Hi all! Two things up front, first, I hope I picked the right Forum. Apologies if I missed the right spot for this and second, it takes a bit of writing to provide what I think is enough context. I've tried to keep the extra but not essential detail to spoiler blocks. They aren't spoilers, they just add extra details.
The campaign is set in a fairly realistic 1623 France. I'm looking for suggestions on what one of my villains should do in response to one of the PCs. The villain is the Baron Villemorin.
Picture for Villemorin (he is on the left):
The PCs first encountered Villemorin as part of a group of NPCs who were gunning for a one PC, Guy de Bourges. The NPCs had been falsely told by an enemy of Guy that Guy de Bourges was responsible for murdering men from their regiment. In that encounter Baron Villemorin refused to fight de Bourges as the odds would have been 4-1. “I must protest. I shall be happy to engage this de Bourges myself, but fighting a man, even a murderer like him, at 4-1 odds does not accord with my honor.” As a result of that encounter and the Baron’s comment, Guy delivered a challenge to the Baron based on the Baron’s statement that Guy was a “murderer.”
Guy won the duel and the Baron conceded defeat in keeping with the terms of a duel to the First Blood. The Baron tells Guy, “The field is yours Monsieur de Bourges. It appears that the information I was given about you, declaring you to be a cowardly murderer, was incorrect and that by repeating it I spoke hastily and in error. You have my apology. Good day.” That took care of any disagreement between Guy and Villemorin.
However shortly after this, the Baron’s younger brother, Paulin, took a strong dislike to another PC, Gaston Thibeault. This resulted in Paulin getting together a gang of thugs and hired swords to waylay Gaston. Gaston was helped by the other PCs. He fought Paulin, twice disarming him and calling on Paulin to surrender. Paulin three times refused at which point, Gaston killed him. After that, the Baron Villemorin conceived a violent enmity for Gaston.
So far, the Baron has tried striking at Gaston two different ways.
First through the courts he brought a charge of murder for the death of his brother. The judicial tribunal refused to convict the PC or found him not guilty or maybe even found him innocent, I’m a bit unclear what exact verdict a 1623 French court would have returned. The court case demonstrated that Gaston or his friends have powerful friends – at least as powerful as any friends that the Baron currently has.
Concluding that he could not get justice through the courts, the Baron tried arranging an ambush for some of Gaston’s friends from his regiment. This resulted in some bad wounds to either side, one of Gaston’s friends – a handsome young man – got his looks ruined by Villemorin intentionally scarring the young man’s face. Then the Baron’s hirelings ran off and the Baron also retreated.
In turn, Gaston wrote and anonymously published a mocking poem sarcastically disparaging the Baron’s honor and courage. For the poem, see the check the spoiler below.
Gaston is trying to force the Baron to fight a duel. He will continue to use every avenue to force Villemorin to face him or to be branded a coward. The Baron doesn’t want to fight a duel with Gaston for two reasons. First, Gaston is not a noble. In Flashing Blade terms Gaston counts as a gentleman, he is Social Rank 6 or 7 and the Baron is a noble, Social Rank 10. Second, the Baron strongly suspects that Gaston is a better duelist. He is a fencing master and is known in Paris as a very deadly duelist in the Italian style. He has fought two duels with dueling masters from a rival dueling school and he is said to have killed both of them
The issue has been ignored for the past four months while Gaston and the other PCs were on a mission for France. But once they return to Paris, Villemorin will have to leave town or the feud will resume.
The first option I considered was for Villemorin to try to arrange a duel on horseback with lances. Villemorin is a noted duelist and sword noble of the old school and this might appeal to his views of the good old days. Also, since Gaston is known to be a master of the Italian style (which is designed for duels on foot) and his career as a soldier was mostly in the infantry as a pikeman or sergeant of pikes, the Baron will get an advantage for a duel on horseback. The idea for this was inspired by a scene in a novel. To see it, check the spoiler block below.
I think the challenge on horseback (especially if Gaston fights on foot) is interesting and a cool type of result. Obviously the player will need to make some rolls to succeed and it could all go to crap.
Does a combat like this seem at all plausible?
Anyone know of any precedent for a real world challenge or duel like this?
A second option would be for Villemorin to use what influence he has to get assigned to some duty outside of Paris and away from Gaston.
Comments on the two options?
Are there some interesting options I am missing?
Thanks for any suggestions or ideas. :)
The campaign is set in a fairly realistic 1623 France. I'm looking for suggestions on what one of my villains should do in response to one of the PCs. The villain is the Baron Villemorin.
- He is from a Sword Noble (noblesse d’epee) family with a long history.
- He is sadistic, but with a scrupulous sense of honor.
- He is a noted duelist in the Cavalry Style. If he can get the advantage over an opponent he will use his saber (Quick Cut) to toy with and kill him by inches. He is a Sword Nobles and often targets sword wearing members of the rival noblesse de robe as prey.
- He is intractable; -4 to persuasion. His opinions are cast stone and he seldom if ever changes them.
Picture for Villemorin (he is on the left):
Spoiler:
The PCs first encountered Villemorin as part of a group of NPCs who were gunning for a one PC, Guy de Bourges. The NPCs had been falsely told by an enemy of Guy that Guy de Bourges was responsible for murdering men from their regiment. In that encounter Baron Villemorin refused to fight de Bourges as the odds would have been 4-1. “I must protest. I shall be happy to engage this de Bourges myself, but fighting a man, even a murderer like him, at 4-1 odds does not accord with my honor.” As a result of that encounter and the Baron’s comment, Guy delivered a challenge to the Baron based on the Baron’s statement that Guy was a “murderer.”
Guy won the duel and the Baron conceded defeat in keeping with the terms of a duel to the First Blood. The Baron tells Guy, “The field is yours Monsieur de Bourges. It appears that the information I was given about you, declaring you to be a cowardly murderer, was incorrect and that by repeating it I spoke hastily and in error. You have my apology. Good day.” That took care of any disagreement between Guy and Villemorin.
However shortly after this, the Baron’s younger brother, Paulin, took a strong dislike to another PC, Gaston Thibeault. This resulted in Paulin getting together a gang of thugs and hired swords to waylay Gaston. Gaston was helped by the other PCs. He fought Paulin, twice disarming him and calling on Paulin to surrender. Paulin three times refused at which point, Gaston killed him. After that, the Baron Villemorin conceived a violent enmity for Gaston.
So far, the Baron has tried striking at Gaston two different ways.
First through the courts he brought a charge of murder for the death of his brother. The judicial tribunal refused to convict the PC or found him not guilty or maybe even found him innocent, I’m a bit unclear what exact verdict a 1623 French court would have returned. The court case demonstrated that Gaston or his friends have powerful friends – at least as powerful as any friends that the Baron currently has.
Concluding that he could not get justice through the courts, the Baron tried arranging an ambush for some of Gaston’s friends from his regiment. This resulted in some bad wounds to either side, one of Gaston’s friends – a handsome young man – got his looks ruined by Villemorin intentionally scarring the young man’s face. Then the Baron’s hirelings ran off and the Baron also retreated.
In turn, Gaston wrote and anonymously published a mocking poem sarcastically disparaging the Baron’s honor and courage. For the poem, see the check the spoiler below.
Spoiler:
Gaston is trying to force the Baron to fight a duel. He will continue to use every avenue to force Villemorin to face him or to be branded a coward. The Baron doesn’t want to fight a duel with Gaston for two reasons. First, Gaston is not a noble. In Flashing Blade terms Gaston counts as a gentleman, he is Social Rank 6 or 7 and the Baron is a noble, Social Rank 10. Second, the Baron strongly suspects that Gaston is a better duelist. He is a fencing master and is known in Paris as a very deadly duelist in the Italian style. He has fought two duels with dueling masters from a rival dueling school and he is said to have killed both of them
The issue has been ignored for the past four months while Gaston and the other PCs were on a mission for France. But once they return to Paris, Villemorin will have to leave town or the feud will resume.
The first option I considered was for Villemorin to try to arrange a duel on horseback with lances. Villemorin is a noted duelist and sword noble of the old school and this might appeal to his views of the good old days. Also, since Gaston is known to be a master of the Italian style (which is designed for duels on foot) and his career as a soldier was mostly in the infantry as a pikeman or sergeant of pikes, the Baron will get an advantage for a duel on horseback. The idea for this was inspired by a scene in a novel. To see it, check the spoiler block below.
Spoiler:
I think the challenge on horseback (especially if Gaston fights on foot) is interesting and a cool type of result. Obviously the player will need to make some rolls to succeed and it could all go to crap.
Does a combat like this seem at all plausible?
Anyone know of any precedent for a real world challenge or duel like this?
A second option would be for Villemorin to use what influence he has to get assigned to some duty outside of Paris and away from Gaston.
Comments on the two options?
Are there some interesting options I am missing?
Thanks for any suggestions or ideas. :)
The Challenge [Seeking input for Villain response]
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