doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I will warn you that Ysabel is technically a sequel to the Fionavar Tapestry, but you don’t need that trilogy to understand Ysabel.
Fantasy France - what would it have?
- Thread starter Shades of Eternity
- Start date
Amazing underworlds
Rivers & Canals
Insults as an art form
Canning (invent for Napoleonic Wars)
Hot Air Ballons
Bicycles
Rivers & Canals
Insults as an art form
Canning (invent for Napoleonic Wars)
Hot Air Ballons
Bicycles
Fifth Element
Legend
The default you're referring to is Western Europe (including France), not the British Isles. Looking at D&D for e.g., the paladin is (sort of) from French stories. It shouldn't be surprising the cultures are so similar. Both England and France were Celtic territory (Britons and Gauls respectively), occupied by the Romans, then Germanic peoples move in (Angles/Saxons/Jutes and Franks), and both later have Norse influence as well (the Danelaw and the Normans).
In terms of folklore there's not a lot to separate them, Western Europe has a good deal of homogeneity in many things in society. So much of it was all part of Francia at one time, shouldn't surprise you.
So there's not a lot you can do to differentiate the setting as France specifically, without directly using French names and history, or cultural stereotypes that really ought to be left aside. Musketeers are from the 17th century, later than the standard fantasy setting basis.
3 words: Flail Snail Escargot.
Fifth Element
Legend
Flail snail in French would be escargot fléau. Which, pleasingly, also rhymes.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
My wife is a Francophile, and her biggest thing that she would want is romance, in the sense of Romantic Fantasy, or general Romantic Fiction, from a strongly French inspired setting.
That, and fashion, especially where it isn't at all necessary.
Like, forget the movies, the historical musketeers wore this:
So, you have early firearms with names like the dragon and falconet, used by a guy who also uses a sword, more heavy chevalier, and dragoons in between. Overlay all of that (sub in fancy crossbows with animal heads at the ends if you don't like guns in dnd) with all the dark mystery of catacombs and ancient pagan sacrificial sites, and just everywhere the juxtaposition of beauty, danger, mystery, honor, poetry, war, and deeply emotionally loaded internal conflicts over religion, art, politics, and always, always, romance.
Also play Dragon Age Inquisition.
Now, when we add dnd to all of the above, and ask ourselves, is there a Basque analogue? Are there neighboring peoples with whom the Francofacsimile people have dynamics similar to the Franco-Spanish and Franco-German borders, or the history of Roman conquest and unrest? Are there active heretical communities? Are there regions that still follow the old ways but the closer you get to the urban centers the more people practice the new faith?
Remember that the French gave us le morte d'arthur, musketeers, cafes as a popular western concept, the "kill them all, the lord will know his own" quote, and lots of other interesting things.
just a nearly limitless pool of inspiration.
That, and fashion, especially where it isn't at all necessary.
Like, forget the movies, the historical musketeers wore this:
So, you have early firearms with names like the dragon and falconet, used by a guy who also uses a sword, more heavy chevalier, and dragoons in between. Overlay all of that (sub in fancy crossbows with animal heads at the ends if you don't like guns in dnd) with all the dark mystery of catacombs and ancient pagan sacrificial sites, and just everywhere the juxtaposition of beauty, danger, mystery, honor, poetry, war, and deeply emotionally loaded internal conflicts over religion, art, politics, and always, always, romance.
Also play Dragon Age Inquisition.
Now, when we add dnd to all of the above, and ask ourselves, is there a Basque analogue? Are there neighboring peoples with whom the Francofacsimile people have dynamics similar to the Franco-Spanish and Franco-German borders, or the history of Roman conquest and unrest? Are there active heretical communities? Are there regions that still follow the old ways but the closer you get to the urban centers the more people practice the new faith?
Remember that the French gave us le morte d'arthur, musketeers, cafes as a popular western concept, the "kill them all, the lord will know his own" quote, and lots of other interesting things.
just a nearly limitless pool of inspiration.
Time to bring back the codpiece or morue (fr) in fashion. 
ilgatto
How inconvenient
aramis erak
Legend
More than one... Lookup "Avignon Papacy"
