Servants
“When I think about the years I spent in service, I often ask myself why was our job so poorly considered. Why, for instance, they were calling us 'Servants'. Maybe, I told myself, it depended by the intimate nature of our duties, all that serving and respecting people who were absolutely able to care for themselves, and still we were almost expected to feed them. In some ways we were not better than slaves, as the masters ruled any aspect of our lives: timing, dresses - on the job, obviously, but in many ways also when we were outside. Even the few hours we had for ourselves was dominated by the thought 'You have to be back no later than ten o' clock'. We were definitely NOT free.”
The Servants are a group of women and men who know very well how life works.
They know life comes down to: effort, work, and few pennies. Although their personal freedom is more or less that of a slave, the role of servant is longed for among the masses of poor that crowd the streets, as it guarantees a meal, a clean bed, and the possibility to save money for the old age. Besides, for the most traditionalists, to serve a noble family or a rich bourgeois is a honour and a privilege, that elevates them to a nobler and higher world, creator of order and progress. For the most modern thinkers, servitude is lived in a conflictual way, and perceived as an injustice.
However, it is still a lighter, cleaner, and better paid job than being a factory worker. Among them there is the loyal butler, the servant vexed by a Lord’s avances, the strict and traditionalist housekeeper, the God-fearing maid, the artist-minded valet and also those who secretly support new revolutionary ideas.
The Servant chambers are rich not of wealth and power, but of secrets, aspirations, blackmailing, ambitions, denied feelings, loyalty and betrayal. Normally the Upper Class consider the Servants as loyal dogs, or deaf ornaments, and in their presence they speak freely of intrigues and passions. For this reason the kitchens, launderettes and the servant’s rooms are filled with gossip, huge or embarrassing truths that are whispered, with a mixture of envy and disapproval.
Serving in a elegant household means to work in kitchens and caves, endure hard fatigues the whole day and always be ready to satisfy any request from upstairs. Everything has to be done following a strict code of conduct that often forbids relationships with the opposite sex or having admirers or visitors. Servants must always look tidy; posture and education are a must even in the most liberal households, and in the old-fashion parlors it is forbidden to speak to the master if not asked to. Failing even one of these rules could mean to be immediately fired, and could give a bad name and subsequent difficulties in finding another job.
Reputation and loyalty are more valued than effective competences. A good conduct, including modestly accepting the avances of the master, but not mingle with the rest of the personnel or the mailman, could elevate the servant, socially and economically.
Very few do not aim for prestigious or leadership roles, as warden, housekeeper, personal maid or valet, butler, that allow social redemption and the entrance in a hierarchically organised world, mirroring the one of the High Society. The Servant’s rooms are just a mirror of the luxurious parlours: a traditional world where class division is neat and there is huge gap of culture, language, economics, and freedom.
Remarks on the Choice of a Downstairs Character
If you want to play a character with a hard life, living the theme of class division or social injustice, that doesn’t need a fancy costume and is free to meddle in every plot thanks to the invisibility of its social role; or if you just want to pay less, then a DOWNSTAIRS character is right for you. As Servants are expected to perform real duties (for instance, helping in cleaning, cooking and serving the meals), to make the larp more realistic, we considered a reduced price for these characters. All the DOWNSTAIRS characters will receive a part of their costume: an apron. Women will also receive a maid’s headwear.
