Teaser list [Keystone - ENG 1]
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Personaggi visualizzati: 70
#64 - Pau Torregrosa, The wandering artist (Character played by D. H.)
Motto: Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as plain as doves. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: Other - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Suitable for players who love being astounded by their own character. The artist has a game mainly based on investigation and research.
Teaser: When Pau, modest countenance and shabby appearance, approached Scarborough House's door asking for the possibility to liven up the master's parties in return for a bed and some food, there was a certain embarrassment among the servants of Villa Agogadro. But when the artist requested and obtained permission to show a brief display of his art, those present were left breathless, such were the beauty and harmony that ensued. Young Lord Henry was ecstatic, and hospitality was granted.
Born in Catalonia, Pau self identifies with a vague smile as a ''traveling artist'': Pau goes from town to town asking for asylum in noble residences, where the artist entertains guests at receptions and social occasions. In this odd way, Pau travelled through Spain, France and has now been in Italy for the past few weeks. Nevertheless Pau recounts little about these trips and self alike; Pau looks around both with curiosity and modesty, big childlike eyes open wide and leaving superb art to speak for itself. It strikes the shrewd eye of lords and servants, accustomed to the world of high society and to intemperance of eclectic and original artists as they are, how rare it is to maintain a humble attitude like Pau's, an innocence even, which by itself is as sought after as rare talents.
Relations: Lord Henry Scarborough-Talbot loves Pau's art. On the other hand, Dominique Lemaire does not hide a certain disdain. Pau showed a spontaneous fondness for Leo Vaughan. Volker Beckmann keeps repeating that it would have been better not to house Pau, while Giovanni De Simone defends the artist. Morgan Camden discreetly showed her admiration. In the past, the artist performed in front of Giovan Battista Borghese.
#45 - César Dyer, The writer à la garçonne (Character played by M. F.)
Motto: To enter high society one must know how to feed people, entertain, or scandalize them. Nothing else is needed. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A strong willed character fond of causing astonishment. Perfect for breezy and audacious players.
Teaser: As life progressed from childhood to maidenhood, everyone has their own diversions and amusements to pass the time. César's sole entertainment has always been words, and like an infant who has one favourite among many rag dolls or toy soldiers, the word that inspired her most of all has and always will be one : Passion. How can one not be fascinated by a word so full of meaning, of strength and poetry; a word that rolls on the tongue to fill the lips with its sound. If she had chosen another word, perhaps her life would have turned out differently? And while she walks through parlors mingling with other gentlemen, between a glass of cordial and a cigar, she knows that words and gossip always accompany her every step. The curious glances of ladies emphasize her immodest lifestyle, served on a silver platter to the public's scrutiny. After all, is this not why she wears men's clothes and associates with men, to proclaim her indifference to public morals? A talented artist with a fervent creative vein, she is what she is. Yet others see only an outrageous and ostentatious behaviour, an exotic animal, a woman dressed as a man with an outrageous divorce behind her: a living scandal. But what is life without a pinch of scandal if not an endless and boring chronicle that does not deserve to be remembered? Duels, stories of lost love and decadence: this is what a life worthy of being experienced must contain.
Relations: She attended the famous literary salon of the wealthy Miriam Alexandrine de Rotschild who admires her, there she has spoken with Christopher Pierce about philosophy and literature. Has maintained correspondence with Paolo Valera. Mary Shaw had the pleasure to ask her about her past.
Her ex-husband's name is John Dyer and she is said to have had a scandalous divorce.
#46 - Paolo Valera, The disheveled journalist (Character played by J. H.)
Motto: How lovely were the evenings we spent together! I stepped into your pale cerise parlor, my cheeks blushing with shyness, my heart pounding, brushing against the rich carpets to the sudden thought of a flurry of kisses. You, illuminated by a twilight glow, your flashing eyes in the pale, sweet face, gave off a sigh that was all promise ... Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A character focused on the exploration of their own contradictions as well as others', which will push him to deal with difficult choices.He may experience both the aesthetic experience of the game and devote himself to plots and intrigues.
Teaser: Originally from Como and later choosing to become Milanese, son of a street vendor and a seamstress, Paolo Valera never achieved academic qualifications and though he professed himself sympathetic to the proletariat, the poor and the socialists with both pen and speech, had the good fortune to not labour a day in his life, instead earning a living thanks to his scathing and disrespectful journalistic prose. Always dedicated to the defense of the most miserable and to the regular and even titillating exposition of malfeasance and malpractice, he is known to maintain a contemptuous and riotous attitude towards the authorities and for being indicted for offenses to modesty, for incitement to hatred among the social classes , for affronts and defamation in brochures and articles. Prison, some say, is a place for martyrs and the poor, and Valera is not one to pretend to be either. And so, when a few years ago the police arrived to arrest him, he fled from Milan for the rigid but welcoming English shores. It is said of certain flavours that once acquired the palate can not go back, so has Paolo Valera acquired the taste for the beautiful Milanese salons, the parties and the graceful maidens of high society. He has never shown a hint of repentance or denied his many anarchist connections. He has created a double for himself, a curious, voracious, passionate and combative spirit whose detractors stigmatize with the pseudonym that he chose for himself when he published in the pages of ''Il Caricaturista'': Judas Iscariot.
Relations: Years ago he was acquainted with Hector Schmitz, but he was a very different man at the time. He has maintained correspondence with Guy de Maupassant and César Dyer. They say he has had a love affair with Charlotte Cotillard, Annie Besant and Miriam Alexandrine de Rotschild, and certainly has met with these ladies. He wrote an article on the so-called accomplishments of Eusapia Palladino, but she did not take kindly to the truth. It is also known that he has criticized the performance of Guillaume Bellegard harshly, calling it arid and boring before many members of Italian society.
#47 - Shelley Ruthven, The decadent dandy (Character played by D. R.)
Motto: Death and profanity are the only things the XIX century failed explain Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: Other - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A very charismatic character, will have to be able to manage attentions of all kinds and be at ease with strong themes, romantic developments and sentimental attention from both sexes. You will receive some guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: These young dandies who infest the streets of London take such pains to look original and unique but in essence they are nothing more than a mask worn by a mediocre actor. One does not concern oneself with about appearing, one simply is. One does not intend to make one's life a work of art, it is art that yearns to be inspired by one's life. One makes no effort to seduce, it is others who flock foroward, not as senseless moths attracted by the flame but by the ambiguous mystery that permits a gradual reveal, a morsel at a time.
The true hunter is the one who prowls in the shadows. The one who appears coy and elusive becomes the object of the most uncontrollable desire. Your outlandish excesses and eccentric ways are not cloying deceptiveness. The parasols with which you walk around the city, the dark glasses constantly worn, your clothes impeccable but eclectic and démodé, as if careless of fleeting fashions but live in a chronology all your own: all this turns you into the unwilling primary subject of discussion in society which admires you in whispers, dazzled by your charm but irreverent to your back. You are dazed by an almost obsessive reserve, yet there are invitation cards for every party, every parlour. You do not need to ask: there is always someone to offer you his favour. Everyone wants a teste of that mysterious nectar that you emanate with your mere presence. There is no subject that exceeds your experience. You talk of literature and fashion, of news and art, of history and fantasy. It is no coincidence that writers compete to have you for dinner and converse with you and painters to be inspired by your charm. Secretly you presume to believe that no mortal hand could capture and portray your true self.
Relations: You crossed paths with Arthur Edward Waite at the British Museum and, after an impulsive invitation to take a tea together, a spontaneous friendship was born. During your travels at sea you met William Monck toward whom you felt curiosity and sympathy. Mary Morstan is a dear friend of yours. You had a correspondence with Ashley Wetmore.
#49 - Miriam Alexandrine de Rotschild, The rich heiress (Character played by A. R.)
Motto: Live to blaze and never get burned. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: French - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A passionate and charming character for an active outgoing player who is not afraid of an amusingand unhinibited game focused on building and maintaining relations.
Teaser: The perfection of the Rose is found in its different parts: in the grace of the form, in the velvety softness of the petals, in the sweetness of the perfume and finally in its own thorns that wound before yielding. Proud Lady Miriam is the same, a rose among women, a flower that illuminates the entire garden of High Society. The enormous wealth of her family, one of the most influential, certainly contributes to her remarkable attractions. A well-bred woman with a rich family, the best of a lineage destined to influence the economy and European politics thanks to her capital. She is her father's favourite, for although she is the youngest among his children, her acumen and her resourcefulness surpass his elder sons, whom he ungraciously ignores. Around her figure wise philosophers and artists meet, populating one of the most gracious and coveted European salons, adorned with gold-and-velvet framed masterpieces selected by Miriam Alexandrine's original taste. She likes to surround herself with beauty and ingenuity, art, philosophy, letters, history, folklore and science crowd the shelves of her library and on the sofas in her richly appointed rooms. he prefers not to speakHer surname that brings proud and the fortunes of which are under the eyes of all. It is not a secret that many hopefuls scramble to ask for her hand, but she seems more interested in numerous family ventures than in getting properly married. Whether it is because of prudent ??caution or intimate reluctance, a self-respecting rose has sharp thorns to keep it safe.
Relations: She hosts a well known intellectual salon attended by Cesar Dyer, Christopher Pierce, Charlotte Cotillard and sometimes Paolo Valera. Dominique Lemaire was once a frequent guest, then stopped receiving invitations. Well acquainted with Gabriel Wooster, who she must have crossed paths with in some parlor around Europe. She amiably connected with Dr. Hopkins who proved to be an interesting proffessional. Courts Guy de Maupassant to enter his circle. The gossips say she received offers from Cedric Constantine Crosby and Lord Henry Scarborough but refused them. In her youth she met the famous French actor Guillaume Bellegard when he took part in an opulent party at the Rotshild home.
#48 - Mary Shaw, The charming actress (Character played by A. K.)
Motto: The heroic fidelity of Antigone, the fateful fury of Cassandra, the devouring fever of Phaedra, the ferocity of Medea, the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Mirra before her father, Polissena and Alceste before her death, Cleopatra as fickle as the wind and the blaze of the firmament , Lady Macbeth prophesising the executioner with small hands, the great lilies of dew and tears, Imogene, Juliet, Miranda, and Rosalind, Jessica and Perdita, the sweetest souls, the most terrible and the most magnificent were all in her. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: Other - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: A very open character with personal goals which she may achieve though many personal and political choices.
Teaser: 'A woman's head only serves to hold a pretty hairstyle,'' says Mary, laughing, to her friend Annie when she reminds her to use her brain. Dear, dear Annie, and all those obtuse suffragettes, convinced that women should have the authority of a man! This madness of feminism will pass, of course, like all bizarre fashions. And finally women will return to doing what is most congenial and enjoyable: seduction, flaunting their charms, seeking excellence in art. The exertion of the mind, brute force and all other men's weapons, better to leave those to the menfolk ...
After all, why should Miss Shaw want to disguise her own character with masculine airs? Wearing different clothes, multiform and passionate, she bears her soul on the stage, in that place that is every place, where the story of an evening contains all stories, all suffering and every love. She's talented, Mary, although she knows that many of those who praise her do it just to get her between the sheets. But the art that is in her is true, honest and candidly pure. If her talents are able to lead her to a successful marriage and admittance into the golden circle of the powerful, Mary will not spurn the opportunity.
Relations: She is a close friend of Annie Besant, and has a good relationship with her maid Eileen Walsh. She met Cesar Dyer and would like to discover the details of her so very romantic life . She had a brief relationship with Lord Gordon Asherton. Respects Charlotte Cotillard: her career is now waning but she was once a beacon of the arts. Alphonse Raimbaud Rubenstein was extremely gallant with her when they met in Paris. At the thermal baths she met Guy de Maupassant and his servant Candide Artoise: curiously, he seems equally interested in conversation with both of them. During the time she lived in America she was accompanied by the tycoon Clayton William White a rich and prominent man in American society.
#50 - Arthur Conan Doyle, The doctor with literary aspirations (Character played by G. C.)
Motto: That which is unknown appears to be extraordinary Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: A tormented character for players who want to deal with crippling self doubt and investigate themselves first and then the world around them.
Teaser: 'Doctor, writer, occultist, mason and, in your free time, budding detective. I can hardly recognize this man in you, Dr. Doyle. ''
''Leave me alone, I beg you. I'll have nothing more to do with you ''.
''Look at you, lying in the midst of these bedraggled smokers of opium, when if you only wanted you could do great things. It disgusts me. Get cleaned up, it's time to go ''.
''I do not wish to do it, Hellfire and Damnation. I will not answer the invitation! ''.
''Oh, but you will, Mr. Doyle. You will do it, you have no choice; the new story will not write itself and you, you must admit, are lacking everything, starting from the inspiration and concluding with your dignity. A bath in a high class establishment may perhaps help you recover a measure of at least one of the two ''.
''This will be the last time. Then I will take Louisa to Switzerland, they say that the Reichenbach Falls are a lovely place: it will give her some relief from her illness ''.
''Conceal yourself as much as you want, my dear doctor, you will never get rid of me. And do not even try to don the mask of the good husband: I know who you are impatient to meet at the reception. And it is not Lord Scarborough. ''
''Be quiet! When I am dressed, I will not find you here again to torment me: you are nothing but smoke and illusion ''.
''You know you're wrong, Mr. Doyle, you'll find me waiting for you in your mind and in your books, maybe playing the violin, at 221B Baker Street.''
Relations: Recently he was seen in the company of Captain Philip Lawrence in London. Leonard Warren-Hopkins ridicules his literary amusement. During a past visit to Lord Scarborough he was intrigued by Tracy Conner. In the past he has occasionally treated Cedric Constantine Crosby.
Last year, he met Lindsay Brennan in various clubs and meetings and they had some pleasant conversations.
#51 - Dominique Lemaire, The artist who lost his muse (Character played by J. J.)
Motto: All works of art do not know their worthwhile they are created Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: French - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: An intimate character very focused on its personal drama through which Dominique filters everything that happens around him. He is however involved in action plots. Dominique's aim is to solve his personal problems rather than the rest of the world's. Almost certainly will be assigned to an artist in both replicas.
Teaser: In the fast and cruel carousel of success, Dominique had a moment of fame and was an internationally renowned artist; French by birth and pride Lemaire always aspired to incarnate all the virtues of purity a true art lover must possess. It is said that in the past Dominique was a pupil under several painters, and within fine parlors in Paris they gossip about Lemaire's getaway to Aix en Provence, at an eccentric artist's, who claimed to be Lemaire's Master. But Dominique's first real teacher was Mother, a rich bourgeois woman from Paris who glimpsed her child's talent and nurtured it with classical studies, daydreaming about having given birth to a new Eugène Delacroix. A capricious and demanding muse led Dominique down a very different path, embracing a total break with the past, where the figurative faded to leave the painter free to express an inner world. Eventually the artist began to attend impressionist salons. Art is pureness of spirit, and in order to remain its herald one must be pure of heart, otherwise art itself is going to disdain you and desert you. Dominique Lemaire was caught by this misfortune. The canvas suddenly appeared pale and dull, the vivid hues of the past discolored, light itself as if shrouded by clouds. Could the talented artist who had been a proud and original mirror of truth really have vanished into nothingness?
Relations: The artist recently met Lord Gordon Asherton who introduced Lemaire into the Masonic circles. Doominique does not hide a dislike towards Pau Torregrosa. Was once a regular guest at Miriam Alexandrine de Rotshild but lately they say Lemaire prefers the company of Madame Poisson La Ferté. In European cultural clubs and in Madame's parlor, rumor has it that Joseph Emmanuel Wedder does not wish to come across the artist's person, not even by chance.
#52 - Guy de Maupassant, The successful author (Character played by A. M.)
Motto: The spoken word dazzles and deceives because it is expressed by the face, because it is seen coming out of the lips, and lips are attractive and eyes seduce. But black words on white paper are like a soul laid bare. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Dramatic and at the center of attention as a renowned figure, involved in aesthetic and hedonistic aspects, but also in plots concerning power.
Teaser: When he turned fourteen years old, his mother proposedto gift to Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant, Marquis Gustave Albert's eldest son, a ball party that marked his entry into society. Young Guy, who had nothing but a scornful lack of interest for Society, begged her to give him a boat instead. His mother consented, and he spent the summer rowing in solitude on the waters of the Seine and composing verses.
Since then twenty-four years have passed. Guy now owns a much larger boat he named ''Bel Ami'' in honor of his most famous novel, which has already reached the thirty-seventh reprint. Only partly has he changed his mind about society, yet he cynically takes advantage of it for his own success. He fiercely despises banal conformist bourgeoisie. He admires artists of considerable merit, the audacious, and indeed all who stand at the far ends of the social chain: the lowest wretches and pleasure-seeking nobles. And most of all he loves beautiful women, for whom he writes: ''Pleasure to women! This is the desire burning almost in everyone. To be with all the might of his talent a man of exception, admired, adulated, loved, able to pick almost at his pleasure those fruits of living flesh we are hungry for.''
Relations: He associates with Candide Artoise, whose loyalty in serving, as well as company, he appreciates. He has maintained correspondence with Paolo Valera. Miriam Alexandrine de Rothschild invited him several times to her literary salon, but for now the offer has not had a follow up. He met Mary Shaw at the thermal baths and would not disdain to deepen the acquaintance. Leonard Warren-Hopkins agreed to treat the migraines Maupassant terribly suffers under. A good acquaintance with Gabriel Wooster, whom he must have come across in some parlor around Europe. He is fascinated by curious stories, and immediately identified as such Gaetano Osculati's, whom he knows by reputation through common friends. He has seen Madame Poisson La Ferté in the circles of the Parisian aristocracy.
#53 - Charlotte Cotillard, The famous opera singer (Character played by N. R.)
Motto: How can a star shine without someone who admires her? Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: French - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A character focused on her personal dramas and on subjects such as decline and loss of fame, without leaving out involvement in mysteries and political intrigues.
Teaser: The eyes you see in the mirror are getting sadder and sadder, wearier and wearier, cries of admiration of your devotees grow dim. Audiences of Europe at your feet, flowers thrown onto the stage, rows of powerful lords standing in line only to have the honour of admiring you - everything fades, everything is about to vanish. The cruel orchestra of time has already begun its final movement, you hate it, you hate the sad adagio of time and old age - ah! that word, sombre and obscene, unbecoming of a star, indecorous of a goddess with an angelic voice and a mystical grace. Away! Begone! Sweep away the shadows hardening under the first wrinkles, trace the rouge above an unsteady smile, sing again for your admirers and finally claim the throne that only belongs to you: the stage, the first name on the billboard, the desparate dream of those who only dare to hope to hear you sing.
You are alone in your room, which is stifling with letters and gifts that come rarer by the day. In the silence you only hear the clamour of stage masters who hasten to set up the stage for the new star. ''Adore me, adore me one last time'' you scream to the shadows that surround you, before they are dispersed, before they blithely swarm the graces of a new star to adore, ungrateful and already oblivious of who was the only, supreme, heavenly queen. But you won't surrender your throne so quickly. They must not forget. They cannot abandon you. You will demonstrate, until the last drop of blood that colours your face that only you are the star able to illuminate their sky.''
Relations: She's travelling with her new maid Abigail, has attended rich Miriam Alexandrine de Rotschild's parlor. She is a good acquaintance of journalist Paolo Valera. Several months ago she collapsed from a heatstroke and Leo Vaughan assisted her, and though he was a servant, he was very courteous to her. She is intolerant to the attentions Mary Shaw lavishes upon her. A long time ago, in the environments of the Parisian theater, she met Guillaume Bellegard, to whom she can call herself a friend.
#35 - Christopher Pierce, The visionary philosopher (Character played by A. P.)
Motto: He who frequents only one social class is like a scholar who studies a single book Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Artists and intellectuals - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A strong-willed character forced to face his social limitations. For a player who loves to speak in public and stand his ground.
Teaser: The lavish high society parties surely are not Christopher Pierce's cup of tea. As a shy and discreet person he feels like an outsider even in the circles he was born in: Pierce is the only heir of one of the most ancient and noble families of England. The family money allowed him to study in the best European universities, He sought out intellectuals, academics and common people during his many travels. These experiences, along with his natural impatience with the upper classes, led him to develop a very critical attitude towards the higher ranks. Eventually, he refused the honour of managing the family business and now dedicates his time to purely intellectual activities. Pierce knows well that fame is created and destroyed in the high society parlours. Spreading new ideas means talking to the people who count in this world. In spite of his natural shyness, he accepted the invitation of Lord Scarborough but it won't make life any easier. He can surely talk with fierce temper and confidence but the boring social rituals and the confusing feminine graces make him regress to an unprepared shy scholar. He trusts the party will be a perfect opportunity to prove the solid bases of his principles to this long cricticised decadent society.
Relations: He attended the famous Miriam Alexandrine Rothschild's salon where he also met Cesar Dyer. He likes talking wiht Jaques Palaches and he had a correspondence with Ashley Wetmore.
#37 - Lord Francis Wimsey, The English ambassador (Character played by J. C.)
Motto: Lord of the realm, victim of desire Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A complex character for anyone who loves inner dramas. HIs clarity might falter when facing intrigues and political question because of his personal turmoils.
Teaser: What a superb feeling to be a loyal subject of the British Empire! Being part of the greatest Empire ever seen on Earth gives a supreme calm, a wonderful emotional detachment, a profound pride. So seems Lord Francis, the first son of the Marquis of Wimsey, to the lucky people who have had the pleasure to meet him: an impeccable but genial gentleman blessed with a subtly mocking smirk. His brief but successful diplomatic career trained him well to show a detached countenance. His demeanour is an impeccable mirror of the gentleman's self-control. A Peer of England has nothing to show off and everything to demand. If only the eyes of his beholders could penetrate the bright armour shielding his heart, they would see a stormy sea wildly moved by desire, passion and remorse. They would see the giant waves of his ravenous hunger for life grow bigger and bigger then crash furiously against the fragile walls of reality. They would understand that Francis's true nature seeks relief in pleasure and oblivion in equal measure. Observing the wreckage lurking in the depths of his soul they would see the new threatening storm which could break at any moment.
Relations: He hired the lively and loyal maid Scarlett Owen. He knows Lord George Cadogan for political reasons. He has encountered the senator Costantino Nigra though sometimes not in a pleasant way. Despite their distant political and social ideas, he often meets with Emmeline Pankhurst. Lord Wimsey had a brief State meeting with Lord Evelyn Baring.
#39 - Lord / Lady Ashley Wetmore, The debutant heir(ess) (Character played by N. B.)
Motto: There is nothing more dangerous than a cat pretending to be a mouse Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A character with many secrets, strong ambitions and personal goals versed in building relationships. Good for an active and outgoing player.
Teaser: Every person must debut in proper society before living in magnificence. The pictures on the walls of the gilded home always bore witness to this unwritten rule. Ashley has been planning the Debut since a tender age. Other children played with dolls and swords but Ashley's favourite game was to stage the Cotillion: sneaking into the adults' room to wear their big clothes and make pompous conversation with the mirror's reflection, then carefully cleaning up every trace of the game like an assassin removing clues. The desire to count in this world beats in the heart of the ambitious. In Ashley's heart this desire became like an altar to a pagan deity where you could adore passionately and praise with sacrifices. This obsession grew year by year like an invisible hand catching every good opportunity. But isolation from daily life is finally over now: that hand is holding Lord Scarborough's invitation to the ultimate party. The day has come. Those adult clothes will finally fit perfectly, splendid as the day is long despite that tiny blood stain on the neck - a little misfortune from traveling without a faithful servant.
Relations: Ashley's family is in business with Lord Gordon Asherton. During childhood Ashley would play with Joseph Emmanuel Wedder but he has not been seen since. Ashley admired Mary Shaw at the theater and wants to meet her. There has been correspondence with Christopher Pierce about sociology and with Shelley Ruthven about arts.
#38 - Annie Besant, The political activist (Character played by L. T.)
Motto: Christian leaders consider women to be a necessary evil. The ''greatest'' saints are the ones who despised women the most Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A charismatic character for an active player who likes speaking in public. She will be involved with action plots that will make him think about her convictions. She has a romantic storyline.
Teaser: Many wise people speak of the ''maternal instinct'' as a woman's primary virtue. Annie Wood ticked that box when she was twenty and gave her husband , the anglican pastor Frank Besant two sons (an heir and a spare). Her duty done, she could distance herself from this authoritarian and violent husband but could never divorce and get her surname back. It would bring too much scandal to a man-of-the-cloth. The ''absolute right of a father'' trumped Anne's ''maternal instinct'' so she silently accepted separation from her children to save them pain. To fill the void, she adopted another cause: to become a mother to all the helpless children, a sort of universal charity giving assistance to orphans, the ill and poor people. Her social involvement introduced her to the circles of radical intellectuals, republican firebrands and masonic lodges. On July 1888, the female workers of a London match factory went on strike against low wages and the dangerous chemicals used to make matches. They called upon Annie Besant whose political fame was well established. She supported them and the strike ended in a week with some concessions. On that day she discovered another measure of her value: being a mother and a sister to all the oppressed women.
Relations: Eileen Walsh is her personal maid. She is close friends with Mary Shaw. She had a significant correspondence with Emmeline Pankhurst whose words remain inexplicably cold despite Annie's kindness. She knows that Lord Gordon Asherton hates her because she publicly supported the strike at his factories. She is a good acquaintance of the journalist Paolo Valera. She knows the fame of Cedric Constantine Crosby, but is suspicious of how he treats his workers. She wrote him several inquiring letters. During her trip to America she met the young Nellie Bly.
#36 - Contessa Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robilant, The Italian ambassador's widow (Character played by J. B.)
Motto: Corruption of the ones we love pushes us apart. Never touch the idols for the gold plate stains the hands Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Intimate character whose game is based on feelings and inner conflicts noy to mention investigations and politics. Perfect for a player who likes inner drama.
Teaser: Luisa had enough frivolous ideas about life to impress people, but she never knew what she really wanted from life. She had no real goals except to ingratiatie herself with others. Luisa never annoyed her husband; she was always at his beck and call. Luisa faked pleasure in bed grotesquely then waited in silence for her husband to finish in his selfish and beastly way. She felt happily submissive but always worried she was not beautiful or good enough. Luisa was sure that her suffering was all her fault. When her husband announced he was going to Ethiopia then London to pursue his career as an ambassador, she considered this a just payback for all her stupid mistakes. Lonely and caught up in the game of her own imagination, she found a new object of affection within the four walls of her home. Then came the letter certifying her widow status and her sense of guilt ballooned. She promised she would never besmirch her husband's reputation again but carry his name with her along with his ambitions and ambitious illusions.
Relations: After her butler Alfred Hanson found another workplace she hired Morgan Camden. The German ambassador Heinrich von Wissman is a family friend. She associated with senator Costantino Nigra. Monsignor Giulio Orazio Mattei was her husband's esteemed acquaintance during the years in Rome. She had the pleasure to meet the senator lawyer Vegezzi as well as Gaetano Osculati whose profession tickles her curiosity. Some months ago she went to one of the famous presentations of Guillaume Bellegard.
#33 - Sir Charles Cowdery, The general (Character played by J. M.)
Motto: We become intesively alive when resurrecting the dead: elevating ourselves to such a level of wholeness we can exist at our best until we turn into dust as well - because nothing else had been left. What remains is minor or an illusion. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Character with a complex personality conflicted with inner opposite forces yet more multifaceted than he seems. Perfect for the player who wants to dig into ambition and psychic weakness. - HARDCORE - anyone who chooses the character must be open to playing intense and special scenes, which may be unpleasant or embarrassing for some
Teaser: A real man must be self-made and aim for the most complete perfection. With the spirit, with the body, with a trade, with social position. The world is not made for the feckless and cowardly. Only those brave enough to climb every mountain can reach for the highest throne and be part of the luminous society of the future. You are one of them: decorated general of the Army of Her Majesty, illustrious peer of the realm, devoted husband and loving father. Every environment is a base for your next ascension, an altar from which you tower above the masses. Your conquests derived from a divine light reflecting on you that illuminates others. Eevery step in your life traced a trail to this summit and what is not yours already is simply waiting to be claimed by your worthy hand. Your station will not blind you from recognizing the value of the people you hold dear. Like the most elegant dome is support by steady pillars, you stand high thanks to a pair of unwavering columns. Hanson is your trusted servant, a rentless spirit, support and assistant in every quest. Johanna is your beautiful unrivalled wife, patient everyday confort, strong and gentle, highest soul and championess of charity and elegance. Without them you would be nothing.
Relations: He always travels with his butler Alfred Hanson. Married with Lady Johanna McEwans. He often has lunch at the Gentlemen's Circle with Lord George Cadogan. During his life in the Army he met Captain Philip Lawrence. He finds the impertinent attentions of Cedric Constantine Crosby annoying. He met Msgr. Mattei during a grand tour in Rome and they got to meet in many occasions. At the high sociey parlours he got to talk with the courteous Katherine Douglas Scott quite often and some pleasant chats with Lindsay Brennan.
#34 - Alphonse Raimbaud Rubenstein, The banker (Character played by T. K.)
Motto: Nothing and no one is as noble as gold Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character with a cumbersome controlling personality. For the player who loves to be the core of plots and scandals.
Teaser: Alphonse was born to one of the richest and most powerful families in Paris. His education included the subjects his father considered to be those that shaped a sage, successful man, like himself. He was painstakingly initiated to the arts of numbers: the ones about money and economy and the mysterious Qabbalah codes. Alphonse gained a voracious spirit and the blessing of being able to make up his own mind from his father. He grew up with one steady certainty: despite those revolutionary liberté egalité fraternité principles, all men are definitely not created equal. Money is the only thing that matters, the true source of power. He has seen ministers and cardinals happily bend over money and stain the knees of their pricy clothing to receive the golden blessings of his family. Even the powerful and blazoned masonic lodge of Paris wouldn't be so grand without the family assets. Managing all that money requires an extraordinary strength, not mercy, understanding or love. Logic and mathematics are the only possible friends. Sometimes Monsieur Rubenstein wonders whether this endless money hoarding really has meaning without someone to share it with... then the latest obsequious minister, cardinal or knight enters the studio door... how could he deny them their bruises on the knees?
Relations: Leo Vaughn is his loyal valet. He tried many times to get in touch with Volker Beckmann. He loves the company of Madame Poisson La Ferté and the wine offered during her parties. He knew the actress Mary Shaw. In the past few months he met Giovan Battista Borghese, young descendant of a noble family.
#60 - Joseph Emmanuel Wedder, The accomplished philosopher (character available)
Motto: Never talking about oneself is a very distinguished hypocrisy Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: German - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: He is a character of questionable morals. Suitable for players who love to speak in public, being the center of attention and of power issues
Teaser: A stern and, most of the time, haughty man, Joseph Emmanuel was nevertheless always susceptible to the flattery of those who crowded avidly to listen to his long discussions, or rather monologues regarding ethics and politics. Few know him intimately: it is known that in his youth a professor at the University of Heidenberg had a strong influence on him; some proclaimed this relationship as unseemly in the academic environment, but before public modesty could express indignation, the professor tragically perished falling from one of the highest windows of the lecture hall. The tragic event left a profound mark in young Wedder, but the event also coincided with his cultural flowering: a few months later his most appreciated essay was issued, read, criticized, and finally published again and translated throughout Europe.
Following the success of his works, he received a prestigious chair at the University of Friborg and the reputation of a distinguished and highly esteemed gentleman, guest of Lord Scarborough and of other men of genius and power. Today he enjoys the esteem of several politicians, who feel flattered by his words when he calls them men who are not afraid to do what is necessary for the good of the nation. Yet not only praises are uttered towards him, and though the dignified Wedder appears to be indifferent to criticism as an umbrella is to the tedious autumn rain, there is something elusive in his eyes, a tension that does not leave him. His malicious detractors claim he cultivates a morbid fascination to judgments pronounced about himself, his infatuated admirers reply with faithful simplicity that the professor's genius is like a perpetual motion machine that could not stop even if he wanted to. Neither the former nor the latter, however, have an idea of who he is when he is in company only of himself, an inkwell and an clean sheet of paper.
Relations: He's travelling with his only servant, Lena Reinhart, whom he is very fond of. As a child he played with Ashley Wetmore and they have not met again ever since. He had a close correspondence with Arthur Edward Waite. He was associating with Friedrich Gunter Kroyer during his university studies, before Kroyer left on his travels.
#57 - Lady Johanna McEwan, The rich philanthropist (Character played by M. B.)
Motto: Innocence is far from finding as much protection as it attracts crime. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: An exuberant, psychologically complex and contradictory character, focused on subjects such as ambition and control. Suitable for a player who is comfortable with hard themes. Her public profile and her intimate nature are very different.
Teaser: Our world is at the peak of its path, yet half of us seem to be left behind. At the threshold of the new century and at the dawn of a new order, women are still forgotten, and the poor are neglected. But whoever among us holds power and prestige has a moral duty to God himself to help the weakest up again. My cause - nay, my destiny! - always seemed obvious to me: dedicate myself to young desperate girls, used and abused by men, rejected by families, banned because of shame or a sin. I believe in the mercy of God and men, and in human dignity: to assert this principle I have established a house where no need or sin is indelible. Thanks to the support of my beloved husband and of my invaluable friends, I have promoted rehabilitation for unfortunate young women. With the benevolent support of the holy Church I created a bulwark of salvation and hope for the ones the world has thrown aside.
There are some who see a metaphor in a laundress' job and in the moral exercise these young women take on. But let's leave these moralistic meditations to boors of the printed paper. What matters are the faces of these girls from which the brand of shame others have placed is washed away day after day.
My name is by now the very symbol of mercy, and everybody comes to me to boast of their help, their support, with gifts and privileges. My humility would impose upon me an honorable discretion, nevertheless salvation is not built only with prayers, but with lime and bricks that some would call by other names but are the same: money and favors, and a wise architect who is willing to make the great endevour!
When you rest between clean and tidy sheets and dance in your pure white linens, do not think about the money it cost you; think about the young women who have made their own souls clean, tidy and candid through their honest work.
Relations: Her personal maid is Christabel Goulden. Her husband is General Sir Charles Cowdery. She has often invited Arthur Edward Waite to receptions and soirées. Between her and Madame Poisson La Ferté there is a bizarre friendship based on mutual respect and studded by poisonous jokes and elegant bickering over who is best dressed. Her hatred for Mary Morstan is not a secret, but she tries to contain it because of Mary's popularity. She met Monsignor Mattei during a Grand Tour in Rome, and since then they have seen each other on several occasions.
#69 - Lord George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan, The Conservative Politician (Character played by F. S.)
Motto: For a man of class nothing is more unsuitable than to laugh; it is such a vulgar expression of passion! Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: This character has a strongly social and political game, but has to deal with a complex personality and cumbersome relationships. His power is public and evident, counterbalanced by other hidden bonds and powers which he is subject to.
Teaser: In order to better examine and define the nature of a man, there are three fundamental features to evaluate. The first characteristic that attracts the eye and describes the care devoted to one's own person is most certainly represented by the shoes. A Lord will have well-made shoes and boots, perfectly polished and suitable for every occasion, to adorn himself; a decent commoner instead will always show clean shoes, albeit worn, while a man with mean intentions and occupation will always have muddy shoes. The second characteristic is none other than blood: undoubtedly blood is thicker thanwater and nothing else matters except one's family name; nobleness is what stands to defend traditions and represents the backbone of every civilization. Last but not least to be evaluated in a man, is his standing: external symbol of his abilities and his ambition. According to these features, Lord Cadogan is nothing more than perfection: a man with an always impeccable toilette, offspring of noble Earls, and Lord of the private Seal of Her Imperial Highness Queen Victoria. What more can a man of such standing long for, who seems to have everything the human soul may desire?
Relations: He has been married to Madame La Ferté for many years. He often invited Arthur Edward Waite to receptions and soirées. He knows Lord Francis Winsey because of matters of state and often has lunch with Sir Charles Cowdery at Gentlemen's Circle. His good valet Bernard is in his service. At a party in London he was introduced to Lord Terence, a young and witty nobleman.
Lord George Cadogan has had a friendship with Lord Evelyn Baring since they were children, and it seems that he is going to be a guest at the fancy-dress ball only thanks to Baring's express invitation.
#40 - Costantino Nigra, The Senator of the Kingdom of Italy (Character played by V. B.)
Motto: Renouncing the Grand Master position I give the Italian Masonry Lodge the honour it deserves. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Perfect for a player willing to deal mostly with intrigues, secrets and plots.
Teaser: This is a story from another time. If Dumas had written it, he would surely enflame the passions of his eager readers. It's the real story of a boy escaping the remote valley to advance to cosmopolitan Turin; hobnail boots on his feet, a cotton sack on his shoulder and the rustic slang of his father on his lips. All with the strong will to become a noble Knight of Italy. It remains a secret what changed that country boy from a soldier in the unlucky War of Independence to the trusted secretary of Cavour and then into the capable diplomat able to charm the courts of Kings and Czars. Only few a intimate friends might know what made that renowned poet-philologist the man who later would become Grand Master of the Italian Grand Orient, only to renounce that position in order to serve the Kingdom of Italy. Nigra had always been smart enough to veil his life with an aura of secrecy. In every romance he shows the manners of the olden days. He is a machiavellian, cynical, intriguing, and gentlemanly senator who came from nothing to change everything. The Grand Master who dared to decline great power. Who really is this person?
Relations: Marco Sartori is the young valet in his service. As Italian ambassador he interacted with the British ambassador Lord Francis Wimsey, the lawyer senator Vegezzi, and the German ambassador Heinrich von Wissman. He saw the Robilant widow Countess Cervi around. Emmeline Pankhurst clearly wishes to converse with him. He publicly praised Guillaume Bellegard's theater performances. He met Giovan Battista Borghese, in the past. They had nice talks about the Italian politics.
#41 - Cedric Constantine Crosby, The entrepreneur (character available)
Motto: If you want something you've never had you must do something you've never done. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A character with questionable morality and a rocky personality focused on achieving his goals.
Teaser: As a child, his father would tell him how the faithful man obtained everything he needed from God and that success did not depend on human labor at all. Evidently, he thought one day while he was plowing the fields with his father, God knows nothing of what I need. Ten years later nobody could have recognized that young farmer in the figure of Mr. Crosby, so refined in the role of seducer and gentleman, as a ruthless businessman among the wealthy, now his peers. For Mr. Crosby there are those who daydream and those who wake up and get what they want: the former are inevitably subjugated by the latter. In fact, he hardly tolerates anyone who does not have the strength to take charge of his life or worse, those who dismiss this shortcoming and boasting noble ends prefer to subvert the stability of the cruel world from which Mr. Crosby, with such difficulty, managed to emerge triumphant.
On the other hand, he appreciates the company of noblewomen, whom he courts wisely while prefering to listen more than to participate in the discussions of the luminaries he usually meets in receptions of high society: some believe it is to better understand the secrets of men of such stature; the gossips, on the other hand, do not consider the matter as simple as that. Precisely for this reason he avoids people of low rank with unmasked contempt : they remind him too vividly of his humble past, which he renounced many years ago in a sunny field along with his name .
Relations: He travels with his servant Nathan Goodwill. Considers Annie Besant a busybody considering the impertinent letters he got from her. He respects Sir Charles Cowdery. Rumors say he proposed to Miriam Alexandrine Rotschild but she rejected him. Arthur Conan Doyle was occasionally his doctor. Crosby has also for months been weaving a close business deal with American steel magnate Clayton William White.
#43 - Gaetano Osculati, The explorer who surived a tragedy (Character played by G. P.)
Motto: Thank Heaven I am still alive, a curse upon He who spared me Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: This character's convictions were damaged but he must still find the strength to react. He has a complex personality to explore. One of the villa's rooms is his in game.
Teaser: What lies beyond those trees? What wonders are hidden over that ridge? Where do those swift birds soar to, high above our heads? It is with simple questions such as these that the lifelong adventure of Gaetano Osculati had begun. An inextinguishable curiosity characterized his existence, first in his studies, forcing him to engross himself in medical lore, theological knowledge, the natural sciences, without ever being able to become attached to one or the other. Later in his work it pushed him to pursue a career as a long-voyage sea captain and embark on direct explorations to every corner of the globe. Captain Osculati, despite the economic difficulties with which he had to struggle several times in life, marched in the jungles of the Amazon, crossed the delta of the great Mekong river in the Far East, lived in rough huts on stilts and exchanged gifts with naked wildlings, never worried or feeling the slightest fear for his life. For years he believed he had to test his courage, naively cradled in an illusion of immortality ... Then black Africa launched its call and the explorer responded, embarking on the mysterious Ethiopian lands to which Italy looks with longing and greed. There, beyond the horn of Africa, in the forbidden cradle of dark Christianity he found the Horror. Marred in both soul and spirit the Captain returned empty-handed for the first time, burdened with a story that he does not dare or is unable to tell, perhaps convinced that he had completed his final journey.
Relations: He has Jacques Palanche at his disposal. He is acquainted with Nathan Goodwill. Maupassant is intrigued by his story. Recommended for the expedition to Ethiopia by the Italian ambassador Robilant before his death, he had the pleasure of meeting his wife Countess Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robilant. Because of his naval journeys he has met William Monck when he worked as a sailor and became his friend. In Africa he worked side by side with Friedrich Gunter Kroyer and met Heinrich von Wissman
#70 - Emmeline Pankhurst, The suffragette (Character played by N. K.)
Motto: We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: An active character, at the center of attention, involved in political and social issues but with a strong and complicated personal relationship.
Teaser: 'If only you were a boy ...'', her father quietly whispered that evening, believing she was already asleep. Emmeline was then just a little girl, and yet everything became very clear to her. Her intelligence, her accomplishments, her determination would have earned her a fortune ... if only she had not been a woman. However, that was what she was, and her ambition could drive her on to become the wife of a great man; no further, nothing more, only the reflection of someone else's value.
Emmeline had decided she would not bow her head to this subdued fate and ever since then she could feel the call to arms that would mark her existence, devoting herself to this fierce and merciless struggle to dismantle at least some part of the damaging and disgraceful male chauvinist model of society that has been standing for centuries.
Indeed, her whirlwind struck true and continues the barrage on conformist fin-de-siècle England. Together with her husband, elderly attorney Richard Pankhurst, Emmeline is firmly standing out on the political and social scene thanks to her battles for the female vote and for their rights in matters of divorce and estate inheritance. But how far will she go for her ideals ... Or her ambition?
Relations: She's travelling with a personal butler, William Monck, towards whom she shows a certain coldness. She had a close correspondence with Annie Besant, whom she can finally get to know tête à tête. Two servants, Katrina Schneider and Claretta Benvenuti, showed great admiration for her. She is intrigued by Costantino Nigra's personal story. She held an epistolary conversation with Lord Gordon Asherton, the two repeatedly discussed about treatment reserved for women and workers in the factories of enlightened Lord Gordon. Despite their distance of political and social convictions, on several occasions she has meet with Lord Francis Wimsey. At a ball, she was introduced to Katharine Douglas Scott and although she tried to talk to her, she never got the chance.
#67 - Monsignor Giulio Orazio Mattei, The bishop of ancient nobility (Character played by P. K.)
Motto: All of this I shall give you, if you will bow down and worship me. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A character of poise, involved in aesthetic and hedonistic, even extreme aspects as well as in plots concerning power .
Teaser: How many colours does power have? The sheen of gold, of material wealth, are only its most banal nuances. For Monsignor Mattei, the silver and blue of his honorable family's coat of arms are more substancial. His is an ancient family tracing its roots to Roman patrician aristocracy of more than ten centuries ago. Likewise important is the now certain report that the purple of his episcopal vestments will soon become garish cardinal red: the shadow of influence thrown by a scarlet cape may be rather wide.
Still other colors compose the picture Monsignor prefers: the almost corporeal black of darkness disturbed by candle flames, in meetings concerning which it is better to keep silent around plebeian, unworthy ears. And then, beloved white: at the same time virginal veil and shroud of death.
Sadly, white seems to have been a bad omen for the Holy Roman Church's fate, since only a few decades after its appearance next to the yellow on the banner of the Papal States, replacing the ancient amaranth, the glorious signs had to be lowered on the Eternal City, replaced by a prosaic tricolor.
Relations: He's travelling accompanied by his secretary Edmond Roncourt. He held a close correspondence with Arthur Edward Waite. He knew Countess Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robilant's husband and was willingly seeing him when he was in Italy. He knows lawyer and Senator Vegezzi well. He would like to have chef Guillot Savarin at his service. Some years ago Sir Charles Cowdery and his wife Johanna McEwans visited Rome during a Grand Tour of art and pleasure, on that occasion they met Monsignor Mattei and a friendship that they did not stop nurturing has developed between them. He has met Giovan Battista Borghese, part of the young Roman nobility, in the past.
#66 - Madame Poisson La Ferté, The patron marchioness (Character played by M. W.)
Motto: I want to be a living work of art Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: French - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Character with an abusive personality. Suitable for an active, extrovert and easily confident player who does not fear an uninhibited and fun game. Her game is focused on building relationships and maintaining them.
Teaser: Born into a family of industrial cotton-makers from Paris, Madame Poisson La Ferté devoted her life to becoming similar to a great heroine sprung from the imagination of some decadent author. Elegance, culture, charm and scandal are like rose petals scattered around her. While many noblewomen's eyes regard her kindly, their lips, hidden behind fans, spread scandalous gossip. Some of them proclaim that she wears live pythons round her neck. Others swear they saw her leading cheetahs with rubie studded collars. There's no doubt about the fact that her ostentatious receptions organized in the pursuit of excess and opulence attract - like bees to the flower - industrialists, intellectuals and politicians of a certain type. Among Madame's favorite guests are artists, for whom she longs to be an inspiring muse, a patron and an intimate confidant. One would be mistaken in thinking everything is aimed at satisfying her vanity. Madame Poisson knows that power has many shades, just as iridescent silk does, and what should not to be disregarded as elegance itself are good society's acquaintances. She loves to get on their right sides in order to obtain secrets and important information that may slip through while being drunk on wine if not muffled by Venus' impulses. What then she does with those details it is a mystery, just like her husband's brilliant career in politics. But then again, it is known that if chess is male, the chessboard is female.
Relations: Married for many years to Lord George Cadogan, V Earl Cadogan, she employed Bernard Russell in a position that common people call servant. She is not indifferent to the company of Dominique Lamaire for whom she is a muse. In one of her countless parties she met Alphonse Raimbaud Rubenstein, she likes conversing with him while sipping French wine. She had requested Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin's culinary art for her ostentatious receptions several times. He accepted only once, then proceeded to decline every subsequent invitation, thus incurring her displeasure. There is a bizarre friendship between her and Lady Johanna McEwan based on mutual respect and studded by poisonous jokes and elegant bickering over who is best dressed. She was seeing Guy de Maupassant in Paris.
Madame La Fertè avoided speaking to Lindsay Brennan when she was introduced to her at a public event, creating a bit of confusion, but Madame is used to causing upset. When Guillaume Bellegard still acted in Parisian theaters, she often saw him and talked with him about theater and acting, amusing him with her stories.
#68 - Lord Terence Hamilton-Blackwood, The noble scion (Character played by S. K.)
Motto: Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Complex character and recommended to a dramatic player who does not fear hard themes. He is driven by a strong purpose that will influence his game and will receive some *binding* and specific guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: Scent is the essence of things, whether it is full-bodied and voluptuous or fresh and full of vigour. Lord Terence still remembers the smell of the lands where he grew up as a child: the cold and pungent scent of snow in Canada, then the suffocating and spicy scent of Calcutta. Always traveling to follow his father's political career before settling in a land full of contrasts like India and becoming, for the rest of the world, the spoiled son of the Viceroy. Nature is made to exalt men's senses and certainly Blackwood's young scion aims to enjoy everything he can get from life It is known in fact that he does not miss any opportunity to take advantage of the privileges given to him by the rank of Marquis of Dufferin and Ava and by paternal money. Young, rich and vain, no one can deny his power and yet the wisest among men consider him loose, reckless and a libertine. Scents of expensive colognes and cigars mingle with the denser onse of opium and absinthe while the young man fascinates little children with his tales of distant lands, filling their ears with stories and arrogance. Lord Terence's glance turns suddenly attentive like that of a hawk when he tells of hunting tigers or taming elephants with rope and whip; while as an expert hunter he observes the audience attentively following him, and then disappears with his ''prey'', woman or man, for the rest of the night. Some of the more mature Ladies and Gentlemen are quick to opine, behind handkerchiefs and fans, that the young man's father should soon assign him to a military career in order to subject his inconstant and changeable character to Army discipline.
Relations: He has an exotic servant by the name of Arjuna working for him. It seems that in India he got to know Captain Philip Lawrence with whom he shared his long journey back to England. At the latest parties held in London he was introduced to Lord George Cadogan and Arthur Conan Doyle with whom he had a pleasant conversation. Well acquainted with Gabriel Wooster, with whom he must have crossed paths in some parlor around Europe. He had a lengthy (and expensive) relationship with Mary Morstan.
#54 - Heinrich von Wissman, The German ambassador (Character played by B. D.)
Motto: We are but poor mortals! The world judges our conduct not by our motives, but by our success. What is left to do but to be successful? Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: German - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A character with a complex personality, suitable for a player who does not fear hard themes. He will be involved both in difficult personal relationships and in politics, as well as intrigues.
Teaser: Coldness, efficiency and planning are the words that, day after day, dominated your life as a young descendant of ancient Prussian lineage, related to no less than Kaiser Wilhelm I. Your destiny was written before you were born, when your father planned a diplomatic career at least as brilliant as his own for his heir, striving in every way to plant in your rigid childhood the seeds of success that was due rather than hoped for. The mirror now shows you the effigy of your old parent's pride, the man who promoted the Berlin Conference to become the face of Imperial Germany in Europe and especially in East Africa. These unbearable colonial territories are a mess of sand, negroes and underdevelopment, but they are also fundamental bricks for Prussian supremacy in the world. Stakes are so high that the game does not allow for such distractions as pity, remorse or morality. Winning is all that matters, thus the means used are a secondary and meaningless issue... On the other hand, only losers and failures must justify themselves.
Some call this attitude of yours ''obsession with control'', but the opinions of the weak do not interest you and you know that what moves you is nothing but a sharp and unshakable determination. No one can have the right to make you turn from your destiny of greatness, as no one has the right to threaten what you possess. The climb up to the top cannot be stopped and does not allow compromises.
Relations: He's travelling with his maid Katrina, knows Countess Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robilant and has gotten close to her after the death of her husband, the Italian ambassador, to whom he was a friend. He is acquainted with English ambassador Lord Francis Winsely. He had close relations, not always friendly, with Senator Costantino Nigra. Thanks to him Friedrich Gunter Kroyer was appointed as archaeologist in Ethiopia.
He has often had government meetings with Lord Evelyn Baring who is currently Governor of the Suez Canal.
#44 - Lord Gordon Asherton, The captain of industry fascinated by the future (Character played by w. m.)
Motto: Many conservatives are agoraphobic. They fear open minds. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: High Society - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A charismatic character for an active player who loves to be at the center of attention. He will be involved with action plots that will make him think about his convictions. He has some romantic storylines and will recieve guidance from the staff.
Teaser: Little Lord Gordon was born to a noble English family, a pre-established life in front of him: a law degree in Cambridge, a good marriage with a maiden of English nobility and a life spent in vacuous ease, dedicated to producing heirs for the Asherton line and to maintaining the family heritage. But young Gordon was never the little lord his parents had so long imagined and planned for, inspired as he was by a mathematician mother, raised in a family of liberal ideas who even allowed the butler's daughter to study with him and his brothers. As a child he showed a fascination for science, a brilliant and curious mind. During the long nights spent reading books on physics and botany young Gordon was able to make extraordinary trips aboard the Nautilus with Captain Nemo or in company with Phineas Fogg around the world on trains and hot air balloons. He understood that the human mind is a special and complex thing, able to imagine the future, and that it is up to man himself to bring it about. Consequently, Gordon had decided to abandon the established path and become a champion of the future, a bulwark of technological innovation, a person for whose endeavours future generations would be grateful. He would lend his support to technology, medicine and any other innovation that would make science able to realize what imagination could envision. Every bizarre alchemist or renowned scientist has passed at least once through the study of Lord Gordon Asherton, industrial magnate, always at the forefront, always accompanied by the most beautiful woman, always at the center of conversation. The destiny his father had established for him has changed and the future is now free to be written ...
Relations: His trusted maid is Judith Price. He had previously done business with Lord / Lady Ashley Wetmore. Has been acquainted with Mary Shaw for some time during her time in London. He has had a heated epistolary discussion with Emmeline Punkhurst on women's rights, and it is well known that there is no love lost between the two over certain events in his lordship's factories. These facts incurred a strong resentment towards Annie Besant who was encouraging the strike of his workers. He recently met Dominique Lemaire who introduced him to the Masonic circles.
#62 - Mary ''Mayavati'' Morstan, The high-class prostitute (character available)
Motto: She had only her body. Therefore she had everything. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Mysterious Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: A character with a strong sensuality, will be at the center of erotic and sentimental plots, and will have to be able to show seductive and sensual qualities, which also lead to duplicity
Teaser: The day you were born, a curse was cast on you, when the midwife announced ''it's a girl!''. Because from an early age you've known what women are worth to the world: nothing but servants, nothing but prostitutes, nothing but prisoners.
But you, like few others, understood that your body means power. That what men subjugate and chastise is indeed the thing they most lust for and fear. In a world that makes trading its only sinister driving force, you've been able to transmute your curse into a gift, and by trading yourself you have turned into the most splendid and desired successful woman.
Your story is not a tale for schoolgirls nor a parable of virtue, but from this stage the impatient public demands action and results. What matters is success. Humiliation, tears and blood are a price sobbed into a pillow many years ago; your shining rise is instead a masterpiece that has no equal. Trained in the most sensual and exquisite techniques, educated in the most precious and exotic aesthetics, you are a work of art worthy of the highest bidder only. For artists you are a divinity to be taken as a model. For every man you are a treasure to be conquered, even if the price is commiting follies, squandering money, destroying families and committing crimes.
You are rich, even though you do not own anything. She never worked, men say. She's worthless, say the ladies. But the latter envy you, while the former crave you. You move in the world with the lightness of fire and the glow of a star, while everybody put their hands over their eyes so as not to be dazzled. Few can understand the origin of your power. There are women devoted to the struggle of making this power triumph. It is the power of being a woman, of being free, of belonging only to oneself. It is with nothing but yourself that you've built your fortune.
Relations: She loathes Lady Johanna: she considers her a rich hypocrite. She is a friend of Shelley Ruthven's. She spent a lot of time in the Orient, where she met Arjuna and started a relationship with Lord Terence, who gave her a certain amount of wealth and with whom she got back to the Occident.
#63 - Friedrich Gunter Kroyer, The explorer archaeologist (Character played by D. B.)
Motto: In resurrecting the dead to life we become more intensely alive, and elevating ourselves to this fullness we can exist in the best way before we too become earth, for nothing else is given to us. The rest is secondary, or illusion. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Mysterious Guests - Nationality: German - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character suitable for a player who does not like being too close to the spotlight, but who keeps interesting information and is therefore involved in plots linked to mystical and esoteric themes. Suitable for players who want to experience a certain degree of madness.
Teaser: If museums and private collections all over the world may boast ancient remarkable artifacts to study history of peoples now buried by the dust of centuries, we mainly owe them to men like Friedrich Gunter Kroyer. The entierty of humankind must feel the desire to know its origins. Following this law at the beginning of his career, Friedrich dug, craving for knowledge, to unearth priceless pieces from the past for the benefit of posterity. Over time he began to dig with the ambition of a valiant, dauntless and visionary man. The deeper he went, the more he craved to occupy the highest position intended for great and famous archaeologists. A belief that his name deserved to be written in gold letters, engraved on stone in perpetual memory of his work and actions Sprouted up in him, as were the names of the kings and pharaohs he had studied for so long. Finally, Friedrich dug obsessively, mingling with African indigenous tribes that still retain ancient traditions and rituals in order to experience them and capture their ineffable beauty and depth. He sought those meanings that would justify the existence of artifacts, languages and rituals whose function had been lost in time. But no compass is capable of directing a scholar among ancestral mysteries when there are no reference points to cling to, and the risk of losing the path of wisdom and the light of reason is always lurking.
Relations: At a reception at the British Embassy he met the ambassador's servant, Scarlett Owen, because of an amusing incident of a few drops of champagne dripped on his jacket. He is friend to Heinrich von Wissman, since he was appointed as archaeologist in Ethiopia thanks to him. In that capacity he worked side by side with Gaetano Osculati. In his youth, he met Joseph Emmanuel Wedder, when they were both very different men.
#61 - Arthur Edward Waite, The scholar of the occult (Character played by L. F.)
Motto: Under the vast ocean of human history flow the subterranean currents of secret sects. In these depths, changes that occur on the surface are often determined. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Mysterious Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Arthur is a character with strong ambitions and personal goals and oriented to the investigation of mysteries. Suitable for an active and extroverted player who does not have problems with hard themes, including of a sexual nature. - Those who choose the character must be available to offer themselves for intense and particular scenes, which for some may be unpleasant or embarrassing
Teaser: If there is living proof that it is not necessary at all to be educated by the most outstanding teachers or to be born to a noble family in order to achieve extraordinary heights of knowledge, Arthur Edward Waite is certainly such proof. Even his closest friends are ignorant both of his origins and of what encouraged him to devote every second of his time to the study of Eliphas Levi and of every written work that could cast light upon alchemy, astrology, magic, mysticism and divination, both famous and obscure... It was the latter art that made him well loved in many High Society circles. Whether it be a studied mask or an innate nature, his bearing impresses the majority: his sardonic smile, the witty answers always swiftly given, while his eye lingers on every little detail. However, it must be quite common to feel susceptible to the not infrequently sarcastic and pungent judgment of a gentleman renowned for being able to grasp in men and time the symbols of a powerful past or of a future that is still developing.
Relations: He came across Shelley Ruthven at the British Museum and, as reported by those who were present, fascinated by her figure, he immediately insisted on having a cup of tea together. He had a close correspondence with Margaret Alice Murray, Joseph Emmanuel Wedder and Monsignor Giulio Orazio Mattei. He is often invited to receptions at Lord Cadogan's and Lady Johanna McEwan's abode. It seems that he is not too keen to meet Dominique Lamaire in company.
Waite has often conversed with Katharine Douglas Scott, a Scottish Earl's daughter who assiduously attends the gatherings of English high society about occultism and tradition.
#65 - Eusapia Palladino, The Medium (Character played by s. p.)
Motto: Naturally, the supernatural haunts us Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Mysterious Guests - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Very active character, included in many plots. Suitable for a player who loves intrigues and is talented at social relationships. It is advisable for the player who wishes to choose her to prepare herself to be the center of attention and to participate in agreed upon scenes. She will receive directions from staff.
Teaser: A dark room, a round table at the centre of it and just the feeble light of a candle to brighten the scene. Men and women of good European society seated holding hands, forming a circle where she is the alpha and the omega. A peasant girl from the Murge, polished in manners and properly educated, who guides them in the mazes of the kingdom of spirits. Suddenly a mysterious sound, and breath chokes in the throat, the air becomes stifling. Everyone will be able to testify that at that exact moment her chair began to levitate as raised by the very hands of God or Satan, who can say? A deep voice which does not correspond to her true timbre flows from her lips and utters sinister phrases, incomprehensible to most. A channel between the mortal and the immortal world, a medium endowed with powers never before observed in any human being, transformed as clay by the hands of a skilled potter: from the little shepherdess from southern Italy to a symbol of mediumistic lore. Praised in the European courts, studied by contemporary luminaries, challenged, accused of fraud, manipulated by the powerful, that's what it means being a Medium: a life serving a higher purpose, where there is no room left for anything else. And indeed this is the century when every marvel seems possible, Eusapia Palladino is a living testimony of it.
Relations: Paolo Valera slandered her name in a newspaper article, Arthur Edoward Waite strenuously defended her, claiming that never has the mortal realm been graced by a more powerful medium than her. Word has it there is bad blood between Eusapia and Margaret Murray. She met Lord Scarborough several times during her mediumistic sessions, on these same occasions she met Volker Beckmann who seems to be an interesting man. Giovan Battista Borghese attended one of her sessions in the past during his journey to Rome.
#58 - Captain Philip Lawrence, The regular soldier (Character played by A. K.)
Motto: My slumbers - if I slumber - are not sleep, but a continuance of enduring, irresistable thought: in my heart there is a vigil, and these eyes but close to look within. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Mysterious Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Lawrence is a complex character, with a heavy burden and a goal to achieve at any cost. He will receive some *binding* guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: The confident gait, the dignified manner and the austere look, barely veiled by a feverish melancholy that creeps like a worm in his interlocution, as a dissenting and unknown note cracking the rigid and repetitive rhythm of an arranged military march, this is Captain Lawrence.
The years of distinguished service in India bestowed upon him a reputation for being a loyal soldier, lucid and ready to impart and execute every order, bloody though it was. Once in his homeland every parlor and club opened up to him, the greedy and lazy Britons hung from the soldier's severe lips to hear the gruesome details of the Sepoy Revolt. ''India changes you'' was the laconic comment they got. Along with the mystery, fame of the one and greed of the others grew. Many officers seem emptied of every nerve and purpose once left their service, but Lawrence does not. The captain is a man of a completely different temperament, though unfathomable and perhaps obscure.
Relations: In India he met the spoiled Lord Terence with whom he shared his long journey back to England. Captain Lawrence, while serving in His Majesty's army, had the opportunity to meet men he would later come across again, including: General Sir Charles Cowdery, and soldiers Nathan Goodwill and Alfred Hanson (15 ). Recently, in London, he has been seen associating with Arthur Conan Doyle.
#55 - Lord Henry Scarborough - Talbot, The young scion (Character played by S. D.)
Motto: Even in Hell, reigning is a worthy ambition; Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Suitable for an extroverted and sociable player, it is a character who explores hard themes and who will find himself at the center of intrigues and machinations against his own will.
Teaser: Lord Henry Scarbrough-Talbot, Marquis of Salisbury, was born blessed by fortune. Heir to not one but two extraordinary estates, he is indeed a gentleman whose good fortune has allowed him not to worry about his own future. Such a promising standing could not have been without any effect on Lord Salisbury's nature and, in fact, it was... The uncontrollable and capricious brat of early childhood has inexorably turned into a young man whose charm, strong and sharp wit, and attention to the most refined entertainments are accompanied by a tempestuous and cruel disposition, as well as the consummate habit of taking whatever His Lordship wishes without any care for consequences. It often happens that gentlemen accustomed to their desires being constantly complied with would calm down, lingering in the pleasures they are accustomed to and losing taste for conquest. But young Scarbrough-Talbot is not a man of thiskind. The habit of authority has but intensified what for inferiors is undoubtedly the most pernicious feeling: ambition.
Relations: Violet Scarborough's son, to whom he does not seem very attached. He is often cruel towards Lily Fisher. He admires the talent of Pau Torregrosa very much. Elizabeth Rush is like a second mother to him. It is no secret that young Scarborough has occasionally frequented Mary Morstan's house of pleasure. Rumors say that he courted Miriam Rotshild though without any success, while at home the servants saw him strolling in the garden with Lena Reinhart, a German maid.
Quite a long time ago, he met John Dyer: a bourgeois who knows how to enjoy life. They spent an interesting evening together drinking a few glasses of wine and having some chats.
#42 - Margaret Alice Murray, The brilliant bourgeoise (Character played by T. I.)
Motto: Many peole believe in noting and fear everything. I did the opposite. I've found out my enthusiasm is contagious Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Good for an active player into hard themes. Margaret's game is focused on building relations, investigation and politics. She will get some guidance from the staff.
Teaser: All her dearest friends would say they had never met such a young lady: social and whimsical, courtly and bright, curious and open minded. Brilliant and resourceful in the appropriate ladylike ways, she was hardened in the hospitals of Calcutta where she became a nurse. She took care of cholera victims, pushed by the strong desire to do whatever appeared to be right and necessary despite rules and sometimes common sense. She still carries this stubborness with her. During the journey back to England she explored many ancient places of interest which steered her unbreakable mental machinery to the study of antique civilisations and mysteries, until she stepped into Lord Scarborough's marvellous library and he made a pupil of her. Those who believe he considers her as the daughter, student and spiritual heir such a master has never had is probably correct but those who suppose that the master only gives and the pupil only takes is completely wrong: they always have something to learn and share with each other.
Relations: Lord Scarborough's pupil. She maintains a fiesty correspondence with Arthur Edward Waite. She doesn't pay any attenion to any of the home servants but Hector Schmitz who is a regular at the Lord's library. She often has intense discussions with Doctor Hopkins. There is a polite silence between er and Lady Violet Scarborough, rumors say it hides a sort of rivalry. She often corresponded with Lord Evelyn Barin when he lived in his Aegyptian mansion.
#1 - Hector Schmitz, Lord Scarborough's vallet (Character played by D. U.)
Motto: Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only upon death. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: This character is suitable for a player who prefers not to be too close to the spotlight but still likes to have interesting information and consequently to become involved in plots linked to mystical and esoteric themes. The character is focused on the subject of personal revenge, and he is very familiar with Lord Scarborough and with the house.
Teaser: The personal valet of a noble gentleman is more than just a simple servant. A personal valet is a close friend not by his own choice. But as Hector has had opportunity to discover, this position which he would never have imagined for himself can have its advantages; surprising and sometimes considerable advantages. To him, the greatest advantage gained by his post has been the free use of the library. Certainly not all servants of Scarborough House look favorably on a privileged servant who continually flaunts a cultured air, but Lord Scarborough smiled benevolently at the discovery that Hector was a passionate reader as well as curiously knowledgeable about literature. In the rooms of Lord Scarborough, while dressing for dinner, a habit formed between the two of comparing his ideas on this or that author to those of his master's, of conversing on the latest trends in literature and on any new developments. But his life, or that part which is worth enjoying, consists of nothing more than a few hours of intelligent conversation with his extraordinary lord and of moments stolen in reading, short intervals of light in countless gray days spent standing with a tray, mending jackets, polishing shoes, or serving tea. Perhaps, despite the years spent in service, the life of Hector Schmitz may still have surprises in store. perhaps there is still a place for him in history, being a wise, even cunning man who understands how to regain possession of what he craves.
Relations: Miss Margaret Alice Murray is always very kind and easy-going toward him. Elizabeth Rush instead treats him with detachment. He has struck up a strange friendship with Emilio Fiori and often stops to chat with him at the end of a work day. It is said that in the past he was a good friend of Paolo Valera, who went bankrupt years ago because of a loan to open a pub. The loan had usurious rates and had been made to him by Alphonse Raimbaud Rubenstein the banker. He admires Jacques Palanche due to his cultured air.
#6 - Derrick Gravehound, The loyal butler (Character played by U. F.)
Motto: The house in which I serve is a temple, and I am its custodian Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: An active character with a strong personality, he inspires reverential fear in his subordinates. He must be at the center of both the activities of the servants as well as the masters, acting as a pivot between the two worlds inside the house. It is possible that he finds himself involved in sordid affairs.
Teaser: What is a House made of? Of stones, lime and brick? No. A House is made of tradition. Are the foundations only pillars planted in the earth? No. The foundations are strict rules, unaltered for any season, rules that can withstand any storm. These are values so clear that no fire can blacken them nor can any scoundrel tarnish them. Holding up the ceiling that protects our prestige is a lineage that nothing can corrupt or sully. The light you see does not come from the high windows, no: it radiates from the glory of those great men and women who have formed this family over the centuries. Of all this I am the guardian. Of all this I am the humble and inflexible custodian. Every morning, I open my eyes knowing that my every gesture will be devoted to maintaining the decorum of this house and contributing to the glory of my master, whatever necessary sacrifice it may cost. No stain can touch them. No clouds can obscure them. Our servitude is the instrument with which I carry out this mission, and rules are the weapons with which I perform it. Sharp and inflexible rules. A harsh and draconian discipline. A correct, immaculate conduct. This is the fabric that makes up every day of my life, this is the sustenance that feeds me and gives me strength. This is what I demand from every soul that sets foot in this house, be it the most miserable of servants or the most powerful of men. The filth and vice, I keep at bay like a guard dog snarling at an invader. In order to survive the eternity it deserves, this house must keep faith with the tradition that founded it. And to ensure that even the smallest drop of filth does not bother the grace of this house, there is and will always be me, until the day when God - and God alone! - chooses to deprive me of this task.
Relations: He works very well and in harmony with Elizabeth Rush. He often rebukes Abigail for her work and does not fail to punish Lily when necessary. As for Tracy Conner, he is strangely uncomfortable with her candid and curious personality. He meets the resident butler Alfred Hanson for the first time in the villa of Avogadro. He has a lot to say to Alfred about the style of organising the management of the domestic work. He often observes Leo Vaughan, it is certain that he wants to take his place. John Dyer is a long time friend of his.
#8 - Elizabeth Rush, The strong housekeeper (Character played by S. B.)
Motto: The order of ideas must follow the order of things Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A character with strong determination, has an organizational role with supervision of the servants but is also focused on strong emotional ties. She has a very active game concerning many plots and will receive some binding directions from the staff.
Teaser: Her life experience and amiable talks with good friends have revealed this certainty to Elizabeth: in this world there is an order established by God or by Nature itself. Only within this order can every element find its place, only in harmony with it can a person grow and improve. Each of us must set ourselves this honorable goal: to carry out our task in the best possible way. This has always defined Elizabeth: the solid pillar of the Scarborough house, the queen bee, industrious and proud, maternal and severe at the same time. Those in service will therefore find their purpose in their role, just as the lords and ladies are called to command. But woe to those masters who believe that this means their path is of laziness and ignorance! Lord Scarborough has understood his task very well, he knows the responsibility of power, and his gaze rises above the horizon, imagining a better world forged by those who like himself are worthy. His Lordship has honored Elizabeth with his confidence and familiarity, and she will never cease to be grateful to him, nor will she ever forget to serve his person and purposes as he deserves. She serves the splendor of his imaginative hope, which Elizabeth prays to have helped spark in some little way.
Relations: She is most often in perfect agreement with Derrick Gravehound, loves conversing with Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin and praises Fanny Andrews. She repeatedly scolds Tracy Conner for a bad habit of gossiping . She cannot hide a certain dislike for Hector Schmitz. Her relationships with Lord Oliver Maxwell Scarborough and with Lord Henry Scarborough-Talbot, while respecting the roles of servant and master, tend to reach a level of confidence which borders on familiarity. She scolded Bernard Russel harshly when, as soon as he arrived at the villa, he accidentally entered the rooms of the lady of the house, and from then on she has kept a watchful eye on him. The lawyer and senator, Vegezzi, has honored her with a private conversation. During the many years she has served Lord Scarborough, she has met Clayton William White, a rough American tycoon.
#7 - Tracy Conner, The attentive eye (Character played by E. J.)
Motto: Knowing how to listen means possessing, besides one's own, the brain of others. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: A socially inept character, who will have to deal with an innate shyness. Suitable for those who like to observe, investigate and put together the ''pieces of the puzzle''.
Teaser: Tracy has been in service at Scarborough House for some years now and has gotten to know very peculiar people and so many curious stories. Stories so curious that they could very well be in those books that Tracy reads greedily every night, head bent over the pages, having to apologize for keeping the lamp lit till late hours. One can barely imagine what secrets one stumbles upon, leaning in to stir the embers in the marble fireplaces of the lords and ladies. They seem to believe that servants have no ears nor eyes. But Tracy has good sight and hearing, as well as the memory and skill to tell stories. And yet there is, in Tracy's reports of small news, such a sharpness, such a transparent candor, that naming it gossip seems very out of place. Indeed, Tracy resembles a pool of transparent water that reflects everything around it, or one of those nocturnal flowers that collects the warmth of the sun by day and pours it out into the night, transforming it into a warm scent. Some parts of a person are powerful, innate, unavoidable gifts of fate like the stature of one's frame or the color of one's eyes. Tracy is so very shy and awkward, but those who have the luck and the patience to hear the words past that shyness will find an intelligence that is out of the ordinary and many more answers than they thought possible.
Relations: Tracy shows deep admiration for Lady Violet Scarborough, while serving the rest of the family with shy detachment. Elizabeth Rush never misses an opportunity to accuse Tracy of spreading gossip. Lily Fisher is a close confidant. Leonard Warren-Hopkins is singularly kind. Tracy only recently met Marco Sartori, but they are already very attuned to each other. It seems that the butler, Derrick Gravehound always approaches Tracy with a certain diffidence. In a past visit, Arthur Conan Doyle stopped for a conversation, intrigued by the personality in front of him.
#13 - Emilio Fiori, The new odd-job man (Character played by K. F.)
Motto: A specter is hunting Europe... Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A very active character, suitable for those who love to involve others and talk a lot, but also be at the center of investigations and machinations.
Teaser: For some men, it is impossible to remain placid and sleepy, while observing the slow flow of history in the distance. It is impossible for them to drown their indignation at the bottom of a glass of wine, or cowardly bend their heads when facing injustice. The destinies of peoples and nations does not change through delaying, but with action and, if necessary, sacrifice. Many of these passionate spirits die in their prime, on the barricades or on the streets, staining the shiny pavements of the European capitals with their blood. The most cunning and determined, however, escape the ferocity and oppression of the powers that be. Some of them survive, marked by the pain and injustices suffered. In cafés, they call them rebels by vocation, professional instigators who are able to change their appearance and to get employment among the humble and unsaved with the intention of vigorously stirring up the smoldering embers of rebellion. In the taverns, it is known that these people are often only penniless and jobless fugitives, forced to be constantly and continuously vigilant, since the bourgeois and the Royal police are always alert. Is it possible that Emilio Fiori was a man of this type? That he still might be one? It may be true that his past is cloudy and unclear, but from that to believing that a man of few words, who looks a little bit gloomy and mysterious, could be a violent agitator, that’s a pretty big leap! For now, he has never shown himself reluctant or slow during his work and if someone, feeling himself watched by Emilio, has felt a shiver running down his back maybe it's because he's the one that has something to be ashamed of...
Relations: He has an innocent friendship with Hector Schmitz, and they usually chat at the end of their work shift. Claretta Benvenuti has often come to visit him in the gardens of the mansion, and Emilio has the impression that she silently watches him lost in her own thoughts. Abigail and Emilio were seen talking in a suspect way in a corner of the garden instead of doing their chores. He shows a certain sympathy for Jacques Palanche’s vision.
#5 - Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin, The renowned Chef (Character played by F. S.)
Motto: La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character with a cumbersome personality and a role of authority among the servants, suitable for an active and extroverted player. His game focuses on tackling his own problems and on the theme of social ascent.
Teaser: The ancient and grandiose French gastronomic art had incomparable masters and illustrious geniuses, and Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin prides himself on counting himself among them, indeed as being no less than destined to become the next Antoine Careme of this new age. He loves to call himself ''le petit tyran de la cuisine'' and it is precisely with the air of a demanding tyrant, arrogant and capricious, that he has guided many illustrious kitchens belonging to as many illustrious gentlemen of high society. They admire and court him with absolutely well-deserved adoration. Monsieur Guillot was never able to resist adulation nor to face criticism with a spirit of humility. To those who dare reproach him about the time when he took it into his head to open a fashionable restaurant - of which he suffered a colossal failure - it is his habit to answer irately that one who has been praised for one's art by no less than the highest priest of God can only smile at the mockery of a nobody. Whether he has indeed cooked for the Pope only he himself, His Holiness and our Holy Father know.
Relations: He shows deference and respect towards Derrick Gravehound, the butler, and Elizabeth Rush, the housekeeper. The rest of the servants are mostly lazy, incapable, unbearable in his eyes. Among them, the worst is certainly Lily, whom he has punished on several occasions. Lord Scarborough often goes to the kitchen to converse with him. He has only granted his service once to Madame Poisson La Ferté, henceforth he always declined any enquiry since he considers her events closer to confused merrymaking than to elegant parties worthy of his art. Monsignor Giulio Orazio Mattei has begun a discrete courtship to obtain his services, and the proposal certainly seems to merit careful consideration. He often questions Leo Vaughan about his references and with whom Leo has served in the past, as he does not seem to find his fellow countryman to his liking.
#19 - Claretta Benvenuti, The feminist maid (Character played by L. M.)
Motto: You say we’re only women, but we are not afraid! Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: An active and idealistic character who will have to face dilemmas and compromises to get what she wants.
Teaser: The century now nearing it’s end has seen science and progress make giant strides, yet the government of the people continues to be entrusted to despotic and bloody tyrants whose main characteristic are that they are men. That’s how our Claretta, quite strangely for a maid, thinks. That is, she thinks this when, between mending clothes and brushing hair, she can find the time to leave Lady Violet Scarbrough to her vague and ethereal speeches. Then she finally has the opportunity to pursue her reading, even if she still reads with difficulty, since she learned by herself. Especially those reports written by travelers able to reach the four corners of the globe. Without any family, she grew up and became a girl only thanks to the mercy of the nuns of the female orphanage of the Little Industrious Weavers. Growing up, Claretta has cultivated her own restless soul. At just fourteen years old, she fled from the congregation that housed her and started working at a textile factory as a worker. The time as a worker in a factory taught her how hard the obligations of a working woman are to reconcile with the needs of studying or those of motherhood. She was the only one, perhaps thanks to her erudition or her courage, that was able to stand up and tell the master what she thought of him, when she saw him dismiss a colleague whose belly was swelling with the child she was carrying. That resulted in her losing her employment and led to the belief that women must organize themselves to protest for their rights. From it, she also became curious to meet those few women who really seem to live free: those high society ladies who are said to have so much influence on the destinies of peoples and nations thanks to their charm and their friendships. Is it true that what is rumored? Claretta cannot wait to find out!
Relations: Despite having only recently met her, she cannot stand Scarlett Owen. She admires Emmeline Pankhurst very much, whom she has heard of as a woman who is passionate and engaged in politics. She exchanged some women’s gossip with the young Abigail. She seems very interested in Emilio Fiori, so much so that she often finds herself watching him while he works in the garden.
#56 - Lady Violet Scarborough, The landlord's sister (character available)
Motto: A silent woman is God's gift, there is no reward for a polite woman. A discrete woman is grace upon grace, one cannot evaluate the weight of a modest soul. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A strong female character, active, and with a coordination role between nobles and servants. Suitable for a woman player who wants to empathize with female mentality of that time and who's not afraid to play the cunning woman, though not appearing such to others.
Teaser: The role of a good society woman is that of a pillar of house and family. She must always have everything under control: servants, accounts, supplies, arrangements for parties the landlord might decide to plan, she must know how to carry herself gracefully, entertain interesting conversations, though not speaking out of turn. For instance, she would never express ideas about politics, religion or economics in public and would never contradict a man who expresses his ideas on a matter. Perhaps many women find this role demeaning and limiting, but not Lady Violet Scarborough, who dedicated her whole life to house and family. As befits a true lady, she sacrificed love in favor of a marriage of interest, she had been serving and honoring her husband her whole life up to his deathbed, and she had raised a son who could become one of the most important Peers of England. When she became a widow, she could have accepted a life that was finally free of men, but decided instead to dedicate herself to her brother. Here is a woman who has always been defined by being a daughter, then a wife, a mother and finally a sister, but this does not mean that in the privacy of her rooms, Lady Violet never allowed herself to have thoughts, elaborate theories and build plans. The public image of a woman of good English society is very different from her private one, and after all everyone keeps some small secrets for themselves.
Relations: Lord Henry's mother. Lord Oliver Maxwell Scaroborough's sister. She knows lawyer and Senator Vegezzi well. Between her and Miss Murray, exists a demure silence, which, according to some, hides a certain rivalry. Word has it that when Lady Violet discovered that her brother had invited Cedric Constantine Crosby to the villa, a furious fight broke out. When she can, she loves spending some time with Tracy Conner and shows great affection for the impeccable Fanny Andrews. She is grateful to Morgan Camden for having found her a jewel she had lost.
#59 - Leonard Warren-Hopkins, The renowned physician and scientist (Character played by M. R.)
Motto: I swear by Apollo the Physician and Aesculepius and Hygeia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm, especially from abusing the bodies of man or woman be they free or enslaved whilst they are living. Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: He is a character focused on exploring his own shadows, who will have to deal with difficult choices. He will receive some guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: Leonard Warren-Hopkins, upon introducing himself to a stranger, scarcely cares about their name and circumstantial compliments. But when he shakes hand with those who stand before him, first he notices their eyes, then their skin. He inspects them just like the ancient soothsayers searched the stars. What Leonard senses are the fibrous muscles underneath the epidermis, stretching and relaxing at the hand's grip. He feels the pulse and envisages how blood vessels pump life into that hand. In his mind he weaves the tangle of nerves connecting the fingers to the palm. Like an architect, Leonard traces the scaffolding of bones with his eyes. Only then does his attention rest on the person's name. He has a scientific passion out of the ordinary, as well as an innate and brilliant intelligence, and that rare gift that is the pernicious habit of never taking anything for granted nor leaving anything untried. An enthusiastic pioneer of new techniques, for him medical art ought to have no boundaries that morality or even God are used to impose. Where does the soul hide? Where does the principle of pain lie? These, and many other questions, crowd together like clouds around the sun of his intellect, while he puts on his white coat - that others take pains making pristine again, after his experiments - absorbed in sectioning bodies with the same care he devotes to leafing through ancient books. Yet the answer he dredges up is always the same: every discovery is never innocent.
Relations: He often and animatedly argues with Miss Margaret Alice Murray. Miriam Alexandrine de Rothschild surprised him amiably chatting with him about modern medicine, odd knowledge for a woman. He visited William Monck and is very interested in the ailments he suffers from. He despises Arthur Conan Doyle's literary ambitions. He has often asked for Fanny Andrews' services for his own experiments.
Leonard met Katharine Douglas Scott while examining her father, who is seriously ill: he remembers her as a rich and refined noblewoman.
#22 - Volker Beckmann, Lord Scarborough's loyal attendant (Character played by M. T.)
Motto: A house servant is invisible though always in sight, remembers what the Master hates and provides for his needs before he expresses them. A house servant is all about discretion: the Master knows his darkest secrets will go to the grave with him. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: German - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: Very active character, good for the player who wants to be around the core of investigations, mysteries and intrigues. He will get some guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: Light but steady steps echo through the villa's rooms. Beckmann always extinguishes the last light, not Lord Scarborough's serious butler. Volker, as MyLord calls him, is always the last one to return, tired but satisfied, to the servants' rooms to enjoy the lonely hug of his bedsheets - but of no one else. An element of pride can be detected in this apparently insignificant man always hovering behind Lord Scarborough. Volker is his lordship's shadow, his agent, his relentless guard dog. This level of trust draws intense envy from the other servants (especially the stubborn Giovanni de Simone), not to mention the money that Lord Scarborough's political opponents have dangled along with promises of power and glory! Beckmann understands the men of power very well and observes them like an icy nurse caring for feverish patients. His unbreakable dignity keeps him from that contagious fever of ambition that killed many men: reality overcomes all else, even his private and emotional life. A trait to to be proud of, though tinged with a vein of melancholy. People who mock him as a plain spineless man should beware. The greatest architects in history could only reach for the sky through the hands of the bricklayers.
Relations: Beckmann would not have welcomed home that artistocratic tramp Pau Torregosa; he doen't trust him. Giovanni de Simone is only an annoying buzzing fly, to be ignored. Alphonse Raimbaud privately contacted him many times. Beckmann and his Master have been guests at the homes where Marco Sartori and Judith Price work. He deeply respects Elizabeth Rush.
#29 - Fanny Andrews, The serious and accountable servant (Character played by A. Z.)
Motto: Redemption has no shortcuts Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: This character will be assigned to a staff member.
Teaser: People who say that if humanity could forget some corners of the past, life would be much happier and serene are entirely correct. ''Ignorance is bliss.'' Fanny bases her life on two unbreakable foundations: folk wisdom and the Holy Bible. Fanny Andrews probably once was something different than the straight, discreet and decent servant serving the Scarborough family. But that other woman only exists in some rare nightmares that disturb Fanny's sleep and the other servants asleep by her side. It's better not to talk about those frightful truths screaming out from Fanny's mouth deep in the night - in the best interests of the house and the servants. As Fanny says, ignorance is bliss anyway.
Relations: She found in Eileen Walsh a friendly figure she thought lost forever. Thinks of Elizabeth Rush as a role model and always shows deep respect to the butler Gravehound. Claretta can't learn her place so they often argue. She often assists Doctor Hopkins and Lord Scarborough because of her discretion but Lady Violet is the one who is very fond of her.
#23 - Giovanni De Simone, Lord Scarborough's personal vallet (Character played by M. T.)
Motto: There are no huge barriers, just tiny motivations. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: He is a colourful and outgoing characer with a strong interest in the supernatural and focused on reaching his goals. Fits all players who want to face mysteries, intrigues and investigation without avoiding a possible romance
Teaser: Serving Lord Scarborough would be a good life's goal for many decent people. His lordship's quirky personality and affinity for lavish parties are legendary among those who would aspire to join them, even if only behind the scenes as part of the serving staff. For Giovanni de Simone, this is only one step toward reaching his higher goals. ''It's not enough!'' This was his daring life motto, that urge to improve his skills and reach for unexpected peaks common people could not dare dream of. Nothing was ever enough for Giovanni's thirst for life, an uncontainable force that pushed a dirty street rat from the alleys of Naples to the Fatebenefratelli convent where he learned to read and fell in love with the pharmacopoeia. Was that enough? Of course not. Giovanni fled before taking holy vows and became a textile dyer, then printer, then coachman and finally a personal valet, On the way, he wandered through more great houses in Italy and Europe than he can now remember. Arduous paths don't scare him. The path to Lord Scarborough's exclusive trust is full of obstacles - first of all, his unflappable colleague and rival Beckmann. Whoever sees Giovanni de Simone's smirk can tell he is fully satisfied with his position. Fools! Don't they understand nothing is ever enough?
Relations: Stands with Pau Torregrosa against Beckmann's ugly complaints. He doesn't know Eileen Walsh much but he is friendly to her. Totally devoted to Lord Scarborough. Shows deep reverence towards Derrick Gravehound and Elizabeth Rush. Rumors say Lena Reinhart sneaked out of hisroom by the light of dawn but he strongly denies it!
#30 - Saverio Francesco Vegezzi, The family lawyer (Character played by E. D.)
Motto: The doctor sees men's weaknesses; the lawyer sees their evil Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: This character will be assigned to a staff member.
Teaser: Fierce member of ancient Turinese lineage with a law degree from the city's Atheneum, his reputation as a formidable lawyer grew year by year making him one of the most illustrious jurists of the Turinese forum. Four time parliamentarian, court counsellor, director of noble estates: all testaments to his esteemed genius and deep soul. Colleagues, senators, friends and even some opponents say he's always been the personification of modesty, integrity and goodness. Of course, such a friend could not refuse the request of the esteemed Lord Oliver to arrange his many deals in Italy. He even managed to acquire for him the beautiful Villa Avogadro which now welcomes him often like a much anticipated guest.
Relations: He knows well senator Nigra, the Robilant ambassador's widow and Monsignor Mattei. At the Scarborough home he had pleasant discussions with Lady Violet and Mrs Elizabeth Rush. He hates Paolo Valera but promised Lord Scarborough refrain from quarreling with his guests.
#31 - Gabriel Wooster, Lord Scarborough's closest friend (Character played by D. C.)
Motto: Shake the bourgeoisie! Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character with a complex personality, core of intrigues and mysteries. He will get some guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: Sometimes someone still dares to ask what Gabriel does for a living. The answer is a sweet yet embarassing gaze full of compassionate disapproval, an enigmatic smirk culminating in a whimsical laugh, then his laconic declaration: ''Oh God... Working is the last hope of those who have nothing better to do, don't you know? In life, I take care of myself and I suggest you do the same''. There is something ancient, mysterious and enigmatic about Mr Wooster. His affable con man way of talking, his elegant hands, his dancer-like moves... Though he clearly refuses to have any other duties aside from own personal affairs, he often takes long confidential travels lasting as long as his long extended stays as a guest at the Scarborough estate.
Relations: Good friend of Lord Scarborough, Lord Terence, Guy de Maupassant and mademoiselle Miriam Alexandrine Rotschild. They all met in salons and cafés through Europe.
#32 - Lord Oliver Maxwell Scarborough, The quirky lord of the manor (Character played by F. C.)
Motto: Destiny picks the music but we choose the dance Upstairs or Downstairs: Upstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: This character will be assigned to a staff member.
Teaser: Anyone in the upper class unfortunate enough to have never made eye contact, had a little talk or simply cross paths with Lord Oliver would be treated like a laughingstock. Lord Scarborough isn't just an acquaintance to be proud of but one who opens more doors than a passepartout. Eclectic and eccentric but still well-mannered, he is welcome in every salon, parlour or café. Rumour has it that he receives more invitations in a year than a man can attend in two lives. Philanthropist, book lover, collector and patron of artists, people wonder if his riches are broader than his knowledge. With his enigmatic and charming gaze, he often smiles but never jokes about that.
Relations: Brother of Lady Violet, uncle and tutor of his heir Lord Henry. He welcomed his loving pupil Margaret Alice Murray into his home. He has a list of trustworthy tenured servants like Derrick Gravehound and the housekeeper Elizabeth Rush, a close friend. He also cares for the most humble and unfortunate of the servants like Lily FIsher and Hector Schmitz. Doctor Warren-Hopkins often visits as a family friend.
#25 - Lily Fisher, The innocent servant (Character played by K. E.)
Motto: To a pure maiden fair, even the trees will bow down Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Relatives and Servants of the House - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Intimate and frail character focused on purity and efforts to stay that way in a world full of wolves. Not suitable for anyone who is embarassed by strong or sexual issues. - HARDCORE - whoever chooses this character must be open to playing intense and special scenes, which for some may be unpleasant or embarrassing.
Teaser: 'Why wasn't I born invisible?'' Lily asked herself every night, crawling tired under rough blankets. Shy and yelding, she yearned since she was a child for the world to leave her behind only for fate to take the opposite tack. From the orphanage to Lord Scarborough's mansion people always noticed something in her, no matter how much she tried to be silent or scurry quickly away. Everyone she encounters seems driven to blame, harass, possess and even hate her. Maybe Lily is just condemned to be always too innocent, too prudish and too naive, to the point where many come to believe she hides a secret. No one can believe such innocent candour could exist for real. Lord Oliver kept her in his private Villa Avogadro apartments for hours so both nobles and servants are sure she's got something to hide. Lily knows nothing scandalous happened so she defends her honour and his Lordshop's with all the strength she can muster. But what she hopes is a roar is really just a feeble peep that enflames the anger of those who don't believe her. The bruises on her body tell the stories of all the interrogations, the accusations, the cruel punishments her lords and even the guests imposed on her. Her life would be hell for sure if she were to lose the affection of Oliver Maxwell Scarborough so she bends without breaking, like a tiny twig hit by a storm.
Relations: She is the personal servant of Margaret Murray. The chef Guillot Savarin blames and punishes her any time he can as well as the butler Derrick Gravehound and Lord Henry. Tracy Conner holds her dear and they are confidants. She's very friendly with Marco Sartori. Bernard Russel helps her out whenever her duties become too heavy for her.
#27 - Judith Price, The romantic housemaid (Character played by M. M.)
Motto: The noblest souls are love's first victims Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Perfect for a player in love with romance without ruling out mysteries and intrigues. - HARDCORE - whoever chooses this character must be open to playing intense and special scenes, which for some may be unpleasant or embarrassing.
Teaser: Lord William Harold Wickham, the seventh Count of Asherton, had three wives and five sons but only one butler: Robert Price. That might explain why his lordship showed more affection to his butler's daughter than his own offspring. When Judith was a child, the Count would put her on his lap while telling wonderful stories about the glory of the British Empire to his sons. Everything was allowed for the young Judith at the Honinton estate: horseriding and hiking through the forest with the Asherton boys, sharing funny moments, studies and readings with them. But she clearly valued the company of Gordon the most. An extraordinary friendship was growing between those two but Lord Asherton sent Gordon to finish his studies far away before that budding feeling could bloom into love. Judith grew strong and combative. She stayed with the Count and her father learning how to manage the beautiful estate the two men were letting fall slowly to ruin. Maybe her sweet but firm personality made Lord Asherton trust when he told her some family secret and asked her on his deathbed to watch over Gordon. Once Gordon came back to the estate, Judith could see the boy she loved in the past but could also spot his weaknesses, his naivety and the reckless tendency to please others. In that very moment she decided to stand by his side and protect him - maybe carrying a secret hope within her heart.
Relations: Judith is the servant of Gordon Wickham, eighth Count of Asherton. She thinks there is no better master in the land. She often asks Arjuna to talk about India. Too bad that Candide Artoise often listens in on their talks. She feels Volker Beckmann's eyes on her since the first time they met, she even thinks he was spying on her down in the laundry.
#15 - Alfred Hanson, The visiting butler (Character played by M. W.)
Motto: I don't believe a man can consider himself fully content until he has done all he can to be of service to his employer. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: An intimate character, with a game based on his own feelings and inner conflicts, but without excluding involvement in plots and investigations.
Teaser: All things have a sorted and pre-established place. Alfred learned it as a child, when he understood his position in society. From that day he was known only as Hanson, because the servants are known exclusively by their surname. To his mother, a maid, he was ''the little Hanson'' to whom she taught the strict rules to follow to set the table. To his father, a butler, he was '' kind-hearted Hanson'', the one to inherit the secrets of how to attend his current master faithfully, but always with a certain remoteness. In the British army working for the general, he was ''Hanson, the tidy soldier'', because of his scrupulousness in keeping the uniform, boots and weapons clean. In the Italian family with which he worked as a butler, to the mistress he was ''Mr Hanson'' superintendent of all the household servants. For some time there, he did the job of ''serving'' with impeccable skill, a mission for which is worth sacrificing everything, until the lady of the house started to call him Alfred, and this was no longer part of the order of things. He decided to return to England and re-embrace his origins. He found employment as a butler with his former army general, for whom he is still irreplaceable as chief of the household servants. Thus, he returned to be only Mr. Hanson, as usual, sadly reminding himself that all things must have a sorted and pre-established place.
Relations: He works as a butler in Sir Charles Cowdery’s household, his former army general. Previously, he was a butler in the household of Countess Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robilant. During his service in Her Majesty's army, he got to know Captain Philip Lawrence. In Avogadro’s villa, he meets the butler Derrick Gravehound for the first time. He does not agree with him to any large degree on how to conduct the domestic activities.
#4 - Eileen Walsh, The servant fled from the Magdalene (Character played by S. B.)
Motto: I'd commit any sin, mortal or otherwise, to get the hell out of here. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Character with strong themes focused on her personal drama through which she filters everything that happens around her, but this won't exclude participation in the investigation plots. Her goal is to solve her personal problems more than those of the rest of the world.
Teaser: In the same way the hands of a clock are meant to mark the passage of time, doors spell out the life of Eileen Walsh. She still remembers how by her mother's order as a young girl the worm-eaten door of her little room was closed, not to meet the night sleeping, but to give away her intimacy and satisfy the pleasures of her first client. As years passed Eileen lost count, but she remembers the black ebony door of the Magdalene house and the way it creaked when it was closed behind her. From that same period she also remembers the mould darkened door through which she, as well as other girls ''guilty of having sinned'', was forced to pass every day, suppressing her nausea, to enter the laundry room of the house of God. There she was taught that to wash linen for the good Lord was comparable to cleansing their own filthy souls. Then, a back door left carelessly open by a nun through which Eileen escaped. Out of breath and with one hand on her stomach as flat as a board, she looked back and promised that she would regain possession of all that had been stolen from her. She began with regaining her dignity, when she took up service as a maid in a noble house with a white door.
Relations: She works as a personal maid of Annie Besant and knows her intimate friend Mary Shaw with whom she has a good relationship. She recently met Giovanni De Simone whom she considers a bit intrusive. After bickering about how to set the table, Christabel Goulden does not miss any opportunity to needle her. She recently found a friend whom she believed to be lost forever, Fanny Andrews.
#26 - Morgan Camden, Personal servant (Character played by M. C.)
Motto: People become rich in two ways: by birth or through guile and determination. I wasn't born comfortable. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Outgoing and comunicative character, they must face doubts and compromises to respect pacts and promises.
Teaser: Morgan's discretion, taste and dexterity are the envy of many friends of the Countess Gigli Cervi de Robilant. They are always asking her where she could find such a marvellous servant. Camden's graceful movements are a pleasure for the eyes. Rinsing clothes is like an elegant dance and setting the table looks like a fine ballet. Morgan doesn't lack for good taste. Those sharp eyes always spot the finest china, the prestigious accoutrements and the most sophisticated jewelry. The Countess loves asking for advice about an important accessory for a meeting with special guests. Morgan can always suggest the right necklace or find that set of crystal goblets that will astonish everyone. When the Countess is alone, Morgan entertains her with enthralling card games or interesting stories about past travels. Attenton to detail and good memory are no less important than elegance. Morgan remembers the right place for everything and knows the Gigli Cervi mansion inventory by heart. Despite arriving only a few days ago, the Scarborough villa is as familar as home. Other visiting servants often ask for directions. The Countess's friends (if there can be any real friends in high society) are glad she's found such a capable person to support her after the husband's death. Her rivals secretly hope that so many good qualities will ultimately prove to hide a dark core.
Relations: Morgan serves the Countess Luisa Gigli Cervi de Robiland. In the past few days Morgan has found and returned a jewel to Lady Violet Scarborough that she misplaced some time ago, earning her gratitude. Nathan Goodwill is sure they met somewhere in the past but it's not true and he is starting to get annoying. Morgan often helped Katrina Schneider when moving through the house. Having a taste for beauty, Morgan keeps an eye on the art of Pau Torregrosa. Morgan often ironically says that if someone wants to be sneaky he should be good at it after catching Bernard Russel in the Countess's rooms,
#2 - Bernard Russell, The man with purpose (Character played by A. G.)
Motto: Memories are like wine decanted from the bottle: most remain clear while the turbid ones sink to the bottom. You should not shake that bottle. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character with an active game focused on a goal to be fulfilled at any cost.
Teaser: It is a long path that leads a man to consolidate his sense of self. A journey that is made one step at a time, composed of harsh events that form a character and fix it forever. For Bernard it was indeed a long and arduous road, not an easy amble. Some philosophers suggest that various crossroads show themselves on the road, but for him there was only one path to follow, always only the one. If he pauses to contemplate the road already traveled, he cannot but notice the inevitability of the moments of his life following one another: some fleeting and happy and others that press a shadowy weight on his soul. but leaving aside the joy and happiness of the past, nothing remains but the present. The present life of dear Bernard consists of nothing more than alacrity and promptness. Promptness in responding to every ring of the servant's bell, to the call or even to the whisper of his lordship but above all to Mistress's commands. Alacrity in carrying out the smallest, most particular and subtle wish of the elegant lady who exercises the right of command over him in the manner of times gone by and according to her every whim. With a yielding and diligent yet determined spirit he gracefully endures the continuous witticisms of his lady who, with the indelicacy typical of the French, mocks him for his stern countenance. How can his patient and resolute soul desire anything other than to bow down and serve his lords and ladies, worthy and high representatives of the refined English society?
Relations: Servant of Lord George Cadogan and Madame Poisson La Ferté, with whom he has been for many years. Since arriving at the villa, he has been seen talking to Lily Fisher and sometimes helps her carry heavy loads. Elizabeth Rush took offence when he mistakenly entered the private rooms of the lady of the house. Morgan Camden was present during the angry outburst and has not missed an opportunity to mock him good-naturedly since.
#3 - Katrina Schneider, The German ambassador's maid (Character played by A. T.)
Motto: Hope is a terrible disease, inflicter of the greatest suffering. Yet I cannot and will not recover. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: German - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: A character with strong themes, with a certain reverential awe when encountering powerful people. Her goal is to solve her problems, but this won't exclude participating in investigative plots.
Teaser: Like a fledgling hatched in a cage and only allowed to admire the immensity of the sky without ever being able to reach it, Katrina watched the world and dreamt, hidden in the dark parts of the manor houses of the great family Von Wissman. The daughter of a maid and a cook, Katrina grew up in captivity and was trained from childhood towards her future of serving the powerful German diplomats. Graceful, discreet and slightly younger than the son of his Excellency, Heinrich Von Wissman, she witnessed the transformation of the young gentleman whom she was destined to serve from a shy and taciturn pup to a ruthless tiger, fully conscious of his influential place in life, becoming ambitious, haughty and even despicable as only a nobleman can be. Following the ambassador she has traveled a great deal, visiting the lands of Spain, England, China and even Africa, an object of envy in the ever-changing houses where she has lived and worked for brief periods of time, all seeming identical to her. For her, all this travelling without ever leaving a sign of her passage did nothing but sharpen her sense of imprisonment, the constant malaise that makes her stop before every mirror, imagining herself old and faded: with the same apron, the same tray, the same blisters on her feet, the same bruises hidden by the impeccable clothes. In her few moments of solitude and tranquility, Katrina allows herself to dream, to imagine a savior, a prince who can take her away from this life of silence and subordination. Far away from the watchful eye of the tiger.
Relations: Maid of the German ambassador Von Wissman, knows the widow of the Italian ambassador, the Countess Cervi de Robilant.Morgan Camden, has helped her navigate the villa several times in the last days, to her profound gratitude. She is delighted to discover that Emmeline Pankhurst, the political activist Katrina has written letters of sincere admiration, will also be present .Two servants, Edmond Roncourt and Marco Sartori, behave towards her in a singular manner, to which she cannot find a reason.
#24 - Marco Sartori, The young vallet (Character played by S. v.)
Motto: The truth is not unreachable. It's like a drop that reflects the entire universe, though some can see only the drop. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: Italian - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: Intimate and shy character, he has a special bond with his Lordship. A dramatic man holding great surprises. - HARDCORE - whoever chooses this character must be open to playing intense and special scenes, which for some may be unpleasant or embarrassing.
Teaser: A shadow in the room and nothing more, that's what Marco is. A shadow lurking behind his Lord - the most capable, cunning diplomat ever born on the Piedmont soil. Marco has always been there, a trustworthy and impassive witness to the pages of the story turning before his eyes. He never knew what twist of fate led such a feared and esteemed statesman to hire a poor hopeless orphan. The kid later followed each step, each word, each gaze of his Lord, confident that such a deep trust must some day become mutual. Turbulent years passed by for Costantino Nigra but never in a quiet home, neither for the servant nor the master: two like minds sharing secrets and maybe even a piece of their souls. Can a man living in the shadows, a man without a past, be called for that type of life? Marco remembers well how he would read of knights and dragons in the sleepless nights of his teenage years, dreaming of being a noble knight in shining armour riding a white steed towards the happy ending where the grateful princess always had his mother's face. Everyone can dream but memories are something different. Her memories are as elusive as the sand in an hourglass. ''Can a man whose life is a nameless shadow, still be called a man?''
Relations: He is Costantino Nigra's valet. Tracy Conner is a recent acquaintance but they curiously became friends. Marco spent the last few days avoiding Liy Fisher's attentions. During some travels he'd already met Katrina Schneider and the German ambassador she works for. Katrina and the bold Scarlett Owen make him feel uncomfortable.
#21 - Nathan Goodwill, The manipulative servant (Character played by M. M.)
Motto: Change is the only sure characteristic of true fortune Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Character with a strong will and selfish personality. Perfect for players looking to experiment with competition and greed.
Teaser: It's not easy to work for a man like Cedric Constantine Crosby. Luckily for Nathan, serving this lord and being a soldier in the past are quite similar: always stand at attention, follow whatever order comes and never make eye contact with a superior. His strong will and discipline allowed him to stay by Lord Crosby's side much longer than any other servant and apparently the Lord discreetly appreciates his company and the capability to gather information from others' servants. Thanks to the secrets and the rumours Nathan heard from some chatty attendants after a drink or seducing a rosy dreamy maid, Lord Crosby could arrange many lucrative deals. Like an avid gambler, Nathan loves to bluff on the gaming table of life while always keeping some secrets for himself. Even the Lord doesn't know everything about him and his double life as a soldier and an attendant: secrets are the best cards to play whether to get a better treatment or to advance his own ambitions.
Relations: He accompanies Lord Cedric Constantine Crosby. While he was serving in the Queen's Army he had the honour to meet Captain Philip Laurence. He is sure to have seen Morgan Camden somewhere but he can't remember when. Some say the servant Lena Reinhart has been seen spending time alone with him. He enjoys Abigail Kelly's helplessness.
#9 - Candide Artoise, The devoted valet/waitress (Character played by M. M.)
Motto: There is an innocence of admiration: it occurs in one who has not yet realized that they might one day be admired. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: French - Gender: unisex - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: An intimate character with a game based on his own feelings and inner conflicts, but this won't exclude participating in investigative plots.
Teaser: The silvery and pale visage of the moon when it is illuminated by a blazing sun, the crystal of a mirror that reflects the face of beauty: this is how Candide feels next to ''Monsieur le Marquis''. What good fortune it is that has given the progeny of a washerwoman the fate of serving Guy de Maupassant, the famous writer, the sharp traveler, the man of extraordinary charm. And fate has given an even more generous gift to Candide, granting the chance to be a humble support for the great man, a silken rope thrown to help Monsieur when a dark chasm seemed to open beneath his noble steps. The servants Candide has accepted acquaintance with delight in the impeccable freshness of conversation, the sharpness of observations and the clear, yet sensitive lucidity with which Candide observes the world. These must have been the qualities with which Candide has won the benevolent friendship of Monsieur, some say, while others more pragmatically point out that a wise and witty gentleman chooses servants who are like mirrors, certainly capable, but only in reflecting the virtues of the master. Someone once dared to suggest to Candide, that Candide could now flex their own wings and fly far from the star. But how could that be possible? That it might be better to risk seeing one's wings melt from too much heat, than to be lost in solitude in the terrible darkness, that is in the end one's own judgment to make.
Relations: Candide serves Guy de Mausapassant, whom Candide always approaches with ecstatic admiration. Candide has shown that he knows Mary Shaw, whom Candide apparently met at the thermal baths. Candide scrutinizes the movements of Hector Schmitz. Scarlett Owen shows Candide great sympathy. Candide knows Jacques Palanche with whom Candide worked in the same house for a short time a few years ago, but there is no love lost between the two. Candide often likes to hear the talk between Arjuna and Judith Price about distant lands.
#10 - Jacques Palanche, The waiter with socialist ideas (Character played by E. B.)
Motto: Each of us alone is worth nothing. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: An active character on the social front, suitable for an extroverted player who wants to give speeches, and who likes to be at the center of intrigues and machinations.
Teaser: Luggage, dishes, coats, tablecloths, candles, carriages, sheets, beverages. Every single moment in the life of your masters depends on you and those like you who toil and sweat and despair in domestic work. Is this justice? Is this equality? That the powerful of this earth cannot sew on a button or prepare a cup of tea without commanding to a servant? Waiters, washerwomen, cooks, grooms: look at yourselves! You are, in reality, the noblest and most powerful people in this world. You are the ones who move the world and make it turn, towards a destiny shaped by lords that have inherited power or stolen it, taking it from others who are not inferior, no less worthy. Well, is this equality? Is this justice? You are not just a madman, nor a dreamer: great philosophers have written of the same ideas that burn in your chest. No evening passes when you do not leaf through your Marx, finding once more the reflection of what you observe every day. But a man is useless alone, so why should you not spread the word to everyone, why not welcome everyone to join in the glorious effort and march together towards destiny? Not to destroy the masters, nor even to take their place, because you are not blinded by haughtiness or pride. Rather, it is for you to decide the direction in which to make the world move, the direction which destiny should take. You, cobblers, nurses, chimney sweeps, porters: you the strongest, you the purest, proud, free, united. Take what you deserve! You who are enslaved and divided: unite and be free. This is equality! This is justice!
Relations: He is in the service of Gaetano Osculati. A few years ago, he worked for a short time in the same house as Candide Artoise, but he does not have much esteem for that person. He discusses different topics of interest with Christopher Price. He admires the intellectual curiosity of Hector Schmidt with a certain envy, but he would like men like Schmidt to put their culture at the service of the class struggle. On the other hand, he does not need to convince Emilio Fiori who seems to be in tune with his ideas.
#11 - Christabel Goulden, The ambitious maid (Character played by H. L.)
Motto: One of the most unpleasant things about ambition is the display of modesty Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: This is a character very suitable for women who love risk, espionage and strong emotions, the thrill of being discovered and the elaboration of complex plans. It is a character driven by reason rather than feelings.
Teaser: It would seem, in the eyes of most, that serving as a lady’s maid is one of the most significant positions when in service. Being paid to travel, attending high society, always at the heart of gossip and updated on the latest news from social circles, having an influential lady as a confidant, someone who can help you in times of trouble, someone who can come and save you when you are in trouble ... is this not Paradise? Perhaps for those born without ambition, but Christabel knows that all that glitters is not gold, and at heart that what life has reserved for her has never been enough: hand-me-down clothes, wearing no jewels or anything else that might obscure the splendor of her lady, to be considered little more than a graceful ornament. She is ignored by men who are both worldly and fascinating, being desired at most by the vulgar stable man, whom she as a decorous servant must nevertheless deny. But more than anything else, Christabel suffers from being far from the center of attention, the silent punishment of being only the tapestry in the shining life of someone else is a constant scorching disappointment for someone who feels, instead, that she is deserving of every kind of care and ease. Ah, if only it would be possible to find a way to improve her situation, she would be a perfect lady. Sleeping late, changing clothes five times a day, courted and admired, spending the afternoon playing cards and sipping tea ... this should have been her destiny, although perhaps it is nothing but a charming daydream which is impossible for her to renounce.
Relations: She is in the service of Sir Charles Cowdery and Lady Johanna McEwan to whom she is a lady’s maid. It would seem that the distinguished waiter Leo Vaughan gives her too much attention. Scarborough house servants has often seen her whispering in a corner with Edmond Roncourt. She has bickered with Eileen Walsh, whom she considers rather inelegant.
#12 - Abigail Kelly, The curious maid (Character played by H. O.)
Motto: Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Young - 36 years or less - Advices: A very active character, suitable for those who want to be at the center of investigations, intrigues and mysteries. - HARDCORE - if you choose this character, you have to be up for for playing intense and special scenes, which for some may prove unpleasant or embarrassing.
Teaser: The first great lesson was given to her by her Mother who showed her how every social order rests its foundations on Reputation. The second came from her Father, who explained to her that Reputation does not always reflect the true nature of people and sometimes deceives the eye and mind of decent people. If her parents were still alive, would she see condemnation or pride in their eyes? Without a doubt, her reputation is not particularly good. Although she herself is not accustomed to inappropriate behaviors, she is still the maid of a scandalous singer and not even remotely a first-rate maid. And yet the benevolence of her Mistress is very real and assures her of this honest position. Even if she gets a reputation of being an impertinent and unfortunate girl, she performs her duties to the best of her possibilities. In the severe world of the servants, some are inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt, claiming that she does not have sufficient experience to be a good and reserved servant, but many find her propensity for curiosity as evidence of an irreparable defect of character. Impudent, indelicate, too ready to gossip and suffering from a terrible habit of being where she should not: these are her faults, which do not seem to bother her Lady. Indeed, her witty and crystalline soul would have been more appropriate for an honest middle-class lady, than for a maid.
Relations: Her lady is the opera singer Charlotte Cotillard. Since working at the mansion, she is often scolded by the House Butler who would like to see more dignity from her. She often exchanges women’s gossip with Claretta Benvenuti. She was seen talking in a suspect way to the new odd-job man, Emilio Fiori in a corner of the garden instead of doing her chores. Nathan Goodwill often laughs at her mistakes.
#14 - Leo Vaughan, The polished servant (Character played by Y. T.)
Motto: Savoir faire is the best master key that exists. Many more doors have been opened by a smile, a compliment or a perfect bow than have been opened with the sword. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Eclectic character, with many secrets, which may be his strength or his limit.
Teaser: A classy, educated and discreet servant is as rare to find as a purebred horse and, therefore, his value is also equivalent. In high society, among the people that counts, one is always looking for a valet who is more than a well-dressed peasant, someone able to move gracefully among the parlors, able to entertain the guest in conversation as well as become invisible when the situation requires it. And just like with a thoroughbred horse, whose healthy teeth, brightness of coat and constancy of step are evaluated, Leo Vaughan has been carefully examined too, first by the banker who with a keen eye enjoyed the pleasure of having made yet another good deal, and then by the usual guests of the Rubenstein house. Everyone seemed to agree that he was a fine specimen of that rare race: the servant of times gone by, so elegant, impeccable and pleasant that he is able to bring the titled and bourgeois of the new era together. Alongside his Master, he moves with silent steps past the rich golden plasterwork adorning the ballrooms; proud and attentive, he observes the beautiful world shining before his eyes, always quiet and attentive. Those eyes seem to observe everything, but show a depth that is difficult to probe and unveil; is it a secret delight that is seen in their enigmatic gaze or is it silent disapproval? Nothing seems casual in the carefully studied gestures and manners of this peculiar man. Only God knows what his path is and what lies behind his neat waistcoat
Relations: Servant of the famous banker Alphonse Raimbaud Rubenstein. Paul Torregrosa just met him, but has immediately shown admiration for him. One evening at a soiree, to which he escorted his master, he rescued the famous Charlotte Cotillard, who had fainted from a heatstroke. The house butler, Derrick Gravehound, is looking for a reason to criticize him, the Chef Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin often asks him, where he is from and what his references are. He has been particularly kind to Christobel Gaulden, but she seems annoyed by this behaviour. He has also exchanged a few words with the Roman scion Giovan Battista Borghese when he visited his master.
#28 - Lena Reinhart, The malicious servant (Character played by M. M.)
Motto: Malice is a better muse than friendship Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: German - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Good for a breezy player who wants to deal with seduction. STAFF
Teaser: Gluttony is all female. Gluttony is that deep desire turned on by a furtive glance that crawls through the mind to the thoughts then spreads down to the belly. Lena has always had a sweet tooth: she loves the wonderful creations of chef Jean-Pierre Guillot Savarin no less then any man she has had. Seduction is a game of gazes and Lena is a true master, able to shift the fiery passion in her eyes to a meek lamb-like look as soon as a severe butler - or even his lordshp! - happens to walk by. Fortunately, most of philosophers and scientists are distracted by the complex paths of their minds and don't care about the honour of their servants!
Relations: She is the servant of professor Joseph Emmanuel Wedder. She has been seen kissing passionately with Nathan Goodwill and William Monck, and shamelessy take a walk in the garden with Lord Henry. Some rumours say she even sneaked out from Giovanni de Simone's room at first light but he strongly denies that.
#16 - Arjuna Ghalib, The exotic servant (Character played by G. A.)
Motto: I’m like a plant that grows on bare rock: the more the wind blows on me, the deeper I sink my roots. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: Other - Gender: Unisex - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: A complex character who presents an active game and is involved in intrigues and mysteries. You will receive some *binding* guidelines from the staff.
Teaser: An exotic ornament put on display to amaze and to admire, this is Arjuna, and the smile that often passes fleetingly over the outlandish face reveals a full, and perhaps smug, awareness. An always steady, shrewd and courteous personality cannot but be considered as an ideal servant in refined English parlours, yet around this figure there remains a slight spiced aura of mystery caused by being born in a distant colony full of charm: India, with its myths and legends. If it is true that Arjuna’s delicate step does not disrupt the quiet of the house, it is certainly also true that Arjuna’s presence cannot go unnoticed nor be confused with that of the ordinary servants; so, while Arjuna advances in life, there are those who whisper that the servant is the Indian Viceroy’s watchdog, whose job it is to control the Viceroy’s turbulent scion, Lord Terence. Actually, such rumors would seem to be true, because often some whispered words or a slight wave of Arjuna’s hand calms the young man who then goes from commanding to obeying. An enigmatic and yet imperturbable figure, Arjuna stays at the side of the noble Master in order to fulfill his every desire, but also to keep in check inappropriate haughtiness and the excesses that the Master is accustomed to indulge in with lingering and extreme profligacy.
Relations: In Calcutta, while in the service of Lord Terence, he met Willliam Monck on one of his travels. Arjuna has shown prior knowledge of the name of Sir Charles Cowdery. Edmond Roncourt, that stupid arrogant Frenchman, has shown himself to despise Arjuna’s race. Judith Price often asks the servant to tell her Indian stories and legends, and Candide Artoise always manages to listen to these tales. When still in India, Arjuna met Mary Morstan.
#18 - Edmond Roncourt, The Monsignor's secretary (Character played by A. T.)
Motto: I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: French - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: This is a character with many secrets, which may be his strength or his limit.
Teaser: One day, Edmond entered the confessional of a church to cleanse his soul. When he came out, his life had changed. It is rare to see such a coldness in human eyes, as has always been in the eyes of Edmond. His eyes scrutinize the world with acute calmness, almost pondering each and every element. At some point of his existence, this ice began to be clouded by a vague and slight doubt. Very vague, very slight. It was at this point that he, not tolerating such misty uncertainty, entered that church. On leaving the sacred building, if somebody had observed him, they would have seen a new and different light in his eyes. Whatever the nature of that light was, it's hard to say. Perhaps the Almighty bestowed the grace of his forgiveness as a restorative rain. Or perhaps different, unexpected, far more human opportunities had opened up in front of Edmond that day. What is certain is that the priest, hidden in the darkness of the confessional, had found the right words to restore to fullness the never dormant vigor of a peculiar man. He carries himself with the pride of being the best in his profession - and the difficulty of having a very unusual one.
Relations: Secretary of the Bishop Monsignor Giulio Orazio Mattei, the two seem to understand each other with a glance. He seems to lose his composure only in the presence of Katrina Schneider, the maid of the German ambassador. However, it is with Christabel Goulden that he has been seen going off with. He has not hidden a slight disdain for Arjuna's exotic origins, and between the two there is a strong tension.
#17 - Scarlett Owen, The cunning maid (Character played by B. M.)
Motto: Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: British - Gender: Female - Player's Age: Any age - Advices: Proactive, easy-going character, her game will be uninhibited and fun.
Teaser: It might seem odd, to most people, that an unwed nobleman is accompanied by a servant of the fair sex, rather than a valet or a personal waiter. However, Scarlett has the impression that many of the gentlemen attending the ambassador's parlor, or parlors of which her master is often a guest, actually care much less than their servants about traditional formalities. Her attention is unavoidably captured by those individuals who are exceptionally original and singularly valued in their various fields of knowledge, and also those powerful individuals for whom the abundance of money and their noble birth are such that the banalities of etiquette are rendered superfluous. The weak are slaves of the rules, the strong ones make the rules, is this not so? Therefore, she believes that perhaps only a few of those who really count will wonder why it is she, the pretty little maid, who has followed the Ambassador here. And even those who want to assume an answer, what will they ever think? Maybe the most sinful of truths, a reflection of their own malice. After all, Scarlett moves between folding cloths, tea sets and gossip with such a smiling and captivating grace, that many observing her, end up thinking that if she were to climb a few steps of the steep social pyramid, the ascent would be on true, albeit singular, merit.
Relations: She is the maid of the British ambassador Lord Francis Wimsey, whom she follows like a shadow. Because of a drop of champagne inadvertently spilled on a cuff, she met Friedrich Gunter Kroyer, with whom she seems to have developed a confidence. She has a sister in the service of Guy de Maupassant, and that is why she has taken a liking to Candide Artoise, who serves and accompanies the writer. Since her arrival, she has already bickered several times with one of the Scarborough House servants, Claretta Benvenuti.
#20 - William Monck, The valet who was a sailor (Character played by G. G.)
Motto: You know who the good seamen are when the storm comes. Upstairs or Downstairs: Downstairs - Group: Servants of the Guests - Nationality: Other - Gender: Male - Player's Age: Adult - 28 years or more - Advices: This is a character focused on popular beliefs and the superstition of being cursed. Suitable for proactive players and players who like to involve others in their game, without excluding involvement in mysteries and investigation plots.
Teaser: Sailors love to tell stories of sea monsters and infernal storms that the open sea can hurl at ships. They do it like professional actors on the stage of a crowded theatre. And while they describe the most intense and frightening parts, they amuse themselves by holding their breath for several moments, waiting in silence in order to increase the suspense. They widen their chests and stand up in their complacency of being surviving heroes. It's not like that for William Monck. When someone, driven by curiosity, asks for his sailing stories, he yields like a sail to the wind, and his face becomes grim like a wrecked brigantine, drifting towards the darkness of the night. He replies that the past is not important, and that the severe pains he suffers in his face and temple stole his future on ships. Then he takes his leave, stuttering a few disconnected words, maybe something about a curse, a sorcery or a hex. Some merchants at the port of Brighton tell stories about how a captain threw William Monck out of his ship, after finding him curled up and in tears in the galley. He was punching himself in the corner between his nose and upper lip and shaking so hard, that his bones cracked like the mast of a rocking vessel. A few days later that vessel sank, while William was watching the horizon from the window of a stately house where he, as a servant, began to serve.
Relations: He is the personal valet of Emmeline Pankhurst for whom he tries to be essential. His past on ships led him to meet reputable people like Gaetano Osculati with whom he talked about his profession and his latest discoveries, and like Shelley Ruthven. He was seen to go off alone with Lena Reinhart. As his lady suggested, he was visited by Leonard Warren-Hopkins because of his sudden pains in the temple. In Calcutta, when he was much younger, he met Arjuna.