EVALUACIÓN DE CVRS DEL TOBILLO

The Montaigne control several islands and pieces of land outside their own country. A few are described below:

L’Il du Bête — The Island of the Beast

Very little illustrates the self-indulgent aspects of Montaigne’s nobility as neatly as L’Il du Bête — a small, secluded island hidden on the far western edge of the Frothing Sea. Dotted by Syrneth ruins, it has become a playground for the noblesse elite, who indulge in Théah’s most dangerous pastime. Monsters of terrifying ferocity are sent here through portals by Porté sorcerers, a process which drives them mad. The beasts are then hunted by bored nobles. It requires movement in the right circles and a staggering amount of money to acquire an invitation. In order to gain access, one must first contact the Master of the Hunt, Martin de Huet. Assuming the hunter’s credentials

are adequate, he is sailed to the island and lodged at one of six Syrneth buildings which have been converted into manor houses. By day, he stalks the jungles in search of prey; by night, he is fed sumptuous meals and entertained by a variety of performers. The Syrneth wards around the buildings keep everyone safe from the beasts outside. Hunters may bring their own weapons, or choose from an extensive on-site arsenal. Each hunter is permitted one kill per trip, and taxidermists are available to stuff and mount any trophies. Most hunters find a single kill more than enough, as the monsters here are quite fearsome and one in three hunters never leaves the island alive.

For more information on L’Il du Bête and Martin de Huet, consult the 7th Sea adventure module Scoundrel’s Folly.

Prison Islands

Montaigne has an increasing problem with criminals and political dissidents. It has been forced to seek new places to incarcerate them, which has led to the founding of the prison islands. The location of these prisons is always kept secret, but news of them often trickles out after a few visits from supply ships, since the prisons must often be supplied with food from outside and sailors love to gossip. Occasionally, daring escapes have been made, but only those prisoners with outside aid have succeeded.

Occupied Castille

In those parts of Castille that the Montaigne have captured, things seem peaceful enough on the surface. At first, the Dons were vocal about their grievances, but after the Montaigne shot one in his own city square, the Castillians turned to a campaign of passive resistance. They hide what supplies they can, attempting to smuggle them across to the unoccupied parts of their country. They have performed incredible feats of valor simply to keep a keg of good wine out of the hands of their Montaigne conquerors, and will keep up this quiet fight until their home is theirs once again. For more information on occupied Castille, please see the forthcoming Castille sourcebook.

The Montaigne have one of the most advanced cultures in all of Théah. Their art is admired far and wide, and artists flock to the country seeking wealthy patrons to provide for them. This has given Montaigne a very cosmopolitan perspective (at least in the major cities), and Théans of all nationalities can be encountered there.

Art

The centerpiece of Montaigne culture is its extravagant and beautiful art. Art receives great importance in their society, and successful artists are honored and generously paid. This royal treatment causes artists to flock here from all over Théah.

Painting

Painting is the most honored, and most unstable, of the arts. Trends come and go within a few months. Artists who were dining with the Empereur one month find themselves without a patron the next. This year, the popular style has moved from bright, cheerful paintings to more dark, somber pieces, such as Basil Margonne’s tragic portraits of the peasants’ personal lives. His piece Le Souper des Paysans

is considered one of the great cultural treasures of Montaigne, and has been hung in the old palace of the king. Unfortunately, Basil’s original intent (to call attention to the peasants’ plight) has been largely unaccomplished.

Sculpting

Sculpting is the least developed art in Montaigne. Typically, Vodacce masters produce the most important pieces. However, being overlooked has its advantages. The Montaigne have very traditional tastes when it comes to sculpture. They like smooth lines, graceful beauty, and classic features. Sculptors are often called in to create frontispieces for important buildings, to carve statues in the beautiful gardens of the nobility, and to sculpt busts of particularly powerful nobles.

The most recent master to arrive in Montaigne was Pascal Vestanzi. He sculpted a magnificent statue of the Empereur, and had finished work on a statue of the Imperatrice when he disappeared. The Empereur says that he was called back home by an emergency, but the peasants whisper that the Empereur was jealous of the Imperatrice’s statue and killed its poor creator.

Music

The music of Montaigne is undergoing a transformation, thanks to a young Eisen composer named Wolffrond Guy von Hazel. His recent performances have spurred an entire new school of thought within the Montaigne music society. Rather than restrict himself to soft, refined music, Wolffrond’s selections are loud, patriotic, and tell a story through the melody, with various instruments playing the parts of the characters in the story. His performances have spawned a horde of imitators, all striving to create the most powerful, nationalistic music possible. However, a small group of composers refuse to partake in this new style of music, calling it “Eisen tripe, not fit for the refined palates of the Montaigne people.” The careers of these men have suffered because they hold out against the trend, but they feel the sacrifice will be worth it if it preserves traditional Montaigne music in the face of the Eisen invader.

Literature

Currently, there are two types of literary works in demand in Montaigne: the historical novel and the philosophical essay.

7th Sea

Montaigne

The historical novel is a movement that started six years ago with a collection of short historical stories entitled

Nouvelles Montaigne, written by Lucien Sices. Novels of this

sort are typically short (about 400 pages), and take place in the arena of a princely court. Intrigues and secret negotiations are staples of the genre, and authors typically use actual correspondence from the historical period they have chosen to write about.

The other fashionable literary form — the philosophical essay — has been largely started by the Freethought Society, a branch of the Rilasciare. Often published anonymously, these booklets challenge many of the traditions of the Montaigne. The value of the noble class is questioned; the right of the Empereur to rule is questioned — even the right to own property has been decried by these booklets. Of course, no one is sure which of them were actually published by the Rilasciare, but it amuses the Montaigne to keep guessing.

Theater

Montaigne traditionally enjoy rowdy comedies and romantic tragedies. The unchallenged master of the farce was Louis Gaulle dul Motte, author of the acclaimed Don Avila. It was his portrayal of the famous Castillian as both a

devoutly religious man and a debauched hypocrite that gained the Empereur’s favor for him. Unfortunately, Montaigne’s theater, like their music, is currently suffering a foreign invasion. The bawdy Montaigne comedies and tragic love stories are being overshadowed by plays imported from Avalon, particularly those written by the Avalon playwright Montgomery Peerson. This has not gone uncontested, however. Six Montaigne playwrights, led by Louis Gaulle dul Motte, who have fallen out of favor have formed a small society called La Plume Sanglante. Their

society is angry with Peerson not only because he has lost them their positions, but also because they see him as the end of Montaigne theater. Their feelings are so strong that they are plotting to kill him when he visits the Empereur in four months to present his new play, The Maelstrom.