I mean, of cours? Why else does one get sent to evangelize the frozen wastes?

The first IC threads are up. Since we'll open with individual "vignette" threads for the characters in singles and pairs it'll be more work for me and I'll be slower to post overall than I like to be. Bear with me. I'll get to each player in time and try to keep all the threads moving apace.

! I think only Mme. de Contrecoeur can see hers so far, however. Also, I think we can all appreciate posting is slower with a bear, so no worries on that front. ^_^

I would never rush a bear, no. Even Anne knows that.

Help me out with my hooks?

1. Noblesse oblige: as seigneuresse de Contrecoeur, I must always be corteous, self-possessed and noble.
2. ????
3. ????
4. No effort or expense should be spared to expand the borders of human knowledge and science.
5. Le siècle des Lumières: everything must have a logical, rational, empirical explanation.

Hooks are very hard...what does she say when turning down suitors? What's the most she'd do to keep her brother safe? Some statement that encapsulates her view of the English/their allies? Some resolution she made at an important event or turning point in her life? Something about her relationship to God and/or the Church? Something about the most important non-human thing in her life - ambitions for Contrecoeur, letting herself be hurt before risking her favourite horse, keeping her father's sword bright, kind of thing?

Or - if you don't mean to post it out here - something related to a secret of Anne's. That's always great plot fodder, that is.

Her secret attraction to a certain dashing and handsome coureur des bois (who shall be unnamed at present)?

Seriously, something about her family and their encouragement or disapproval of her studies?

In reply to Marie Whitespruce (msg # 45):

Well, frankly Fr. Joseph rather set himself up for that assumption about the putaines de Paris, though maybe not half the city...

I'm indeed open to some gentle harassment regarding Pierre's hypothetical affairs and sluttiness. I look forward to the results.

Ha! Maybe the benefits of sincere conversion include being let into the mission with all those odd people in dresses that do womanly hewing of wood and drawing of water, since they don't seem to marry anyone else. If Fr. Joseph isn't having any affairs with his superiors, sounds like there are opportunities!

Of course, if moines et religeuses are truly interchangeable, and Pierre's portrait with unbound, unroached hair is accurate, as is age and military status, Pierre might be a lesbian. Possibly one with terrifying magic powers, given the assumption of natural aptitude for shamanism in transformed and third-gender people. It's possible Pierre is secretly a devastating, sexy, Magical Girl.




The entire city? Dang. No wonder they sent him for a long jog in a cold place.


Ahoy, Nat! Really great job on your description there: it feels like I know this man already, and he's been telling me stories at the trading post every three months or so when he comes by.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:14, Tue 31 Aug 2021.

Now that you mention it, I feel like I have taken a tragic misstep in not playing a lesbian with terrifying magic powers, because that sounds awesome. I'm not sure I'd do the best at conveying that character, though I might try it in the future.

Alas, compared to being a third-gender shaman and/or terrifyingly magical lesbian, Pierre is a comparatively ordinary male. I'm working on finding a good portrait of sufficient quality to modify and submit to the gallery, but this is probably more of what I'd have in mind:

http://nativeamericannetroots....he-Huron-Indians.jpg

So far less hair than the current avatar. Maybe I can find a balder guy with some more melanin that might fit the bill in the interim.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:09, Wed 01 Sept 2021.

Hmm...maybe you could feed members of your local sports team a mix of hyper-strong Turkish coffee and Red Bull to get the sensation of diverting great spirit power to warrior relatives, or pointing at your enemies whilst swearing at them, to get the feeling of directed curses. That said, please note that I am very much being silly and the English word 'magic' is a square peg for the infinite-fractal hole of shamanic traditions, which also incorporate what we call medicine, not to mention elements of priesthood.

Ah! I believe that artist is still alive and has inscribed his name within the dread Book of Faces, if permission was to be sought. I really do encourage every non-brown-haired-white-man/young-fashion-model-white-lady submission we can get, though I've had to be careful to pick female Native submissions that read more 'historical' than 'idealised', because if I had a pound for every time I've run across people wanting to play Bikini Indians with worrying signs of a genocide fetish on this site...well, I'd have £3, but sheesh.

You can have a lot of hair if you are an old general, to tie your feathered medals in. The French might even give you more medals of the metal sort to put on a fancy coat..l must say I am very much in love with the male fashion aesthetics of contact 18th century eastern North America. Maybe not the dead animal hats, but the chaoic cascade of pattern, layers and shiny/feathered accessories. Brocades. Paint. Fancy leggings. So good.

It's really the equivalent of trying to depict a Sicilian woman by picking a lady from Estonia and putting her in a dirndl.



Thanks for the input - I'll look around for that. I found something maybe a little bit more fitting, and perhaps that will better suit the purpose until better can be located.

This one is in the Toronto Public Library. Huron/Wyandot chiefs ca. 1825, about a century after our story.

https://www.torontopubliclibra...JRR56&R=DC-JRR56

And this is the Gros-Louis family ca. 1870, a prominent family of Wyandot leaders up to the present day.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals...a8bc699628283d89.jpg

This is high fashion, of course. Day-to-day wear was more understated and, in our game era, largely rawhide-based.

Note on all the men the ceinture fléchée which was probably a meeting of indigenous weaving techniques with French yarns. Now a symbol of Métis and Quebecois identity, they were much worn by coureur des bois and indigenous men around the time of our story.

This automatically made me think of Barbarians of the Ruined Earth. At least they're not supposed to be First Nations, though.

In reply to L'hiver (msg # 58):

Yes! I am now resisting the urge to find a FN producer of those sashes. I have the soul of a hopeless fop and the daily clothing requirements of a construction worker.

Sort-of @Pierre: It's worth looking at more reputable living history re-enactors for clothing detail ideas, too. I used to do Norse, but I had a friend who was a part-time redcoat and the authenticity regulations are even tighter when there's more written down.

I don't think such people are trying to depict any actual culture or genuine human being so much as the concept of "sexy/exotic noble savage", honestly.

@Mme. de Contrecoeur: So long as it's non-race-coded and gender-equal Frazetta fantasy it's considerably less harmful, I suppose. I hope they get Mad Max gear and look after their grannies. [nod]

Hello, another heavy couple of weeks for me IRL. I will try to make one post a day, for someone, but no promises!

Understand completely! IRL has been beastly here as well.

Hi Team,

I'm overloaded IRL and will have to take next week off. I will be back posting by 21 Sept. Sorry to do this to you so early in the game.

In the meantime, to keep your interest alive and your ideas fresh, please enjoy some films from the NFB of Canada...

NFB Indigenous Cinema
https://www.nfb.ca/indigenous-cinema/

New England and New France
https://www.nfb.ca/film/new_en...ew_france_1490_1763/

Samuel de Champlain and the founding of Quebec, 1603-1635
https://www.nfb.ca/film/samuel...amplain_quebec_1603/

Dreams of a Land
https://www.nfb.ca/film/dreams_of_a_land/

The Voyagers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-RNt4wNxb4

Vignette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFfRZJh5Jak

1745 Siege of Louisbourg (in our game's future)
https://www.nfb.ca/film/louisbourg_under_siege/

May you defeat your workload thoroughly and dry its scalp for your greater glory.

....it will probably take me at least a week to get through the links, but thank you greatly for collecting a shiny heap of 'em. Excited!

Don't worry, life is life (nah nah nah nah nah...). Thanks for the links, and see you soon!

In reply to L'hiver (msg # 63):

I look forward to seeing your posts after Sept.21. I have a string of special events coming up the next 3 weekends, if they are not cancelled (2 events this weekend just got cancelled by the Covid surge) plus medical appointments and other meetings during the weeks.

I'm back. Thank you for your patience. Posts for all coming soon.

Welcome back, chief.

Welcome back, master.

Welcome back!