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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aholibamah" data-source="post: 3625695" data-attributes="member: 53031">First of all: do you have ready access to some films with some pageantry in them? The following (regardless of total accuracy of time period) are good for this:AmadeusThe Madness of King GeorgeElizabethStealing BeautyHenry and JuneDangerous LiasonsValmontQueen MargotOne thing that might work rather well would be this--I've used it both as a player and as a DM.The ball is planned, and it is to be held at this estate you mention. There will be touches of decadence (small child-servants dressed as mythical creatures holding lamps, magical fountains of blood red wine, beautiful music constantly played, servants in revealing but tasteful costumes, dalliances behind pillars and in dark alcoves) but also good food (crayfish in white wine and butter, roasted doves with grapes, perhaps some kind of great fish served smoked on a bed of ice, pears and peaches in liqueur, etc). Howevever the noble is told at the last moment that absolutely EVERYONE is secretly coming in costume--a fine prize will be given to the person with the best costume. Therefore it would be wise to keep one's costume an absolute secret lest someone try to imitate another. And it is to be very exclusive, only the best people invited. Therefore not to be gossipped about either. Then the protegee is urged to give him an idea for something if he doesn't have one. Something elaborate--it must be a costume beyond a shadow of a doubt, not a mere fashion statement. Thus when the noble arrives, fashionably late of course, he finds that he is the ONLY person in a costume that under the circumstances looks totally ridiculous.You may not like this particular scheme so it is just a suggestion. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />As for others to attend:1. The rake. A well born but somewhat roguish young noble, he comes across as being VERY gallant, suave, charming, a bit wild at times but in a fun kind of way. In fact though he really is after enjoying the favours of women he desires. He likes to genuinely seduce and get others to fall in love with him, whereupon he gets bored with them and discards them. They dare not contest him or they would be publically made fools of and dishonored, is the way he tends to work it. 2. The bore. He has some crankish interest--bird watching, collecting rare manuscripts about coinage in a previous dynasty, something like that--which he believes others will be interested in if he only presents it properly. He has a knack for walking in on interesting conversations and trying to divert them to his own interests. However he is also very rich and with some persuasion could be a useful partner in some venture provided he might get something he also wants from it. He'd like a wife to manage his affairs a little better--his own jumped to her death for unknown reasons.3. The obvious lecher. Unlike the rake he does not seduce--he tries to grab, caress, fondle, leer, murmur what he imagines are lusty provocative remarks. 4. The grand matron. This lady is a shrewd survivor in the intrigues of the city, the dowager of a noble clan. She sometimes speaks in innuendos and in maxims but her advice is good, though she doesn't waste it on just anyone. Clever people, especially clever up and coming young women may interest her. She probably has a bodyguard, disguised as a humble maid, always with her. 5. The Sinister Gentleman. This is a warlock/necromancer/strange cultist who seems a cultivated polite gentleman but has something sinister about him. He may try to probe people he meets to ask about their interest in odd occult matters, or may imply a fine adventure to be had. To be involved with him is very dangerous but he will not do anything obvious.</blockquote>

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