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ne t'en fais pas, mon chou.
WHO? Everybody!
WHAT? Agoge's second TDM! And welcome to Paris, everybody.
WHEN? Late 1792, Paris.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.
WHAT? Agoge's second TDM! And welcome to Paris, everybody.
WHEN? Late 1792, Paris.
ANYTHING ELSE? Violence, as always. Please warn in subject lines for anything beyond physical violence, and move to a personal journal if things go beyond PG-13.
IT'LL BE FINE;
Paris, 1792: revolutionary france.
read the France setting infopages
arrival for veterans
For those who broke off from the army that fought at Valmy and returned to Paris, they come to a city bustling with life. Not only that, but they are greeted with nothing short of a hero's welcome. The tricolor is flown from every possible spot that can hold a flag, cockades are everywhere, and people cheer the names of the generals Dumouriez and Kellermann.
Simply saying you fought at Valmy is liable to get someone to buy you a drink, do you a favor, congradulate you, shake your hand. It's a great way to get shopkeepers to lower their prices, to get a low cost room, or just get someone to smile. Children will ask for stories of the fight. Grown men and women will ask to know what the generals were like.
Yes, you are undercover, yes, you are in the wrong time, and possibly the wrong universe, but for today? You are heroes.
arrival for new recruits
If you didn't fight at Valmy, it means you're new to COST. Maybe you agreed to work with them, maybe you don't remember. It doesn't matter. You wake up in a Parisian hotel room with a kind woman standing near the door, waiting for you to awaken.
You have none of your clothing, just black military-issued underwear, and none of your previous possessions beyond the one you chose (if you remember choosing) to bring with you.
The woman by the door speaks French, and if you didn't understand the language before, you do now. If you have questions as to what's going on, she'll answer: you are a member of COST, a paramilitary organization of time travelers fighting against the Regency, a tyrannous kingdom of the future who are trying to stamp out freedom and individuality in the name of peace.
She will provide you with the clothing necessary to fit in at this time, and show you how to use your BCE implant to look up information on this time period and its social and political mores. She won't let you leave until you're properly dressed to fit in, but once you are, she'll wish you luck.
MISSION OBJECTIVE
Unlike the last two missions you may have faced with COST, this one isn't as straight forward as a battle. This is about information-gathering, keeping your ear to the ground, and watching.
Paris during the revolution, even early days like this, is rife with paranoia. Though the heroes of Valmy are treated with huge respect and admiration, that is a huge exception to the rule, one that will fade with time.
As it stands, everyone expects counter-revolutionary spies sent from Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire, or simply French monarchists, to take what freedoms the people of Paris have wrested for themselves. Whispers abound. Suspicions mount.
It's in the midst of this that COST has received information that the Regency has placed its spies within Paris. Their aims are currently unknown, but it's suspected they have some sort of machinations for the King and Queen. Paris has declared itself a republic, free of monarchial control, but the Regency may have other aims. It's imperative that COST operatives keep an eye open for any and all signs of suspicion.
It's just difficult, because so is everyone else in Paris.
CELEBRATE
Paris is in an uproar, excited by the return of some of its great heroes, the fighters at Valmy. Even if you didn't actively participate in the battle, if you were there, if you contributed at all, someone will want to shake your hand.coffee break
Of course, there's always rumors, and there's little way to prove one was actually at Valmy in this premodern era. Accusing, or being accused, of lying about this tremendous day is an excellent way to get into a fight. Be careful.
At this time, high spirits in Paris are a dangerous thing. So many people on the streets inevitably leads to trouble: a riot breaks out.WITNESS A BEHEADING
You see, the shipment of more coffee from San Domingo is late, and this increases the price of the coffee already on the market. This may not seem like much, but the average citizen in Paris is very poor, and works upwards of twelve hours daily, often doing back-breaking or repetitive labor. Coffee is an essential ingredient to get them through the day, a stimulant to keep them from dropping flat. Price increases are even worse, then, because of certain laws put in place to stop this from happening. In an attempt to aid the poor, the National Convention has put price laws in place, decreeing that goods such as food and coffee cannot rise above a certain price. In view of the shortages, merchants have ignored these laws.
So a riot breaks out. People break shop windows, attack businesses, and fights break out left and right. In the chaos, it's difficult to tell friend from foe, and you may be attacked by someone who, hours ago, was shaking your hand and congratulating you. You may get swept up in the riot without meaning to. Or, hell, maybe you want to cause a little chaos and break some windows yourself.
Regardless, a riot is a calamitous thing; be careful. While it doesn't cease all of Paris-- Paris is a big place, after all-- it certainly takes a fair percentage of the streets, especially near markets.
One thing, though. It's very odd. Often, when these shops are broken into and goods are stolen, money is left behind. Generally, it's not the amount the shopkeeper was asking-- often, it's exactly the lower amount decreed by the National Convention's ignored law.
But neither the riot nor the celebration overtakes all of Paris. There are other things going on. Like a beheading.PLANT A LIBERTY TREE
Jacques Cazotte is one of the first victims of the Terror that will sweep France in a couple months, though he didn't know it at the time. He is a monarchist, though, the very definition of the feared 'counter-revolutionaries' everyone believes live in secret throughout France, seeking to undermine the Revolution at any cost. (Convenient, considering the definition of what precisely a 'counter-revolutionary' is constantly shifting).
Many gather to watch his death, and cheer when the guillotine falls. The executioner holds up his head for all to see when the act is completed, and some may notice the eyes still blink and roll in their sockets. The crowd gasps and jostles closer to see more, but after that, there isn't much fanfare. The body and its head are shoved into a cart and taken away to be buried. The event is over.
Still, the people discuss with great excitement, happy the filthy monarchist, the counter-revolutionary, is dead and gone, and France is that much safer.
Liberty trees are popping up all over Paris, and everyone wants to plant one (if only to say they have). They're any kind of tree, and people are plopping them down in any bit of soil they can find. It's a symbol of the revolution, of patriotism, of loyalty, of whatever the planter wants it to be. Join in, or you'll inevitably be invited to the activity. It's a great way to get an ear to the ground for gossip, or just an idea of how things are going in the city.LISTEN TO A SPEECH
France was just recently declared a republic after literally hundreds of years of unbroken absolutist monarchism. People are a little excited. Attend political clubs to listen to the speeches on the subject, all with their own perspective (but nearly all very much in favor of the republic). Or maybe you'll see someone speechifying on a street corner, throwing their ideas out to the masses. People are forthright about their political opinions, because they feel like, for the first time in history, their political opinions actually matter. It's pretty exciting, if you're into that sort of thing.
If not, feel free to let people know. Giving public speeches is an active process, and the speech makers are expected to be able to keep up with the crowd. Heckle, argue back, debate, start a fight, whatever.
The major things being debated are what, exactly, to do with the king and queen now that France is a republic. Should they be executed? Should they be brought down to normal citizenship? Should they serve as figureheads, like in England, making France a constitutional monarchy? Is that a step backward or forward? Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to hear it.
However, if you're lucky, you might catch the rare debate on other subjects: women's suffrage (still unheard of), the correct price for bread and coffee, what to do about the slaves in San Domingo, and which countries to invade in the upcoming war. It's all on the table.
read the France setting infopages
no subject
[Somehow, Chiron suspects, it is not going to be an easy thing to avoid. Not with Saber's personality. But Paris stretches out before the both of them, and Chiron can't help but look at the city in pleasant surprise. It sprawls everywhere, in every direction, as if planning was just a non-issue.
But there are some fancier looking areas with surprisingly dense populations around them.]
I expect the crowds are well infiltrated anyway.
no subject
It's not my fault if someone messes with me.
[ It is if her attitude is what baits them into it... but details. Walking casually across the roof, she sizes up a few of the landmarks, all while eyeing off what she can see of the crowds below. ]
Infiltrated by who, though? If those Regency guys are smart, they'll have spies in every big group. Influencing the common folk is important. [ She sighs a little grumpily. ] Ugh. But I guess that means we really shouldn't make a scene.
[ Since they'll give themselves away if they do. ]
no subject
I was going to say by both sides, actually, both within the actual opposing sides within the city, and this...Regency versus COST thing that we've been summoned into.
[But she's figured out not to make a scene. That's the important part. Chiron's eyes move towards the river that snakes through the city, and frowns.]
You'd expect more water traffic.
no subject
Mordred looks over at the water and shrugs. ]
Maybe people don't want to get wet. [ She grins at her own bad joke. ] It must be easier to get around on land. The river is a good point of reference, though — and maybe we could borrow one of those at some point.
[ "Borrow". She points to a horse-drawn carriage making its way along one of the wider streets. Not knowing Chiron's real name, the irony is lost on her. ]
no subject
[Mordred's already pointing, and Chiron can't help but smile. His expression makes it clear that this? This is a private joke known only to himself.]
I feel as if you'd just outpace the horse and then complain that it's slow.
no subject
[ Called it. She completely misses how predictable her attitude makes her, and instead takes it as a compliment. Damn right she's fast. ]
And unless the river's blocked, it's probably none of our business. [ Like Mordred cares what is and isn't her business. But talk of trade and the like (read: anything that isn't fighting) quickly turns into blah blah blah in her small mind. ] Seriously, it feels like we're stuck waiting for the other side to make a move. There's way too much crap that might not be important.
no subject
But there's something else here, and that's something Chiron can actually agree on: this is a much different type of warfare than most Heroic Spirits are used to.]
You're not wrong. Nor is it what so many of us are either suited for [mages usually cover that for Grail Wars, after all] or never were factors in our own fights. It's the kind of war that develops with more politics, I feel.
no subject
[ She seems to halfheartedly consider it for a second, but that's definitely not what they're here for. So fortunately for everyone, she lets it go. ]
You know. We're supposed to be looking for anything suspicious, but aren't we the most suspicious of all? Not just you and me, but all of us.
no subject
But rather than agree, Chiron lifts his eyebrows slightly, curious as to Saber's theory on it.]
Hm. How so?
no subject
[ She says it as a criticism, like it's something he can help. If she's going to say something serious, she at least has to lead with something stupid first. ]
Servants like us have an easier time than most. We can lose people in an instant, or sneak into places easily. But as a group... we all stand out. None of us react like these people do, and we don't talk like them, either. If we're asked a simple question about this time period, we probably won't know the answer.
We have to be careful, that's all. Any one of us could be caught out easily.
no subject
But Mordred's explanation is absolutely logical. Chiron nods as she speaks, following her all the way through.]
That is exceedingly true, especially as it accounts for anyone who isn't familiar with any portion of history here, period. There are a few, it seems.
no subject
Exactly. They could have told us the basics. [ She sighs. ] I guess we'll figure it out... and if we screw up, we can just blame COST. It's not our fault if a few minor things change, right?
[ It literally would be... ]
no subject
Well...it would. But it would be a mistake based in ignorance that reflects poorly on them, rather than a mistake based on malicious intent which would reflect poorly on the individual.
no subject
[ No it isn't. ]
They've made it difficult for us to find a Master, too. Even if there are mages in this time period, it's no good if they're not with our group. [ She gives Chiron a side-eye, realizing she's given away the fact she doesn't have a Master currently. ] Assuming your Master isn't here either.
no subject
[In all fairness, it's a good assumption to make. If the Holy Grail War's to be on pause, there can be some lowered defenses on what is, in the end, basic information.]
The concept of the war itself is limited in interest to most magi anyway. It hardly helps matters in trying to explain.