count Dracula. He he is written-up for use with Ghastly Affair, the Gothic Game of Romantic Horror.

Lord Ruthven
High Society seducer, and cold-blooded killer

Full Name: Lord Ruthven (his true full name is unknown)
Aliases: The Earl of Marsden
Class: Libertine / Vampyre
Level: 2 / 4
Appearance/Most Memorable Characteristic: A well-dressed but distressingly pale man, with black hair, and dead gray eyes.
Age: Late 20s (apparent)

Charisma: 17 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 9
Strength: 12 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 9
Perversity: 18
Assets: Master of High Society
Afflictions: Compulsive Gambler

Speed: 9
Hit Points: 25
Attacks: 1 (dagger in human form, teeth and claws in Vampyric Form)

Libertine Special Abilities: Disguise (+1) | Dueling (+1/+3) | Fraud (+1) | Sneak (+1) | Seduction (+1)
Vampyre Special Abilities: Assume Vampyric Form | Revenant Immunities | Rise From Death |Supernatural Combatant | Preternatural Powers: Hypnotism, Inspire Dark Devotion, Inhuman Strength, Unnatural Charisma
Libertine Weaknesses: Faithless Lover | Fascinated By Innocence
Vampyre Weaknesses: Blood-Lust | Vampyric Debilities: Cadaverous Skin Color, Strange Eyes, Obsessive Love, Restored by the Moon

Typical Equipment Carried: A set of clothes in the latest style. High boots. A fine hat of beaver fur. An ataghan (long, curved Turkish dagger). A walking stick. 1000p in bank notes.
Residence: London, but enjoys traveling to Italy and Greece.

Background: Lord Ruthven’s actual background before 1812 is unknown. Nothing about any personal history he reveals will stand up to investigation. He will claim various titles to impress women, but none of them can be verified. All anyone will ever be able to uncover is that he seems to owe considerable amounts of money to various creditors, all of whom believe different things about his actual identity.

• January 1812: Lord Ruthven appears in London. He makes the acquaintance of a young man named Aubrey.
• June 1812: In debt, Lord Ruthven leaves England for the Continent. He is followed by Aubrey, who decide to make the trip his Grand Tour. Lord Ruthven visits every gambling house he can along the way.
• Early July, 1812: Lord Ruthven arrives in Rome, where he begins the seduction of a Countess’ daughter.
• Late July, 1812: Aubrey quarrels with Lord Ruthven about the latter’s dishonorable intentions towards the Countess’ daughter, and leaves for Greece. Lord Ruthven secretly follows him.
• August 1812: Under cover of night Lord Ruthven murders Aubrey’s beloved, a young Greek woman named Ianthe. He is surprised by Aubrey, who does not recognize him in the darkness of a hut where the two accidentally meet. Lord Ruthven is about to kill Aubrey when he is surprised by villagers bearing torches. He flees into the night. Later, Lord Ruthven appears and tends to Aubrey as the young man lies delirious in bed.
• September 1812: Lord Ruthven and Aubrey wander Greece, visiting ruins.
• Late September, 1812: Lord Ruthven and Aubrey are ambushed by bandits during the day. Lord Ruthven is mortally wounded, but he makes Aubrey promise to expose his body to the moonlight after death. He also makes Aubrey swear not to reveal his crimes, or the fact of his death, for a year and a day.
• January, 1813: Lord Ruthven appears again in England, and begins using the title “The Earl of Marsden”. When Aubrey sees him, Lord Ruthven reminds him of his solemn oath. Lord Ruthven begins the seduction of Aubrey’s sister.
• Late September, 1813: Lord Ruthven marries Aubrey’s sister, making Aubrey so furious and distraught that he bursts blood vessel in his brain, and dies shortly thereafter. Lord Ruthven murders his new wife, and leaves for the continent.

Personality and Role-Playing Notes: Lord Ruthven is an aggressive seducer of women, who takes great delight in corrupting innocent maids and happily married women, but is bored by wanton ladies. He appears to take little actual pleasure in life, but acts with desperate intensity. He can nonetheless be quite charming when he cares to, and will appear to be a great friend. In fact he is a heartless manipulator, and will eventually betray any companion. He especially loves to kill those beloved by his misguided associates. Lord Ruthven loves to lavish gifts upon criminals, drug addicts, and others despised by society, but will not show the least charity to the guiltless poor.

Lord Ruthven in Your Game: Lord Ruthven is likely to be found haunting London High Society (the “Ton”), but could also be encountered at parties in Rome or Venice. Travelers to the ancient ruins of Greece could find him there, apparently sight-seeing (but actually looking for his next victim). Any True Innocents will naturally be singled out for seduction and eventual murder. If any of the players have actually read Polidori’s “The Vampyre”, have Lord Ruthven initially use a new alias. The ideal time for PCs to encounter Lord Ruthven is after October of 1813. If PCs encounter and destroy him before 1812, however, that just means that John Polidori’s tale was inspired by a story he heard regarding the “real” Lord Ruthven!

Source: “The Vampyre: A Tale” by John William Polidori

Random Mishaps with the “Language of Fans”

Tags

18th Century, 19th century, Beau Monde, Bon Ton, Consulate, Directory, Eighteenth Century, First Empire, George III, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Gothique, Humor, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, nineteenth century, Regency, role-playing game, Romantic Horror, rpg, The Ton

The “Ghastly Affair Player’s Manual” discusses how upper class ladies of the Ghastly Age (1765 – 1820) use their hand fans to send coded messages, both to each other, and potential lovers. The “Language of Fans’ allows women to maintain a socially-mandated facade of demure passivity, while they actually engage in erotic intrigues and character assassination. Two ladies could appear to be exchanging social pleasantries, while they in fact hurl insults at each other with their fans. An assignation with a lover can be arranged right under the nose of a clueless husband or chaperon.

The “Language of Fans” is perilous, however, for anyone who hasn’t been raised as an aristocrat. Would-be social climbers who haven’t yet mastered the intricacies of High Society should make an Intelligence check each time they attempt to send a message with their fan. If they fail, roll on the following table to see what message has been mistakenly sent. Presenters could also rule that those who are completely unfamiliar with High Society must roll on the table whenever they fan themselves! The mistaken message will be received by a random recipient, male or female.

Mishaps With The Fan
Roll d20 to determine message mistakenly sent

1. “I insist upon an immediate kiss!”
2. “Let us surreptitiously withdraw to some convenient chamber, away from prying eyes.”
3. “I shall die if you do not share my bed tonight!”
4. “Is it as large as has been rumored?”
5. “Would you mind terribly were I to borrow your lover?”
6. “Your presence fills my heart with revulsion and contempt!”
7. “It was only last night that I was thoroughly enjoyed by your beloved.”
8. “I am well aware of your nefarious deeds.”
9. “Consume the contents of my chamber pot and perish!”
10. “Apply your lips to my posterior!”
11. “Render oral service to my unwashed womanhood, foolish she-dog!
12. “Forbear to act, for suspicious eyes are upon us.”
13. “Act quickly, for my husband is preoccupied.”
14. “I am anxious that you should ask me to dance.”
15. “I should have no interest in dancing with you, where it to happen that you alone among men survived in this world!”
16. “I know of your nasty proclivities, and I shall not be party to their indulgence.”
17. “I am amenable to indulging your peculiar desires, and have a few of my own.”
18. “I would consider taking you as my lover, if you were to apply greater effort to the matter.”
19. “Your hair and clothes betray your lack of taste and breeding.”
20. “Your gown is quite splendid – I insist you reveal the identity of your modiste!”

The results could be absurd, embarrassing, or even unexpectedly fortunate. The cruel and heartless doyennes of High Society will naturally be quick to seize upon any obvious mistakes.

Even most aristocratic men attempting to interpret the Language of Fans (except for the handsome cicisbeos, cavalier serventes, and Libertines who are fluent) should also have to make an Intelligence Check. If they fail, they should roll on the table to determine what they think the intended meaning was. In an age of dueling, misinterpreting a message from another man’s wife or mistress can have potentially deadly consequences.

The Presenter should assume that all the historically published “translations” of the Language of Fans are deliberate misinformation, intended to fool the uninitiated and reveal interlopers. Any aristocratic woman who publicly revealed the actual Language of Fans would face complete social ostracism at best (and would most likely be poisoned).