The Duellist

The Duellists life is an exciting one.

In the 17th century, matters of honour were

settled by the duel. Duels were governed by a
code of conduct called the Codex Duello which
differed depending on the country and culture.
Honour dictated that an insult to oneself or
ones family had to be challenged- anything
less than a full apology had to be resolved with
the pistol or the sword.

Some people, however, were not able to fight.

An elderly man would not be able to duel the man who had besmirched his daughters
honour, for instance. Other times, the offended party might be too rich and too soft to settle
the matter himself. This was where Duellists came in. For a hefty price, the Duellist would
fight your battle for you. Experts in duelling conduct, honour and combat, a Duellist was only
as good as his reputation- they were either good or dead.

As you might think for people who spent their lives in one-on-one combat, Duellists tended
not to have great life expectancies. As such, they would charge high fees and spend them
on lavish lifestyles, their money gone nearly as soon as it was earned. A short, but wild and
exciting life.

Some Duellists did live to retirement- the trick was to retire before your fortune ran out. A
retired Duellist would often become an instructor or Fencing Master, teaching a lifetime of
real experience to younger men. Others might dabble in bodyguarding.

A Duellist may have been a former soldier, or noble son who was in need of money. Some
Musketeers put their skills to use by duelling as a side-job. All Duellists, however, were
willing to risk it all for a high reward.

Duellists were experts in matter of honour and duelling, and obeyed the C odex Duello
religiously. Duels were illegal, but literally hundreds of French nobles died each year in them.
Due to this, duels are fought at fixed times and locations- always somewhere with multiple
escape routes in case the authorities arrive. Once a duel is issued, if the challenged party
does not apologise, the challenger picks the location, the challenged picks the weapons
(swords or pistols). The duel is attended by seconds who ensure it is fairly fought, and
sometimes a surgeon. Duels can be to first blood, or the death.

The King is guarded by the Kings Musketeers (blue tabards with a white cross), and the
Cardinal by the Cardinals Guards (red tabards). There is some rivalry between the two
camps.
 French society is strange- outwardly conservative but privately very, very liberal. Despite
heavy Catholicism, it is perfectly socially acceptable for a man to have a wife and a
long-term mistress- and for his wife to have a young lover on the side too. In certain
circumstances it is permissible for a gentleman to introduce his mistress to his wife, and
even the three of them stay under the same roof (it is not socially permissible for a man to
meet his wifes lover). Even priests are accepted to have mistresses.

The French enjoy the simple pleasures of the senses- sex, food, drink, smells and art are the
things the French value most. A French peasants food has more care, preparation and
flavour than an English Lords feast. Drinking is a social must- very few teetotallers. Wine
and brandy are drunk daily- rum is only available in ports and only really drunk by sailors,
while ale is brewed but nowhere near as popular as wine.

General Information-

The game starts in Marseille, 1658. Marseille is a major port on Frances

Mediterranean coast. Well defended by coastal forts from Barbary Pirates and
Spanish attacks, and far from the influence of the English, it is a relatively safe city.
Whores and taverns can be found everywhere.
Cardinal Richlieu died in 1642, and King Louis XIII soon after. Richlieu was
succeeded as Prime Minister by Mazarin, who is widely hated for being an Italian
(and, despite being a Cardinal, he was never even a priest).
In France, the states affairs are handled between the Prime Minister, Cardinal
Mazarin, and the Regent, Queen Mother Anne of Austria. Although crowned in 1651,
Louis is still a young King and has not yet taken over the reigns of France.
Since 1639, the English Parliamentarians have defeated the Royalists in the Civil
War, executing Charles I and exiling his son, Charles II, to France. This was followed
by vicious campaigns to put down dissent in Scotland and Ireland.
Despite being barely recovered from the 30 Years War, in 1657 Cardinal Mazarin
and Oliver Cromwell formed an alliance against Spain, over the protests of King
Louis.
One of the last acts of the Scottish Parliament before the Commonwealth invaded
was to recognised Charles II as King of Scotland. Charles currently lives in exile in
France, a guest of his cousin, Louis.
The Catholic Church granted the entire Americas to Spain, to colonise and civilise in
the name of Catholicism. England, France and Holland are envious of Spains
various colonies in the New World.
Rumours abound that the cannibal-infested islands of the Caribbean are beset by
pirates of many nationalities, causing the Spanish untold problems. Among their
number are a great many privateers from England and France (privateers are a cross
between pirates and mercenaries- they have a L etter of Marque from their
government that grants them license to commit acts of piracy on the nations
enemies. In the Caribbean, this usually means attacking Spanish ships).
Italy is not a country, but a collection of small nation-states and Princedoms, and is
currently weak due to constant skirmishes with the Ottoman Empire to the East, and
Barbary Pirates to the South. Many Italians can be found in France, either as
swordsmen or as Commedia DellArte performers (a kind of improv theatre).