[While it is NOT necessary to play, see here for a rough timeline of the Temeraire series...
The Emperor's Wings - a Temeraireverse Political GSRP Signup
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[While it is NOT necessary to play, see here for a rough timeline of the Temeraire series (SPOILERS!)]
The year is 1821. Napoleon I lies on his deathbed on St. Helena from cancer, and Joseph Pachacuti Yupanqui Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, is ten years old. His mother Anahuarque Inca rules with the backing of Talleyrand and on-and-off British support (gotta maintain that balance of power). France is utterly exhausted, though while the deposition of Napoleon did lead to human backlashes against draconic freedoms in France, the continued domination of the Incan-draconic clique in Paris has made most of the Emperor's changes so far permanent. Of course, this is hardly a stable political situation - and some have begun to talk quietly about yet another revolution. The Empress-Dowager is spoken of with the same loathing that Marie Antoinette endured thirty years prior, though with the added baggage of being foreign, sometimes Austro-British backed, and frankly, having a little too much melanin in her skin for many "respectable" Frenchmen to tolerate. The hatred of her son Joseph is less intense and widespread, and mitigated by the support of Talleyrand's political machine, but the Bonaparte imperial dynasty stands on shaky ground. Many of Napoleon I's marshals and political supporters in the Senate not-so-quietly suggest that the other Joseph Bonaparte, the Comte de Survilliers, would make a better Emperor of the French… if they support the Bonapartes at all. Added to the mix is the new and vibrate draconic electorate, many of whom (thanks to war spoils) are wealthy enough to qualify for the upper tier of French politics. And under all of this, the specter of radical liberalism (lessened if not fully slaked by the liberalizing 1816 Constitution) continues to bubble under the surface. After all, the spirit of 1789 and 1792 have been suppressed, not eradicated entirely…
***
Gameplay
The gameplay is based on a genre of "election game" style GSRPs from AH.com. Basic gameplay is based on initiatives. You will have one political and one apolitical initiative each turn, this will be be able to be submitted publicly or secretly. These initiatives will be subjected to a dice roll out of 100; the higher the roll you get, the better the outcome. If you gain a trait for your character, you will get bonuses for your initiatives under specific conditions; traits however can be both positive and negative. The game will not use any other kind of stats. You can create and submit 'RP' to build immersion in the world and you will be rewarded for doing so through a bonus of up to +15 for your roll if your RP is amazing. This will be judged and marked on a case by case basis, the highest marks going to individuals who are deemed to have invested the most in their RP. Additionally, RP does not need to be related to your initiative but must simply show an effort to 'worldbuild' - though you'll a slight deduction for making it unrelated to your initiative. Some rolls will also be given bonus or negative modifiers based on how sensible or realistic they are; for example trying to legalize same-sex marriage in 1824 is, while admirable, not realistic. As such a roll of that nature will get a massive malus and will be doomed to fail. By contrast some policies that are seen as just plain obvious or that would be impossible to be seen badly may get a bonus to their roll. The game will use sliders and issues (see the next post) to demonstrate the national situation, and Governments will submit their plans to change things through spending Political Capital which will be awarded based on the length of the next turn and the various modifiers effecting the country. A "Crises" system will compliment these sliders and issues too, along with a Military Capital system aimed at making wars, revolutions, coups and civil war more realistic. There shall be an RP and trait bonus 'cap' at 30 to ensure certain individuals are not permanently guaranteed to succeed.
Initiative1825: Senator Jacques Massarde
Political: Senator Massarde will introduce the Greek Intervention Act, authorizing funds, supplies, and troops for an intervention in the Greek war of independence.
Apolitical: Senator Massarde will take the time to write a book about his experiences as an aviator during the Coalition Wars, in order to spread his ideas of martial honor and national loyalty.\
Traits: Former Aviator (+5 to all pro-military initiatives)
Political: Senator Massarde will introduce the Greek Intervention Act, authorizing funds, supplies, and troops for an intervention in the Greek war of independence.
Apolitical: Senator Massarde will take the time to write a book about his experiences as an aviator during the Coalition Wars, in order to spread his ideas of martial honor and national loyalty.\
Traits: Former Aviator (+5 to all pro-military initiatives)
The Government
Every turn, the French government (whatever form it takes) will put together an Agenda consisting of various policies. Each Government will start with a number of Political Capital or PC based on their sliders, buffs and other factors. PC can then be invested in each policy with the following cost:
Low Priority (LP): 0 PC, -10 to the Policy
Medium Priority (MP): 1PC, no effect on the policy's roll
High Priority (HP): 2PC, +5 to the Policy's Roll
Very High Priority (VHP): 4PC, +10 to the Policy's Roll
Utmost Priority (UP): 8PC, Advantage on the Policy's Roll and +5
Medium Priority (MP): 1PC, no effect on the policy's roll
High Priority (HP): 2PC, +5 to the Policy's Roll
Very High Priority (VHP): 4PC, +10 to the Policy's Roll
Utmost Priority (UP): 8PC, Advantage on the Policy's Roll and +5
In every turn, for zero PCs, each government will be able to include one Headline Policy (HP) in their agenda. Each Headline Policy receives automatic advantage (the GMs will roll 2 dice and take the higher number) and is seen as the most key priority of a government. A Headline policy can be more sweeping than other Policies in an initiative. For instance whilst a normal "High Priority" policy might be "Establish a new Healthcare System" or "Develop a New Rifle for the Army", a headline policy could be "Establish a welfare state including healthcare, social security and pensions" or "Build up our military with mass shipbuilding and army modernization". Examples of this include the New Deal under FDR, the Emancipation Proclamation under Lincoln, Privatization under Thatcher and Reagan, Reconstruction under Ulysses S. Grant and so on. This way, even when a single turn is covering as much as 5 or even 7 years, your government will still be able to achieve quite sweeping reforms and have a major impact on the timeline without dragging out individual turns or making life too hard for the GMs.
A successful Headline Policy can make an otherwise disastrous government a point of national pride, a disastrous headline policy can drag down an otherwise flawless stint in office. During wartime, this will be less important as your headline policy will almost always be some variant of "Win the War". During peacetime, however this will allow governments to set their key priorities and have a definitional place in history just like many real governments were able to achieve.
Elections
While Napoleonic France historically (and in-game) had one of the widest enfranchisements of its day - full male suffrage - it was still a system deliberately geared to concentrate power in the hands of the few, and one man in particular. As such, while forum polls will be the primary engine of electoral politics, voting is heavily weighted based on political factors. Depending on how elections go, and how our OOC turnout is, I might just switch it over to an RNG-based system with more heavy weighting. Electoral periods for the Tribunate are every five years, or (under normal circumstances) two in-game turns. The Senate does not have electoral periods, as its seats are for life, but a designated set of 80 seats are elected in special by-elections upon a Senator's death. During election years, characters can also submit election initiatives in lieu of that turn's political initiatives. These will be modified by the political situation, your traits, any relevant initiatives or legislation you have passed, and the results of the wider election. Senatorial elections will be harder to win, especially for radical candidates. (It's called the Conservative Senate for a reason!)
Legislation/Bills
This game will include an element of legislation; all players serving in the Senate, the Tribunate, or the Council of State can introduce legislation as a political initiative initiative on any turn other than those happening during an election. Legislation will have an effect that is dice rolled for effectiveness; Legislation that fails will not be rolled. Leaders of their respective parties will be able to at any time indicate how their party shall vote on each piece of legislation, they hold the right to decide this. Players individually may rebel the party position, but only through the posting of an initiative doing so and thus at the cost of a turn - as mentioned earlier this will also be rolled to determine how many rebel MPs follow your vote. Leaders who do not post how their party would vote on any bill will have their decision made by the GMs. Parties choosing to vote for something ridiculously absurd like the Legitimists voting for another Republic will be subjected to a significant negative to their average roll next election - this will affect their performance significantly.
Governing
Every turn (excluding election turns) the Government will be given conditions for the country, along with issues the Government should approach or may have to tackle that turn. The Government will then be able to respond to these issues their own way, adding RP should they wish to do so for a bonus of up to +20. Their responses and agenda will then be dice rolled individually, the performance of the Government then being written up and the outcome of their plans explained. The Government will get to set the priority of each individual plan, higher priority will get bonuses on rolls, lower will get no or negative bonuses.
***
- Government of the French Empire
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The Council of State
The Conseil d'État is an officially advisory body that now essentially acts as the Cabinet of the French Empire, selected by the Emperor (or, in this case, the Président). When the Council of State deliberates upon projects of law or regulations of public administration, two-thirds of the members of the council in ordinary service must be present for a quorum to be reached. The number of the councillors of state present cannot be less than twenty-five. The Council is divided into six sections, each ceremonially headed by one of the six Grand Dignitaries of the Empire:
- Section of legislation, headed by the Grand Elector
- Section of the interior, headed by the Archchancellor of the Empire
- Section of state, headed by the Archchancellor of State
- Section of war, headed by the Constable of the Empire
- Section of the navy, headed by the Grand Admiral
- Section of commerce and finance, headed by the Archtreasurer
The Grand Dignitaries officially serve at the pleasure of the Emperor or his Regent, though recently this has de facto become the domain of the President of the Council (Président du conseil) - a position established under Talleyrand that is the closest thing the Empire has to a chief executive outside of the Emperor. The Council's duties and powers are:
- To draft and execute legislation, to be approved by the Emperor or his representative;
- To interpret the laws of the Empire in a form of judicial review;
- To adjudicate administrative disputes and legal cases involving Imperial dignitaries;
- To see to the education and well-being of the Imperial family.
The Senate
The Sénat conservateur (literally Conservative Senate) is the upper house of the French legislature, corresponding roughly to the House of Lords in Britain or the Council of Sachems in the United States. Officially, its task is to defend and maintain the Constitution of the Empire, and is the only body outside of the Emperor's privy council who have the power to alter the Constitution (in fact, it was the Sénatus-consulte of 12 March 1816 that began the road to the Constitution of 1816). A Sénatus-consulte also has the force of law under normal circumstances, and can only be vetoed by the Emperor. Its members consist of:
- French princes who have reached their eighteenth year;
- The titular grand dignitaries of the Empire;
- Eighty members elected in the "upper" electoral tier from the list formed by the department electoral colleges;
- Citizens whom the Emperor deems suitable to be raised to the dignity of senator.
A minimum of 120 members is required for the Senate to be quorate. Members chosen from among the department electoral lists must be at least 40 years old if human, and 20 years old if a dragon. Senators are entitled to a stipend of 20,000 francs, estates and property known as sénatoreries to be awarded at the Emperor's pleasure, and should it be requested and consensually granted by the sire in question, a dragon's egg to later serve as a companion. Currently, opposition to the Imperial Loyalists is also opposition to the Senate - in the years since Napoleon I's abdication, the Regency has packed the Senate with their allies, expanding it to 142 members (nearly a fifth of which are dragons). As such, the more democratic Tribunate, fueled by the postwar backlash, has often butted heads with the Senate over the policies of Regent Talleyrand and the Empress-Dowager. The Senate is led by the President of the Senate (Président du Sénat), internally elected from among their members.
The Tribunate
Under the Constitution of 1804, a total of three legislative assemblies acted in a largely advisory role. They were, in order of prominence, the Sénat conservateur, the Tribunat, and the unimaginatively-named Corps législatif (lit. Legislative Body), a powerless holdover from the pre-Brumaire Directory. Under the Constitution of 1816, however, the Legislative Body has been dissolved entirely, and its powers have been concentrated under the auspices of the Tribunate. While previously, the Tribunate only had limited power of legislative review, the Constitution of 1816 granted them the power to propose legislation and limited power veto the laws of the Council of State - though a Tribunate veto can be overridden by the Emperor or the President of the Council. The Tribunate consists of 300 members directly elected by the department colleges from the first-tier lists, and is elected in full every five years.
Elections in the Empire
Under the Constitution of 1816 (a pragmatically-liberal modification of the previous 1804 constitution), elections to the Tribunat are two-tiered. As with the prior document, elections begin on a local level - each of the departments, through universal male and dragon suffrage, select lists of candidates for their constituency, and the final decision is thus kicked up to the departmental electoral colleges. Here, those who meet the property requirements to vote, and those who have received the Legion of Honor, make the final decision as to who will be sent to sit on the Tribunate. This "higher electorate" consists, at the moment, of approximately 300,000 of the country's land-owning men and dragons.
- Political Factions of the French Empire
- Foreign Relations
- Current Issues
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IssuesOn a spit of rock off the coast of Africa in a humble wooden house atop a hill, the first Emperor of the French lays in bed, a tumor in his stomach slowly choking the life from his body. In the garden in front of the home, a huge white behemoth lies motionless, red eyes regarding the door with resigned despair. The former duchess Lien, once companion to a Prince of China and an Emperor of France, will soon be alone once again. Her guards - three Parnassians, two Chequered Nettles, and even the old Regal Copper Laetificat - watch her motionless form in worry; they and the rest of the British establishment wonder - what will become of Lien once the Corsican ogre dies? This is a question on many minds from Britain to France to China. Lien is considered persona non grata in the latter, having been declared a traitor and an abomination in abstentia by the Daoguang Emperor, and the great powers of Europe (especially the British, who still remember Shoeburyness) are utterly loath to have the power of the Divine Wind returned to the aerial legions of France. In France itself, the reaction is mixed; while she is deeply popular with the draconic population, who lovingly refer to her as the White Queen, many Old Bonapartists (especially those in the Chevalier faction) regard her as an interloper whose ideas and influence eventually cost Napoleon the war. There is a clamor among many in Paris especially for her return to France along with the Emperor's body (also a major political issue that is expected to explode soon), but initial diplomatic talks on the subject have not been promising. Of course, all of this fails to take into account Lien's thoughts on the matter - though as it stands, she has yet to speak a word to her captors in months, and does not seem likely to change that anytime soon.
La Mort de l'Aigle
Power Vacuum
La Mort de Talleyrand, 1820
At 5:30 PM on October 9th, 1820, Prince Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Lord Regent and Président du Conseil for Emperor Joseph, was exiting the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, where he had lately been delivering a speech to the Sénat on the necessity of unity and cooler heads in these times. The great statesman then departed, accompanied by only a couple of guards and a courier-weight security dragon. But Talleyrand, always spry for his age, was walking ahead, likely mentally preparing for the show he was scheduled to see that night. Unfortunately for him, and for the nation's stability, waiting just outside the gates was former Grande Armée aviator Jacques Doirot, dressed in black and concealing a pistol in his jacket. Doirot was captain to the Grand-Chevalier Basilisc during the late war, and saw himself and his dragon grounded as the Allies swept into France following the Incan and Tswana betrayal. At 5:37, just as Talleyrand was entering the main atrium of the Luxembourg Palace, he stepped out of the throng of politicians and watching citizens and fired a shot point-blank into the President's chest. Despite a desperate attempt to run, Doirot was immediately set upon and savaged by the guard-dragon, but it was too late. Talleyrand slipped into a coma later that night and died at 10:45 AM on October 10th. His death has cast a sudden shadow over the fragile political order of post-Napoleonic France, as the different factions that he kept in check are all gearing up for a bitter political fight. With elections to the Tribunate coming this year, and with five seats in the Senate up for grabs, the opponents to the Loyalist regime are looking at both bodies with undisguised ambition. Whether the Empress Dowager, without Talleyrand's allies and support, can maintain her son's throne remains to be seen.
The Dragonet
Joseph I Pachacuti Yupanqui Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
Emperor Joseph I, Le Petit Dragon (known as The Dragonet in Britain), is only ten years old. While by all accounts a happy, healthy child, the Emperor is in a precarious political position. The death of his primary political benefactor Talleyrand has left his mother Anahuarque without the direct means of controlling the various loyalist factions, and while there is little question of the Emperor's actual legitimacy as the son of Napoleon, that has not stopped partisans of the Neapolitan Clique - those who support the ascendancy of the Comte du Survilliers to the Imperial throne - from circling like vultures. Currently, the question of the Emperor's regency and education are the primary issues facing the next government; the Council of State has a right to appoint a regent (whether he will, as with Talleyrand, also be President of the Council remains to be seen), and to decide upon the young Emperor's schooling. There is also the question of the Incan succession - should Anahuarque die before her son comes of age, will the Incan throne pass to the young Dragonet? Or will the draconic regency council in Cusco depose their foreign young king? Whatever the case, Emperor Joseph is caught between two worlds - both of whom harbor intense distrust of him and his family. It will be the duty of the loyalists to protect his throne, and the ambition of the Old Neapolitans to see him thrown off of it.
The Demographic ProblemFrance's population is stagnating - there is no avoiding it. This is not a new problem, having been identified as early as the 1780s, and while France remains the second-largest nation in Europe by population surpassed only by Russia, a rapidly industrializing Britain and a steadily expanding Prussia are both seeing population booms as a result of increased urbanization. During the wars, Napoleon I was able to tap into France's huge population for what seemed to be a limitless supply of manpower, but after twenty years of constant warfare and civil strife, the gap between France and its rivals is narrowing. Solving the demographic crisis will be a major issue for the nation in the coming years and decades, especially as the country continues to teeter on the edge of political instability.
The Haiti Question
Jean-Pierre Boyer, President of the Republic of Haiti
The French colony of Saint-Domingue, once the most profitable single piece of real estate in the French colonial empire and the crown jewel of the West Indies, erupted into a violent slave rebellion in 1791. Thousands of people - black, white, and colored - would lose their lives in the coming years of civil war as Revolutionary France vacillated over its position on the matter. Despite the government of Toussaint L'Ouverture's repeated declarations of loyalty to Paris, the truth was much more ambigouous, and then-First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte decided that placating the French West Indies lobby was closer to his own interests, leading directly to his reestablishment of slavery and the start of the infamous Leclerc Expedition. Over the course of the next several years, guerilla warfare and tropical diseases would devour army after army sent to pacify the nation, to the point where the expedition's leader Charles Leclerc wrote to Bonaparte advocating for a war of extermination, declaring that "We must destroy all the blacks of the mountains – men and women – and spare only children under 12 years of age. We must destroy half of those in the plains and must not leave a single colored person in the colony who has worn an epaulette." In that letter to Bonaparte, Leclerc also lamented his assignment, declaring "My soul is withered, and no joyful thought can ever make forget these hideous scenes." Haiti would eventually consume him as well, as he died in 1802 of yellow fever, just months before the last bastions of French resistance on the island were snuffed out. The new nation would largely be ignored by the French during the Napoleonic Wars thanks to British control of the seas, but with the war over, many in the West Indies lobby are petitioning the government to make another attempt to retake the colony, while others are simply arguing that the government should use the threat of reconquest to squeeze reparations for their lost "property" out of the colony. Things have been further complicated by the provocation of the Tswana, who have been unofficially using Haiti as a base from which to launch anti-slave raids into the West Indies and Guyana.
The Sick Man Ailing
Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt
The Ottoman Empire is not having a good century. Following the 1808 assassination of Selim III and British economic and naval reprisals for throwing in with Napoleon, any hope of the Turkish government and military modernizing was snuffed out; to make matters worse, the ambitious Wāli of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, had been concentrating political, economic, and military power in his own hands since Napoleon's withdrawal in 1799. By 1821, he had built up Egypt's economy, created a trade monopoly for himself, forged a new army and navy, and even built up a small but well-trained aerial corps of his own, complete with a single old Kazilik dragon. It is clear to everyone - especially the Ottomans - that Muhammad Ali seeks to make himself the independent ruler of Egypt, and this potential disruption to the vital Red Sea trade has much of Europe (including both Britain and France) very nervous. To make matters even worse for Constantinople, February 1821 has seen the outbreak of a nationalist uprising in the Greek provinces, led by Greek cavalry officer Alexander Ypsilantis and the Filiki Eteria secret society. Aided by dozens of bribed feral dragons and Russian monetary support, a mass uprising has thrown the Empire's European provinces into chaos. This was only made worse when the Sultan executed Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V despite his open opposition to the revolt, and as such the rebellion has taken on a much more horrific character since April. It will be the job of the new French ministry to respond to this, as the horrors of Turkish dragons burning civilian populations and mass-executing Greeks have led to serious public outcry across Europe for aid against the "barbarous Turk." But is France's military, economy, or population ready for such an undertaking?
- Military Affairs
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[Current military map of France]
Wars in the 19th century lasted years, with most of the conflict happening over a long period with not much happening between a few major clashes or battles. As such in The Emperor's Wings, warfare will be simulated differently to that of other election games to give players more control over their nations' militaries, avoid the bizarre coups where armies emerge from seemingly nowhere and make it clear how strong your nation is, and how likely your plans on the world stage are to succeed. This will be accomplished through 'Military Capital', a similar system to Political Capital with some caveats that allows the Government to direct the war effort with some specific actions. Military Capital will be available at all times to the government, the number of points being determined by the Game Mods based on the length of the turn in years or months in game, and a base level. Normal peacetime points for a three year turn would be 3 Military Capital for the Government to spend on one of several potential actions. In major wars game speed may reduce, however otherwise the base amount of military capital you get will depend on the circumstances of the war. Obviously this system will not work for 20th century conflict, so expect it to be updated or expanded upon at a much later date.
Army Strength
In TEW armies will be physical and fixed assets on a map, you will be able to see their location and their 'strength'. Strength will come in the form of two values from 1 to 10; 'Size' and 'Drill'. Each individual army on the map will have individual values of each, as will any enemy armies. Size determines the number of troops in an army; a size ten German army will be enormous - almost Russian in size - this will naturally gives them an advantage over a French army with size five for example. As such in the German-French battle the larger army would get +5 to their roll for every point larger they are than the other force. In this case therefore as the German army is larger than the French army by 5, the Germans get a bonus of +25 in a battle roll between those armies. Each point is approximately 10,000 men, though this will likely change as wars get larger in the 19th century.
Drill works in the same exact way and is designed to replicate the quality of your forces. An army with ten Drill compared to another army of five drill therefore would have a further +25 bonus to their battle roll.
This system means that with some luck and quality drill for example, a smaller army can still defeat a much larger one.
Military Actions
While political capital normally allows a government to assign priority to part of their agenda, giving them bonuses for their plans or malices, Military Capital allows a Government to spend points on a list of specific Military Actions. These actions are as follows;
1. Target Designation
The Government can spend a point to designate a target city or force for one army to move against, so with multiple forces you'll multiple points. In cases where there are NPC commanders are in charge of those forces the GMs will enact this command. In cases where a player is in command of that army, the player may use their initiative to enact a strategy to take said target; think General Wolfe being told to take Quebec and sailing up the St Lawrence before climbing artillery up a cliff face - that kind of thing.
2. Army Raising/Training
The Government can train an army or increase its size for any specific army or navy for one point a turn, they must indicate however which army and navy they're targeting. An army or navy can increase in size or drill by as many as three points dependent on the height of the roll score. A roll lower than 25 though will result in the loss of one of either point with no gain. Additionally a Government can build a new army under the same system.
3. Fortify
Armies are able to construct fortresses for one point a turn in the location of that army. If the army moves then the fortress is removed and any defensive bonuses are lost. If an army is attacked while fortified though the defending force will get +10 to their roll in battle.
4. Recon
For one military point a Government can recon any country for military strength. The highest rolls will provide you with a map of the country and its army placements, along with the size and training of its armies. Rolls of 100 will also get you the country's plans if you are at war with them or they are at war with someone else. Low rolls though may result in a diplomatic incident becoming a pressing issue in the next turn.
5. Appoint/Remove Commander
For one point a Government can appoint a player as a commander of an army or navy of their choosing. This counts only for players, in cases where a player does not command a force at any time it will be automatically commanded by an NPC. This comes with no immediate advantage other than to that character who gets a bit of personal glory (or animosity) if their army succeeds or fails. They do get the ability to dictate how their 'campaign' is conducted though; for example in the pursuit of capturing Quebec they can decide their strategy on taking the city with their initiatives. Further, commanders of armies are able to use their personal initiative to strengthen the drill of their army or even try and promote personal loyalty from that army to the general - however if the Army Loyalty slider is more pro-Government this will be increasingly harder and provide massive negative maluses to your roll.
6. Divide Forces
The Government can also spend a point dividing an army or navy in half or however they wish, all they need to do is designate where and how much of the 'strength' of that force is being sent to another force.
RP
Roleplay documents, posters, plans and other stuff is always welcome and encouraged! As with government plans and personal initiatives RP will give you a moderate bonus to your roll when it comes - this covers all military actions.
Battles and Wars
Battles, as aforementioned, will be subject to a dice roll for either side. Many factors will feed into this, notably size of the army and drill, along with the roll for the army travelling to the battle as mentioned in the movement action. If an army is being attacked and is stationary then this will obviously not matter. Other factors may include the result of a personal initiative by a general of an army which may provide slight bonuses due to them having a good relationship with the troops, or even from government agendas in the past providing the army with new weapons or training etc. Armies defending a capital city will also get a bonus due to the importance of the battle involved.
When two armies meet both will be subject to a dice roll of 100 including all the modifiers. The army that rolls highest will win the battle, however the higher the roll either side experiences, the more or less decisive that victory will be. A battle between Britain and France where Britain rolls 78 and France rolls 70 therefore would see France defeated, but only narrowly. Narrow defeats will see larger numbers of casualties for both sides, more decisive defeats will be more damaging to the losing side. Battles damage your armies size and drill, the more decisive the defeat, the more size points your army loses and the more decisive the victory the fewer losses you'll take.
Victory in a war will come when one side is bruised enough to no longer wish to fight. This will be made clear in the conditions each turn, but to make peace the government will need to make negotiations happen and set out demands in a foreign initiative. - Conditions - Politics
- Conditions - Regime Support
- Conditions - Overton Window
- Conditions - Military
***
Characters
Humans
Human characters are allowed a single trait worth net +15 of their choice (subject to GM approval of course).
Dragons
With the Napoleonic Code Draconique providing suffrage and universal personhood for the dragons of France, and with the spoils of war enriching a great many of them, the these scaly citizens have come into their own as a powerful political bloc largely loyal to the Bonapartes (it's almost as if that was part of Napoleon's plan from the start!). Draconic characters will function similarly to human characters, though all dragons will have a trait based on their weight class and breed that modifies certain actions. Here is a list of dragon breeds. Take note that, following the end of the series, France has essentially thrown its doors open to dragons of near-every nationality to join them, especially Incan and refugee Russian dragons. The following is the list of the five "classes" of dragon, with three examples of breeds for each. A more exhaustive (but not complete) list of dragon breeds can be found here. Courier and lightweight breeds live to be about 80-120 under normal circumstances. Middleweights tend to last for 150 years. Heavyweights can live, if kept healthy, for more than 200 years. I will set limits on dragon characters larger than middleweights, and on those dragons with breath weapons. And no, no Celestials.
- Courier-Weight: +10 to initiatives requiring long-distance communication and +5 to interactions with humans
- Lightweight: +10 to initiatives requiring speed and +5 to interactions with humans.
- Middleweight: +10 to initiatives requiring social coordination/command, +5 to interactions with military personnel
- Heavyweight: +10 to intimidation and +5 to tasks requiring great physical strength
- Breather: +10 to all combat against ground/sea targets and +5 to personal interactions with other dragons
Pair-Bonds
The relationships created by dragon husbandry are among the strongest known to mankind, often described by aviators and those who have a companion-dragon as a midpoint between friendship and parenthood; for a human, to be a companion to a dragon is a huge commitment in time and emotional energy, with many (especially those in the military) being forced by necessity to forego comfortable estates or families unless they are wealthy enough to afford such things on an aviator's salary. Conversely, dragons are incredibly protective of their human companions, often reacting violently if attempts to separate them are made. As such, pair-bonded humans and dragons are functionally treated as one character. These two characters share traits, resources, and initiative rolls. The difference is that they will start with the trait Co-dependent, giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if they are long-term separated. If one partner dies, this trait will remain in effect for three turns after the other's death. In addition, if one of the two is captured, the other is essentially considered captured as well. Conversely, the pair will be granted both the dragon's trait AND the net +15 trait from the human.
[Delete everything in italics and brackets, such as this, but follow their instructions. Complete two separate sheets for a pair-bond, with one list of traits.]
Picture of Character: [Make sure to provide a period-appropriate picture, and credit when possible. For dragon images, try to stick to given descriptions of the breed, though I recognize this will be difficult for those who do not know the series; as such I will be lenient, but will make note if an image is too outlandish. Feel free to ask me should there be any question of how a breed might look or what image might work.]
Name: [Self-explanatory. Don't make names too eccentric for humans. For dragons, they tend to receive grammatically-questionable Latin or Greek names if they've been in the military, but this is falling by the wayside in France.]
Date of Birth / Age: [Again, this is self-explanatory, and be somewhat reasonable. No 100-year-old humans. See above for dragon lifespans, though like humans, their "max age" is an upper limit; only Celestials live significantly beyond 200.]
Home Department: [What region/nation does this character associate with? This is most often the place where he / she lives or has lived. If the character is a foreigner or a non-French dragon, list the nation of origin. For a map of French departments, see here.]
Breed (if Dragon): [French breeds are the most common, naturally, but breeds from almost every nation can be found in France as a result of Napoleon's Code Draconique.]
Religion: [Self-explanatory. Characters will have various advantages and disadvantages in different areas depending on their faith.]
Political Affiliation: [Format it as follows: Party (Faction). Lists of political affiliations for characters who have changed affiliations over the years are welcome. Non-aligned characters are also welcome.]
Occupation: [While current occupation is all that is required, a list of prior occupations is welcomed.]
Biography: [Self-explanatory. Should be around a paragraph at least.]
Traits: [Include both positive and negative traits. Remember to include all of a character's traits in their initiative.]
Unless otherwise stated, characters will be accepted upon posting and my addition of them to the below roster:
***
Roster
Incan Clique
Chevaliers
Neapolitan Clique
Orleanists
Independents
The Great Breeding Ground in the Sky
(Retired or dead characters)
(Retired or dead characters)
- No one yet!
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Picture of Character:
(Portrait of a Polish lancer-Edouard Detaille)
Name: Ignacy Lech Działyński
Date of Birth / Age: October 13, 1786 (35)
Home Department: Poland
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Affiliation: Old Bonapartists (Chevaliers de l'Empereur)
Occupation:
Member-Society of Friends of the Fatherland (1803-1807)
Lieutenant-1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard (1807)
Captain-1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard (1808-1809)
Captain-Armee de l'Air (1809-1810)
Colonel-Armee de l'Air (1810-1813)
Brigadier General-Armee de l'Air (1813-1816)
Major General-Armee de l'Air (1816-Present)
Biography:
A nephew and namesake of the patriot Ignacy Erazm Działyński, it is hard to imagine any path young Ignacy could have taken that didn't intersect with the land of his birth. Like many aristocratic youths, he was an eager member of the Society of Friends of the Fatherland and despite the Society's suppression in 1806 he, like several other lucky members, served as part of a Polish Honor Guard for the Emperor, serving with honor during the war of the Fourth Coalition and receiving enough notice from above to gain a lieutenancy in the newly-formed 1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard. The Regiment would find itself thrown into the maelstrom of the invasion of Britain shortly afterward. Though cavalrymen had no use in the first waves of the the invasion, the regiment would be sent across in the continuous and ultimately doomed effort to crush the British militias. Though the invasion was itself a failure that did not reflect on the valor of the regiment or its freshly-promoted and decorated captain. In fact it was decided that Captain Ignacy, much like many other valiant soldiers, would serve their Emperor much better on different mounts.
Captain Ignacy was given the singular honor of the egg of a Papillion Noir in 1809. Given the appropriate, if uninspired name of Nigrum Aquila, the horserider-turned-dragonrider would against Austria and Russia with renewed fervor. The young nobleman's devotion to the Emperor as the only hope of Poland never wavered. Even during the retreat from Russia, even after Leipzig, he was convinced the Emperor would find a way to turn the war around.
But it was not to be. Incan treachery denied the Emperor his chance and forced him into exile while Ignacy was forced to remain. Ironically, Ignacy's foreign birth did not hurt his career as much as one might have thought. The hope that a Pole's loyalty might be more easily secured to a foreign regent than a native Frenchman gave him one final promotion and now General Ignacy commands a portion of France's air army.
However, those who hoped he would be bought are sadly mistaken. His Emperor may be dying, Poland may once again be under foreign yokes, but Ignacy is still determined. One day France will be free of its foreign ruler. One day the Grande Armee will march east again and settle accounts. Until then, it's finest soldiers must sharpen their steel. These new wars in the east are exactly what is called for. And if France is not ready? So be it. There are plenty of rider-volunteers who would be happy to fly east. They just need a general...
Traits:
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Nigrum are long-term separated
Modern Cavalier: +15 to commanding dragons and their riders in battle
Picture of Character:
(Image taken from: #051 - Dragokin)
Name: Nigrum Aquila
Date of Birth / Age: November 17th, 1809 (12)
Home Department: Somme
Breed (if Dragon): Papillion Noir
Religion: Roman Catholic (Notionally, is far less devoted than his rider)
Political Affiliation: Imperial Loyalist (Incan Clique) (will revert to rider's allegiance if pressed)
Occupation:
Flier-Armee de l'Air (1809-1816)
Lieutenant-Armee de l'Air (1816-Present)
Biography:
Born into the service of France and a jingostic Pole. Nigrum Aquila developed a sarcastic wit from an early age. His rider sought to secure the glory of France and salvation of his homeland, he sought to survive long enough to understand what this France was and why he should risk life and limb for it. Despite a seeming ready source of argument at any moment he found he quite enjoyed his rider's company. He was a pleasant sort when not obsessing over something and the modest estate the Empress-Regent gave them was a very pleasant piece of land. A pity his rider could never see it that way and he has tried to persuade him over the years that perhaps there is more to life than brooding over lost glories. This has resulted in him being happy Ignacy is focused on the new wars in the east. Getting him out of France will do him good and perhaps he can persuade some foreign leader to give his rider a place where he can brood productively (there's only so many times one can fly aerial drills, even if your rider does have a knack for inventing new ones). Nigrum is certain putting Ignacy in the birth of a new nation will make him stop thinking about Poland, for awhile, maybe. Of course, he has to get him there first.
Traits:
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Ignacy are long-term separated
Middleweight: +10 to initiatives requiring social coordination/command, +5 to interactions with military personnel
(Portrait of a Polish lancer-Edouard Detaille)
Name: Ignacy Lech Działyński
Date of Birth / Age: October 13, 1786 (35)
Home Department: Poland
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Affiliation: Old Bonapartists (Chevaliers de l'Empereur)
Occupation:
Member-Society of Friends of the Fatherland (1803-1807)
Lieutenant-1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard (1807)
Captain-1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard (1808-1809)
Captain-Armee de l'Air (1809-1810)
Colonel-Armee de l'Air (1810-1813)
Brigadier General-Armee de l'Air (1813-1816)
Major General-Armee de l'Air (1816-Present)
Biography:
A nephew and namesake of the patriot Ignacy Erazm Działyński, it is hard to imagine any path young Ignacy could have taken that didn't intersect with the land of his birth. Like many aristocratic youths, he was an eager member of the Society of Friends of the Fatherland and despite the Society's suppression in 1806 he, like several other lucky members, served as part of a Polish Honor Guard for the Emperor, serving with honor during the war of the Fourth Coalition and receiving enough notice from above to gain a lieutenancy in the newly-formed 1st Polish Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard. The Regiment would find itself thrown into the maelstrom of the invasion of Britain shortly afterward. Though cavalrymen had no use in the first waves of the the invasion, the regiment would be sent across in the continuous and ultimately doomed effort to crush the British militias. Though the invasion was itself a failure that did not reflect on the valor of the regiment or its freshly-promoted and decorated captain. In fact it was decided that Captain Ignacy, much like many other valiant soldiers, would serve their Emperor much better on different mounts.
Captain Ignacy was given the singular honor of the egg of a Papillion Noir in 1809. Given the appropriate, if uninspired name of Nigrum Aquila, the horserider-turned-dragonrider would against Austria and Russia with renewed fervor. The young nobleman's devotion to the Emperor as the only hope of Poland never wavered. Even during the retreat from Russia, even after Leipzig, he was convinced the Emperor would find a way to turn the war around.
But it was not to be. Incan treachery denied the Emperor his chance and forced him into exile while Ignacy was forced to remain. Ironically, Ignacy's foreign birth did not hurt his career as much as one might have thought. The hope that a Pole's loyalty might be more easily secured to a foreign regent than a native Frenchman gave him one final promotion and now General Ignacy commands a portion of France's air army.
However, those who hoped he would be bought are sadly mistaken. His Emperor may be dying, Poland may once again be under foreign yokes, but Ignacy is still determined. One day France will be free of its foreign ruler. One day the Grande Armee will march east again and settle accounts. Until then, it's finest soldiers must sharpen their steel. These new wars in the east are exactly what is called for. And if France is not ready? So be it. There are plenty of rider-volunteers who would be happy to fly east. They just need a general...
Traits:
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Nigrum are long-term separated
Modern Cavalier: +15 to commanding dragons and their riders in battle
Picture of Character:
(Image taken from: #051 - Dragokin)
Name: Nigrum Aquila
Date of Birth / Age: November 17th, 1809 (12)
Home Department: Somme
Breed (if Dragon): Papillion Noir
Religion: Roman Catholic (Notionally, is far less devoted than his rider)
Political Affiliation: Imperial Loyalist (Incan Clique) (will revert to rider's allegiance if pressed)
Occupation:
Flier-Armee de l'Air (1809-1816)
Lieutenant-Armee de l'Air (1816-Present)
Biography:
Born into the service of France and a jingostic Pole. Nigrum Aquila developed a sarcastic wit from an early age. His rider sought to secure the glory of France and salvation of his homeland, he sought to survive long enough to understand what this France was and why he should risk life and limb for it. Despite a seeming ready source of argument at any moment he found he quite enjoyed his rider's company. He was a pleasant sort when not obsessing over something and the modest estate the Empress-Regent gave them was a very pleasant piece of land. A pity his rider could never see it that way and he has tried to persuade him over the years that perhaps there is more to life than brooding over lost glories. This has resulted in him being happy Ignacy is focused on the new wars in the east. Getting him out of France will do him good and perhaps he can persuade some foreign leader to give his rider a place where he can brood productively (there's only so many times one can fly aerial drills, even if your rider does have a knack for inventing new ones). Nigrum is certain putting Ignacy in the birth of a new nation will make him stop thinking about Poland, for awhile, maybe. Of course, he has to get him there first.
Traits:
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Ignacy are long-term separated
Middleweight: +10 to initiatives requiring social coordination/command, +5 to interactions with military personnel
Name: Alexandre Philippon
Date of Birth / Age: June 27, 1780
Home Department: Gironde
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Affiliation: Imperial Loyalists (Radical Liberals)
Occupation: Tribunat (1819-present)
Dragon Captain (1807-present(?))
Biography: It's strange what injuries can do to a man.
Alexandre was nine years old when the old world crashed into nothing. When the Bastille was stormed. When Louis XVI died, he was there, seeing the guillotine fall on his neck. And when Napoleon rose to power, he was there watching the cannons, the coup and the plebescite as they all as one converged on Napoleon to make him the Emperor. And as a proud, young patriot, and a son of France (and not of the more problematic lineages that got chopped during the Revolution(s)), he of course joined up with the military as it went across Europe. Well, mostly. He was a part of the aerial corps, or was set out to be as he kept looking for a dragon to harness and to in full join the ranks as a captain and hopefully not die in the process. Hopefully. He'd get his chance in the Peninsular War, when a Cauchador Real egg was found in a breeding ground, undisturbed, but almost ready to hatch. Quick on the feet, he was the one to harness the newly-hatched dragon, naming him the quaint, but perhaps unimaginative Aurum Alas (Goldenwing). The two would be following the armies of Napoleon (including a very close brush with draconic flu in early 1808.) throughout the war. But where Aurum would train for war after the Treaty of Vienna, Alexandre found himself drawn closer to another passion than warfare. This being the issue of the intricate world of politics. Though the avenue to the Senate was likely closed, barring him wooing the Court enough to gain access (practically impossible), so it has been the awkward dual-jobbing of both soldier and tribune.
Granted, 'solder' is a bit of a stretch given that he and Aurum have been doing very much not that. The heavyweight curse of being slow to recover combined with more than a few wounds on Alexandre for other reasons meant that they didn't see a lot of combat during the Wars, but still some with large shares of spoil to boot. Nevertheless, he managed to win election to the Tribunat working in conjunction with Aurum. He was the speaker who could woo the crowds, while Aurum was the financier and the organizer who managed things behind the scenes. Now that being said, the two, though seemingly distant, stayed very close up through the campaign and into the Tribunat with the two frequently seen either just outside Paris sharing a bottle of booze or discussing philosophy or poetry. Don't ask them about finance. Aurum knows a lot and Alexandre knows nothing. There's a good reason that Aurum is the one that runs their finances.
Recently however, he has begun viewing the Empress with a high degree of distrust. Not so much as to make him seek elsewhere (And especially not RE: the King of Naples), but nevertheless, he has begun to radicalize and taking Aurum with him for the ride. What if good people of proper stature were able to restrain the worst impulses of a monarch. What if the Crown and the People entrusted the power to the Corps? Who knows what the future might hold as he continues speeches on the floor of the Tribunat, dancing on the line between loyalism and radicalism
Traits: [Include both positive and negative traits. Remember to include all of a character's traits in their initiative.]
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Goldenwing are long-term separated
Freedom Firebrand: +15 to all initiatives involving democratization
Source image
Name: Aurum Alas (Goldenwing)
Date of Birth / Age: May 2, 1807
Home Department: Gironde
Breed (if Dragon): Cauchador Real
Religion: Roman Catholic...ish.
Political Affiliation: Imperial Loyalists (Radical Liberals)
Occupation:
Financier (1819-present)
'Financier' (1813-1819)
Dragon War Machine or something like that (1809-1813)
Biography: Goldenwing (because it's easier to write), was born to unknown dragons, the egg being found in a breeding ground left when the French armies came. Nevertheless, that was the dice that rolled for Goldenwing. Being hatched not soon after the egg was taken, he immediately imprinted himself on one of the would-be captain in Alexandre Philippon. The two would quickly become inseperable through thick and thin. Not once did Alexandre leave his side when he came down with draconic flu in 1808, and not once did Goldenwing leave Alexandre when he took a bullet in Brazil and had to spend time recuperating. Indeed, the two would become an effective pair in the heat of battle, leaning full well into the golden color with brass-covered and brass-based harnesses and armor. Flashy, superflous, but awesome. It did pay off handsomely once the dust settled and the war was over. A large degree of treasure fell into the hands and claws of Golden and Alexandre, with Golden taking charge of the money. By Alexandre's own admission, he was very much a fool with money, having spent a lot of his officer's salary on wine and good food. Whatever one might think, Goldenwing has been nurturing the finances, slowly growing it large enough to make it possible to gain a seat in the Tribunat and holding two residences, one in Paris and one outside Cherbourg. Who knew?
As with Alexandre, Goldenwing has been radicalized as time goes on. As with Alexandre, neither have entertained the idea of actually deposing the Dragonet, but both have, in the late hours after too many drinks and steaks, entertained the notion of a government that rules from the Crown and of the People. But they have agreed on a division. Alexandre rains fire and rethoric, and Goldenwings rains gold and silver to grease palms and claws. For now. Times may change as society changes and they both grow older...
Co-dependent: giving a -20 to all initiative rolls if he and Alexandre are long-term separated
Heavyweight: +10 to intimidation and +5 to tasks requiring great physical strength
- Location
- Reno
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Jean-Jacques Blanchard
Age: 33
Date of Birth: July 11th, 1784
Home Department: Bouches du Rhone, Marseille
Religion: Roman Catholic (lapsed)
Political Affiliation: Radical
Occupation:
Dishwasher (1800-1802)
Stevedore (1805-1819)
Political Radical And Agitator (1819-1821)
Biography:
Born into a working class family in forgotten, rotting neighborhood in Marseille, Jean-Jacques knew the nature of poverty first hand. His father worked on the docks as a stevedore and his mother washed dishes at the run down tavern just down the lane. He was the middle child of three brothers and two sisters, after losing one child of each to starvation, and often went hungry so that his siblings could eat. It was in those dark days that he first heard the beat of radicalisms. The French Revolution spread through Marseille like a tidal wave, the working class city rising up to cast off the brutal hand of reaction. The tricolor flying from every roof top and window was the most colorful thing the young Blanchard had ever seen.
Too young to fully join the cause, and with a mother who was already distraught about two sons and a daughter running off to Paris, Jean-Jacques was insulated from the Revolution at home. That did not mean that he didn't eat up stories from the capital with a voracious appetite. When the amount of verbal news became too little for the boy he turned to his studies and applied himself to learning to read, the second to do so in his family. Lurid descriptions of the antics of the main faces of the Revolution quickly turned into political treatise and theory. He was smitten with the radical cause, and a passion for the far left burned in his heart.
Of course, all things come to an end. Thermidor and Napoleon strangled the Revolution in its crib and assured that the chant of 'Liberte, Equalite and Fratenrite' would never come true. Blanchard was saved from the Napoleonic Wars, but his father was not so lucky, called up to join the army and dying at the Battle of London. His two brothers had already died during the initial wars of the Republic, and as the eldest son Blanchard needed to work to feed his family. He spent several years working his mother's job as a dishwasher, a necessity since she had quit a month before due to a serious illness, but eventually he took his father's place in the dockyard's. There he worked and learned the true plight of the common man. The long hours, the dangerous work and the low pay that seemed like an insult. For a long time he simply kept his head down and provided for his family.
But the status quo could not hold for long. A rising sense of unease among the dockworkers exploded into a general riot in 1819, following the mass layoffs from a large shipping firm. For the first time since 1784 the hurricane fraternized with the whirlwind and the barricades and tricolors sprang up in defiance of the ancien regime. A broken leg from a falling beam kept Jean-Jacques bedridden but he provided supplies, shelter and organizing aid to those fighting. Of course the central government put down the attempted revolt with brutal force, but in the action Blanchard's fire was awoken. Forced to walk on cane for the rest of his life his job as a stevedore was over, but a new cause was calling to him now.
Now Blanchard's face, and his strange hobbling-jogging gait, is known throughout Marseille. His eldest sister, who had dressed as a man and fought under Napoleon and the First Republic and returned home both disgraced and decorated, has put him in contact with other veterans of the Republic's armies. His own network of dockworkers and other laborers has combined with those fighting men into a powerful force. Though he holds no political office, if one wishes to do business on the docks it is wise to speak with Blanchard first. In England there are whisperings of creating association's of working men, union's between tradesmen. Owen, Fourier and others are names on the tips of many tongues. 1784 stands defiant against her foes, and Blanchard seeks to see liberty and brotherhood return to France.
Trait: King of the Dockyards: +10 to dealing with Dockworkers and their issues
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Mechasaurian
Big Bossu
- Location
- Lost among fields of history
- Pronouns
- They/Them
This game looks fascinating, but immensely intimidating on account of all the setting detail one needs to know to understand what's going on.
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inquisition
Not Affiliated With the Spanish Church
- Location
- Valkenheim
Yes, I'll admit it's an issue, and one that's been brought up to me before - though in all honesty the political situation of France in this timeline isn't too different in terms of broad strokes - replace the Bourbon Restoration with the son of Napoleon (and add dragons) and you have a reasonable approximation of the setting. Anything in particular that's giving trouble?
It's been a few years since I read the series, but I loved every moment of it. Extending it through RP seems like a fun venture. I'll think about what kind of character I want to come up with, probably will post this weekend.
- Location
- The land with palm trees, where the thrush sings
[Portrait of a priest by James Tissot]
Date of Birth / Age: March 5th, 1772
Home Department: Ille-et-Vilaine
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Affiliation: Legitimists
Occupation: Priest (1793- present)
Military Chaplain, Catholic and Royal Army of Rennes and Fougères (1794-1800)
History Professor at the Collège de Saint-Malo (1802-1820)
Editor at Le Conservateur (1818-present)
Tribunat (1820-present)
Biography:
The third son in a family of wealthy ship-owners from Saint-Malo, Pellerin was initially sympathetic to the Revolution as a young seminarist, seeing it as a way to eliminate the corruption and greed that plagued french society. That soon changed as the revolutionaries advanced not only against the Holy Church, but also against the ancient rights of the Breton people. Refusing to make the oath required by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, Abbé de Pellerin offered spiritual guidance to the royalist rebels during the Chouannerie, gainning their respect for his erudition and oratory skills. Pellerin would be greatly influence by this experience: not only were his ultramontane beliefs reinforced, but he also aquired a great admiration for peasentry and poor artisans, who conducted themselved honourably (as opposed to the proffisional soldiers in both sides) and suffered the most during the conflict.
After the defeat of the Chouan moviment and the Concordat of 1801, Pellerin became a key figure in Saint-Malo's religious and political scene, dedicating himself to preaching and charity efforts, as well as helping the Lamennais brothers in reestablishing the local college. Respected by both the elites and common people, Abbé de Pellerin's name became synonymous with philantropy, asceticism and, more controversially , criticism of goverment intervention in Church affairs. With the fall of Napoleon and the rise of, as he likes to call it, the "the Unholy polyamorious marriage between the Beast, the Jacobin and the Pagan", Pellerin became an activist for the Legitimists, who he deems as the only ones concerned with the church and the preservation of Breton culture. In 1818, he joined forced with other Legitimist intelectuals to found a newspaper: Le Conservateur. His work at Le Conservateur gave Pellerin national recognition: for the conservatives,a brilliant theologian and a great commentator, capable of connecting with the common men; for the liberals a theocratic damagogue, using populist proposals to subjulgate the State to the Church; to Talleyrand, an annoyance. As a former clergyman who upheld the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the Lord Regent received the bulk of Pellerin's ire, and was criticized in every single one of his texts in Le Conservateur, including the ones that had nothing to do with him, with his theology articles awkwardly trying to fit anti-Talleyrand tangents. Pellarin originally planed to organize a campaign to pay for Doirot's defense, but was convinced to do otherwise by the other editors.
Besides his liberal rivals, Abbé Robert has found his fair share of opponents inside the Legitismt movement, where many are uncorfotable with his populist proposal of "state charity" and "worker's dignity", as well as perceived preference for the peasantry. Pellerin, for his part, has greatly criticized Gallicianist strands of the movement: for him, Gallicianism and Jacobinism are two facets the destructive force that started with Martin Luther that seeks to impose tyranny by promoting individual greed over the social good. These controversies inside the movement stopped him from pursuing his political ambitons for the Tribunat, in spite of overwhelming popular support in his native Saint-Malo. In 1820, however, his increasing national renown and the support from proeminent Legitimist intellectuals (like Lamnennais, Chateaubriand and Bonald) convinced the local Legitimist political bosses to support his election. Since his move to Paris, Abbé de Pellarin has allied himself with the local clergy to organize poverty relief and promote education among the lower classes. In the Tribunat, he's known for his vigorous defence of Church rights and loud arguments with pro-goverment politicians, which he relitigates in his articles (always adding an anti-Talleyrand rant, though the ended practice a couple months after his death).
Trait: Vicar of the Poor: +10 to using religion to mobilize popular support
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Name: Filacas
Date of Birth / Age: September 23rd, 1770
Home Department: Rhône
Breed: Garde-de-Lyon
Religion: Lutheran
Political Affiliation: Incan Clique
Occupation:
Flier de l'Armée de l'Air (1780-1808)
Lieutenant de l'Armée de l'Air (1808-1811)
Colonel de l'Armée de l'Air (1813-1816)
Lutheran Pastor and Salon host (1816-1819)
Senateur (1818-present)
Biography:
Filacas was given as an egg to a noble family residing in the Rhône department, a lightweight dragon to act as companion, guardian, and - most importantly - prestige piece for their eldest son. Thus, for the first ten years of Filacas' life, she was little more than a display piece around the estate and would often be left alone when the family went on trips around France and the rest of Europe. In 1780, her original companion enrolled in the Armée Royale and brought Filacas along with him. There was little activity in the ten or so years between her rider's commission as an officer and the beginning of the French Revolution, but when it kicked off, the two were heavily embroiled in the proceedings. Most of the family was exiled or killed during the early stages of the Revolution and Filacas fled with her rider to join the Austro-Prussian army that marched into France in 1792.
They managed to avoid being recognized after the defeat of the intervening forces and settled into the Revolutionary Army, participating in the Spanish campaigns until the French invasion of Egypt. Under Napoleon's expedition into the region, Filacas and her rider distinguished themselves in battle and were once again made officers, rising to a low command. Battles continued and the pair would act competently throughout the rest of the wars. Filacas herself was raised to the rank of Lieutenant in the Armée de l'Air in 1808 between the wars of the Fourth and Fifth Coalition. Disaster struck in 1811 during the campaigns in Central Europe when Filicas' rider was slain. Stricken by grief, she was unable to continue serving and was discharged just in time to avoid the disastrous French campaign in Russia.
After Napoleon's defeat and exile, Filicas rejoined and was granted the rank of Colonel due to her previous service and connections through friends and other officers. With no rider, she was free to command as she saw fit for the several years in the army. She converted to Lutheranism during this time after befriending a pastor in her unit, drawn by the ideas that seemed to her more liberating than those of Catholicism. She became a pastor in 1816 after leaving the military, but most knew her for the salons hosted that explored in great detail theology and world politics. Foreign dragons and dignitaries commonly attended due to the international focus of the salons, and it was through these events that she acquired inroads with the current French government run by Talleyrand and Empress-Dowager Anahuarque. A successful campaign saw Filacas become part of the Sénat conservateur as part of the Incan Clique, a deep sense of loyalty inculcated towards the young emperor from her own service under Napoleon. However, certain events have sown doubt as to the country's direction.
Traits: +10 to initiatives requiring speed and +5 to interactions with humans.
ChineseDrone
Totally depraved
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/They
So, hypothetically, if I were to claim SOCIALIST HERO NAPOLEON III, would that be allowed?
- Location
- The land with palm trees, where the thrush sings
Are you talking the guy who IOTL became Napoleon III? Because he's 13 right now. Not really a socialist hero material.
Is there going to be a Discord server for running this or will it all be handled through the forum?
inquisition
Not Affiliated With the Spanish Church
- Location
- Valkenheim
For anyone who might still be interested in this - I'm restarting it on a different forum. If so, I have a discord invite:
discord.gg
Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games
Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.