Legal note: Grantmore and Dartingale are not real schools. This RPG is not affiliated with any real schools in any way. All likeness to real people (except for the historical figure of Anthony Comstock who is not totally like the real Mr. Comstock) is purely coincidental. The starting concept belongs to Ruby for the purpose of further future use in fiction. All contributions made by players belong to players. The original of this game was found on Gaia Online.
Overview
...a safe harbor...
Welcome to Boston, Massachusetts! The year is 1880 and it is the tail end of a blazing August. Despite the heat, the city is beautiful and bustling, dubbed by our friends across the pond as "The Athens of America". We are known for our first-rate architecture, our profitable harbors, and of course our academic, scholarly, and artistic prowess.
...a formidable threat...
Not all has been well in past years, however. Just last year, inspired by a visit from a prestigious New York official by the name of Anthony Comstock, a watchdog group going by the title 'New England Society for the Suppression of Vice' met in our very own Park Street Church. They vowed to track down and eradicate all immoral art, literature, and entertainment, and their standards for censorship are strict. "Banned in Boston" is their new battle cry. The New York branch alone has burned several thousand pounds of literature, and jailed nearly one hundred wayward artists and writers. Mr. Comstock personally raided an art academy in New York City last winter, sending fifteen students and three models to jail for posing for and drawing nudes. They are a powerful group, boasting a mostly upper-class membership and nearly one dozen millionaires. They've caused quite a stir about town, especially within the hallowed halls of our universities.
...an auspicious birth...
One such institution is Grantmore University, built in 1857 by Charles F. Grantmore, a rich industrialist who desired an institution to tailor-make new and brilliant businessmen and leaders. Since its opening, Grantmore University has attracted some of America's most promising young men from the upper crust and has gained a reputation for being a very fashionable and prestigious university. The cost of attendance is also quite exorbitant, a practice rumored to have been instituted by the "good old boys" to keep the poor, ill-connected, and unwanted out.
...a bloody rivalry...
However, all this notoriety could not outstrip the fame of the big schools across "the pond". Grantmore University has never been able to compare to the accomplishments of British universities, and has even struck up something of a rivalry with Dartingale College, one of a number of schools under the great wings of Oxford. Every year the two schools meet in combat on the athletic field and in the debate hall. The two schools also trade exchange students back and forth regularly.
Several years ago, a group of remarkable students from Dartingale put together a sensational set of paintings and succeeded in having them placed in a little corner of the Grosvenor Gallery, where they astounded the public and stirred up a great deal of both acclaim and outrage. The group called themselves the Dartingale Five for their five core members and achieved national fame for their efforts.
Seeing that Dartingale had succeeded in a realm of knowledge that went altogether ignored at Grantmore, Headmaster Grantmore (and Charles F.'s son) began to open the doors to liberal studies, classics, and humanities. Applications poured in and scholarships were awarded, but it was not a favorable decision to the loyal elite, who shunned these students in favor of those who applied themselves to business, politics, and sciences. Some of their sons, however, still dabble, and a few of them have created a little upstart group of their own, called The Brotherhood of New Athenians, to follow in the footsteps of the great artistic movements that have passed before them. Their heroes are the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of 1848, a group of British artists who attempted to reform art toward an ideal of directness and genuine expression in their work.
...an unlikely hero...
The members of the Brotherhood have been taught what they know by one very special professor whose insights were written into one very scandalous book, known to insiders as "the little green book". It has caught the attention of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, for its contents are shocking and revolutionary. It promotes belief in efforts to divorce the heavy hand of religion from the everyday life of the people. It also promotes the right to expression without the censorship of morality, and freedom of expression for all. The Brotherhood has made this book their bible and are all secret friends of the professor. They spend their days hidden away in a secret downtown flat rented to them by a sympathetic patron, creating the works that will someday launch their names into fame... or infamy.
Despite their strong progressive ideas and sharp minds the Brotherhood is looked down upon, frowned on, jeered at, and hated by many. Bureaucrats hate them for shaking up the status quo. Rival students will do anything to humiliate them. The Fives will stop at nothing to see them erased from history. The city itself threatens to expel them for destroying its peace. And yet the Brotherhood continues to serve and uphold the purposes for which they stand together: Freedom of Expression for All. Will they succeed and go down in history as legends? Or fail and be forgotten as fools?
You be the judge.
Setting FAQ
What kind of person is a member of the Brotherhood? The Fives?
Male Brotherhood members are all students of Grantmore University, and have all been to the professor's art history class. In order to get into Grantmore, the students must be well-connected and able to afford the tuition, so they are therefore upper-class. They might come from anywhere in the world, and were attracted to Grantmore for any number of reasons. The choice there is yours. Most students will have come from somewhere in New England, or else come from nouveau riche families from out west. More rarely they might be surviving rich families from the south.
The Fives are all Dartingale College students. Dartingale is just as selective as Grantmore, and their students are also upper-crust. They might come from old aristocratic families (lords and ladies), famous military families (generals, knights, etc.), or successful business families (shipping magnates). Those with the longest pedigrees will likely be considered the cream of the crop.
One thing is for certain: The Fives and the Brotherhood don't like each other. They also don't know who the members of the opposite gangs are. Their personal identities are a mystery to one another, one that they are most certainly looking to solve.
What about girls?
Females are not allowed to attend Grantmore or Dartingale, unfortunately. They are very much "good old boy" institutions. However, there are colleges for women in Boston that females might attend. Female Brothers might have become so because they are related to a male Brother, or they impressed a Brother in such a way that he introduced her to the group and the professor. Females in the Brotherhood are very creative sorts. Surely she thought of a wonderful way to make her entrance. Rumor has it that their Ringleader has a strange, terrible weakness for bold, intelligent ladies.
The Fives haven't accepted any girls at all. Their prejudices are deeper entrenched. They do however have sisters, cousins, aunts, nosy neighbors, girlfriends, wives, and even daughters just like everyone else.
What about African-Americans?
Boston has a long history of being very for abolition, and as such African-Americans may find themselves with ample opportunities in the city. They might find good work there, or obtain entrance to a university. The Brotherhood's fearless Ringleader might welcome them. The Fives, however...
--> NOTE: This is a historical game and as such certain facts of history can't be denied. However, this mod will not allow scenes and language that will make others uncomfortable or offended. Every player has the right to remove him or herself from any scene they do not agree with, and also is obligated to stop any scene that another player finds offensive. All scenarios within this game are for EDUCATIONAL purposes only and do not reflect the true feelings or opinions of the players. In short, don't REALLY be sexist or racist or I will ban you. Do not get into hunting down or torturing other characters or doing anything dodgy unless you have express permission from the player AND the mod. I mean it.
Can I have a baby?
Yes... conditionally. By Victorian standards you had better be married or else face ostracism, and even then you should probably think of what that will mean for the plot. A woman with a baby has to stay at home in this time period, not roam the country with a band of rebels. If you really want one, ask the mod first.
Can I play twins?
Yes... also conditionally. The two need to have separate applications, separate journals, and generally be considered individual characters. Remember, you can't be two people of the same gender in one faction. You might be better off finding someone else to play your twin with you.
How do interactions between people work in this era?
Victorian morality was very strict. People strove to seem proper and moral at all times, or else they may be outcast from society. A person with a bad reputation can't get married, get a job, buy a house, or do anything more privileged people can do. Relationships between men and women were regulated very closely, and an entire code of conduct exists. This isn't to say they always followed it... adultery and affairs are rampant behind closed doors. Men went to burlesques and brothels, women had the milkman. The trick is in knowing how to make it look to everyone else like you're doing nothing at all. See the links below for tips on heterosexual romance.
Same-sex relationships were something else entirely. Friendships were encouraged, and having the right friends was very important. Men often had clubs of other men to rely on, and women saw other women as visitors in their parlors all the time. In this time period the concept of "gay" wasn't necessarily a household idea as it is now, and as such same-sex friends were allowed to get a lot closer without seeming suspicious. Men and women both could hug, hold hands and arms with, and even cheek and peck-kiss their friends. Affectionate pet names and gushing letters were acceptable between best friends. Being too overt, however, could become noticeable. As a general rule, everything having to do with sex or romance must be done behind closed doors.
Remember: Just Don't Get Caught!
What is Boston like?
The most you need to know about Boston is that it is a harbor city known for its quality universities. The Boston Harbor is here of course (the one that got tea dumped in it!) The city itself expanded organically as it grew and was not planned on a grid, and as such the city is quite compact and for its mass is not very large. Poor people tend to live in South Boston ("Southie"), and the rich cluster in the west end in neighborhoods such as the Back Bay and the South End (not to be confused with Southie, which is actually due east of the South End and a different area). The very richest and oldest families called Brahmins, WASP Mayflower immigrants, will tend to have ancestral homes on Beacon Hill, an exclusive area in the north end of Boston due west of the harbor. African-American communities are also in North Boston, north of Beacon Hill. Lots of shopping, amusements, etc. can be found on Washington Street. Upper-class shopping can also be found in the Back Bay or South End. Scollay Square in north-central Boston is the place to go for all your dirty, dirty red light needs such as burlesques, bars, brothels, etc.
There is a large Irish population in Boston at this time, many people looking for work and at one time avoiding the famine. The Irish have their own little districts and are mostly of a particular class, but like any ethnic group have their own exceptions. They are in contrast to the rich English transplants who make up the upper class (though there are also many poor English immigrants as well). In general, the English are conservative where the Irish are liberal. Germans also make up another notable group of people. Boston was heavily abolitionist during the Civil War and in general a good place for African-Americans to settle. Other populations from around the world might find their way in through the harbor, making Boston a diverse place.
After that, seriously don't worry about researching a lot or spending hours on Wikipedia. Street names, business names, anything like that... just make it up. Have fun with it!
Anything else?
If you have any other questions, please see the rules as well. The links below might help you find the information you're looking for. If you can't figure it out, don't be afraid to ask a fellow player and if all else fails, embellish a little! If your question is about something small, like a street in Boston or a business, just make it up. Those things are small beans.
The EVERYTHING Etiquette and Everyday Life Page: http://www.logicmgmt.com/1876/intro.htm -- A nice mix of information. Browse through this one page and you'll be set.
If you don't feel like reading, here are some youtube videos to help you get the flavor of the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X72MwJBSRdg&NR=1 -- A bit of Fry and Laurie, a British comedy show featuring the amazing Stephen Fry who played the author Oscar Wilde in the movie "Wilde". Yes, we love him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbJ0u4CwaY8 -- I really debated on posting this one, but the fact is, the information is good if you have no idea where to start. The narrator's voice however is a snooze and his costume is total goofery. Be warned, this may be the most nauseating 5 minutes of your life but you will learn the basics faster than on wikipedia.