La Ligue des Messieurs Extrodinary

During the 'Heart of Matushka' adventure, we were introduced to ' La ligue des messieurs extrodinary', an organisation of amateur explorers and a gentleman's social club rolled into one. Dave created a fabulous list of the members, and a full menu of what everyone ate when invided to dine with the society. The detail was a bit too much to add to the GM's notes, but certainly deserved it's own notation. So here in full is the list of membership and that menu in full.

 

Marquis Cédric Deneuve de Surlign

Cédric is a man in his 50’s, short, overweight, richly dressed, he is also the Host of the society and a Patron of the Knights of the Rose and Cross. For all that however he is a snob, and thinks nothing of abusing his serving staff.
His specialty areas are that of History and Genealogy.
He enjoys after dinner games, especially squares (Chess) and gambling.
He is also an expert of Puzzle Swords, and will be able to recognise Viola’s new blade (a gift from Clarrisse) as one of the only three ‘Ghost blades’ in existence. It was forged by Maître the greatest ever Porté sorcerer in 1541 as a commission for the Duke of Martise. He gave it to his son in law Charles Duboise du Arrent for a wedding present in 1553 who, in turn, lost it in an honour duel to Dominique Étatlon du Toille in 1559 from which it was stolen in 1588 and never seen again.
After the last course Cédric will toast the L'Empereur

Favourite topics of conversation:
The Explorers vs. the Emperor as to ‘Petit Charouse’.
The Vendel tolerating the Vesten.
The Vendel vs. the Vodacce.
The idea of buying ruling seats instead of relying on good breeding.
The acceptance of the Guilder everywhere

Sorte Strands: A Staves strand -going unseen to the Duke.

Marqesse Cosette Deneuve de Surlign

The Hostess of the party is Cédric’s wife Cosette, a woman in her 40’s dressed in the very latest rich fashions. She is the perfect hostess, but also vapid and uninteresting. She tries to ensure everyone has a pleasant and socially acceptable time, and will be the first to interject if passions run too high during conversation. As she is in hostess mode for the evening, she will do her best to be interested in everyone else.

Favourite topics of conversation:
The recent exploits of the party, especially anything Explorer related.
Detail on any character’s background.

Sorte Strands: A Staves going to her husband. Arcana – Inverted Moon (Inattentive)

Vicomte Lieutenant-General Felix Leveque d'Aur.

Felix is a military man in his 50’s. He wears a Military uniform but is clearly unfit for active service. He has slight shakes and walks with a cane, he also has a red complexion as if drinks too much. He also wears the only medal he has ever won, the Médaille Militaire, Médaille d'honneur pour actes de courage et de dévouement. He earned this medal in the War of the Cross for taking a valley heroically from little more than farmers.

Favourite topics of conversation:
How he won his medal (the heroic version)
Eisen and Treaty of Weissburg, what a good job we took their land
The Eisenfurst vs. Imperators system in Eisen
The Rose & Cross vs. Musketeers
Aristide Baveux (Head of Rose and Cross)
The war in Castille, how the Castillians are hiding behind La Muralla al Ultimo – The Last Wall and should come out and fight.
El Vago, the devil.
The General and how he will soon take El Morro then it will be on to Vaticine City where the Castillian determination will falter.

Sorte Strands: A Cups strand going to his wife, Arcana - Inverted Sun (proud)

Lady Vivienne du Paix

Vivienne is a tall, slim, confident, woman with glasses (looks a bit like Fred from Angel). She is not so richly dressed as the others. Her areas of expertise are science (particularly astronomy, etc) and the scientific explanation and classification of things. She is also a member of the Invisible college.

Favourite topics of conversation:
The Church – Tiny lightening guard held back the Inquisition.
How the Inquisition is out of control since the unfortunate disappearance of the Hierophant.
How scientific research has slowed since an Avalon man called Jeremy Cook published “Empiricism” and was put to death for heresy.
Vodacce culture (women & secrecy vs. openess and equality)

Sorte Strands: A Cups strand going to Henri Praisse du Rachetisse

Baron Pascal Pierre Cochart

This man is in his late 30’s, a bit twitchy, and has dressed up for this occasion. He is a member of the Explorer’s society and most likely to be the characters introduction to this social circle. Pierre comes from a wealthy family whose prominence has faded in recent generations. However, they are respected for their wealth and the many scholars that they support. Some of the family has recently relocated to Avalon where they have begun building another library. Monsieur Cochart has recently taken the unusual step of replacing all of his household staff with Eisen men. This is not relevant, except to show he does not entirely trust the Montaigne.

Favourite topics of conversation:
One of his students, a girl called Anna (plot thread for Heart of Matushka scenario)
Anything about the Syrneth and Archaeology, he has very few subjects for conversation.

Sorte Strands: A Staves strand going unseen to Anna

Comte Henri Praisse du Rachetisse

This charming man is in his 40’s, but remains smart and attractive in the way even an older Sean Connery does. He is very perceptive and smiles a lot. He is also an obvious Porté sorcerer. He is fascinated with all forms of sorcery, and will ask any Fate witch for a reading if possible. He is also trying to pair off his son with a suitable match, which could include a character.

Favourite topics of conversation:
Sorté Strega and other sorcery
Dancing and courtly news and affairs
How marvellous his son is (to any prospective paramour)

Sorte Strands: A Staves strand going to Lady Vivienne du Paix. Arcana – Fortune (Fortunate)

Vicomtesse Estelle Leveque d'Aur

Estelle is the belle of the society, but only by virtue of being the youngest. She is a very pretty and demure woman in her late 20’s. She dresses in the latest fashions, which her husband has difficulty affording. She is a shrewish snob, unconcerned with ‘the lower orders’ and disdainful of anything she considers beneath her.

Favourite topics of conversation:
Current Montaigne fashion trends and how she is in tune with them.
La Jolie Femme (or similar local news relevant to your campaign)
The poor and how they complain too much
The Rilasciare and how their actions are unsupportable.

Sorte Strands: A Swords strand going to her husband. Arcana – Inverted Magician (Ambitious)

Dining with the Society

This menu is what was served to the assembly during the Heart of Matushka scenario. However it is highly useful for any GM wanting to detail a Montaigne banquet.

First Course

Capon With Herbs (Chappons, veel, aux Herbes) - The Viander of Taillevent
Capon is rooster. Set them to cook in water, bacon fat, parsley, sage, hyssop, dittany (or costmary), wine and verjuice; saffron and ginger are optional.

Herbed Chicken - Le Menagier de Paris
Chicken Cominy (Comminee de poullaille)- The Viander of Taillevent
Put pieces in water and a little wine to cook, then fry in fat, then take a little bread, moisten in your stock, and first take ginger and cumin, mixed with verjuice, grind and sift and put all together with meat or chicken stock, and then add color with saffron or eggs or egg-yolks strained and poured from above into the soup after it has been removed from the fire.

Daguenet Peas

Crieux White

Second Course

Rissoles - Le Menagier de Paix

Gross Meats - Goodman of Paris
Gross meats: such as beef, pork, and mutton, boiled. Cooked in salted water and eaten as follows, beef in summer, with green garlic sauce.

Green Garlic Sauce - The Viander of Taillevent

Gely (Four meat jelly)
To make four dishes of meat jelly (gelled de char) - Le Menagier de Paris
Take a pig and four calves' feet and have two chickens plucked and two thin young rabbits skinned,

Ronge Red

Third Course

Fricassee - Traite le Cuisine
If you wish to make fricassee, take hens' wings and feet and put to cook in water, and take a little rice and moisten it with this water, then cook it over a low fire, and then cut the meat into very thin strips, and put it to cook with a little sugar.

Creme Boyled

Candied Orange Peel

Martise White

Fourth Course

Pasties - Le Menagier de Paris
Chickens be set in a pasty on their backs with the breast upward and the large slices of bacon on the breast, and then covered. Item: in the Lombard manner, when the chickens be plucked and prepared, take beaten eggs (to wit yolks and whites) with Verjuice and spice powder and dip your chickens therin; then set them in the pasty with strips of bacon as above.

German Brewet (Brout d'Alemaigne) - Le Menagier de Paris
Take meat of rabbits or poultry and break it into pieces; then boil it in water until it is half cooked and fry it in bacon lard; then have some onions minced small in a pot on the fire, and in the pot some fat, and move the pot often; then bray ginger, cinnamon, grain of paradise, nutmegs and roasted livers in a brochette on the grill, and some saffron diluted with verjuice and let it be of a yellow hue and thick. And first [have] bread roasted on the grill and strained; and let it all be set together to boil with some leaves of parsley in the aforesaid pot and let there be sugar therein'; and to serve it forth, set two or three pieces of your meat in the bowl and some broth over it and sugar on top of the broth.

Stuffed Shoulder of Mutton - Le Viander of Taillevent
Shoulder of mutton should be cooked in a pan on the fire, as well as legs of mutton or pork - do not overcook them, then let them cool; the meat is taken off from around the bones and is chopped up very fine, and the meat for mangonels and towers similiarly; then get pine nut paste, currants, and a large egg omlette fried in white bacon fat, and cut them into small pieces the size of large dice, and keep them from burning; take all of these ingrediantes along with crumbled creamy chees, and put everything into a clean pan or bowl and mix them thoroughly together. Then you need sheep cauls; spread them out, sprinkle them with fine spice powder and set hte bones on them without the stuffing then wrap up and pack around the bones, wrapping them withthe sheeps caul and sew them together with little skewers of wood to keep the meat from falling away from around the shoulder - as cooks help know how to do.

Verre Red

Fifth Course

Perch in Yellow Sauce
Loach - Le Menagier de Paris
Loach must be cooked in simmering water with a little wine, and put the head in first and then the tail, and boil until the water seethes; then add the remainder. Loach is eaten with green sauce when it is cooked in water. Sometimes you make soup with it, and sometimes it is fried; when fried it is eaten with yellow pepper sauce.

Yellow Pepper Sauce (Poivre Jaunet) - Le Viander de Taillevent
Grind ginger, long pepper, saffron, and some people add in cloves with verjuice and toast; infuse this in vinegar and boil it when you are about to serve your meat.
Cooked Pears and Sugared Almonds

Dore White

Sixth Course

Brie, Camembert and Gouda

Sugared Almonds

Shelled Nuts,
I used shelled almonds and walnuts which I was able to find at my grocery store.

Hippocras - Le Menagier de Paris
To make powdered hippocras, take a quarter-ounce of very fine cinnamon, hand-picked by tasking it, and ounce of very fine meche ginger, and an ounce of grains of paradise, a sixth of an ounce of nutmeg and galingale together, and pound it all together. And when you want to make hippocras, take a good half-ounce or more of this powder and two quarter ounces of sugar and mix them together, and a quart of wine as measured in paris. And note that the powder and sugar mixed together make "duke's powder".

Charouse Champaign to toast L’Empereur

Seventh Course

Port, Brandy and cigars

Return to 'The Heart of Matushka' GM's Notes