Vergogne

The City of Romance

On the coast of Montaigne rests a town that once had little value, until an enterprising clergyman
declared they had performed more marriages than any other place in Théah. It was probably a lie, but
a charming one, and now men and women are drawn from across the world to seek romance in a city
that now makes matchmaking its business.

by Andrew Peregrine

Explorers Society, 7th Sea and all related marks are © and ™ 2016 John Wick Presents. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be duplicated without express permission from the
Author. Stock images from dreamstime
The City of Romance
Until the War of the Cross, Vergogne was a pretty
unimportant town on the eastern coast of Montaigne.
Most of its industry centered on fishing and trade.
While the fishing industry wasn’t very special, it was
very conveniently situated to take advantage of trade
with the neighboring Castillian city of San Juan
across the Widow’s Sea. In fact, the town was actually
a little small to deal with all San Juan’s trade. So it
shared the bounty with another town a little further
down the Montaigne coast, Pourisse.
What began as a friendly rivalry of competition for
trade between the two towns has gradually turned
bitter. While neither town would have been able to do
any better if the other suddenly vanished from the
map, they have continued to blame their problems on
each other. To this day, saying you are from Pourisse
will be met with growls and glares from the townsfolk
of Vergogne. In fact, even travelers who say they have
come from Pourisse, or are on their way there, will
find everything in Vergogne costs a little more unless
they also declare how much they prefer Vergogne.
The people of Pourisse do much the same thing, so
regular travelers know to side with whichever town
they are currently enjoying for the sake of a quiet
life. Plenty of Vergogne folk don’t even know why the
rivalry exists; they just know the people of Pourisse
are a bad sort!
During the War of the Cross, Vergogne saw its share
of the horror, being quite close to Eisen. However it
was mainly home to several temporary hospitals that
became more and more permanent as the war
dragged on. Each day, injured men and women from
the front came to Vergogne, and sailing ships
unloaded marines on their way to war. For Vergogne,
the war was a never ending parade of broken young
soldiers being patched up and sent back into the
fight. While the town may have not seen much actual
fighting, its spirit was quietly crushed by watching
the human cost of thirty years of conflict.
Even when the war ended, Vergogne didn’t really
recover. It went back to what it knew; the fishing
boats set out each morning and the merchants came
by as usual to rest or to trade their wares. But even
though the hospitals had packed away, a deep ennui
hung over the town like a cloud. Some visitors even
said that on a dull day you could even see it.
It was a Vaticine priest who was to save Vergogne
from this malaise. To this day, no one is sure if it was
a lucky discovery or a clever lie. But Father Pierre de
Royenne announced one day that his small church
must be truly blessed as it had performed more
marriages than any other church in Théah.
It is possible this was true. Plenty of dying soldiers
has asked to marry their sweethearts before their
wounds took them in the hospitals of Vergogne. But it
was certainly not the only town to function as a
hospital, and there is little chance Father de Royenne
could have known the marriage figures for any other
Montaigne (let alone Théan) town. But the idea found
root in the people of Vergogne. Perhaps they really
were more romantic than most, or perhaps they just
needed something to lift their spirits. But either way,
they began to mention this curious fact to anyone
who passed by, and take enthusiastic pride in this
unsubstantiated fact.
Had Vergogne not been on a main trade route, the
reputation of the town might not have come to
anything much at all. But word began to travel across
Montaigne, and even to Castille and beyond. People
began to reason that if this town performed more
marriages, it must be blessed with love in some way.
Perhaps those who travelled there might find
themselves lucky in love themselves? Visitors began
to arrive in greater numbers. Unsurprisingly for a
town filling up with visiting single people looking for
love, the marriage figures began to spike. Unwilling
to consider the reasons behind this ‘proof’ too
deeply, the town’s reputation grew and grew.
While Vergogne still makes money with fishing and
trade, over the last twenty years its real industry has
become romance. Visitors flock here hoping to make
a good match among the townsfolk and other
visitors. An entire industry has developed to support
this, from flower shops, dance classes, party
organizers and matchmakers. All these services can
be quite expensive, but many argue that love is worth
the price.
Unfortunately, the recent conflict with Castille has
not helped Vergogne. Trade with San Juan dried up
completely during the war with Castille. Where a few
Places to See
While Vergogne likes to call itself ‘The City of
Romance’ it is really just a very large town. The town
was built around the dockside and the Church, which
has gradually expanded into a Merchant’s Quarter, a
Dressmaker’s Quarter and a residential area that
stretches into the countryside. A little way from the
docks, the old church that begun the fever for
romance has become a place of pilgrimage, and is
now surrounded by tourist trinket hawkers.
As the town expands, real estate closer to the
dockside and the center of town has become very
valuable. Old houses are being knocked down to
create dance halls and shops to feed the growing
party and tourist trade. In some cases the original
residents can make a lot of money moving a little
further out. But there are plenty of stories of people
being strong armed out of their family home by a
developer.
The Avenue
One feature common to all the areas of Vergogne is
‘The Avenue’ and it is a controversial feature for
almost everyone. The Avenue is a road that runs
parallel to the docks through the center of the town,
linking (in multiple wide side roads) to the dockside
and running out to the warehouses of the Merchant’s
merchants were willing to continue their routes, both
sides blocked trade in the belief it was usually a
cover for supplying the military (which sometimes it
was). Only now is it gradually building again, but
broken trust takes time to heal. So the romance
industry has had to shoulder the burden of the town's
finances. While this is working for now if Montaigne
continues to be aggressive with its neighbors, the
tourist industry will take a beating and Vergogne will
suffer for it.
Relations with Pourisse have only worsened as well.
With no romance industry to fall back on, the war
crippled much of Pourisse's finances. The townsfolk
are much poorer than they were and many
businesses and traders have had to close. A few
actually moved to Vergogne which has led to
accusations of the town stealing Pourisse's trade. But
the rivalry has become openly violent in some cases
when it comes to trade with San Juan. With less to go
around, Pourisse argues that it needs it more, but
Vergogne merchants have been hard hit as well and
have no desire to share more than they have to. In
some cases the arguments over trade have resulted
in deaths, and as the people of Pourisse become
more desperate, it will only become worse.
Quarter. It was originally built to allow cargo to be
transported quickly from any part of the docks to the
warehouses. So it was built wide enough for three
large carts to pass each other along its entirety.
But with the burgeoning tourist industry, the ruling
council of the town decided it would make an
excellent promenade area. So they lined both sides of
the whole route with large trees. The transplanted
trees were not that large when first planted, but have
now grown considerably. This has made the Avenue a
very popular place to meet and greet. The trees
provide shade and the width of the road makes it
almost seem like a park in the center of the town. On
a sunny day the trees provide shade and the whole
area is littered with beams of light and broken
shadows that are exceptionally conducive to romance
and clandestine trysts.
Unfortunately, for the merchants of the town, the
Avenue is a nightmare. Not only is it now full of
people, making it actually quicker to use alternative
routes to the warehouses. But with the trees reducing
the width of the road it is now difficult for even two
carts to pass each other, leading to arguments and
more wasted time. One merchant was recently
arrested for taking an axe to one of the trees as a
protest.
It isn’t just the merchants who hate the trees too. The
Avenue has always been lined with shops, but the
trees make it hard to see the shops as you walk along
the Avenue. Tourists often have trouble finding an
establishment they are looking for. You are fine if you
walk on the shop side of the trees, but then you can’t
see what is on the other side of the street!
The town council has addressed this by allowing
shopkeepers to mount ‘pub sign’ type boards on the
tree outside their shop. But they charge for the
privilege which has made the less well off
storekeepers very angry. The signs themselves are
quite expensive as they have to be made to a
particular standard ‘to preserve the style of the
Avenue’.
In addition to this the trees have also considerably
cut down the light that gets into the shops. Most have
to light lanterns in the morning and late afternoon,
only getting any light in the middle of the day. It
makes all the shops on the Avenue look dingy and
dark inside, which is not very conducive to excited
spending!
Sadly, despite angry protests from both merchants
and shopkeepers, the Avenue is very popular with
residents and tourists. Many people talk about the
enjoyable walk they have taken there and it is
actually a draw for some to come and see the town.
So the town council refuses to remove any of the
trees, and the arguments continue.
The Dockside
The dockside of Vergogne is actually much larger
than you’d expect for a town of this size. While it
begun as a place for fishing boats to moor, it was
expanded during the war and can provide limited
dock space to some of the largest galleons. The
northern end of the docks is quite shallow and so the
fishing boats cluster there, leaving the southern end
for merchants and the occasional pirate (if salacious
rumors are to be believed). Along the docks are
several inns and taverns, as well as a few coffee
shops. As the docks face east, they can be a pleasant
and sunny place to walk during the day. But the more
upscale places to meet, eat and drink are located
away from the docks. So, most of the patrons found
here are working fishermen, merchants and sailors.
Most tourists who do more than go for a walk in the
sun find this area pretty mundane and slip back to
the more romantic areas of the town quickly.
The Mermaid Inn (L’Auberge Sírene)
One of the more popular inns on the dockside is the
Mermaid. While it is a renowned hangout for sailors,
it is actually a very quiet and peaceful place, with
none of the barfights and cheap booze that
characterize most sailors’ inns. If that is the evening
you are looking for, you should try the ‘Dog and
Weasel’ three streets down. The Mermaid is run by
Pascale and Marie DeLance who are both the children
of sailors themselves, even if they decided the life
was not for them. They serve good food and drink for
a good price, and offer a few rooms for those looking
to stay a while.
The couple has three daughters, Katrine, Dominique
and Genevieve, who are now all at a marriageable
age. They serve in the bar and the kitchen, but
interestingly get none of the adverse attention that
three attractive young women usually get in the
taproom. This is because all the regulars have seen
the girls grow up from babies, and feel highly
protective towards them, as an uncle or aunt might.
So the rule is simple, if you are interested in any of
them romantically, you had better do right by them.
Plenty of people new to town have tried it on with one
of the girls to be found later much worse for wear. As
far as the girls are concerned, it’s very sweet. But
they are all concerned they will never meet anyone if
this behavior carries on. Even when they find
someone they are interested in, their paramour
usually gets warned off pretty quickly. Together, they
have begun to create plots and cover for each other
so they can meet up with suitors. They do their best
to keep the suitors in the dark about their uncles and
aunts, which can lead to a few surprises…
The Masque De Jour
This brothel is located in a backstreet of the docks,
but does brisk trade nonetheless. It uses a
mysterious marketing trick that has boosted trade
very well. All the Jennys working here wear masks,
usually small and elegant domino masks like the
courtesans of Vodacce. The house insists there is a
reason for this - all the women are actually married
and respectable and wish to protect their identity.
Few people really believe this, but it does add a
certain spice to the proceedings, that these are not
harlots but the bored wives of the wealthy and
powerful. However, if the truth be known, a few of the
women are just that. Caught up in the romance of the
town, they married hastily. Looking to add some
excitement to their lives, and get back at their
tedious husbands, they joined the Masque de Jour,
which is where the Madam got the idea.
The brothel is run by Madame Helene Marchand, who
treats all her employees very well (both full time and
freelance). Every now and again she pays a local man
to make a scene and demand the house ‘return his
wife’ to maintain the pretense. However, the time may
come when the husband is actually real.
As the most successful brothel, the Masque de Jour is
the main Guildhouse for the Jenny’s Guild in
Vergogne and so Helene is often called upon to
moderate disputes between Guild members.
The Merchant’s Quarter
Behind the docks on the south of the town is the
Merchant’s Quarter. A lot of this area is made up of
warehousing, which the wealthier merchants pay men
to patrol. However, the area is also home to quite a
few small bars and coffee shops where merchants
can strike deals in sight of their cargos. In this area
the streets are wide and straight to allow large loads
to be moved easily. This gives the place a more open
and airy feel, even if the scenery is rather plain. Many
merchants buy a house just south of this area to be
near their business, and the country estates of
several wealthy merchants can be found in the
southern countryside.
Gaspard’s Coffee shop
This rather dingy two storey coffee house is one of
the most popular in the city. While it can be very
cramped, there is usually a table free somewhere,
and its upper storey sports a balcony and good views
across the Montaigne countryside. Its position in the
Merchant’s Quarter makes it popular with
businessmen, and being outside the center of town,
the residents enjoy the lack of tourists. Gaspard’s
easily serves the best coffee in the town. Sadly, While
Gaspard himself is gone, lost to an adventure when
he and his wife were Explorers. But his widow Eloise
has maintained his contacts and buys the coffee in
from a secret source.
Another aspect of Gaspards attracts the more
scholarly visitors to the town. Every wall is lined with
books of all sorts. Novels, scientific treatises,
philosophical texts and anything else you might
imagine are crowded onto the shelves in no apparent
order at all. Visitors are encouraged to grab any
book at random and discuss it with those they are
sharing a coffee with. The lack of order ensures you
never quite know what you will find, although Eloise
insists she knows how to find any book in the place.
What most people don’t know is that Gaspard’s is a
safehouse for both the Explorer’s Society and (more
recently) the Invisible College. Gaspard and Eloise
were Explorers themselves in their younger days,
which is where they made contacts in the coffee
trade. The coffee shop was essentially a retirement
plan, but wanderlust kept calling Gaspard back for
‘one last mission’. He failed to return from the last
one over five years ago. Eloise suspects the
Inquisition may have had something to do with this,
as they have since tried to interrogate her about
certain ‘unholy artifacts’ Gaspard may have had in
his possession. So when the Inquisition started
arresting scientists, Eloise reached out to those she
knew in the Invisible College and offered what help
she could. Behind two of the bookcases are two
rather nice secret rooms that have been used to hide
dissidents on several occasions.
Eloise herself is now a thin and frail looking lady,
crossing into her seventh decade. But while she may
not have her youth, she has a wealth of experience
and skills that she keeps quiet about. Her swordplay
may not be up to much anymore, but she remains a
deadeye with a pistol and has a lot of friends in a lot
of strange places across Théah.
The Garden of Love (Le Jardin D’Amour) get from the Merchant’s Quarter, so it is considered
bad manners to talk business here.
When two of her warehouses burnt down, Baroness
Ninevre could have had them rebuilt. But she decided One type of business that is allowed are the multitude
instead to dedicate the land to the town (in return of street vendors that can be found especially around
for, so it is rumored, the clearance of some large the church. They offer flowers, candies, and all
gambling debts!). The area was made into a small manner of small and potentially suspect goods. They
park which remains open to the public all through are a good source of gossip though as they walk all
the day. Designated ‘The Garden of Love’, its many over the town and see plenty of the comings and
hedgerows create a small maze of rose arbors and goings of the residents.
lawns that couples might use as a neutral ground to
get to know each other better. Several rose bushes
make the place very colorful and all the areas have a
few benches for people to sit together and enjoy the
sun. During the day the garden is extremely popular
and a very romantic place to take a paramour.
But the garden’s nooks and crannies serve a few
other purposes that the designers didn’t quite intend.
Just as it is a good place for romantic couples, so it
is also a good place for Jennys to take their clients.
At night the garden may as well be a brothel and
ladies or gentlemen of good reputation steer clear of
the place. The area has also become very popular
with duelists. The secluded but spacious areas are
perfect for settling affairs of honor away from prying
eyes. So at dawn and dusk, the clash of steel can
often be heard behind the hedgerows.
The local watch does its best to patrol the area. But
apart from catching the odd pickpocket (eager to
target anyone with eyes only for their partner) they
just don’t have the manpower. Sending only a few of The Church of Our Lady of the Sea
the watch in won’t cover the area, and sending more
means losing patrols from the rest of the town. So, (L’Eglise de la Dame de la Mer)
as long as those using the garden for nefarious
This small country church is now one of the most
purposes are circumspect and keep to themselves,
famous in Théah, although it can hold no more than
the watch will let them just get on with it.
300 people. To be married here is considered a great
blessing for the union, and so the best dates are
The Church Quarter booked month in advance. However, if you do want a
chance to get a particular date you can pay a fee to
The ‘Church of Our Lady of the Sea’ was once the be added to a waiting list in case a date opens. These
center of Vergogne. But as the Merchant Quarter has fees are one of the reasons the church manages to
expanded it has gently slide towards the quieter stay open despite being cut off from the Vaticine
northern edge of Vergogne. This is probably a good Church after L’Empereur’s edict.
thing since the L’Empereur now distains the Vaticine
church. Away from the Avenue, the streets here are The patron saint of the church is St Therese De
small and mostly residential. The church itself is so Vicardy ‘Our Lady of the Sea’. She was a poor peasant
small that many people walk past it, expecting who lived many hundreds of years ago, but is said to
something grander. However, the few shops, inns and have met the First Prophet. She offered to serve him
coffee houses in this area all cluster near the church. for the rest of her life if he would only help to feed
her starving family. But the Prophet told her he had
This part of the town is usually the quietest, with no need of service, only that she should love Theus
many of the older residents having their homes here. with all her heart and that if she did, he would
Shops and eateries are smaller, adding to the provide. That day she cast a net into the sea near
intimate feel of the quarter. People here are more Vergogne and prayed with all her might. While the
likely to say hello in the street or strike up a other fishers failed to catch anything, Therese’s net
conversation in an inn with the people on the next was full because of her love of Theus. After feeding
table. The Church Quarter is about as far as you can her family she gave away all she had caught to the
others of the town. For the rest of her life she fished
every day, filling her net after her daily prayer, and
continued to keep only as much as her family needed,
giving the rest away.
When L’Empereur banned the Vaticine church from
Montaigne, the people of Vergogne were very
concerned. The church is the center point of the
town’s reputation, and the suggestion that it might be
closed threatened the livelihood of the town. Luckily,
the local Marquise and his wife are among the few
nobles who have maintained their Vaticine faith, but
in secret of course! So they have funneled additional
money to Father de Royenne to keep this small
church open. While they have the good of the town in
mind, it also allows them to take communion in
secret away from the gaze of L’Empereur. It is an
open secret in the town that the lord and lady attend
mass each Sunday, cloaked and disguised. Out of
respect for the way they keep the church open, no
one passes comment or allows strangers to interrupt
their devotions.
Alloise Flowers
While the Dressmaker’s Quarter has flower shops
aplenty, those who know the city know it is worth
walking a little further to visit the shop of Pierre
Alloise. While Pierre doesn’t keep a greater range of
flowers than anyone else, he has a much better
feeling for how to mix color and match flowers to an
outfit or occasion. Pierre himself is also a fascinating
character, and one of the most renowned residents of
the city. He is getting on a bit now, but in his youth
he was both a duelist and style icon in the Charouse
court. He also claims to have scandalously slept with
pretty much every young man in the nobility,
although he never married. His tales of leading
fashion styles, sneaking from bedroom to tryst and
fighting elite swordsmen seem very farfetched, but
they are all true.
While Pierre’s preference is for gentlemen, he has an
artist’s love for women that charms most ladies he
meets. He always offers a flower to any woman who
catches his eye and has fought many duels on behalf
of women wronged by their husbands or paramours.
Now past 60, Pierre is past his prime, but even now
he has surprised many swordsmen who thought him
an easy conquest.
As well as selling flowers, Pierre will teach his skill
with the blade to those who ask politely. However, he
will only do so for those who solemnly promise to
only use their blade to defend honor and justice.
What few people know is that Pierre is also a Knight
of the Rose and Cross (one of its founder members it
is said!). While he is no longer active, he still
functions as a contact and agent for the order. He
also recommends potential new recruits from those
who become his fencing students
The Vergogne Town Hall
Apart from the church, the oldest building in
Vergogne is the town hall. This faded, but still quite
grand townhouse stands apart from the rest of the
houses and shops that surround it. The Town Hall
serves three functions.
The first is as a meeting place for the town council.
This collection of ten representatives of the oldest
families in the town meets twice a month to advise
the Marquise. The Marquise or his wife always
attends and while they don’t have to heed the advice
of the council, they rarely ignore it. Otherwise, the
members of the council take it in turns to act as the
‘official signatory’ for the town, where licenses need
authorization or taxes spent. An office for this (the
second function of the building) is shared by all the
council members and is always full of paper and
records needing attention. Camille Buchamp can be
found here assisting whichever member of the
council is on duty.
The last function of the Town Hall is as a watch and
court house. While there are few capital crimes here,
petty crimes against tourists are common and dealt
with harshly (lest it impacts the tourist trade). The
watch have a wing of the building for offices,
equipment storage and training as well as holding
cells. A small court is also found here, where a
member of the town council judges most crimes
unless the Marquise wishes to. For extended periods
of incarceration, prisoners are sent to Arrent (the
nearest proper city).
The town watch is made up of several local
volunteers, who each earn a coin for every night they
patrol. Camille Buchamp arranges the patrols to
make sure the town has adequate cover, although
officially there is no head of the watch. Ideally, each
patrol is made up of five men, but two or three are
more often the norm.

The Dressmaker’s Quarter
The Dressmaker’s Quarter is often unofficially
referred to as the Romance Quarter or the Tourist
Trap depending on who you are talking to. It is
comparatively a recent addition to the town, having
pushed itself out from the Avenue to take over most
of the center of Vergogne. Initially it began filling
with dressmakers and tailors as the romance
industry began to take off. People wanted to look
their best when courting and demand for good
clothes quickly increased. But as time passed, the
area flooded with flower shops, matchmakers, dance
teachers, coffee shops and a whole host of cheap and
tacky souvenir shops.
Tailors and dressmakers are still the most common
businesses to find in this quarter, and they have
formed an unofficial Guild that has become quite a
power block in local politics. The Merchant’s Guild,
which has the backing of the Vendel League is not a
fan of this upstart and works to block them at every
turn. After all, if this Dressmakers Guild rises too
high it might look for more representation in the
League, and that means less power for everyone else.
So the two Guilds are constantly at odds, although
the merchants still need to sell their cloth and the
dressmakers and tailors still need to buy it.
While the Avenue is quite wide, the streets in most of
this quarter are tight and cramped. Plenty of shops
push into the street as much as they can with
displays and stalls, and with the extra crowds during
the summer months the streets are quite hard to
traverse. The crush of people, coupled with most of
them being tourists has led to a lot of pick pockets
working in the area, and petty crime is rife.
While most types of shop can be found in this
quarter, a few are more common than any other.
• Flower shops can be found on every street,
making the quarter very colorful as they
compete by showing off their wares. All of the
shops can create arrangements and cater for
events.
• Dance instructors are also commonplace and
many have studios above shops in the
quarter. These studios can house around
four or five couples at a time but most also
do private lessons. With so many people
looking to brush up on their steps it is
advisable to book an appointment, and the
best are fully booked for weeks.
• Dressmakers and Tailors are unsurprisingly
to be found all over the place. They are
usually hives of industry and most are used
to adapting and improving clothes as much
as making new ones. Such places come in all
shapes and sizes, ranging from a tiny room
filled with fabric, to large shops with
separate fitting and waiting rooms. Between
these shops are several fabric and
haberdasher shops that supply them, or
those who want to make their own clothes.
• Coffee shops and Bars are also quite
prevalent as well as restaurants. They are
often used as places to meet and so if you
want anything but a table for two you may
have to search around. Many of the
Restaurants serve Castillian and Eisen dishes
as well as Montaigne fare, a fair few even
specialize in it.
• Inns are found throughout the city but
especially in this quarter. They are usually
bars that rent a couple of the rooms they
have upstairs. So most are very small and a
group of Heroes might find they’ll have to
stay in a hotel or spread their group among
two or more inns. There are only about five
proper hotels in the town and four are in this
quarter (The Grand, The Elegance, The
Palace and The Elite). The fifth (The
Paradise) is located in the Merchant’s
Quarter and usually caters to wealthy
merchants who need to stay in town to do
business. All the hotels are expensive (1-2
wealth points a week) and very well
appointed.
• Matchmakers usually have their offices in
this quarter too. While the best have their
own estates and invite clients there, the
lower and mid range matchmakers rent a
small office in town (a few of the wealthier
ones do the same but never invite clients
there). The charges vary from matchmaker to
matchmaker, but most charge a small fee to
add you to their client list, and another fee to
make an introduction. Those who charge
more to add you to their client list tend to be
con artists who do nothing once you’ve
handed over the cash. They simply declare no
one was interested if you ask why nothing
has happened. So it is best to only use one
that has been recommended. Matchmakers
who need to tout for trade are often found
haunting the hotels seeking clients. Those
who do often do deals with each other to
connect their client lists so they might find
matches. So the foyers of the hotels are often
a hive of matchmakers doing deals to
exchange names like stocks and shares.
The Assembly Rooms
One of the best ways to get people together is a ball.
Unfortunately, such events were usually located at
the matchmaker’s (or a noble) estate out of town,
taking the tourists with it. So the town council
decided to invest in a new ballroom in the center of
town that could be hired for events. These ‘Assembly
Rooms’ have proved extremely popular. Not only are
they centrally located and comparatively cheap to
hire, but also quite lavishly appointed.
The building is entered through a small foyer that
leads into the main ballroom. This huge room is hung
with chandeliers and supported with great columns
along the sides. These columns serve to frame the
dance floor and create side areas for people to meet
and chat. A small stage at the far end has more than
enough space for a collection of musicians. Behind
the main ballroom is a small suite of rooms for the
use of performers and guests.
Above the main ballroom are two smaller dance halls
that can also be used as general function rooms.
Both access a wide balcony that overlooks the main
ballroom. For larger functions, these rooms become
‘VIP areas’, but they are often hired out separately.
The Assembly rooms are rarely empty. Every weekend
and evening there will be some sort of event going on
there. During the daytime there are ‘tea dances’ or
open lessons by some of the town’s dance teachers.
The Hospital
During the War of the Cross a row of small houses
were knocked through to create a more permanent
hospital to receive wounded from the front. The
building was made up of about 6 houses, whose
joining walls were broken down as much as possible
to create several wards. After the war, there wasn’t
quite the same need for large scale hospitalization
and the building became vacant. However, a few of
the local doctors decided to keep the place going.
They negotiated with the town council to be allowed
to keep half the building (the other half was sold off
and refurbished) as long as they offered their
services to the town for a reduced rate.
So the hospital is open to all who are in need. It has
more than enough beds, and the upstairs floor
divides into two wards, one for the wounded and one
for those who are ill. The lower floor has a waiting
room and a couple of consultancy rooms for the
doctors as well as a basic pharmacy.
There are five doctors who serve the hospital in
rotation, offering a reduced rate here for accident
and emergency or a consultation. Each can be seen
privately at their homes for their full fee (and each
has a collection of patients that prefer to use them,
or simply don’t like to wait). The doctors are:
• Henri and Ariette Valont – a husband and
wife who argue passionately about which
treatments to use.
• Ayodele M’Gala – an Ilfri woman who uses
many strange herbs and charms in her work
• Danielle Nevoyent – an old woman who
charges more if the injuries were caused by
doing something stupid
• Marcel Nisoir – a very attractive young man
who sets hearts a flutter, but whose youth
means many don’t trust his judgement.
• Victor Avion – a skilled surgeon who has
little or no bedside manner and no time for
fools
Important People in Vergogne
There are plenty of people to meet in Vergogne, from
tourists to residents. In general the town is a friendly
place, as most people you come across are locals
offering to sell you something or tourists asking for
advice or looking to make an acquaintance. Most
tourists are young people looking for love or to enjoy
the soirees and festivals. In many cases they are
firmly chaperoned by an elder relative or two.
However, groups of young men or young women
often come here together, although this is a
little shocking. Such groups are often
responsible for drunken and lewd behavior,
especially when they meet.
Father Pierre de Royenne - Priest
The Vaticine priest who started all this
twenty years ago is now getting on a
bit. Nevertheless, he continues to do
what he can for the town and minister
to the faithful as much as he can.
However, the usual community duties of
being a priest have taken a backseat to
performing marriage ceremonies. Not only is
his church a popular venue, but for many
couples, only Father Pierre will do.
While he used to look forward to marriages,
he now performs them almost every day. He
is pretty bored of them, but more
importantly feels he is not serving the real
community the way he should. He had a
couple of trainee priests to help with the
work, but since L’Empereur’s edict, they
have been recalled to Vaticine City. What
he really needs is a group of people he
can trust to bring the word of Theus to
those in need across the town…
Camille Buchamp - Civil Servant
Those who meet this young merchant’s
daughter rarely suspect she actually
runs Vergogne. While she holds no
title, she has quietly made herself the
essential secretary for every aspect
of town governorship. Originally
taken on to help organize the
paperwork, she has become a one
woman civil service. Many of the town councilors
will happily just sign anything she puts in front of
them. While she has no direct power over the watch,
she took on the job of organizing them and they all
look to her as their leader, even though she has
never held a sword in her life.
While quite serious and bookish, Camille secretly
nurses a very romantic nature. She is concerned her
youth is passing her by, but does love her work and
worries that no one will do it properly if she doesn’t
do it. Nevertheless, she does wish a dashing young
gentleman will sweep her off her feet (but have the
intelligence to become her partner in running the
town). However, she always pushes such thoughts
aside as silly romantic notions that a sensible girl
wouldn’t entertain.
Belvedere - Duellist
Usually dressed in black, and sporting a morose
expression, the man known as Belvedere can
usually be found in one of the inns around
the Dressmaker’s Quarter. Those who know
his reputation refer to him behind his back
as the ‘chevalier d’amour’ despite his gruff
and dark demeanor. While Belvedere is a
duelist for hire like any other, he also
specializes in romantic revenge. Those who
have been jilted, cuckolded or abused by their
paramours have found his services very useful.
Simply put, he gets revenge for lovers, and he
is very good at it. He makes sure that those he
is employed to chastise suffer an
unforgettable lesson, for he is as inventive as
he is vindictive in his justice.
Some have made the mistake of asking
Belvedere why he chooses the life he has. If
they are lucky, this very private individual
will simply break one of their limbs. Most
people assume he was unlucky in love long
ago, but if this is true the details are lost to
everyone but Belvedere himself.
Madeleine De Riviere - Agent
Madelaine was originally brought up in
Vodacce as a very low ranking member
of the nobility (who was glad not to be
‘blessed’ with Sorte). It was there she
became involved with Sophia’s
Daughters when a Fate Witch cousin
of hers needed help to escape.
From there she has served
the secret society across
Théah. Now she ranks as one of
their more trusted agents, she has settled in
Vergogne to manage more permanent arrangements
for helping women of Vodacce make new lives.
Officially she acts as an agent for merchants, finding
them guards and transport for their goods in
caravans or on ships. As such she slips her own
people into these retinues and fugitive women as
servants or among the cargoes. She is very good at
her job, and well respected in the town as she always
does right by the merchants who employ her. She is
always looking for a few Heroes who know to look the
other way at the right time and can be trusted to get
the job done.
Reggie Le Museau - Gossip
This street hawker can be found wherever there are
tourists to scam. His business changes depending on
his fortunes. It might be selling stolen pasties one
day, running games of ‘find the lady’ another or
selling flowers the next. But the most useful thing
Reggie does is keep his eyes and ears open. Many
people tip him a few coins to share what he
overhears and he always makes a point of listening to
the right people. He is also pretty adept at knowing
who to offer information to and how to elicit a few
coins for that intelligence.
Pretty much every secret society uses Reggie now
and again, as do most of the political elite. While
Reggie hasn’t got rich, he does earn more money
than anyone suspects. As such he also maintains a
whole other identity as a gentleman called ‘Allain
Renard’, and dresses as ‘Reggie’ to maintain his
‘street profile’. The two identities look so different, no
one has yet managed to connect the two.
Lady Desiree Chatelaine – Matchmaker
Lady Chatelaine is the premier matchmaker in
Vergogne, a position she has had to work hard for.
She no longer advertises her services, as those who
can afford her have all heard of her. Potential clients
should ask for an interview by letter, or be
recommended by someone in society. Upon such
recommendation or acceptance, she invites the client
to take tea with her at her large house just on the
edge of the city. After this interview she will decide if
there is anything she thinks she can do for you, and
if so you will be invited to become one of her clients.
Lady Chatelaine offers two levels of service, both of
which are only for the wealthy. For three Wealth
points she will add you to her client list. This means
you will get invited to all the best parties and she will
arrange no more than one meeting a week with a
potential paramour. Such meetings are only ever with
people she believes will make a good match, she
never puts people together just to ‘make up the
numbers’.
Those who want her upgraded service can pay 8
Wealth points to become a premier client. This grants
the same bonuses as before, but VIP access to all the
parties you attend. You will also be introduced to any
new people on her books before anyone else. But
most importantly, she will use her considerable
influence to arrange for good matches to be brought
to Vergogne from across Théah (although willingly of
course!).
Festivals and Soirees
While most towns and cities have their own festivals, The Promenade
Vergogne has a few more than usual. This is mainly
because festivals draw crowds and bring tourists to In the middle of summer, when the weather is more
the area. They also make good times to meet new predictable, the local tailors and dressmakers
people which helps the various matchmakers do their organize ‘The Promenade’. This festival is essentially
work. For this reason not a day passes without a one large fashion show. Each shopkeeper hires the
dance or a ball or party of some form taking place most attractive men and women they can find to wear
somewhere. In addition to the following, the town their clothes and promenade around the Avenue.
also celebrates all the usual Vaticine festivals, These models hand out pamphlets advertising the
although since L’Empereur’s edict they are a little creator of their outfit. As the most attractive models
more downplayed. So if your Heroes arrive in town at often bring in the most new trade for the tailor or
the right time, they might find themselves in the dressmaker, competition is fierce. The best models
middle of one of these can inspire a bidding war that can be very lucrative
events. for the model. Many people come to
this festival just to see the clothes
Les Labyrinthe de as the creators work hard to outdo
l’Imagination each other. Impressing the right
noble visitor during this festival can
Four times a year, at the bring riches to a lucky tailor or
start of each season (so dressmaker.
around early March, May,
August, September and The Festival of the Sea
December) a small group
On midsummer’s day every year,
of wealthy art enthusiasts
the oldest festival in Vergogne takes
calling themselves ‘The
place, celebrating its patron saint,
Curators’ put on a small
St Therese.
art show. These shows
always follow a theme A week before the festival, a young
relating to the coming girl is chosen to represent St
season and celebrate new Therese as ‘The Queen of the Sea’.
and local artists as much Generally the candidates are
as possible. The art chosen from any girl in town who
shows are called ‘Mazes turns 16 that year. Popular wisdom
of the Imagination (‘Les insists that is the age of St Therese
Labyrinthe de when she met the prophet, although
l’Imagination’) as the it is impossible to know! However,
Curators try to create a some years there hasn’t been a girl
maze of art. of the right age so those of 15 or
17 are considered. In this way
Each show is set up in a
some girls have served in the role
small house in the
twice or even thrice.
Dressmaker’s Quarter,
where the show occupies While it is meant to celebrate the
every room. Art is placed brightest and best of the youth of
all over the building and visitors are encouraged to the village, given the girl is chosen by the town
explore the house and discover the paintings and council, it is usual for their daughters, nieces and
sculptures for themselves. grandchildren to get selected no matter who is
available.
The show usually goes on for a week and is quite
popular, so it is open 24 hours a day. It is rare to be Most girls in the town look forward to the chance to
alone at any time, and one of the Curators is always become the Queen of the Sea as it is a great honor.
on had to act as host or hostess. Some years are She is also gifted with a dress to wear on formal
better than others depending on what art is available. occasions. This dress is always blue (to represent the
Almost all the paintings and sculptures are also sea) and usually quite plain in style but often made
available for sale, and the Curators act as agents for with much embroidery. A new dress is made for each
the artists in any transactions. Queen and the dressmaker who is commissioned to
do it gets a healthy payment from the council. Given
the changing styles of Montaigne opinion is always
divided about the style of the dress, with some
Queens thinking it is the most beautiful thing they
have seen, and others not wanting to be seen dead in
it.
While the Queen of the Sea is expected to officiate at
several balls and functions, her main task is to be the
center of the Festival of the Sea. This festival
celebrates the way St Therese was granted such luck
in fishing, and is a way for the fishermen of Vergogne
to give thanks and bless the catch for the year.
In the festival, the Queen of the Sea receives a
blessing from the local priest (representing the First
Prophet) and then sets out with the fishing boats. She
is expected to pray for Theus’ blessing while the fleet
fishes, but once at sea how seriously she takes this
duty depends on the girl in question. When they
return, she walks the Avenue with a cart full of fish,
and hands out these fish to anyone in the crowd
(ideally the poor but anyone can come and get a fish
from her). Once the fish arrive at the merchant’s
quarter an impromptu fish market springs up with
prices subsidized by the city. This makes the market
very cheap and therefore very well attended.
While the residents of the town love the festival, it is
not popular with the tourists and romance industry.
Staying Fashionable in Théah
If you are looking to find romance, dressing well can
be crucial, for men and women. While there are many
clothing styles across the nations of Théah, a few
general rules hold true. So here we will be looking
not at whether mauve or green are in or out, but how
what garments go to make up an outfit for your Hero
and what they will need to replace if their clothing is
covered in holes after a duel. You can decide how
much, if any, of the following you want to adopt for
your campaign, depending on how important you
want fashion and clothing to be.
Originally, fashion first began with the rise of the
merchant classes. The nouveau riche merchants of
the new ‘middle class’ wanted to ape the nobility in
any way they could, using their money to prove their
equality. The best way to do that was to wear the
same things the nobility wore. When the nobility saw
they were being copied, they bought new clothes, so
the merchants did the same and so it continues
today. Often the merchants could afford more than
the nobles, so the fashion couldn’t change too much
or the nobles might be left behind! Additionally, like
etiquette, fashion is designed to keep out the
pretenders. If you ensure fashionable clothing is
For a start, the festival ties up the Avenue for most of
the day. But more importantly it makes the whole
area smell of fish for a couple of days and trade in
the shops is always down. Many of the retailers have
tried to get the festival banned or moved, but their
pleas fall on deaf ears.
The Winter Wine Festival
After the busy time of harvesting the grapes around
September, by early January the local wines are
ready to be bottled and sold. So around this time,
Vergogne becomes the center for local growers to
bring samples of their wine to town hoping to interest
merchants and shopkeepers. All along the Avenue,
stalls get set up with offerings of all the local wines,
and a few bottles to sell as well. With the whole town
in the mood for drinking, the inns and bars open late
and several parties and ‘private tasting sessions’ are
held across the town.
The festival lasts around a week but it is popular with
everyone and a good time to visit. Those who have
been drinking a lot (as most of the town does during
this time) tend to let their guard down and their
moral compass gets a little more relaxed. So, plenty
of people choose this rather ‘loose’ time to see if they
can find a paramour in the City of Romance.
expensive, and the rules complicated, only a certain
class of person will be able to afford it or have time
to research it. So expensive fabrics, as well as time
consuming embroidery and lace are all commonly
part of a fashionable outfit
Most fashions follow the ruler of the court, and what
they decide to wear sets the trend. Usually this is
driven upon gender lines, the ladies wish to copy the
Queen, and the gentlemen look to the King. However
a particularly stylish individual can set the trend
themselves. Maybe they dress the ruler themselves or
they just always look good. Crown princes and
princesses are a favorite as this sort of fashion
leader. They usually have a younger style to their
dress, but are high enough up the social scale not to
upset the ruler by setting the trend.
So where do you go to get an outfit for a ball or
salon, and how much does it cost? Sadly in Théah
there are no ‘off the peg’ clothing stores. Everything
is handmade and tailored to fit. What is helpful
though is that the undergarments are usually the
same and, to Thean eyes anyway, mass-produced.
Under shirts are made in plentiful supply and are
baggy enough to usually fit most people in categories
of small medium or large. Men and women often wear
similar undershirts, with the ladies adding an
underskirt and a corset. This means that the odors
and dirt of the day are absorbed by the
undergarments, which are changed, but the over
clothes are worn day in day out (which in Théah
doesn’t smell as bad as it might in our world!).
So a gentleman might have a travelling jacket
and trousers, and a formal jacket and trousers,
but he would carry several shirts. While ladies
clothing can be more complicated, it follows the
same lines, so the lady will only need to carry
one or two dresses on her travels.
For the noble in town it is a different
matter. One set of nice clothes will just
not do, they will need several to show
how wealthy they are! But they have
the time and money to visit the
tailor and wait for him to complete
their new clothes. Adventurers are
not often in one place long enough to
have clothes made and fitted for them. They
can usually visit a tailor and pick up a shirt
or two, and have the sword holes in their
jacket stitched up. But they don’t have long
enough to stay for a fitting or wait a month
for the result.
In this case, many tailors can refit a jacket
or dress to follow the latest fashions. A
little more lace round the collar, a sash
around the waist and a new lining can
adapt most garments to the current
mode. This takes a lot less time, and
is the best way to fit an adventurer
for court. However the more sharp
eyed nobles can spot an adapted
garment at several feet and will
gossip quietly about it with distain.
Fashion bonus
If you have the time and money to
have proper fashionable clothes
made (see later), their appeal can add
to your standing. Great tailors and
seamstresses are very sought after and
jealously guarded by the nobility. In
general it costs a lot more money to
hire a more talented tailor, but such
expense grants the clothing a
‘fashion bonus’. This can range from
+1 to +3 and grants an extra raise
(per bonus) to social rolls with
those who might be impressed by such
things.
However, this bonus only applies to one social
occasion. Impressive outfits get remembered, and it
would be gauche to be seen in it twice. So unless you
are in a crowd where no one has seen this outfit
before, it gains you nothing. Unfortunately, you also
gain no bonus if you turn up to the next
occasion in anything that does not yield the
same bonus as last time. Not being able to
maintain fashion is nearly a bad as not
managing it at all. I’m sure we mentioned how
expensive fashion is to maintain!
Understanding Fashion
While dressing well can gain you a bonus
in courtly or formal circumstances, not
being fashionable can be a severe
penalty. Even if your outfit is not going
to turn heads for the right reasons,
you don’t want it to turn heads for the
wrong ones. So you need to know the
fashions for the place you are in to make
sure you don’t make any sartorial faux
pas.
Usually this just means asking around
“so, what are you wearing to the ball
tomorrow night?”. Most tailors or
seamstresses will know the current
fashions intimately and for a small fee
will bring you up to date (but this is
unnecessary if they are commissioned to
make an outfit for you!). Otherwise you
will need to spend a little while walking to
town to see what the nobles are wearing.
This requires you to make a Panache +
Notice roll. You usually only need one
raise to succeed, but you will need a
second one if you are in a different
country to your nationality, and another if
you are not well born.
Raises gained beyond this can be used to
reduce the time it takes to find out this
information. But they can also be used
for players to add a few touches about
what is fashionable at the moment, such
as ‘flowers are in, but not roses’ ‘purple
is fashionable but only for merchants’ or
‘bare shoulders are in, but not too bare
or your reputation is in danger!’.
Getting Dressed
Anyone who knows what to wear can still
make an impression even if they haven’t
spent a lot of money. On the assumption
you are dressing fashionably, and wearing
clothes appropriate to the level of the occasion,
you may make a fashion roll depending on what you
want your outfit to say about you this evening:
Use Panache + Tempt if you are aiming to look
alluring and sexy
Use Panache + Convince if you want to appear to be a
better station than you are.
Use Panache + Intimidate if you wish to appear
dangerous or not to be trifled with
Use Panache + Empathy if you wish to fade into the
background and remain unnoticed
Use Panache + Perform if you want to be the belle of
the ball and cause conversation about your outfit
As before, you need to make one raise to dress well,
another if you are not from the right nation and a
further raise if you are not nobility. Otherwise the
raises you gain can be used during the social
occasion as hero points for any circumstance that
your style of dress will help. For instance, if you
dressed using Panache + Empathy, you can use your
bonus hero points when trying to hide or eavesdrop.
Buying Clothes
Now you know what you are looking for, you need to
hit the shops! The following are rough costs and
detail on the various garments available in Théah. We
offer a general description rather than a definitive
one. So the Game Master may amend the detail here
depending on the nation the Heroes find themselves
in. The costs here are for a whole outfit, but if the
Game Master wants to get deeper into fashion in their
game they might insist outfits have to be bought one
garment at a time.
The costs for outfits that grant fashion bonuses are
listed as well. Unfortunately these masters of the
craft are often jealously guarded, and players may
have to work hard for a patron to be allowed to make
use of their tailor. Many patrons will be happier for
you to marry their daughter! This is all because
making expensive clothes takes time, and if the tailor
or dressmaker is working for someone else, they are
not working of your outfit.
However the GM may allow the players to come
across an undiscovered talent, who will be much
cheaper. Introducing the work of a new seamstress
or tailor to court could be a campaign in itself. The
established masters of the craft never take kindly to
an interloper, and the people who rely on their skill
are powerful indeed.
Second to the cost of clothing, is the time needed to
create them. If the buyer wants the outfit quickly they
can pay twice as many Wealth points to have it
finished in two thirds of the time it normally takes.
This is the extra cost required to get the tailor to put
aside all other work and prioritize a particular client.
If two nobles are using the same tailor and both need
their garments quickly the gleeful tailor may institute
a bidding war, although that can lose them both
customers.
Some ladies may choose to wear gentleman’s
fashions. There is no problem if they do. With
everything tailor made, if a lady wants a pair of
trousers, she can buy a pair of trousers. The
measurements will just be a little different. It is
common enough that any decent tailor will know how
to modify their basic pattern to suit either gender.
The following detail gives a rough description of the
various garments that go into making up an outfit.
Gentleman’s Garments
Shirt & Underwear – Men’s underwear is quite
simple, but with the shirt likely to be on show their
underwear can be quite elaborate. On their bottom
half, men usually wear a ‘braies’ or ‘chausses’, both
a kind of tied-on pair of hose.
Trousers – This item is pretty standard, and is more
like a pair of leggings compared to its modern
counterpart. The trousers are usually tucked into
boots in most fashions, except in court when wearing
shoes. Some gentlemen such as Highlanders and
Vesten wear kilts, which is functionally much the
same as a skirt.
Jacket – This is a short jacket as favored mainly in
Vodacce. It is worn over a shirt, but some men go
without a jacket in hot weather, or when dueling.
Coat – Much like a jacket, the coat is simply a little
longer as favored in Avalon and Montaigne.
Cloak – While styles may differ, this item is
essentially the same for men and women. More
expensive versions use furs and thicker materials.
Travelling versions are extremely thick and durable.
Hat – Another unisex and common item. These come
in all shapes and styles and are common wear for
men and women.
Boots/Shoes – Both these items usually cost the
same. Boots use more leather, but shoes are more
formal and usually better made. Men tend to wear
boots more often, but many court functions in
Montaigne especially require shoes.
Ladies Garments
Undershirt/Underskirt - Ladies underwear in this age
is many and varied. However this simplifies to a
simple undershirt and/or a plain shift. Women may
also wear a braies like the men under her skirts to
keep her legs warm. Travelling versions are made of
tough cotton, with more expensive ones adding lace
edging. Very expensive versions will be made in silks
and other fine fabrics. Even if no one is going to see having a full outfit made by a tailor or seamstress, so
them they are more comfortable, but some risqué the Game Master may offer a discount for just a skirt
fashions call for the underwear to show a little. Some or jacket etc. But if you are having an expensive
ladies clothes require certain underwear to hold their piece of clothing made, you will probably need the
shape. Hoops, panniers and bustles are often worn whole outfit so it all matches!
under a dress to widen the skirt or accentuate the
Travelling – Plain and hard wearing. This is the
hips depending on the fashion. However, to keep
standard most adventurers will want as it will last.
things simple, these items are considered part of the
They cost no wealth points to acquire. However, you
cost of the dress.
can spend 1 Wealth point on your travelling clothes
Corset – This item of underwear deserves a special to make sure they are good quality and long lasting.
mention. While it is usually functional, some ladies Travelling clothes can be made in a day or two from
can afford to buy extremely expensive versions. The commonly available materials.
courtesans of Vodacce do not
cover their corsets, and the
fashion has cropped up in other
places from time to time. The
better the quality the better the
boning and the longer it will last
and maintain the figure. More
expensive versions also use
better padding, making them a
lot more comfortable.
Top/Skirt – Lower class
garments for women are usually
made as separates. The top is
designed mainly to cover the
corset and shoulders, and the
skirt reaches usually to the
ground from the hips, but may
cover the bottom of the corset as
well. Each separate is easier to
wash that a full dress, and with
the option to mix and match, a
lower class woman can add at
least a little bit of style to an
outfit if she wants to. While tops
and skirts can be made in any quality, a dress/gown
should usually be worn to high ranking formal
Standard – Fit to be ‘Sunday best’. This item isn’t
occasions.
high fashion, but is more stylish than travelling
Dress – The dress has remained unchanged as an clothes. Cheap but more colorful fabrics are used,
item of fashion for many years, even if it has never with occasionally lace and embroidery. This is the
been quite the same. In some cultures a dress is not standard ‘formal’ apparel for adventurers, but not
one item, but made and worn as a top and a skirt, good enough to pass as a noble. It costs 1 Wealth
even though the two often look like one piece. point to have a complete outfit made in this standard,
and it takes about a week in total to make. All heroes
Boots / Shoes – These are no different to their male of at least average birth will begin the game with one
equivalent. In general ladies wear boots to work in outfit of this quality.
and shoes on formal occasions.
Fine – This is the minimum level of attire you can
Levels of Expense wear at court. Usually expensive fabrics are used, but
All outfits have a certain quality that determines their they go easy on the heavily fashionable elements.
cost and construction time. The Game Master may This means it can often be worn regardless of
insist this time increases if more embroidery or the current fashion. Each outfit of Fine quality clothing
like is called for. Usually the extra time involves costs 2 Wealth points to acquire. It usually takes 4
crafting more complicated patterns or doing fiddly days to make.
detail. The following costs are designed to cover
Elegant – Elegant garments stand out, usually for a
signature aspect that is made to impress, such as a
nice embroidery panel or twist of fabric. This outfit is
so well made it grants a +1 fashion bonus. It will cost
4 Wealth points and takes a week to make.
Inspiring – These are highly noteworthy garments
that are both wearable and hit the fashion right on
the nose without being obvious. This outfit is so well
made it grants a +2 fashion bonus. It will cost 6
Wealth points and take two weeks to make.
Exquisite – These items are timeless classics. No
matter what the fashion, this will impress any
gathering. This outfit is so well made it grants a +3
fashion bonus. It will cost 10 Wealth points and take
a month to make.
If you wish to have an article of clothing altered, it is
a lot less expensive. It will generally cost 2 Wealth
points to improve an outfit to the next level of
expense and about a day for each Wealth point spent.
However, Inspiring and Exquisite outfits can only be
made to order, you cannot upgrade to this level.
Finding Romance
We can’t complete a look at the City of Romance,
without a few words on making romantic plots in 7th
Sea. In the real world, marriage was a business
affair; love had nothing to do with it. This is often the
case in 7th Sea as well. But in the romantic
atmosphere of Théah, marriage often occurs for love,
and love can more than often occur without
marriage! If you have chosen the Romance option for
your Hero’s Story, this section should give you a few
more hints about how to develop it. But even if you
haven’t there is no reason not to create and follow a
romantic sub-plot for your character.
Any noble Heroes will be under a lot of pressure to
marry and carry on the family line. Some may find
themselves married to a spouse they have rarely met
‘for the good of the family’. In story terms this can be
a wonderful opportunity. Does the couple find love
after being thrown together, or perhaps tragically do
one or both of them fall for someone else? This is
especially likely for Vodacce Heroes, and it is a good
way to allow a Fate Witch to travel. If she is married
to one of the other Heroes, she is able to adventure
with her husband.
Remember that romantic plots don’t have to involve a
PC getting together with an NPC. Player Heroes can
find love together as well, and with all the adrenaline
and excitement of adventure it is sometimes hard not
to!
Wear and Tear
Clothing doesn’t last, and it lasts a lot less time when
the wearer keeps getting into fights. You may want to
keep track of how badly weathered your clothes are,
as it has an effect on what your heroes look like and
when they need to go shopping again.
Like people, clothes suffer Dramatic Wounds.
Essentially, if they are being worn when their wearer
suffers a Dramatic Wound, they do too. Any piece of
clothing that offers a bonus stops doing so if it
suffers any wounds. Otherwise most clothing is
wrecked after taking four Dramatic Wounds.
Travelling clothes can take 6 Dramatic Wounds, and
quality Travelling Clothes can take 10. Repairs don’t
usually cost Wealth points but take an hour of work
for each wound to ‘heal’. After being repaired for the
first time all garments drops one level of quality. The
Game Master is free to decide when a piece of
clothing has been so patched it can no longer be
saved. Duels have been fought when master
swordsmen finally lose their favorite jacket to
another’s blade.
Even low born Heroes will be under pressure to find a
partner, but most people want to do that anyway.
Romance is as much a staple of the genre as sword
fighting. D’artagnan gets involved in the plots of the
Cardinal because he fancies one of the Queen’s
ladies in waiting. The Scarlet Pimpernel has to hide
his secret identity from a wife he loves, who is
beginning to tire of his foppish mask. Your Heroes
will likely be seeking romance, so don’t be afraid of
it.
We should also mention that while romantic plots
might be a great way to flirt with other members of
your group in game, any romance that happens in
the game is doing only that. Don’t confuse love
between characters as potential romance between
players. This is especially true if one of you isn’t
single, and even more so if their partner doesn’t
game. They may not understand how your character’s
relationship is nothing to worry about, when their
exploits are filled with passionate romance. As usual,
show a little empathy and make sure everyone is on
the same page before you creep anyone out.
Romance and relationships can bring both
excitement and drama to a game. We are driven to
our greatest heights and deepest lows through love.
Paramours can be a supportive influence and a
moral compass, but equally bring a need for
compromise and consideration, and possibly even be
a bad influence the Hero is too blind to see.
While romance can be anywhere and everywhere, we
don’t all fall for the same people. So you should take
a moment to decide what sort of person your Hero is
attracted to. Do they look for a shy and retiring type,
or someone who can out drink them? Do they like
male, female or non-binary lovers, or even a little of
each? Do they only look for beauty or is it the mind
that most attracts them? Blonde brunette or red
head? Swordsman or sorceress? The choices and
possibilities are endless, and you can be as specific
as you like. However, even with all this it is quite
reasonable for you to decide they have just fallen for
someone. We can all be taken by surprise in love,
when a casual glance turns to a lingering look and
you just connect to someone in a way you don’t truly
understand.
Whoever you look for, you hope the feelings are
returned. You may need to woo the object of your
affection, but a dashing Hero might find themselves
the object of another’s ardor. Don’t be limited to
romance only going one way. NPCs can fall in love as
easily as PCs. While there is drama and adventure in
trying to impress the object of your affection, some
people just click. Sadly, some people never see their
love requited. So while a romantic game might see
everyone find someone, many may have to suffer a
broken heart (perhaps even several) before they find
someone who returns their affections. A few
tragedies on the path of love will make the final
destination more rewarding.
Once you have a paramour, the fun doesn’t have to
stop. If there are barriers to their relationship (from
their family, or perhaps their spouse!) these barriers
will have to be overcome. Such adventure need not be
a solo affair as any Hero might need the help of their
friends to arrange secret meetings and keep the
relationship hidden. You should also remember that
the path of love is not smooth. Even people who love
each other can get paranoid or possessive, or have
very different ideas about the relationship. Does one
partner adhere to standard gender roles, or insist on
going against them? Does one partner feel that some
things are fine for romance but not in marriage? Will
the excitement of courtship make marriage seem pale
and mundane, or will a shallow tryst be given depth
by a more permanent promise?
Plenty of couples fight, in fact it is a bit suspect if
they don’t at least a little bit. Lovers can often be a
little jealous, even in a healthy relationship. Those
troubles can create very entertaining role play scenes
as you try to prove your love, settle the demands or
expectations of a paramour, or try to keep a few
secrets from them, like how late you were really out
for last night. Relationships are a minefield of trust
and anxiety on both sides. After all, most of us never
quite believe this amazing person could really love
someone like us. Perhaps the hardest thing is to
really believe yourself worthy of those we love, or
quite believe our luck to have found them.
By now, you should have an idea of who your hero
might be attracted to. Remember that while
commonality is a good place to build a relationship,
opposites also attract. Many couples make up for
each other’s weaknesses and need each other’s
strengths.
But if you are still thinking, or just want a few
starting places, here are a few potential paramours
your Heroes might cross paths with. They are listed
as male or female, but feel free to mix and match:
Female Paramours
1. Gabrielle, the Jenny who refused to charge you
that night
2. Sarah, the waitress at the local tavern, who always
smiles at you when she brings your drink
3. Denevra, the mysterious beauty who won’t tell you
anything except when you can meet again
4. Eva, the sailor who dragged you to her room that
night
5. Minnette, the maid who sighs when you leave the
house of her mistress
6. Arielle the Musketeer, who has fancied you since
you dueled.
7. Collette, the shy but quick witted girl, who you
talked with for hours at the ball
8. Isabelle, the sorceress who you found yourself
mysteriously drawn to
The Vaticine Wedding Ceremony
If all this romance goes well, your Hero may find
themselves getting married (or looking to run from
it…). Most wedding ceremonies the world over are
pretty much the same. The bride and groom promise
to stay together before a priest or official. He then
blesses the union and declares them legally wed.
Weddings are full of plot ideas, just go to one in real
life and look around you! Bitter exes, family dramas,
last ditch declarations of love, old secrets coming to
light and drunken antics can make then a very lively
time. So you are cheating yourselves if your group
doesn’t role-play out the happy occasion should it
come about.
The ceremony itself will depend a little on the religion
of the couple. So to give you a starting point, we
present the Vaticine version of the ceremony. This
9. Eleanor, the courtier who smiled at you from
behind her fan
10. Nina, the princess who held your gaze all night,
even when dancing with other men
Male Paramours
1. Allain, the beggar who rescued you from street
thugs and tended your wounds
2. Estaban, the sailor who knows all the best bars,
and how to show a girl a good time
3. Jerome, the man servant who flirts with you every
time you meet
4. Boris, the barman whose strong hands seem
gentle and kind when he holds your hand
5. Marcus, the swordsman whose cynical rudeness
oddly makes you want him more.
6. Magritte, the quiet duelist, whose silence intrigues
you
7. Victor, the musketeer who treats you with far more
respect and distance than you’d like.
8. Alejandro, the fop who sends you a ton of flowers
each day
9. Oswald, the dashing courtier your sister married,
who smiles too often at you.
10. Pietro, the dark eyed prince who danced only
with you at the ball
forms the basis of most other Thean ceremonies, and
is the most ritualized. The Objectionist version uses
much the same language but cuts out all the ritual
and ceremony as much as possible. Below is the
basic ceremony, but there are many superstitions
that can adapt it.
The ceremony begins with the Groom waiting in the
church with his best man. He or his father must
kneel before the priest and ask for the attendance of
Theus at his wedding.
Groom: Holy Father, I humbly ask that Theus watch
over this, my wedding day.
Priest: Theus watches us always my son. Let your
bride come forward that you may present yourselves
before his grace.
The groom then goes to the church door and opens it sinful truth should speak it openly and before those
as a sign for the bride to enter, and returns to his here present now, lest it burn in his heart and taint
position in front of the priest. The bride enters the union of these two blessed souls. So if any here
shortly after in the company of her father and present know of any lawful and just reason why this
bridesmaids. While she usually takes her time union is unfit for the blessing of Theus, they must
walking up the aisle, it is considered bad form for the speak it aloud now.
groom to turn to look at her until she has arrived at
There is a pause for objections.
the altar. This means he won’t get a look at her
before she gets there, or know if she is coming at all! In some ceremonies the priest calls three times, one
for each prophet, for any objections to be voiced. He
Another tradition linked to this is that the mother of
uses the words –
the bride or other close female relation comes up the
aisle first. She looks at the groom and then returns In the sight of Theus and by the wisdom of the First
to the bride waiting outside, supposedly to report that Prophet, I charge you to speak.
he is a catch. To ensure her good report the groom
offers her a small gift when she comes to check him In the sight of Theus and by the purity of the Second
out, however he is not allowed to speak to her. Prophet, I charge you to speak.
In the sight of Theus and by the fire of the Third
Together the wedding party
Prophet, I charge you to speak.
stand before the priest who
blesses the congregation as a Then until the coming of the Fourth Prophet, you are
whole. charged to keep that silence evermore.
Priest: Children of Theus. We Priest: (to bridal party) The gaze and light of Theus is
are gathered here under the upon you, and the heart and law of man has blessed
gaze of all to witness the this union. Therefore I ask you to come before me
joining of two hearts and and be joined as one.
families. May the blessings
of Theus be upon you all The Groom steps forward and turns to the bride’s
on this happy father.
occasion. Groom: I <his name> ask that I may claim the hand of
Congregation: your daughter. That I may shoulder the burden of
Thanks be to Theus. love and protection you have offered her until this
day.
Priest: Know that
in this house, and The father puts the daughter’s hand in the groom's
in all houses your hand.
hearts are open to Father: I grant you that burden and joy, freely and
the Lord who sees with all my heart before Theus.
into the deepest
parts of all men. In some traditions the father adds the following
Witness what you cheery threat. “But if you should cast aside that
see here with an burden, know that I shall come for you and deliver its
open and joyful full force upon you with the might of Theus to guide
heart, and seek not my hand.”
to interfere with
Adding these words is sometimes just traditional, and
that which our
sometimes taken as a sign that the father does not
Lord doth ordain
approve of the match.
and bless. Know
also that if there The father steps back taking his place in the
is any just congregation. The priest then looks to the bride and
reason that this groom and gets them to repeat the following to each
marriage is other. The groom goes first, then the bride.
unfit to be put
before Theus, (Exchange of Vows): I <Groom or Bride’s full name>
verily doth he take you to be my <husband/wife>. I promise to love
know, as he you, honor you and cherish you with all my heart
knows all things. always. As Theus is my witness, no other shall lay
He who holds a claim to my body and heart but you. No other shall I
stand beside but you. No other shall have my trust
and love but you. I promise here before the grace of
our Lord that we shall be forever joined as one, in
poverty as much as in bounty, in sickness as much as
in health, until death part us. This I do swear before
Theus and my family for evermore.
When both bride and groom have offered their vows
the priest ties his stole loosely around their hands.
Priest: You have come before Theus and made a
serious promise to each other before him. His light
shines upon you both, and blesses this union. You
are hereby bound as one flesh before him, made one
with each other and sealed with his glory. No force of
man may part you; no power of earth can sunder
what Theus has wrought. By the authority vested in
me under the light of Theus I pronounce before all
here present that you are husband and wife. Go forth
as one to love and serve each other under the will of
Theus. The priest unwraps his stole from their hands
and the couple leaves the church together. The
ceremony is ended and the congregation can follow
after.
A popular tradition is that of wedding rings. Only an
engagement ring is required. This is because the
bride usually comes with a dowry from her family,
which the groom’s family has access to from the
official engagement. Should the groom fail to marry
his bride, she will at least have the engagement ring
as compensation. So the ring is traditionally worth at
least a month’s worth of the groom's earnings.
Wedding rings are pretty common if they can be
afforded by the couple. Often only the bride is given a
ring, but sometimes the groom wears one as well
which is becoming more popular. If rings are to be
exchanged the ring is placed on the finger of the
recipient while their partner to be says their vows.
The exchange of vows speech is begun with:
“Let this band be a token of the love I bear thee. As a
circle never ends, so shall my love never fade. Let
this ring forever remind us both of the promise I
make to you this day.”
For the romantics the priest may also add “You may
now kiss the bride” at the end. The more traditional
couple may opt for the original version of “Let those
here present witness that you two are now one.” Both
versions have always been assumed to be an allusion
to sex. Now the couple are married they can finally
jump into bed together, although they may well have
already done so, even in 1668.
If the marriage is between two women or two men,
the language remains mostly the same but who takes
which part is up to the couple. Given Objectionists
are both more accepting and have a simpler
ceremony, theirs is easier to adapt. But it is not
unknown for a ceremony to start with two grooms or
brides in front of the priest, who take it in turn to
open the church door to bring in their partner’s
father. Alternatively, two women or men might take it
in turns to walk up the aisle, or even do so together.
Story Hooks
The Missing Lady
A very rich young lady (or gentleman!) has been summoned to Vergogne by Lady Chatelaine for a match. But she
fails to arrive. Can the heroes assist? Not only for the girl’s sake but also for the sake of the reputation of Lady
Chatelaine. The girl in question might have been abducted by highwaymen, but perhaps a lover has decided to
‘rescue her’. While the match Lady Chatelaine has in mind is a good one, perhaps there is something she doesn’t
know about her client? Either way, the girl’s parents are powerful nobles and they will not stand by idly if they get
word their daughter is missing.
The Prodigal Explorer
Much to the surprise of his widow Eloise, Gaspard returns to his coffee shop. He is suffering from several grievous
injuries and carries a strange artifact he refuses to let go of, even in his practically delirious state. While he
recovers in hiding, several cloaked men arrive and begin asking around the town for Gaspard. They even ransack
the coffee shop when Eloise refuses to admit she has seen him, although they are seen off by some locals (or
possibly the Heroes). However, the cloaked strangers insist Gaspard is suffering from a deadly curse only they have
the cure for, but they will only administer it if he hands over the device. Can they be trusted, even with Gaspard’s
life in the balance?
The Stolen Dress
The dress for the Queen of the Sea has been stolen, and the festival is only a day or two away. There is no time at
all to make a new one, can the Heroes locate the culprit and return the dress? There is no shortage of suspects.
Some think a rival dressmaker may have taken it, but others say the dress’ creator has hidden it as it isn’t finished
and they don’t want the embarrassment of being seen to have failed. Others suggest one of the girls who wasn’t
picked to be Queen of the Sea took it out of spite. But some rumors say the girl who was chosen hated the dress
and may have hidden it so she doesn’t have to wear it. It might even be a more mundane theft as the dress is worth
stealing and selling elsewhere, but perhaps someone from Pourisse is looking to mess up the Festival of the Sea
out of spite.
Making Matches
A local matchmaker approaches the Heroes and asks them to help make up the numbers on her next gathering. For
some reason they have more of one gender on their books and they are short of the other. While they aren’t paying
any money, the matchmaker is offering them free food and a chance to meet some eligible people who might strike
their fancy. The gathering in question is a buffet lunch to allow people to meet and greet, with some dancing to
help break the ice and couple people up.
Ironically there will be a problem if the Heroes actually catch the eye on anyone at the gathering. They have all paid
to be there and the Heroes have not. If the matchmaker allows some of their more well to do clients to connect with
someone like the Heroes, their reputation will suffer! So if a Hero wants to romance someone they meet, they will
have to be careful. But if they have caught the eye of someone else, they will have to find a way to politely decline.
That is unless they want to risk the ire of the matchmaker, who does know a few people who break legs for a
living…

Other Explorer’s Society titles from me

• Hearts and Harlots – Detail on the Jenny’s Guild and life as a Jenny, including a look at Brothels across
Théah, the Guild as a ‘secret society’ and new advantages and story ideas.
• Razor Sharp Dalliance – The history and use of the fan in Théah, including the mysterious fan code and
a new dueling style.
• The Wine List – A guide to the vintages and drinking habits of the nations of Théah
Coming next – Mirage – a new sorcery involving mirrors!