Courtesans

Courtesans

A Seductive Roleplaying Game of Sex and Society

By Ian Warner

Credits

Courtesans ©Postmortem Studios 2011

Very loosely adapted from the ‘Beer and Crisps’ System used in

Urban Faerie ©Postmortem Studios 2005 Invaderz ©Postmortem Studios 2008 Tough Justice ©Postmortem Studios 2011 Depraved and Perverted Writing: Ian Warner Saucy Editing and Layout: James “Grim” Desborough

Scandalous Artwork: Raven Morrison, Tamás Baranya, Darkzel and Mastersilverwolf, Black

Hand Art, Hogarth.

Prim, Proper and Ladylike Character Sheets: Mr Gone Wetherspoons Gamers Playtest Group (92 Frothington Road 1780)

David Wright, Roger Wang, Keith Lawrence, Phillip Hutchins, David Catchpole, Amin Aqil, Iain Frost

Courtesans Online Playtest Group (21 Frothington Road 1783)

Emma White, Samuel Perkins, Roger Wang, Mastersilverwolf, Montsho Shelby, Phillip Hutchins, David Catchpole

Dedication

To the original Courtesans of history God bless your naughty and adventurous souls. To Katie Hickman, whose serious historical scholarship inspired this pseudo historical hackery.

To all the lovely Ladies who helped me in my research. Also to Keith Lawrence who loves his slutty characters however much they creep out his fellow players and Games Master.

Recommended Reading

This book was inspired by Katie Hickman’s Courtesans a fascinating study of these characters. Also worthy of note are the memoirs of the Ladies themselves: Though some are ghost written and others are purely written to blackmail they are all remarkably frank about life in the Demi Monde.

Of course sex in RPGs needs to be handled with care. Take a look at Grim’s articles in the Postmortem magazine Autopsy Issue 1 if you are in any way unsure about how to proceed Though only the most unfortunate of Courtesans ended up there I’m sure they would appreciate your support for the Crossbones Graveyard, an unconsecrated graveyard where London’s prostitutes often ended up. For more information visit www.crossbones.org.uk

Prelude

Of the nature and purpose

of this book

C

ourtesans is a Roleplaying

Game. Not necessarily that sort of ‘roleplaying game’, but if that’s what fl oats your boat don’t let me stop you.

Anyway Courtesans casts you, the Players, as Ladies of the Demi Monde, the half world below the respectability of society, who are scandalously free with their favours. Well not free. They have a price, be it money or something more ephemeral. Though you share a house with the Characters of the other Players you are in competition with them. Let the backstabbing and the bitchiness commence!

Disclaimer

This is book is a Roleplaying game. Although it is based on historical characters it makes no claims of historical accuracy. Naturally the subject matter is both mature and sensitive.

Mature in that I do not want anyone complaining about minors playing games of high society sluts and reading books with frank sexual content and foul language. Consider this book 18 rated.

Naturally talking about the sex trade, even the upper end of it, is a sensitive subject. If you have a problem with sex in your games this isn’t the game for you. If you have a problem with the sex trade this probably isn’t your game either.

For the record this game is not an endorsement or a condemnation of the sex trade’s excesses. The author’s personal opinion is so long as all parties consent then there is no moral problem.

Allo Sweetheart!

Well good day you fi ne young Lady. Let’s take a good look at you. Hmmmm pretty girl but it takes more than looks to survive in the world of the Demi Monde. Who am I? Mrs Eliza Steel’s the name. I was the Lady’s Companion to that legendary Courtesan Sophia Baddeley. No that’s not what that means you dirty girl, shame on you! I did love her though, so beautiful. Anyway enough daydreaming about times and sins past! You need a guide to the Demi Monde and I’m only too happy to help. ‘Specially as you’re so pretty. What? You’ll need to pay me somehow madam. I ain’t

Who Wants to Play a Courtesan?

Lots of people dearie! But the author has identifi ed a few main groups that may be interested.

History Buffs: With modern history education’s obsession with

20th _{Century dictatorships those who get a buzz out of history (the}

author included) may long to try something from a different age that is less overdone in other media. Please don’t get pissy about historical inaccuracy though. This is intended to be in the spirit of the Demi Monde not an exact simulation.

Feminists: Yeah we all know what some feminists think of sex

work but in the case of the Courtesans they may well make an exception. These were powerful, independent women who resisted that patriarchy’s attempts to control their sexuality with its ‘morals.’ Some like Sophia Baddeley were, in fact, successful career women outside of the bedroom.

Sex Workers: The author appreciates sex work is a tough job and

would like to offer all of its dedicated workers a chance to unwind by playing at being at the top of the game of a different age. This one’s on me Ladies and gents.

The Socially Challenged: The author has Aspergers’ Syndrome a

form of high functioning Autism. He has diffi culty relating to others socially and emotionally. Roleplaying has really helped him come to understand the human condition and he thoroughly recommends this social focused game to those with similar conditions as a form of therapy and education. However he doesn’t recommend you trying your Courtesans inspired moves on someone.

Moralists: For a game about women who defy conventional morals Courtesans is a very moral game. There are consequences to every

action that your Character has to deal with. This doesn’t make it anti or pro sex work it just raises the questions around it.

Perverts: You know who you are and here’s your chance for

some dirty fun that doesn’t involve being locked in a room with a magazine or a broadband connection.

Postmortem Studios

Postmortem Studios is the personal imprint of noted roleplaying game author James “Grim” Desborough. He has lots of works to his name but probably the most famous is his fi rst The Munchkin’s Guide to

Power Gaming. Being a generous

sort of chap he has provided work to many artists and even authors. It’s relatively small in a crowded market but it is profi table enough and respected as being about good games not fl eecing gamers who are poor enough already.

Beer and Crisps

Beer and Crisps (or Beer and Pretzels in the States) is a roleplaying game term used to denote a none-too-serious game that is intended to be played for laughs. It is also the default name for a game system developed by James ‘Grim’ Desborough for his game Urban

Faerie. Later it was used for comedy

alien invasion game Invaderz also by Grim.

Most recently Ian Warner, Grim’s dogsbody on the Shadow World series, took the basics of the system with a few of his own twists to create Bloody Code Legal drama Tough

Justice.

Now he returns to the system again hacking it up and making it do things it was never intended to do.

About the Author

Ian Warner is one of Grim’s

‘discoveries’. He began professional writing work with the notorious

Shadow World spoof horror series

after bumbling around looking for a character sheet. With supplements for Bloodsucker: The Angst and a new game Chav: The Knifi ng he expanded a seemingly one joke series into an alt lifestyle mockfest. With a pause for a system revamp he continued this trend with Wizkid:

The Cheapening: A mockery of

Potter fandom, particularly the perverted slash fi ction.

He has taken a break from the series that made him to write a couple of pseudo historical romps of which this is the second (the other being Tough

Justice.) He will also try his hand as

a novelist with the autobiographies of two of his favourite creations Sebastian and Annie Havelock. Don’t worry though. Shadow

World will be back and more

controversial than ever with Vipers

in the Nest and Sparklers: Vampires of the Sun!

Piracy Plea

Yeah we know some companies abuse intellectual property laws whilst making millions from legit sales. We’re not one of them. We’d love to be, but no! We don’t make a lot so we can’t really afford piracy. If the copy you are now reading is a pirated PDF don’t worry! You can make up for it by buying one of our other products. Or even better go to www.lulu.com and buy a hardcopy. Books are so much better when trees are harmed in the making of them.

About Roleplaying

We all know about the sort of roleplaying one does on a stage, on a silly computer game (that is incredibly limited), on stupid training days and of course in the bedroom but it is surprising how few people know about roleplaying games.

Well pretty much everyone knows the name of one of them Dungeons

and Dragons.

Yes I realise the name has been tainted by ‘ever so clever’ pop culture references and two awful movies (oddly the second one, while bad, was a lot better) but if you look past the geeky aspect (and rules that get ever more complex with every ‘simplifi cation’) it’s actually quite a fun pastime.

It’s not the only roleplaying game out there though.

The market is very crowded (especially with the invention of Print on Demand) with all manner of genres and rules systems.

Most involve a group of friends, some sort of randomiser (cards or dice) and a Character sheet for each Player that details what his character can do.

One Player takes on a sort of referee role rather than a Character. The names for this role vary from game to game.

Dungeons and Dragons has

copyrighted Dungeon Master, the original designation for this role. Some games use Referee, which makes sense seeing as that is what the role entails.

One horror game specialist has called dibs on the term Storyteller. This one of the poorer terms for the role as it is not the place of this Player to tell the story, merely to manage it. Most games use the simple Games Master but for this one I thought the term ‘Landlady’ more appropriate. Yes, male Landladies are still called Landladies and in this book the Landlady is always referred to a she. With all the various systems there is something out there for everyone. I hope this is the game for you but I have no illusions as to its niche appeal.

Courtesans is a very unusual

roleplaying game. Though some games have deliberately tried to get away from it most Roleplaying involves some genre appropriate variation on the typical Dungeons

and Dragons ‘kill the bad guys and

take their stuff’. Not this game.

This game is one of the few games without a physical combat system in the core rules. Fighting with fi sts or weapons is for tupenny harlots, Courtesans fi ght with Intrigues. Yes I do know I’m going to get some fl ak for this. Not only have I created a game with no combat but I have created a game that is driven by social mechanics, something which many of the best in the business despise.

Plot is also handled unconventionally in that the Landlady prepares

Admirers and throws them at the Courtesans. How they interact with them and each other is entirely in the Player’s hands. This makes

Courtesans a great game for

the lazy Landlady as there is little preparation involved and the Players do all the hard work for a change. Naturally if you want to put a bit more effort in there is plenty of room to do so too. It’s your game.

As well as the traditional sit down and roll some bones ‘Tabletop’ kind of roleplaying the Appendix includes rules for making your game of

Courtesans Live Action. How much

contact is involved is completely up to you…

Courtesans is your very own Demi

Monde sandbox. Play nice!

What You Need

Just to make it clear you will need the following...

• A copy of this book (you’re reading it dummy!) • A Landlady to manage the

game (can be male. He or she will be playing male Admirers but also female ones and the Landlady Character!)

• 2-6 Players to play the Courtesans (Players also can be male but their Characters are always female)

• 2 regular 6 sided dice for each Player and the Landlady. Gamers refer to these as d6s but as a bit of an experiment I am going to write this book in non gamer friendly terms and avoid this abbreviation.

• A Completed Character Sheet for each Player and for the Landlady Character • Somewhere to play. • Ruthless ambition and lax

morals or the ability to portray them!

Chapter One

Background

On what a Courtesan is and

What is a Courtesan?

B

efore you take on a Character for a roleplaying game it helps to know what exactly it is you are playing. This is particularly true where the name and lead Characters of the game are referred to by an archaic term that has sadly passed out of use.

The fi rst question to ask before you can answer what a Courtesan is is what is a Prostitute? In its most literal reading a prostitute is someone who exchanges sex for money. This is a very, very loose defi nition that encompasses many, many different sorts of women (and men) some who would be insulted to be referred to by the term. Why is this? It seems a particularly neutral and descriptive term.

One word: baggage.

Prostitute conjures up a particular kind of mental image. In a modern context it’s the scantily clad Chavy girl standing on a street corner, cigarette in hand waiting for some punter to come along with his money. In the context of the time period this game is set the image is, instead, the buxom rosy cheeked woman in the daring low-cut dress: Normally hanging around Taverns. Not all prostitutes follow these stereotypes and one particular group least of all.

Courtesans are prostitutes by the strictest defi nition of the term. However the strict defi nition also covers many wives and mistresses (then and now) who are seen as somewhat more ‘respectable.’ A Courtesan is somewhere in the massive no man’s land between the respectability of a high society wife and the disrepute of the common doxy.

What scandalises so much about the Courtesan is not their unconventional morality but the fact they are willing to exploit their sexuality to gain wealth and even power of their own. What’s more they didn’t just sell sex. I mean, yes every Courtesan exchanged sex for money at some point in her career but they also sold their companionship, conversation, relationship advice and even fashion coaching.

So, when you play a Courtesan you are playing a strong-minded independent woman with a fl exible moral code who is willing to exploit her sexuality for wealth and power, one of the few ways for women to get it in that time. Then as now this may be shocking even a little reprehensible but, personally I fi nd it quite admirable and far more honest than the common whores who sell their bodies and call it ‘marriage.’

The History of

the Courtesan

It’s called the oldest profession for a good reason. It’s as old as the human race. In fact, maybe even older: Some particularly canny primates have displayed knowledge of the use of sex for personal gain or exchanged favours for fruit.

The phenomenon of the Courtesan is possibly just as old. It’s not just the dregs of society that resort to exploiting their sexuality. The mistress, the concubine, Hell, even a few legally married wives quickly began to catch on to the tricks of exploiting their charms for personal gains at every level of society. Those at the upper end were the fi rst Courtesans, though they were not called such until the Early Modern era.

Across the world they had varying degrees of success. Many legendary Queens, Courtiers and even, surprisingly, a Russian Orthodox Saint fi tted the archetype. Such was the power of patriarchy that often the only women we ever hear about from ancient times were those fi rmly in the Courtesan archetype. Jezebel and Cleopatra, two of the earliest and most famous Courtesan Queens, are probably the most famous women in the ancient world.

Less famous but almost as infl uential was the Greek ‘hetaera’ (a kind of semi-holy whore) Phryne. She was so wealthy it is said that she paid for the reconstruction of Thebes’ walls out of her own pocket. An inscription has been found that, with typical ancient innuendo, states ‘Alexander may have knocked this wall down but Phryne the hetaera got it back up again!’

The coming of prudish and

patriarchal Christianity did nothing to halt the progress of the Courtesan. They just got a bit more subtle than they had been in the ancient world. Many noble Ladies and even queens and princesses were not half as virtuous as their titles suggested. Eleanor of Aquitaine springs to mind.

Come the renaissance and the subtlety could relax a little again. With even the Popes openly keeping mistresses by contract, professional Courtesans thrived; particularly in the notoriously passionate Italian City States where the word ‘Courtesan’ was fi rst coined. A Papal Ambassador to Venice remarked ‘You rarely see a respectable Venetian wife save at weddings, christenings or funerals. When a Venetian man is seen in public he prefers the company of a professional mistress or Courtesan as a display of his wealth.’

The Reformation brought a crackdown on such women in the new Protestant nations. Martin Luther considered a woman’s God ordained role as wife and mother and nothing more. He even hated nuns! Who hates nuns (besides Catholic schoolkids)?

Still in the Catholic nations the Courtesan continued to thrive unmolested and, though forced back into subtlety, the Protestant world did manage to produce another Courtesan Queen; Catherine Howard of England. However short her reign her manipulation of men, though eventually her downfall, was extraordinary.

It was just as the Courtesan was re-emerging from the imposed Protestant gloom that the fun hating Puritans seized power in England and Scotland, cutting it off until the Restoration.

Of Course Charles II, the playboy king with illegitimate children said to number seventeen or more loved Courtesans and with Actress Nell Gwynn, the English Demi Monde was born (more on that later.) From the late 1600s to the early 1900s Courtesans had their golden age. This was when the biggest names hit the headlines for both good and bad reasons. Nell Gwynn, Emma Hamilton, Sophia Baddeley, Elizabeth Armistead, Harriet Wilson, Cora Pearl and fi nally Catherine

Some were short lived others retained their popular appeal well into their 90s.

The death of the latter in 1920 marked the end of an era. Courtesans are still active today though they mainly consist of glamour models, footballer WAGs, bored heiresses and, of course, the occasional actress, singer or television presenter.

If any of the golden era Ladies got a sight of their modern day counterparts they would probably die of a broken heart on the spot. All the class is gone but hopefully not for good.

The Demi Monde

No one is exactly sure who coined the term Demi Monde but it was doubtless one of the many high-society Ladies who were fascinated by the incredible women their husbands were paying so much to be with: Particularly their underwear, toffs have a perverse streak. Wherever the term came from, it stuck. Strangely for what is a couple of French words it was mostly applied to the British Courtesan scene from the Restoration to the death of dear ‘Skittles’ in 1920, which this game is focused on.

Demi Monde, for those of you who are unfamiliar with French, roughly means half-world. It is a good description of the Courtesan’s place in society.

Though growing ever more secular society was bound up in strict Christian ‘morals’ that could never accept independent women exploiting their sexuality for fi nancial, personal or God forbid political gain. Having said that they had little problem with married women doing the same through their husbands!

At the same time Courtesans were very fashionable. Even those who made massive social climbs to get to the station like ‘Skittles’ were regarded with awe by Gentlemen and Ladies alike. Yes Ladies too! They would often request audiences with those of the Demi Monde. They treated them as confi dantes and agony aunts as they could be a lot more frank with them than they could with their ‘respectable’ friends. It is speculated that many of the great marriages of the time were saved or broken by the sage words of a Courtesan. Oh and some Ladies wanted more than a dirty chat… As for the Gentlemen we all know the sorts that frequented the Courtesan’s chambers: The High society ‘Fops’ out for a bit of fun at the expense of their already over fi lled bank accounts. Do we really know them though? Were they really as irredeemable as the ‘moralist’ propaganda of the time made out?

Clearly not! Charles James Fox for example may have been the most incorrigible patron of the Demi Monde for most of his life but he fell genuinely in love with legendary Courtesan Elizabeth Armistead who, after much persuading, married him. In an age where marriage was for procreation and convenience of uniting two houses (as it still is today in a lot of cases) this was one of the few genuine and touching love stories and it came out of the ‘sordid’ world of the Demi Monde.

The Fops were misunderstood but they were not the only Admirers competing for the Courtesan’s attentions. It was a common practice for the virginal teenage children of the great and good to have their fi rst ‘experience’ with a Courtesan; either at their own initiative or at the recommendation of their parents or guardians. These ‘private lessons’ did wonders for sexual self-confi dence in a repressed and prudish age. These are represented in the game by the Student Archetype.

Then there were those deeply ‘moral’ individuals out to save ‘fallen women’ from ‘sin’. Whether clergy or laity these Gentlemen paid for the ‘company’ and claimed (outrageously) that they never went so far as to sleep with their Courtesan friends. These are represented in the game by the Saviour Archetype.

The most famous of these Admirers, four times Whig Prime Minister William Gladstone turned to his Bishop son on his death bed and said ‘I have never been guilty of that act that is known as infi delity to the marital bed.’ Of course like Bill Clinton’s excuse that oral sex isn’t actually sex we all know what he meant. He had a tempestuous relationship with ‘Skittles’ that varied from extreme cattiness to devoted friendship.

Finally we have, perhaps, the most tragic kind of Admirers. Those who deceived themselves that they were pleasure seeking Fops but in fact were in a desperate search for love and companionship. These are represented in the game by the Lover Archetype.

The Demi Monde was at once at the heart and on the periphery of Restoration, Georgian and Victorian society. Though publically condemned and despised by many Courtesans continued to occupy the positions of the greatest women of their age.

Nowadays there are easier ways for a woman to get on in the world but there is still a Demi Monde of sorts even if the state of it would break the heart of a golden age Courtesan.

Currency

Whatever period of the Demi Monde time frame you set your game in you will be using the old English currency system of Pounds, Shillings and Pence.

The actual fi nancial systems of the game are in the form of the quite abstract Wealth Resource. Nonetheless it does help to be able to talk Guineas in character!

Here are the details of the Demi Monde era currency...

Basics

There are 3 denominations, in descending order: Pounds (£) Shillings (s) and Pence (d). There are 12 Pennies in a Shilling and 20 Shillings in a Pound.

Coinage

Farthings: The smallest type of coin

available. Two Farthings make a Half Penny.

Half Pennies: Half Pennies are just

that half a Penny. It was sometimes pronounced Hapney particularly by the lower orders.

Pennies: No more pissing about with

halves and quarters this is a full Penny worth 1d.

Thrupence: Worth 3d: Thrupence were

awkward, odd shaped little coins.

Sixpence: Worth 6d or 1/2s: Also

known as a Tanner.

Bob: Worth 12d or 1s. This was the

lowest value one could be executed for stealing.

Florin: Worth 2s.

Half Crown: Worth 2s and 6d. As can

be seen from the Slang section there were a lot of other names for this.

Crown: Worth 5s. As can be seen from

the Slang section there were a lot of other names for this.

Title Addressed as

King/Queen Your Majesty Princess/Princesses Your Royal Highness Duke/Duchess Your Grace

Marquess My Lord/ Your Lordship Marchioness My Lady/ Your Ladyship Earl My Lord/ Your Lordship Earless My Lady/ Your Ladyship Count My Lord/ Your Lordship Countess My Lady/ Your Ladyship Viscount My Lord/ Your Lordship Viscountess My Lady/ Your Ladyship Baron My Lord/ Your Lordship Baroness My Lady/ Your Ladyship Lord of Parliament My Lord/ Your Lordship

Baronet Sir

Knight Sir

Wife of Knight/ Lord My Lady

MP The Right Honourable

Sovereign: Worth £1. Very few of

the lower classes ever saw these. The average wages amounted to about £6 a year. Still a Sovereign was considered vulgar compared with the more “Gentlemanly” Guinea.

Guinea: The highest valued coin

in Britain. A Guinea was worth £1 1s. The only people who ever saw guineas were Gentlemen and those with enough wealth to have pretentions of gentry. Courtesans would have been paid in Guineas. It would be most unladylike to accept a smaller denomination.

Titles

As a Courtesan you will need to be familiar with the various honorifi cs of society and how to show them the proper respect. Yes that goes for you too you dirty Upstarts! Anyway the following table is a basic guide.

Nobles in the House of Commons (there were far too many) would be referred to as the Right Honourable (title.)

As for Church titles Bishops and Archbishops are referred to as ‘Your Grace’ and Vicars ‘Your Reverence’ or ‘Parson.’

Kings and Queens

A Courtesan

’s Guide

This is a game about blowing your way to the top. Naturally you should have at least a snowball’s chance in Hell of actually getting there! Here is a brief guide to the Kings (and Queens) of the whole 2 century period and their likelihood of employing your Courtesan’s services.

Charles II

(Reigned 1660-1685)

The original Fop, King Charles II had 17 known illegitimate children. Courtesans were tripping over each other to get to him including the legendary Actress Nell Gwyn. It is perfectly possible that your Restoration era Courtesan would end up in bed with the King. She may even end up as the mother of yet another illegitimate child.

Suggested Archetype: Charles II

is defi nitely a Fop.

Suggested Pliability: 2: Charles II

may be a man of the world but really he’s just a big kid.

Special (Randy): Charles II makes

it very clear what he wants from a mistress. Any Courtesan may jump straight into bed with King Charles when they gain him as an Admirer regardless of their Origin.

James II

(Reigned 1685-1688)

Though not an outright Fop like his older brother, James II wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue either with at least 3 illegitimate children. There is no record of him visiting a Courtesan either during his brief reign or in his time as Prince of Wales but it is distinct possibility. Be wary me dear. He’s not nearly as easily led as his lusty brother!

Suggested Archetype: James

II may not necessarily want a Courtesan to give up her profession but he would want her to become a Catholic. He is an usual kind of Saviour.

Suggested Pliability: 4: James

II is no pushover and is not easily pleased.

Special (Religious Preference):

James II has a thing for Catholic girls. If your Courtesan is a

practicing Catholic you may halve his Pliability.

William III and Mary II

(Reigned 1689-1702)

Ah bit of a problem here. Your Courtesan is unfortunate in that she is living in the reign of one of the most happily married couples ever to share the throne. Still there is a slight chance they may wish to experiment by inviting a Courtesan to serve them both simultaneously: More likely for conversation and advice than actual sex but you never know.

Suggested Archetype: William III

and Mary II are deeply in love and anything they employ a Courtesan for will be in the service of this. They are a pair of Lovers.

Suggested Pliability: 5: They’re

both deeply in love with each other and no matter how charming you are you will struggle to get their attentions on you.

Special (Couple): William III and

Mary II always visit together if they visit at all. Their Pliability represents them both as described in Admirers.

Anne

(Reigned 1702-1714)

Though her reign was brief and pretty uneventful Queen Anne lived life to the full. Her nickname Brandy Anne was certainly justifi ed. It is possible a modern woman who drank as much as she did would be labelled an alcoholic. She also had a fondness for cards and backgammon. All her 10 children were either stillborn or died in infancy. Despite this she maintained a cheerful optimism and joy de vive until the day she died. There are no hints of her ever being particularly interested in Courtesans but she was a very game girl.

Suggested Archetype: Though

she is middle aged and has buried 10 children Anne still has a lot to learn about life and love. She is a Student.

Suggested Pliability: 1: Queen

Anne loved life and threw money

Special (Pisshead): If Queen

Anne visits your Courtesan you are expected to get drunk with her. See the Advanced Rules on Alcohol in Appendix 1. Anne’s base Pliability represents her drunk.

George I

(Reigned 1714-1727)

Not exactly the most charming of men and by all accounts very poor at treating women with respect (he had his wife locked up and her rumoured lover assassinated whilst carrying on with a pair of mistresses nicknamed ‘Elephant and Castle’ as one was fat and the other thin.) It is more than likely that he met with a Courtesan at some point in his career but he would have been a far from easy Admirer.

Suggested Archetype: George I is

a shameless Fop pretending to be a Lover.

Suggested Pliability: 5: Stingy,

oafi sh and thoroughly frank with his women.

Special (Language Barrier):

George I spoke little English. Unless your Courtesan speaks fl uent

German (Landlady’s discretion based on Background) she counts George I’s Pliability as 1 higher.

George II

(Reigned 1727-1760)

A very different man from his father George II had not the oafi shness that defi ned the fi rst one. He was by most accounts charming, if a little brash and was the last English monarch to lead his army into battle. However he was devoted to his wife Caroline. If your Courtesan is active between 1727 to Caroline’s death in 1737 she has no chance with this King. However as he charmingly told his beloved on her deathbed he would never remarry but would instead take mistresses. One or more of these mistresses could well have been Courtesans.

Suggested Archetype: George II

is a very tragic kind of Fop. He takes mistresses to serve his physical needs only. His heart belongs to the late Queen Caroline.

Suggested Pliability: 4: He tries

to do right by the women who act as mistresses but he is pining for his beloved Caroline.

Special (Language Barrier): Just

like his father George II struggled with English. Unless your Courtesan speaks fl uent German (Landlady’s discretion based on Background) she counts George I’s Pliability as 1 higher.

George III

(Reigned 1760- 1820)

Mad King George III may have been completely off his rocker but he was devoted to his Queen Charlotte who he affectionately called ‘Mrs King.’ Even though he molested a few Ladies in waiting due to his illness he never got beyond heavy petting. He was devoted to his Queen and wouldn’t share her with anyone.

Suggested Archetype: N/A: See

below.

Suggested Pliability: N/A: See

below.

Special (NAFF): You can’t have

George III as an Admirer. You may however have his son the Prince of Wales later George IV (see below.)

George IV

(Reigned 1820-1830)

After his straight laced (if insane) father George IV must have been a breath of fresh air for the Demi Monde. In his time as Prince of Wales he associated with many disreputable women and even illegally married a common

Catholic. He was also very unhappily legitimately married to the point where he denied he was married to the ‘ghastly woman’ at all. It is quite possible that the model for the nursery rhyme ‘Georgie Porgie’ had occasion to visit a Courtesan both during his own reign and that of his father before him.

Suggested Archetype: George IV

Suggested Pliability: 3: He’s

about averagely diffi cult to please.

Special (Fat Ugly Bastard):

George IV’s looks and demeanour can really put a girl off. Sex Acts performed on him are at a -1 penalty.

William IV

(Reigned 1830-1837)

William IV was never supposed to be King so he never played the part. He had set up home with a lowly Irish Actress named Dorothy Bland (known as Mrs Jordan) with whom he had 5 children. Once it was clear George IV would produce no heir royal advisors got into a bit of a panic. With some reluctance William left Dorothy (amicably by most accounts) and found a respectable Protestant wife. Despite the poor foundation of necessity it was a happy marriage. Unless you count Mrs Jordan he never had any association with Courtesans. Whilst he was with Dorothy he was exclusively with Dorothy and whilst he was with Queen Adelaide he was exclusively with Queen Adelaide. Quite a difference from his brother.

Suggested Archetype: N/A: See

Below.

Suggested Pliability: N/A: See

below.

Special (NAFF): William IV had

nothing to do with any Courtesans other than Mrs Jordan and is thus not available as an Admirer. Other Royals were very much up for it though.

Victoria

(Reigned 1837-1901)

There is a common myth that Queen Victoria was such a prude that she refused to believe an aide when he told her of women making love to women. Along with her husband Prince Albert she had the second biggest private pornography collection in the world (the largest was then and is now that of the Pope.) With such a big collection the admission of any girl on girl at all seems unlikely to say the least (‘sodomy’ may have been illegal but so was pornography so go fi gure!) She is not offi cially recorded as having visited any Courtesans but with such a dirty mind hidden behind that prudish exterior it is entirely possible: Even if it is just for advice rather than actual sex.

Suggested Archetype: Victoria

is a Lover. Her one true love Albert will always come fi rst but she is encouraged by the Fop to experiment during his life and will doubtless do so afterwards however humourlessly.

Suggested Pliability: During her

marriage to Albert (1840-1861) she was a happy fun loving girl. At this time her Pliability is 3, 2 if Albert is with her as he puts her at ease. After 1861 however she is the dour joyless widow we all know her as with a Pliability of 4.

Special (We Are Not Amused):

Being Spurned by Queen Victoria is going to do you some harm. Though obviously she will never admit to a sexual relationship she can make it well known that you are not appreciated. When Spurned by Queen Victoria a Courtesan suffers a Scandal point. This never happens if Albert is with her.

Edward VII

(Reigned 1901-1910)

Back to the playboy again! Edward VII always was a complete Fop from his fi rst relationship with Actress Lille Langtry onwards. It was this stress of the scandal of this relationship that Victoria believed contributed if not outright caused the death of her beloved Albert for which she never forgave him. He was happily married to Alexandria of Denmark who grudgingly accepted the mistresses. On his death in 1910 however she barred all of them from his funeral believing it ‘inappropriate.’ Though Langtry wasn’t much of a Courtesan if one at all Edward VII was connected to many of the Demi Monde, including none other than the foremost of his time, Catherine ‘Skittles’ Walters.

Suggested Archetype: Edward

VII was the last true Fop King. Well, maybe if Prince Harry ends up on the throne this will change...

Suggested Pliability: Edward VII

loves a good tumble with a pretty

Special (Alexandria Has Got Her Eye on You): Though she

feigned acceptance and disinterest Alexandria kept track of all of her husband’s mistresses. Once Edward VII starts Visiting your Courtesan she gains an additional +1 Legend from Alexandria gossiping about her.

Other Kings and Queens?

Though ‘Skittles’ died in 1920 the Demi Monde was way past its heyday. ‘Skittles’ was the last true Courtesan of the Demi Monde to go but her career was long over and the Fop King was well and truly dead. Nowadays Kings tend to marry their fancy women. Not that it matters much because Premiership Footballers are a better catch in terms of power and wealth anyway.

Important Terms

Here are a few fancy words that repeatedly come up in the Game Rules and Setting. Don’t worry your pretty head about memorising them all there is nothing wrong with checking these pages for clarity.

Actresses: An Origin. Actresses are

Courtesans who specialise in putting on a show. They needn’t necessarily be actual stage folk they could be singers, dancers or illegal strippers. Examples include Miss Nell Gwynn and Mrs Sophia Baddeley.

Admirer: A Gentleman (or in some

potentially scandalous cases a Lady) who shows some interest in your Courtesan. They are Non Player Characters.

Aiding: A Type of action: The helping

out of your Sisters by fair means or foul.

Archetypes: The ‘classes’ of Admirers.

These are a rough guide to personality and motivation for the Landlady. They have no mechanical effect.

Awards: Special bonuses for achieving

the highest score in something.

Bawd: A woman who runs a brothel or

House of Introduction.

Besotted: An Admirer who will never

Spurn his Courtesan regardless of what she does. Can be played as anything from charming true love (hah) to creepy stalker.

Catholics: Members of the Church of

Rome. A religious minority that is much persecuted throughout the time of the Demi Monde.

Charm: A Statistic representing

amiability and general friendliness.

Chaperone: An assistant to the

Landlady in a Courtesans LARP.

Character Sheets: A sheet for recording

the details of a Player Character or the Landlady Character (Admirers and Children don’t need sheets just notes.) An example one is printed at the back.

Children: With so much sex happening

there’s bound to be Children sooner or later, a type of Non Player Character.

CofE: Church of England: Protestant

state religion of England.

Convent (the): A high class brothel. Courtesan: A strong independent

woman who profi ts from the manipulation of her sexuality. The Player Characters of this game.

Demi Monde: The half world of semi

respectability that Courtesans inhabit.

Doxy: A common prostitute well

beneath a Courtesan’s contempt.

Fallen Ladies: An Origin: Fallen Ladies

are the primmest of the upper classes descended into the Demi Monde through some (usually minor) Scandal. Examples include Lady Julia Johnstone.

Fops: An Archetype of Admirer:

Debauched pleasure seekers out for a bit of fun at any cost.

Gentlemen: Men who were of suffi cient

social standing to merit special respect above that of the regular working classes. Not necessarily titled. Very few Courtesans would even consider accepting anything less than a Gentleman as an Admirer.

Goldenhearts: An Origin. Goldenhearts

are Courtesans with kind natures and/ or strong moral convictions. They’re such sweethearts really. Examples include Miss Cora Pearl and most of the Courtesan heroines in literature.

Handicapped: A Child with Health 1

and some kind of disability.

Health: The one Statistic Children have.

Represent survivability in the harsh world of the Demi Monde.

High Origins: Those Origins that have

either a higher moral, fi nancial or social standing above common harlots. These are the Goldenhearts, Fallen Ladies and Schemers.

House: A home rented by a group of

Player Character Courtesans.

House of Commons: Representative

House supposedly of the Common people. Property based voting restrictions plus the presence of titled men made it very unrepresentative though. It has been a long hard struggle but by the time of the Demi Monde the Commons has the majority of legislative power.

House of Introduction: A high class

brothel.

House of Lords: Representative House

of the nobility. It is the Lords job to ‘correct’ the legislation passed by the Commons. In other words be a right royal pain in the arse.

Infl uence: A Resource: Your

Courtesan’s socio-political clout.

Intrigue: A type of action: Making

an attack of some sort upon another Courtesan.

Keeper: An Admirer who holds a Kept

Mistress Contract over your Courtesan.

Kept Mistress Contract: A legal

Contract that binds a Courtesan to a single Admirer.

Manners: A Statistic representing the

Courtesan’s emotional composure and ability to fi t in to polite society.

Member of Parliament: Member of

either the House of Lords or Commons. Usually used to refer to the Commons.

Noble: A man or woman with a title and

usually great wealth and property.

Non Conformists: Protestants who

do not recognise the Authority of the Church of England. Examples include the Methodists, Unitarians, Baptists, Moravians and Society of Friends (Quakers.) For most of the Demi Monde period Non Conformists had to sign a register.

Non Player Characters (NPCs):

Characters that are not in the control of the Player. In Courtesans this means the Admirers, Children and the Landlady Character.

Origins: The Origins are the archetypes

or ‘classes’ of the game. They give a template of the sort of upbringing the Courtesan had and her strengths and weaknesses.

Ladies: Women of suffi cient social

standing to be considered above the regular working classes. Not necessarily titled though confusingly Lady is a title. Courtesans were pretty solidly Ladies though the way they earned their living was not exactly ladylike. If a Courtesan should be daring enough to have a female Admirer she will most likely be a Lady.

Landlady: The Player in charge of

the game both instigating plot and controlling NPC actions.

Landlady Character: A senior

Courtesan played by the Landlady. Acts as a mentor fi gure and collects Rent.

LARP: Stands for Live Action Roleplay.

It means dressing up, getting on your feet and acting out your Character’s actions (within reason of course.)

Legend: A Resource: Your Courtesan’s

popularity amongst the common people.

Letters of Introduction: The letters

Admirers write to introduce themselves to Courtesans.

Lover: An Archetype of Admirer. They

like to think they’re only after a bit of fun but really they’re hungry for love and attention. Awwwwww!

Low Origins: Those Origins that are

a bit less scrupulous namely Upstarts, Professionals and Actresses.

Parliament: Centre of English

government: Made up of the House of Lords and House of Commons.

Player Characters (PCs): The

Characters played by the Players rather than the Landlady. In this game they are all Courtesans of various stripes.

Pliability: The one Statistic that

Admirers have: Represents a

combination of disposable income and vulnerability to manipulation.

Performance: A Statistic representing a

Courtesan’s ability to sing, dance, act or otherwise make a show.

Pleasing: A type of action: The way

your Courtesan gets Resources out of Admirers.

Procurement: A type of action: The

way your Courtesan attracts Admirers.

Professionals: An Origin. Professionals

are the highest possible class of common whore promoted to the Demi Monde. Their physical fi tness and thus prowess in the bedroom is unmatched by any other Origin. Examples include Mrs Elizabeth Armistead.

Protestants: Members of churches that

do not recognise the authority of the Pope. Include the CofE and the Non Conformists. Not the Orthodox though that split was much earlier.

Prowess: A Statistic representing

physical health and sexual skill.

Reputation: A Resource: The

Courtesan’s popularity on the Town.

Resources: The different scores

representing the Courtesan’s success.

Resource Bankruptcy: When a

Resource drops to -20 or lower. Means removal from the game in a spectacularly nasty way if you’re not careful

Resource Debt: Going into minus

numbers in a Resource. This infl icts a penalty on a Statistic.

Roll Off: Both players rolling a dice and

comparing results. The one that scores the highest after modifi ers wins.

Saviour: An Archetype of Admirer.

Saviours are deeply moral or religious people who aim to “save” the “wicked souls” of both Courtesans and

common Doxies. They mostly pay for conversation alone and struggle desperately to keep their relationships with Courtesans platonic.

Scandal: A Resource of sorts: Scandal

is not earned so much as infl icted for “misdeeds.” It is both a blessing and a curse to have a high Scandal.

Schemers: An Origin. Schemers are

Courtesans with political skills and ambitions. They are by far the most socially aware of the Courtesans and can dissect the information whooshing round their pretty little heads with remarkable speed. The most famous Schemer was Emma Hamilton.

Sisters: Your fellow Courtesans, in

particular those who share your House.

Sodomy: Homosexual acts or any sexual

act involving the anus. Actually a crime at the height of the Demi Monde: Even punishable by death for some of it.

Spite: A Statistic representing a

Courtesan’s ability to bitch, whine and moan.

Spurning: When an Admirer loses

interest and leaves your Courtesan.

Statistic: A numerical score that

represents your Courtesan’s competence in an area.

Student: An Archetype of Admirer.

Students are usually young or at least inexperienced. They aim to learn about love from the best of teachers!

Strong Statistic: A Statistic so strong

that you roll two dice and pick the highest, when making an action involving it: Determined by Origin.

Surrogacy Contract: A legal contract to

act as a surrogate mother. Not illegal but highly frowned upon.

Tabletop: The regular kind of roleplay:

Sitting round a table with your Character Sheets, narrating and rolling dice.

Town (the): A general term for the

hidden world of Prostitution. This includes Courtesans as well as common Doxies, pimps, Bawds and the Fops who patronise them.

Upstarts: An Origin. Upstarts are the

Courtesans whose background is so humble that it is scandalous in itself. Growing up in rough places they’re very rough and ready girls full of Spite. The most famous Upstart was Miss Catherine Walters.

Visiting: When an Admirer is being

successfully Pleased by a Courtesan he is said to be Visiting her.

Weak Statistic: A Statistic so weak that

you roll two dice and pick the lowest, when making an action involving it: Determined by Origin.

Wealth: A Resource: Your Courtesan’s

material assets including money and valuables.

Wits: A Statistic representing awareness

of one’s surroundings and ability to react quickly to threats.

Chapter Two

Character Creation

On crafting your own high society

strumpet for this merry romp

Characters in

Courtesans

T

he fi rst thing you need to join the Demi Monde is a Character. As a Player your Character is your primary concern in the Game. She is the role you play and the one Character whose life choices you have a measure of control over. Some Landladies, particularly those running games at conventions may simply hand you a pre made character. However most of the time you will get to choose your Character, her abilities, back story, appearance and personality. This is done by following the process outlined below.

Year and Location

The English Demi Monde covers a huge Time Period and the full history of Courtesans even longer. It is important therefore for the Landlady to establish the year in which her game is set as well as the location of the action.

Example:

Bernadette is inviting some Lady friends to play a game of

Courtesans. She establishes that

the Game year is 1786 and the Player Characters are sharing a house in a fi ctional street in London (69 Frothington Road, yes Bernadette has a sick mind: It is something of prerequisite for a Landlady!)

Courtesans Only

This is Courtesans not Courtesans and Fops. Player Characters are inevitably female and inevitably part of the Demi Monde. If you want to play other Characters of the time the author’s own Tough Justice is pretty good for day to day life and Neil Gow’s excellent Duty

and Honour and Beat to Quarters are great for military

based adventure. The latter, of course restricts you to only male characters so a game of

Courtesans may make a nice

break from it or vice versa. Oh and don’t think just because it’s female Characters only and the rules text is written in a silly affectionate mother to daughter tone that this is a girl’s game. The great thing about Roleplaying games is playing Characters who are different from you. Things may get awkward if you use the LARP rules in Appendix Two though. For this reason all the Players in the

Name

First you need to think of a name. This has two aspects.

Title

Most Courtesans will either be Miss or Mrs. Believe it or not the latter is more common. Courtesans who used Mrs did so for one of 3 reasons. 1. They were actually married. Some particularly understanding men let their wives indulge in their less than savoury hobby so long as they kept safe and didn’t fall in love with any of their Admirers.

2. They were Widows. If your

husband died in the time of the Demi Monde you were in a lot of trouble. Unless you were lucky enough to have a family fortune, widow’s pension or generous insurance policy you were stuck with no income and most probably a houseful of kids to support. The lavish lifestyle of a Courtesan would have been awfully tempting where honest work would likely turn you away out of ‘respect for your family.’

3. They took on Mrs and the surname of their fi rst lover to appear more respectable or set them above common whores.

Also some Courtesans actually had noble titles to begin with. If you are thinking of picking a High Origin (see below) a title may be a nice touch whether it is legitimate or simply a facade.

A Note on Race

This is a time of great change Sisters. The British Empire is covering the globe and the people of the Empire are making their way to the Mother Country. Among the Upstarts a few may be freed slaves of exotic origin (not just Negroes, Orientals and Indians too.) Among all the other Origins there maybe the mixed race daughters of noble Englishmen. Yes, even among Fallen Ladies. Not all slave owners and diplomats are complete bastards. Some treat the illegitimate progeny of their affairs with their exotic fl oozies as well as they treat their legitimate children. They get the same privileged upbringing as their white brothers and sisters and, sometimes, even a title. Makes you think them a little ungrateful for pissing it all away and becoming a Courtesan.

The Name Itself

Most Courtesans stuck to their real fi rst names but shortened them in the same manner as their more common Sisters. This simplicity served to aid their admirers in fondly addressing them and was also a little bit daring and dirty in what was a very formal and starchy world. Surnames were mostly common English names though most were on the upper end of respectability. It just wouldn’t do to be called Smith. Sometimes more exotic or foreign sounding names were employed but his was a comparative rarity.

Some Courtesans, notably the notorious Cora Pearl simply, made up their names from scratch. In Cora’s case this was a refl ection of her caring side as she did not want to shame her family. She even went as far as to cut off all contact to the extent that they thought she was dead. Maybe not quite so caring... As well as their actual names some Courtesans had affectionate nicknames. The most famous of these was Catharine Walters who after the affair that started her career took on her fi rst lover’s nickname for her ‘Skittles.’ The exact origin of this rather silly nickname is hotly disputed by her biographers.

Example: Sarah is playing in Bernadette’s Courtesans game. Her fi rst step to creating a Character is to think of a name. The name should really refl ect the Character in Sarah’s opinion and her vague idea for a Character is a disgraced nurse. She’s always had a secret crush on the unconventional beauty of Carry On actress Hattie Jacques. She decides to honour this by naming her Character Hattie but picks Harker as a surname in honour of the gothic heroine of Dracula fame. She decides Hattie is unmarried and of relatively humble birth making her a Miss. Her details look like this.

Name: Miss Hattie Harker

Appearance

Your Courtesan’s appearance is obviously very important to her career. Your choices here are completely cosmetic and have no effect on game play (except that Hourglass waist of yours may cause you problems in Childbirth dearie!) However it is nice to know what your Lady of Pleasure looks like.

Hair Colour

Hair colour is an interesting

preference amongst Gentlemen and quite varied depending on personal taste. Choose one of the following options.

• Blonde: Your Courtesan’s hair is a brilliant golden colour. A colour of

considerable preference to the discerning Gentleman, the lucky girl!

• Brunette: Your Courtesan’s hair is a typical shade of brown. This doesn’t make her boring though! • Red Head: Your

Courtesan’s hair is a fi ery red: This is a hair colour with an attached prejudice. However in the Demi Monde Red Heads are known for passion as fi ery as their locks!

• Raven Haired: Your Courtesan’s hair is a sultry black. Dark hair talks of mystery and adventure to Admirers.

Eye Colour

Eye colour can be an attractive feature but most Admirers aren’t looking at your Courtesan’s eyes!

• Blue: Your Courtesan’s eyes are a sparkling blue. Amongst admirers of eye colour this is probably the most prized in a beau. • Brown: Your Courtesan’s

eyes are a typical brown colour. Again being average doesn’t mean being boring. • Hazel: Your Courtesan’s

eyes are an enchanting Hazel. Though not as prized as blue amongst connoisseurs Hazel eyes are quite attractive on a woman of pleasure.

• Green: Your Courtesan’s eyes are an unusual Green. This marks her out as a little weird and can unfortunately get her some similarly weird Admirers.

Age

The mechanics of Age shall be discussed later in Appendix 1. A starting character in the default Character Creation rules below is 18 years old. A lot of Courtesans started their trade a lot earlier than that but none was really marked as the sort of rising star in the Demi Monde that this game assumes you begin as. Best to stick to this default for your fi rst Character at least. If you wish to make a Goodbye (or are forced to) and introduce a new Character later you may want to have a bash at an older Lady. The ageing mechanics aren’t exactly complicated but it’s best to start as simply

Bust

You Ladies may think it perverse but a lot of men are very much breast men. Thus a Courtesan’s bust size is a key feature of her attractiveness. The fashion for big or small changes all the time though most Admirers don’t care for what’s in and follow their own personal desires in a Lady’s form.

• Modest: Oh dear

sweetheart! Your Courtesan isn’t exactly large up top is she? Still some Admirers prefer quality over quantity. • Average: Your Courtesan

is no better endowed in the bust than the average woman on the street. It’s been repeated many times but average does not mean boring.

• Ample: Your Courtesan has what a lewd fellow would refer to as a good handful. Plenty of hands will be fi lled an’ all!

• Buxom: Ooooooh la la! Who’s a big girl? Your Courtesan has the kind of bust that Gentlemen, and I dare say a few Ladies would fl ock to snuggle up to.

Waist

A young Lady’s waistline was just as important in the Demi Monde as it is among the vulgar modern equivalent of the WAGs, if not more so. The fashion for the infamous ‘Hourglass Waist’ caused no end of medical problems and even a few fatalities.

• Hourglass: Your Courtesan has achieved, through nature or corset abuse the fashionable Hourglass Waist. This makes her a most notable catch for the discerning Gentleman. • Tiny: Your Courtesan hasn’t

quite achieved the diffi cult feat of the Hourglass Waist but by God she’s close! She is considerably skinny even by the standards of the time. • Average: Your Courtesan

is considered a little plump but she is about the natural for a healthy Lady. Not really fashionable but who cares about a little padding when you have your health? • Child Bearing: Who’s a

big girl? Your Courtesan is big and beautiful which is far more popular than one might expect.

Example: Sarah now picks Hattie’s appearance. Diverging from her model she goes for Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes. She always considered Jacques as the English Marylyn Monroe and wants to make her Hattie a bit more Monroe like. In her outward physical shape though she sticks to the model exactly: A Buxom Bust and err... a Child Bearing Waist. She now has a picture in her mind of her big blonde beauty. Her details now look like this...

Name: Miss Hattie Harker Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Blonde Bust: Buxom

Waist: Child Bearing

Freaks of Nature

Appearance is a free choice and one that involves options that can be combined in interesting ways for good or ill. It’s tempting to imitate the legendary Cora Pearl with Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, a Buxom Bust and an Hourglass waist and it’s perfectly

acceptable to do so. Courtesans are exceptional Ladies after all. However also consider the less aesthetically pleasing of appearances as an option particularly for those Origins where appearance means little (Schemer and Goldenheart in particular.) Why be boring and go for Average, Average, Average? Play a freak of nature! You know you want to!

Origin

We all have to start somewhere and Courtesans are no exception. Where you come from defi nes who you are whether you like it or not. You must choose an Origin for your Courtesan from these vague archetypes. Here’s a quick guide to each profi le

Name

:The Name of

the Origin

• Description: A brief description of the Origin and its context in the setting of the Demi Monde.

• Strong Statistic: The Statistic the Origin favours. For information on how this works see Statistics.

• Weak Statistic: The Statistic the Origin has diffi culty with. For information on how this works see Statistics.

• Free Good At: Each Origin gives a Courtesan a free Good At in addition to the two she gets at the start of play. See Good At for details. • Preferred Method of

Procurement: See Chapter

3 for details on Procurement. A Courtesan’s Favoured Method of Procurement may be used free.

• Resource Bonus: Each Origin grants two points to a particular Resource. For details see Starting Resources and Chapter 3.

• Resource Penalty: Each Origin subtracts one point from a particular Resource. For details see Starting Resources and Chapter 3. • Special Strength: A

special weakness of the Origin that provides a mechanical benefi t to taking it.

• Special Weakness: A special weakness of the Origin that restricts her in some way.

• Examples: Examples of the archetype amongst the Courtesans of history.

Stereotypes

What they tend to think of each of the other Origins.

High Origins and Low Origins

Actresses, Professionals and Upstarts don’t have much class so they are referred to as Low Origins. The Schemers, Goldenhearts and Fallen Ladies have standards and a position in society that can be a disadvantage.

Actresses

Description: Ever since women

were allowed on the stage after the Restoration the profession has been disreputable: Mainly because of women like your Courtesan. Actresses were not paid much and many turned to prostitution to supplement their income. This led most people to believe that actress was just a polite term for prostitute. This belief was so ingrained that some theatre owners charged perverted rich men extra for a seat from which you could peak into the actresses’ changing rooms. Being a famous actress gave a Lady many tempting offers: Offers which some turned into the profession of the Courtesan. The same applied to a lesser extent to singers and dancers who can also be represented by this Origin but actresses were most notorious for this behaviour.

• Strong Statistic: Actresses have to be able to perform in public in some way. Their Strong Statistic is Performance

• Weak Statistic: The stage is a vulgar place and Actresses struggle in high society. Their Weak Statistic is Manners.

• Free Good At: Choose from Singing, Dancing, Striptease, Playing a Musical Instrument, Comedy Acting or Tragic Acting

• Preferred Method of

Procurement: Naturally

an Actress’ best way of attracting attention is through her stage

appearances. Their Preferred Method of Procurement is Appearing on Stage. • Resource Bonus:

Actresses are public fi gures for good or ill. They get a +2 bonus to their starting Legend

• Resource Penalty: Actresses are disreputable, spurned by High Society and avoided by political fi gures avoiding scandal. They suffer a -1 penalty to their starting Infl uence.

• Special Strength: As an

Actress said to a Bishop:

Actresses gain a special +1 bonus that stacks with all Good Ats, to any Pleasing act where the Admirer is particularly religious (any denomination or even a “heathen” faith.) • Special Weakness:

Artistes!: Actresses have

“Artistic temperaments” which makes them diffi cult to live with. At the end of every Contract Resolution Phase an Actress loses a dice roll of Reputation.

Examples: Probably the most

famous example of the Actress Courtesan was Nell Gwyn but my personal favourite is the lesser known but by most accounts far more talented Sophia Baddeley.

Stereotypes

Professionals: ‘Is fucking all you

do sweetheart?’

Fallen Ladies: ‘Not so high and

mighty now are we?’

Schemers: ‘Very cold fi sh.’

Goldenhearts: ‘Vain? Me? Ooooh

look at my hair! Sooo shiny!’

Upstarts: ‘They came from the

gutter like us but they have no talent.’

Fashionable Grammar Error

It’s Actress sweetie not actor. I mean actors are alright I guess but they’re nowhere near as classy as serious Actresses like my sweet darling Sophia... Hmmmm

Professionals

Description: Amongst any group of

disreputable Ladies there those who do it purely for the money. These are the Professionals. They may not have the talent of an Actress or the class of a Fallen Lady but they know what men want and they’re willing to give it up for a price. Trained in the arts of love, some from as young as possible (the age of consent was 13) they carry the baggage of a life of whoring but also the experience and erotic charm. Only the highest class of whores, members of the “Convents” or “Introduction Houses” qualify for this Origin. Anything lower and you are usually a dirty, dirty Upstart.

• Strong Statistic: Professionals have to keep themselves physically fi t and well practiced in lovemaking. Their Strong Statistic is Prowess

• Weak Statistic: With their focus on the physical side of things Professionals often lose sight of the intrigues whirling around them. Their Weak Statistic is Wits. • Free Good At: Choose

from Straight Sex, Blowjobs, Fulfi lling Fetishes,

Pleasuring Women, Massage or Outright Seduction

• Preferred Method of

Procurement: Once a

whore always a whore. Professionals have Attending a House of Introduction as their Preferred Method of Procurement.

• Resource Bonus:

Professionals are known and respected around the Town. They receive a +2 bonus to their starting Reputation • Resource Penalty:

Professionals are, by necessity, very private Ladies. They receive a -1 Penalty to their starting Legend

• Special Strength: Did

you hear what she did with that Fop?:

Professionals start all sorts of rumours that boost their standing on The Town. At the end of each Contract Resolution Phase they gain a dice roll of Reputation. • Special Weakness:

Baggage: Professionals

have been at this game for some time and have doubtless got the scars to prove it. A Professional starts with either a child (maybe handicapped but handicapped or not you have to keep him or her with the usual penalties and bonuses see Childbirth and Children*) or an additional point of Scandal. Either needs addressing in the

Example: Elizabeth Armistead is

probably the most famous example of a Professional. She started at the highest class establishment possible and made the small step into becoming a full Courtesan. She ended up marrying her long time lover Charles James Fox. In secret at fi rst before revealing to the world one of the most touching stories of true love to come out of the 18th

Century let alone the Demi Monde. *For now all you really need to worry about is that a Handicapped Child grants you +1 Legend for each year of its life so far.

Stereotypes

Actresses: ‘I met an Actress once,

very game girl. A good night was had by all. Especially when her Gentleman friend caught us and joined in!’

Fallen Ladies: ‘Seriously? You’ve

never done this with a girl before?’

Schemers: ‘Too much thinking

sweetheart. It’s not good for your complexion.’

Goldenhearts: ‘Immoral? Me? You

shagged that banker and gave it all to the criminal classes. At least I don’t fund thieves with my earnings.’

Upstarts: ‘Fucking sewer scum