Low Estate/Personalities

Quest Areas

Sister Marianne's Home For Children Of Unknown Or Ill-Fated Parentage

Sister Marianne is a nun, perhaps seventy years old, who has run an orphanage for at least the last thirty of those years. The orphanage takes in around ten children a year and houses and feeds and educates them until they get old enough to go somewhere else (children generally come in ages three to five and leave somewhere between fourteen and sixteen, but there is a fair amount of variance). There are currently around eighty children there, roughly split between boys and girls.

The orphanage is housed in an old manor-house, in an area that ranges between very poor and only moderately poor. It relies in large part on donations to pay for the children's food and clothing, though the children do perform some work, and the guilds pay if a child is placed with them.

Sister Marianne has contacts many places in the city, and her orphans often go into the various guilds, but others end up as servants, entertainers (much to her chagrin), and occasionally even scholars, scientists and magicians.

Nobility

Duchess Joan

Duchess Joan is the current ruler of the city. She owes her position to a series of military victories early in her career, which made her a popular favorite, and her equally-skillful navigation of the political process eventually led her to the dukedom.

Lord Charles du Lieu

Middle-aged and has continued his family's tradition of patronage to the university.

Lord Gabriel Ballegheer

Young and very interested in science, the arts, and magic.

Lady Clare De Wilde

Middle-aged, unmarried, an important political player. As far as rumour is concerned, the main candidate for Boudin's mother, though this is probably because it'd make the most juicy story (she was a much-feted society beauty around the time Boudin was born). It certainly seems likely that he's the offspring of someone in the merchant-prince De Wilde clan, but the family is extensive and there are plenty of equally-plausible alternatives.

Academics

Philippe Nieuwenhove

Head of the university and usually the tutor for the children of the nobility sent to study. Very interested in history, paleontology, and necromancy.

Gertruda Alinckbroodt

Responsible for the very successful fireworks display last summer, and in general the most likely to cause property damage. Supposedly has been in conversations with certain high-ranking military officials, though possibly only in the context of "stop doing that". Interested in breaking things down into their component parts for study; less interested in putting them back again afterwards.

Catherine van Grispere

Professor and researcher into mathematics and optics. Generally disdains magic as too imprecise. Quite a good musician.

Criminals

Culpyn Keilliaert

Head of one of the major criminal organizations in the city; noted for taking every coin he's owed and not a coin more, unless you try to avoid paying, in which case he cuts your hand off. His organization is a family affair -- he has four children and they're all involved (which may cause secession issues, since he's getting on in years).

Engel

Probably mythical and/or deceased; an assassin or a spy or a mercenary, depending on which stories you listen to. Not a lady to get on the bad side of, in any case.

Bloody Maldeghem

Like the nickname suggests, not afraid to get his hands dirty. Head of a small but growing criminal organization.