The Cour: Coutisans and Courtisanes of Paris

Paris

François Villon Took the control of Paris, after the 1789 French Revolution, and enforced once more the Toreador Hegemony in 1805. Through his power seemed absolute, it wasn't so: Other Kindred, could, if united, raise enough power to counter his decisions and actions. These Kindred became the Ducs and Duchesses of Paris.

Still, Kindred of lesser power could well be of enough power to destabilize the base of power of those powerful Kindred. Even Villon learnt the Cour, which retained its prerogatives from the days of Louis the 14th, was not to be neglected. By being the most powerful group of Kindred of the capital, by its own majority, they could affect the personnal Status of any Kindred there.

And they used this power a lot...

No Kindred is safe from the Cour, as rumours, lies and intrigues runs there in a level rarely experienced by the Kindred calling themselves Duchesses. In a total chaos, the Status of a Kindred can be raised to surprising levels one night, to decrease next to zero the following day...

If it's true that Villon and the Grand Cour can influence the variations of Status, all but the Anarchs openly attack the Cour in the same way the cour feeds of its own betrayals, instant love-hate affairs and other mundane (but still deadly) night to night Kindred affairs.

In each description of each Courtisan/Courtisane, will be written their exact influence, measured in Esprit. Note that some Duchesses can still be Courtisanes, but by leading the Kindred affairs, they turn away from the night to night life of the Cour, and so, loose some prestige and influence within it...

Destiny

In the nights of the year 1998, the Cour will see its activity increased, because some members believe power is in numbers, and because all will want to discuss the matter of the Brujah, Gangrel Assamite Bâtards Anarch and Sabbat problems

The members of these group will find the Cour isn't anymore (if it ever was) a place where they could dwell at ease, unless they can prove their loyalty to the Camarilla (and even then...).

Organization

There is no time Schedules for the reunion of the Cour, called Soirées. Someone organize one Soirée, asks authorisation from the Keeper of Elysium (Arnaud) to uses, if needed, Elysium grounds, and then invite those she wants to appear. Nothing more, nothing less.

Tremere Abelard; Duc of the Tremere, Pontifex of France.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ****
   Status: *****

Abelard's delicate position as Pontifex of France and Regent of Saint Louis makes him in direct conflict in the Cour, when confronted to Laureen because of some internal titles and power structures. Still, the two generally avoids each other whenever possible, to try to make the Clan appear unified while in front of the other Clan. No one is fooled, through...

His Esprit isn't very high for someone of his power, but he generally shows contempt for the Cour, because of their petty games and petty ambitions. Still, he sometimes needs it, so he accept its rules (and so accept to lose some of his Esprit battles...).

Toreador Aimé; Toreador Courtisan.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: **
   Status: ***

Despite Aimé's apparent cool behaviour, he has a violent side some see as his Beast awakening. His violence already took over in some Soirées with razor-edged Esprit directed at him, and his Esprit decreased until he used his power to protect some Courtisanes from a Sabbat War Party. Since then, he is appreciated at the Cour, and no one really attacks him.

Toreador Aïsha; Toreador Exotic Dancer.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: **
   Status: ****

Aïsha avoids the Cour whenever possible, but her talent as dancer is too much for the fascinated Toreador, who invite her whenever there is a chance for her to attends the Soirée.

Her dislike of the Followers of Set is known, through no one knows why.

Tremere Alric; Tremere Warlord.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Alric always has been a warrior, and a good general. But his magical talent, as well as his Esprit never reached the level of the other Elders of Paris (he is as old as Villon, after all!).

Still, he come to the Cour to gather information, and as do his Master, Abelard, he does accept to be the aim of verbal attacks, rumours and Esprit.

Toreador Arnaud; Toreador Keeper of the Elysium.

   Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ****

As the Keeper of the Elysium, Arnaud has a great power, for all official reunion of the Cour must be approved by him.

Arnaud is a Don Juan, forever trying to seduce the women around him. His aim is to be allowed one night with the woman he choose, and to exchange once their Blood in a mortal-like love. Most women in the Cour this were at least 1/3 Blood Bound to him, and the reverse is also true.

The fact he has an official wife (Carla avoids the Cour whenever possible) only adds spice to the illegal affairs he is running after...

Toreador Athanasios; Toreador architect.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ****

Athanasios normally avoids the Cour, but can still be seen there sometimes, if there is possibilities to criticize women's artwork (he is very misogyny), or to see statues, or any stone, or ancient-Greek artwork. He is the aim of the female Toreador Beautés, who don't forgive his intolerance for women, and use any mean in their power to provoke him.

Anarch Banshee; Daughter of Cacophony Anarch.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: *
   Status: *

While new to this Esprit thing, she is slowly learning by attacking Constance's credibility and standing whenever she can. Her voice is charming enough to attract the Toreador into her company.

Brujah Benedicte; Brujah Individualist.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

While Benedicte would like to believe she doesn't belong to the Cour, she found that being in the company of other Kindred (perhaps because most of them are non-Brujah Kindred) can be quite entertaining. The Cour is, for her, a simple game between two Brujah Rant... And she likes to use her Esprit, just to keep the Elders on the edge...

Daughters of Cacophony Carlo; Son of Cacophony, Farinelli.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: *
   Status: **

A newcomer at the Cour, still known since 1722, his apparition caused a great turmoil, as some still remember Toreador falling in extatic inconsiousness while hearing his marvelous voice. Some say he endangers Constance's position as Duchesse, but he showed few or no ambition. The problem is that he and Yorgues lost the favor of the Clan Toreador.

Destiny 1998: Carlo didn't learn the lesson, because for unknown reasons, after the death of Vanessa, he made enemies among the Cour. He is marked as the Poupée (i.e.: doll, or babydoll), and while Yorgues is trying to correct his own mistake, Carlo goes deeper and deeper in his isolation from the other Kindred barring him high position, and possibly decreasing, one night, his Status.

Batards Catherine; Bâtarde. (1998)

   Esprit:
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Cath's appeareances in the Cour were as rare as they were interesting (New Year's Night of 1994, for example).

Destiny 1998: Her mysterious beauty charmed the Toreador, and after avoiding it for weeks, she finally accepted invitations to Toreador soirées. She appears there, smiling, beautiful and rarely speaking, much to the delight of every one... But this could change overnight.

Ventrue Charles; Ventrue Bourgeois.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ****

The Childe of Saviarre learnt to adapt to the new masters of Paris quite fast: To the surprise of everyone, he reached a control of the economy spheres that some see as a direct threat to the Toreador Clan. This cold and controled man has great success in the Cour, but no one, woman or man, succeeded in becoming his lover. Some says in the back of this seductive man that his real love is money...

Daughters of Cacophony Constance; Duchesse of the Daughter of Cacophony.

   Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ****
   Status: *****

Once one of the most powerful Courtisanes, her influence in the Cour slightly decreased since she was given the title of Duchesse of the Daughters of Cacophony. While she still appears as powerful as ever, the limits of her influence are appearing slowly, as she can't keep her own Bloodline mates in line (Chris and Banshee).

Gangrel David; Gangrel Chevalier.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

David is the only Gangrel known to be a Courtisan. In fact, if his appearance is somewhat primal, the same primal magnetism have him some successes among the women, mortal and Kindred alike.

His Esprit is full of hidden threats... Threats that he can well back-up with action, should the offender press too much the issue. Some believe he spies the Cour for the Lady of the Gangrel, who avoids its corruption.

Brujah Delphine; Brujah Idealist.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Some would find surprising to find the lone and emotionless Delphine in any Soirée. Still, she sometimes appear, most of the time to hear the talks, or to talk with someone of some secret affair. She rarely talks to men, most of the time to Elle. She is sometimes the aim of some Esprit attack. While she is quite new to this kind of debate, she know enough philosophy to defend herself... Even if it takes some time to understand she was right...

Her love affair with St Just was well known, and now every one waits for the moment the two Brujah will Frenzy at each other after their separation.

Toreador Elle; Toreador Beauté.

   Esprit: *****
   Secrets: ****
   Status: ****

If there is one Kindred all the others fear at a soirée, it is really Elle. She showed to be a woman with great Esprit, and no one ever won an Esprit contest against her since 1750. What the few really knows, is that she elevated the Intrigue as an Art, and that her intrigues cover all the Cour (and even the other groups of the french Kindred...).

The fact Villon gave her the responsibility of the protection of the First Edict about the Art confers to this Beauté a great prestige among the Toreador.

Toreador L'Epuisette; Toreador singer.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Depsite her age, l'Epuisette is a new member of the Cour, trying to adapt to the new century. She is relatively calm, and avoids engaging too much in any discussion, while hearing with attention what happens around her.

Toreador François Villon; Toreador Prince of Paris and France.

   Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ***** *
   Status: ***** *

Villon's unlife is far from the affairs of the Cour. Still, he retains enough power to calm down most Courtisanes. He is well liked, because he symbolizes the order and the stability the Elders craves for themselves.

   Still, Mai 68 decreased his Esprit, somewhat...

Toreador Jean François Champollion; Toreador Paladin.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

The genius of this man is midly recognized in the Cour. After all, he has great capacities when it comes to linguistics (and Villon likes this kind of capacities), but he creates nothing. But he is a patron of Arts, and is behind part of the Grand Louvre project... But his company is as interesting as a concrete cube...

Followers of Set Juliette; Follower of Set Hedonist.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: *
   Status: *

This young Neonate is the new attraction of the Cour. Her vitality as well as her youthful beauty attracts a lot of Elders in her arms... She is also a new star growing in the mortal show-business.

Ventrue Katarzyna; Ventrue Courtisane.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: *****
   Status: ***

Katarzyna is the perfect Courtisane, with not much power, apparently. Still, she participate to Soirées in a very loner's way, as she will never defend a member of her Clan unless he is Legitimist.

Still, she must have some efficient information network as she sometimes comes up with information never known by anyone else. But no one knows of her sources of information.

Toreador Katya Illyana; Toreador Beauté.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: *
   Status: *

A newcomer in the Cour, she made herself a name as a great entertainer: Her Soirées are very successful, and when the number of guests is limited, Esprit battles takes place with Entrées in the balance.

Tremere Laureen; Tremere Lady of the Realm of Paris.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: ****
   Status: ****

Unlike the Tremere who wander in the Elysiums with the Cour, Laureen's Esprit won some kind of respect. And the apparent mix of contempt and malice in her voice, combined with the multiple intrigues she is always running (so much intrigues that even Elle does not know all of them, or believes it so as no one see the final aim of all this work).

She is distrusted, through, as one of the only original Tremere from the nights before the War of Traditions. How Gustacio and the other Tremere were destroyed or called to Vienna (which is for most Kindred, the same) and she still succeeded in keeping her Chantry and raising her status to Lady of the Realm...

Toreador Lazlo; Duc of the Toreador.

   Lazlo	Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ****
   Status: *****

Lazlo is the Duc of the Toreador, and has enough power and Esprit combined to make most of the Courtisanes like more insulting a Brujah than trying to attack him through Esprit. Still, some attacks come, but are easily forgotten by most the Cour. As Lazlo is a painter, he is sometimes asked to create some art over anything, from the paperwall to the nude back of a beautiful mortal model.

Ventrue Leonard; Ventrue Maffiosi.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: **
   Status: *

Some see Leaonard as a failure, but no one tells in directly because it's so cool to appear gentle and friendly to Neonates in the Cour, all the while mocking him in his back. Leonard knows, though, he is one of the centers of attentions of the Cour (at least, when it comes to Esprit attacks), but still believe that one night, perhaps...

Toreador Ligeia; Toreador Beauté.

   Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

This dangerous Kindred is, since the death of Marie, the one who knows the most about the Cour intrigues and affairs (even if her knowledge of true Paris Secrets is somewhat less extended). She is, most of the time, the woman with the latest fashion clothes.

Toreador Marlène; Toreador Interprête.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

Marlène is very liked, because her chaotic behaviour. One night she can be as interesting as a dead corpse, and the other, her deadly Esprit can kill socially anyone who crosses her, or anyone her whims tells her to ridiculize. The Anarchs are her principal foes, and the Esprit fights between her and her twin sister, célène, are one of the things that can feel the Toreador Kindred with awe: The terrible love and passion the two feel for each other only amplify the debates between to philosphies that can never find common grounds.

Toreador Mathias; Toreador Masque.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: **
   Status: *

This Neonate is a newcomer in the Cour. Childe of the deceased Marie, some rumour about how he had killed her somehow tainted his reputation.

Since he entered the Masques to investigate her death, the perception the others had for him changed (his loner behaviour helped a lot). While some are amused by this yound Kindred, others cannot help but find him charming...

But Love Affairs can be quite ephemereal and deadly, in the Cour...

Toreador Maxime; Toreador Show-Businessman.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

Mathias has influence over the music industry, and his knowledge of musicians and authors makes him a valued member of the Court. Still, he avoids engaging in Esprit contests.

Toreador Nathaniel; Toreador Veilleur.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

Nathaniel succeeded in show his quick wits and talent for Esprit in some Soirées and is now appreciated as a full member of the Cour.

This, plus the fact he is a Veilleur, and has the favor of François Villon and of Alexis marks him as a possible influent member of the Cour.

Toreador Raphaëla; Toreador Paladin.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Some believe the only reason Raphaëla is so often in the Cour is to bother the Followers of Set. But in truth, her novels are very liked, and she is sometimes asked to create some story to divert the Courtisanes.

Toreador Richard; Toreador Beauté.

   Esprit: *****
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ****

One of the true masters of the Cour, Richard's information networks isn't as developped as Constance's one, and his intrigue talents are not so perfect as Elle's one. Still he allies the two with a behaviour and attractiveness that charms most Kindred, including the two women above.

He is now the exclusive lover of Theti-Sheri, and has enough influence and contacts, as well as support in the Cour to threaten Lazlo's position (Theti-Sheri, Constance and most Beautés).

Followers of Set Samson; Follower of Set Courtisan.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

This beautiful man with his dark skin is said to have seduced more than half the female Kindred of the Cour. While it is probably exagerated, he is said to have a hand of male and female Courtisans who can't resist to the new substances he creates in his laboratory.

He comes, at least twice per decades, with a new blood-based drug with strange propriety. One of them even induced the Toreador weakness in non-Toreador (and provoked great results in Toreador who drank it!). This substance, he called the Nectar des Muses, made quite an impression among the Courtisans, and some still asks him some, to increase their perception range (and their creative talent, or so they hope).

Brujah St Just; Brujah Idealist.

   Esprit:
   Secrets: ****
   Status: ***

St Just has no real Esprit. In fact, he ignore most of the attacks that are aimed to him. Any way, few dare to attack him, as his reputation even as a mortal still make the Elders shudder at his possibilities now that he has the power. He comes here, most of the time, to discuss philosophy and Anarch idealism, and as he can be quite charming, he has some limited successes in the Cour.

Some see him as the link between the Camarilla, the Brujah and the Anarchs. Still, they wonder if it is good, or bad...

Follower of Set Sven; Follower of Set Courtisan.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: **
   Status: **

While Arnaud and Ligeia are said to discover the most beautiful models of Paris, Sven is known to discover another kind of mortals. Kindred wanting submissive, sex, drug or even blood addicted and still attractive mortals often asks him, in exchange of Prestation of course. Most of the time, the mortal satisfies the Kindred, but Sven always offered to exchange her should she be afflicted of any flaw (un-cooperativeness, rebellious, etc.).

While the most human of the Kindred tend to hold Sven in contempt, the others like the services he give, and so, he is widely liked in the Cour.

Malkavians Tatiana; Malkavian Courtisane.

   Esprit: ***
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Tatiana don't really belong to the Cour, or at least doesn't realizes the magnitude of the intrigues played there. She walks in the Elysium, smiling at others, answering to Traits d'Esprit in kind, and protecting her beloved clanmates.

Some Kindred are afraid of her appearance (she wears black clothing like a widow would at the burial of her whole family), as they believe it hides something even blacker.

Followers of Set Theti-Sheri; Duchesse of the Followers of Set.

   Esprit: ****
   Secrets: ****
   Status: *****

One of the most powerful Courtisane, she is the one who prefers to neglect her work as Duchesse instead of neglecting the Cour. For this alone, she is well liked.

But she is the one who, with the help of her various Kindred allies, can find someone who will give you anything you want, if you can pay the price. Once, she even had a Lupine captured just for the pleasure of Abelard, who wanted to torture one in a private Soirée just because he hates them and the Gangrel.

In the end, she simply the most beautiful Kindred of the capital, and her flamboyant red hair, mysterious green eyes and sensual lips haunt the dreams of more than one Kindred...

Malkavians Valentin; Malkavian Baby.

   Esprit: *
   Secrets: **
   Status: *

Some Kindred are horrified at the idea of a child-Kindred. They even asked for his execution, arguing it should be made out of charity. Tatiana protected her clan mate, arguing that the Kindred who made such child-like proposition should be executed, for the same charity-reason. Villon decided that Valentin had won his place among the Damned, as the Malkavian accepted him among them as he killed his Sire in defense.

Valentin rarely comes to the Cour, unless in the company of a nurse (i.e.: Any female Kindred he will follow from the start to the very end, perhaps even after...). In most cases, Tatiana is chosen.

The Courtisanes learned the little baby could well defend himself, as his naive argument went home and could hurt terribly, sometimes. but he has still to grow up...

Brujah Vanessa; Brujah Individualist.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ***
   Status: ***

Like the other Brujah, Vanessa cames her for entertainment only, as philosophy and word-games do not pay the bill. Since, some of her most interesting alliances were made at the Cour

She is well liked as a Brujah who discovered true civilization (as she does not talk about philosophy and freedom and anarchy and establishment all the time). And her power over the Maffia as yet to be really disputed.

Malkavian Xavier/Xavière; Malkavian Transexual.

   Esprit: **
   Secrets: ***
   Status: **

The flamboyant Xavier/Xavière is well liked in the Cour, for he/she is never boring, even if her behavior shocks some eminent members of the Kindred society. But he/she doesn't care...

Toreador Yorgues; Toreador Actor.

   Esprit:
   Secrets: *
   Status: *

Due to some insult to the Clan Toreador unity, Yorgues lost his Prestige Toreador. The behaviour of the Cour thus changed. He is now the aim of various Esprit attacks.

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Credit to the Author: https://augias.org/pbn/cour.htm