La Belle Époque. After years of war and revolution, France enjoyed a short period of peace and relative prosperity. It was the crescendo of an era. In those few years, culture bloomed, scientific understanding developed, and technological marvels were everywhere. Innovations such as the telegram and the early telephone enjoyed use. France also had cinema and hot air balloons and other early flying machines. Art Nouveau was the fledgling upstart in the world of aesthetics, competing with the established classical styles. Not everyone got to enjoy these novelties, however. The rural parts of the country have been slow to industrialize, and some french peasants still live in a more or less medieval manner.
The year is 1901. After a shaky start, the third Republic finally managed to solidify itself. In the beginning practically all they could agree upon was that France was to be a secular state. Ever since the great revolution there had always been a deep mistrust of bishops and other clergymen by the lower classes. In place of superstition, science would be the flame that lit their way. That is not to say that this movement was entirely unopposed. Hardly! In fact, though the government's position is well known, the opinions of the people are much more divided. Not all would be so proud of man's newfangled advancements; they would instead take refuge in the simple faith that had persevered for centuries.
But this was not just a matter of religious outlook. Since the latter half of the 19th century, the people have had an intense interest in spiritualism and the occult. As magnetic as they were taboo, these subjects drew people in like moths to the flame. Even as scientific investigation discredited claim after claim, interest in the supernatural only grew. And despite what the doubters said, a great many mysteries still went unexplained in this country. Some had their reasons to pursue the occult, sparing no expense. While others were flung into that world even without asking for it.
In this mystery, you will be drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness. It will be up to you to keep your sanity, and your soul, intact.
The Pyres Never Stop Burning
Coming from various walks of life, each of you have been invited to the town of Loudon. You received a notice by mail, informing you that you have become involved in some kind of inheritance settlement due to the passing of a wealthy man. Evidently one of your ancestors was from the town, and you have been found to be the nearest living relative. Apparently there are some stipulations, but you stand to gain considerably. The letter mentioned valuable family jewelry and a total cash amount of some 6000 francs (roughly two hundred thousand dollars in today's money).
If it is possible for you, come to my office at three o'clock in the afternoon on April 10th. Please accept, Sir, the expression of my sincere sentiments,
Monsieur Herbachet
That was how the letter ended. But Loudon was no ordinary town. It was famous throughout france, and even abroad for its story. For it was there, some three hundred years prior, that the Loudon Possessed Affair brought attention to the most haunted convent in the world.
First there was a terrible plague which claimed the lives of many, and then demons possessed every nun in the Ursuline convent. They would go prowling through the town writhing and blaspheming and causing panic. Eventually an intervention had to launched by the upper echelons of the Catholic church. The interrogations were as harsh as any witch trial, but eventually, it was declared that a local bishop named Urbain Grandier was responsible for summoning the evil spirits. Convicted of sorcery, he would be burned at the stake in the town square. However, that didn't bring an end to Loudon's problems. Public exorcisms would continue for years.
But that was centuries ago. The story was famous yes, but not particularly credible. It had been argued about and examined to death. John Locke had decried the whole thing. But that bad reputation lingered. Even now it was a tourist spot for seekers of the occult.
Otherwise, the town of Loudon is fairly unremarkable. It has history yes, that much is visible in some of the aged stone buildings and the large ruined wall surrounding its perimeter. These days it's a small, provincial town of five thousand. There are lodgings, taverns, and churches, but it lacks the electric lights and energy of Paris. At any rate, only a small visit should be required to obtain your fortune...
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So, I've had these books sitting around for years - adventures for an old-school french roleplaying game. I finally got around to translating them, and it turns out that the game is a deeply atmospheric historical horror game. Just the kind of thing that I would enjoy. I've decided to adapt it for a game here on the forum. It's rules-light, and very much focused on roleplaying, but there are some die rolls used. It's always a roll out of 100, which is judged on a scale based on the circumstances and your character's stats. The scale has grades of success/failure. This adds an element of chance and lasting danger to serious moments.
Character Creation
The rules say that a player is supposed to roll for their age and vitality scores. I've decided to make these elements optional. You can choose your own age.
For Vitality, you can either: take a standard starting vitality of 14, or you can roll for a random value. Only one roll attempt is allowed per character. Make sure you label your roll in my roll thread here: roleplayerguild.com/campaigns/1116
Note: Age (between 21 and 60) does affect your character. Younger characters are more physically adept whereas older characters may be more perceptive or knowledgeable.
Next you choose your Profession. This is an important decision that will determine your place in the world, reception by others, stats, and starting equipment. You can choose any profession that would have existed at the time. Here are some examples: Merchant, Clergyman, Writer, Laborer, Teacher, Soldier, Doctor, Artisan, Lawyer, Policeman, Painter, Peasant.
Lastly, you will split 20 points between these two mental stats, awarding at least 6 to each. These are virtues which will be tested by certain trials in your character's life.
Rationality - This stat represents intelligence and empiricism. The higher this is, the more likely your character is to give a rational explanation to the phenomena he is confronted with. It gives your character smarts and an affinity for science and the new republic. Greater mental organization also gives him a resistance to being driven mad or controlled. Rationality can be lowered if your character encounters something inexplicable to them, or it can increase when they manage to keep a cool head in trying circumstances.
Spirituality - This stat represents faith, religious convictions, and a belief in the irrational. There are times when praying the rosary with a feverish hand can be of great moral help. This stat also gives your character an affinity for Catholicism or Paganism (the dominant religions in the setting). Spirituality is a bulwark against otherworldly evil and a lifeline to the divine. When faith triumphs, it increases, but when routed, doubt sets in and the potential for spirituality diminishes.
Note: You can interpret these stats in different ways, but here are some example considerations that you might make about your character.
Claire is a public school teacher. Subject to the pressures of a moralistic and deeply religious provincial society, she has difficulty accepting the bigoted conceptions of the Catholic church. Naturally attracted by the vision of a just, more egalitarian society, Claire is profoundly humanist. She places her hopes in social progress, which alone can bring justice and peace. This does not prevent her from keeping deep within herself a vague religious feeling which, if it does not materialize in the adoration of a God, is nonetheless present in her.
We will therefore award Claire 13 points in Rationality and 7 in Spirituality. --
Paul Joncort spent his youth studying in a Jesuit academy. He feels a deep respect for the Catholic religion of which he is a practitioner. This deep religious feeling is accompanied by a certain contempt for the republican institutions that he considers too lax and too secular. He does not hide the fact that he would prefer, as an officer, to to salute the Imperial banner - which he considers an emblem of prosperity and order. Science is only of narrow interest for him. He believes that its primary aim is the development of new and powerful weaponry for the army.
We will therefore award Paul 14 points in Spirituality and 6 in Rationality.
The Great Game of Knowledge
When I accept your character, I will do a tarot reading for them from the game's custom tarot deck. Five cards will be drawn for you, and these cards can have an impact on your stats, or more importantly, your fate.
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Character Sheet
Name: Age: Sex: Profession: Interests: Other things your character might know about or be capable of in a minor capacity. Some examples might be a branch of science (chemistry, medicine, electrical), religious training, cycling, training with a gun or a blade, or perhaps a sport or intellectual pastime. Personality: Appearance: Give me a description of your character's outward appearance. Fashion should be era-appropriate. Feel free to include an image for reference. Background: This doesn't have to be super in-depth. You can give me an outline of important events.
Vitality: 14 Rationality: 10 Spirituality: 10 (We will finish determining your other stats after we're done with the great game of knowledge)
Vitality - This stat serves as a general measure of your health. When you are hurt, it goes down, and when you recover, your vitality also goes back up. A high vitality score makes it easier to accomplish physical tasks. A score under 9 indicates injury. Having your vitality reduced to 2 or less means that you are more or less incapacitated. 0 puts your character in a coma. Anything lower than that means death.
Strength - This stat represents your character's muscular power and capacity for physical effort.
Skill - This represents the balance, dexterity, and fine movement capacity of your character. It is often complimented by either Strength or Perception.
Perception - Your character can be more or less vigilant, more or less attentive in his way of apprehending the outside world. Higher perception allows you to notice more details and to have a clearer memory.
General Knowledge - Not the specialized knowledge of a profession, but rather your knowledge of culture, history, and the wide world around you. Higher general knowledge means that a character is more likely to understand obscure references or remember important events and people.
In the beginning your character will not be a skilled magician, if they have any interest in the subject. But I wanted to give a brief overview to give an idea of the tone and style of magic that I'm going for.
The magic in this game is rooted in the occult, and in the superstitions and legends of the 19th century. While I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a low magic game, the spells are truly arcane - exacting and sometimes horrifying in their requirements.
Magic is never meant to be too outrageous in the public eye. It's more difficult to cast spells in broad daylight and surrounded by people. That work is better suited to black midnight in the graveyard or some other secret place. A wise caster knows how to arrange the proper time and place.
Some of these restrictions are conceived of as laws, though they are really just principles of general use that have been developed. Like the law of reversion: if a spell aimed at another is not properly controlled, the spellcaster himself may become subject to its energies instead. Also, spells tend to have a 'poetic justice'-esque method of escaping their effects. Most spells cannot be truly inescapable. It is thought that the existence of an 'out' means that, in some way, the victim consents to the curse that afflicts him.
Spells are specialized formulae that have to be followed precisely and in the right circumstances. And there is always some element of risk when evoking supernatural power. A serious failure when casting could mean much worse than the spell simply fizzling out.
Magic is more easily performed by those with an infernal patron. Indeed, many of those with great power have paid for it with their souls. "Sorcerer" is a special term that applies to those who have made a pact with the Devil.
Most of what I've said applies to Black Magic. Like many old-school games, magic is broken up into three categories: basic magic, white magic, and black magic.
Basic magic is a term for more rudimentary and minor powers. There are parlor tricks and other amusing skills - effects which, even if witnessed, are easily doubted by a skeptical mind. Attempting to commune with the dead is also considered basic magic, although it can have more serious consequences.
White Magic is mainly made up of wards, curatives, and defensive spells. It is constructive and essentially oriented towards good. The incantations used are usually themed on the divinity that granted them (see more below).
Black Magic, as previously mentioned, is the family of curses and hexes. Bent towards evil, the aim of black magic is to destroy and enslave.
Although atheism, agnosticism, and less committal forms of Spirituality are on the rise, there are still three main religions which exist in this setting. They have existed for a very long time, and so they have had centuries to build holy sites and develop forms of ritual. That means that these three represent the most powerful supernatural patrons.
Catholicism - The main form of Christianity in France at the time. Catholics worship Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, along with Moses, Mary, the angels, and a whole host of other figures. Every town has a number of christian churches, and there is a whole hierarchy of catholic representatives. The order of priests, deacons, bishops, nuns, and so on are almost their own class of society.
God is extremely powerful, loving, and good, as advertised. But he is rather committed to a non-interventionist approach. Having saved your soul, the worldly difficulties you encounter are really a minor inconvenience for you to sort out. God and Jesus generally only sanction white magic spells when called upon for aid.
Paganism - Paganism is a polytheistic faith that allows the worship of several different gods with different characteristics. Being passed down from the Romans and the Greeks before them, Paganism is actually significantly older than Christianity. However, history has not favored this religion. After the takeover of Catholicism, there are few who follow the old gods. Many of the temples and holy sites are neglected, desecrated, or long since destroyed. The remaining pagans often feel compelled to hide their faith or dress it up in the cloak of Christianity to avoid suspicion.
Due to these reasons and more, the Pagan gods are some of the weaker patrons in this day and age. However, they are still integral to French culture and the world in so many ways, and their rituals can be just as complex as those of modern faiths - so they can never be fully discounted. Usually a pagan spellcaster will worship one of the pantheon's gods in particular, and will thereby gain its favors. A pagan god will only assist with magic that he finds appropriate. With so little support from the community, more preparation has to be done to evoke their powers. The right materials, the right day of week, time or day, or perhaps under a certain constellation or planet.
There are many pagan gods but to name a few that are definitely still around (by Roman names): Apollo, Diana, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, and Minerva.
Satanism - Satanism is quite a bit different from the other two. It is something of a dark side to Christianity, taking all that the other considers evil under its sulfurous wing. It has existed as long as its counterpart, slowly gaining power and increasing its foothold in the public's mind. Its mythology is ever expanded by a long list of horrid incidents. People give names to those things they fear, and the children chant them on their lips like little imps. For every named angel there's a crowd of demons on the other side. These circumstances are having very real effects in the world of the supernatural.
Satanism is not a comforting or forgiving religion. It tempts you and twists you and takes from you until you resemble little more than a demon yourself. The Devil is happy to grant favors and quicken the power of his follower's black magic - even empowering them in smaller, seemingly insignificant ways. But he is cunning and his price is steep; he seeks to claim the soul of each follower for himself.
Penny Dreadful (2014) The Alienist (2018) Sherlock Holmes (2009) Suspiria (1997) The Woman in Black (2012) Phantom of the Opera
I'm seeking 4-5 players. I placed the interest check in Advanced, not because I require very long posts, but because I desire players who are willing to dig in to the setting and themes. It should be possible to complete the adventure in a few months. After that there is potential to continue with other stories if there's enough interest.
If you want to play a more fantastical character archetype like a mad scientist, a witch, or a classic horror monster - I am willing to work something out with you, but please keep in mind that I do not want very powerful characters for this game. Any kind of supernatural abilities will have to be quite limited to fit in.
Between classic Victorian horror and the richness of La Belle Époque, we should have a wonderful time before us. I can gather more setting and era info for the OOC when we get enough players.
I'd like to take part in this game; I'll be learning about this time period as I've never looked into it in great details. However, having played a game called Sulfur for these past few months I kind of want to play some kind of pastor with his own ideas of what and why people should praise the Lord for. (Purely for background purposes, I'm not religious myself but the idea sounds fun to me)
@Belikroz My father was an Anglican minister for a number of years, and I even attended a few of his seminar courses—if you’d like any help navigating ecumenical questions, I’d be happy to help! I’m familiar with Catholic and a number of Protestant denominations.
@enmuni If I do end up joining this group rp, I would more than appreciate your assistance. My grandfather was a pastor himself, but that was years and years ago, and I was like 3 or 4 at the time so hell if I remember anything.
@Belikroz My father was an Anglican minister for a number of years, and I even attended a few of his seminar courses—if you’d like any help navigating ecumenical questions, I’d be happy to help! I’m familiar with Catholic and a number of Protestant denominations.
That's good to know! I've studied Christianity a fair amount, but I was never a Catholic personally. So I will try to give an accurate representation, but it may not always be exact.
Also, you were asking where to post character ideas. I just got the OOC up here: (roleplayerguild.com/topics/194931-the…) So please share there. I'd be happy to work up ideas with you,
I finished the Tarot readings for everyone who posted interest as well. I'm about to post them in the OOC. If everyone is still interested we do have enough people now to get going!
