In addition to action in Paris and at the Frontier, characters may involve themselves with the Provinces of France. There are six provinces, plus the Île de France. Characters may undertake actions and gain estates in all Provinces, and Lt.Generals may apply for the appointment of Royal Governor in all of them.
Characters in Paris count as being in the Île de France.
18.1 Travelling to the Provinces
Before a character can perform any action in the provinces, he or she must get there. Travelling between Paris and a province or between one province and another takes one week, so it takes two weeks to travel between Paris and Languedoc or Provence, and one week to travel between Paris and the other provinces.
This has a bearing on campaigns of course. In order to enjoy a battle result a soldier must be in a province for the last two weeks of the first month of a campaign season (the first one or two weeks being spent travelling there); the whole of the second month of a campaign season; and / or the first two weeks of the third month of a campaign season (the final one or two weeks being spent returning to Paris).
Characters must state how much of their cash they are taking with them as Travelling is a hazardous occupation and the character must have at least one horse or a carriage. A carriage is mandatory if a lady or accompanied by one's lady. There is a small chance (3 or less on 2d6) that a character will be attacked by brigands or highwaymen and relieved of 10 to 60% of his total funds, to a maximum of 1.000 Livres. This chance drops by 1 if there are at least three male characters (and/or coachmen, grooms or footmen) travelling in the party. Characters travelling with military units heading to or from the Province or with the Royal Court are immune from robbed in transit.
18.2 Les Vacances
During summer, there is a 1 in 6 chance each month that each NPC Paramour having a country residence (or having a family which has one) will take a holiday in the provinces. If s/he has a lover, he will be invited. Unaccompanied paramours will allow a PC to accompany them on 4+ (must be listed as a conditional premonthly order by the would-be guest). Anyone accompanying the paramour receives +1 on all attempts at courtinging that month.
18.3 Actions in the Provinces
- Visit Family
- Visit Mistress’ / Beau's Family
- Hunt - Providing they have a rich estate or better in the Province or are the guest of someone who does. (Attending a Hunt costs the same as carousing (paid for by the host who gets 2SPs for hosting it) and gains each guest 1 SP. Hunters may toady to the host/be toadied to if the host. No MID is bestowed for delivering the kill (unless the King is in attendence to see it).
- Buy an Estate
- Host/Attend a party at an estate in the province.
- Attend Church
- Deliver a Sermon (if a Priest)
- Secretly recruit Provincial Ferrets if a Ferret (a no-time action which can be performed alongside any of the above)
- Secretly spread cash around to foment dissent (a no-time action which can be performed alongside any of the above)
Additionally, characters may indulge in any action that they can perform in Paris except:
- Visit Clubs (there aren’t any!)
- Gamble
- Practise weapons, unless it is done with another character (or Court is being held in province).
- Join regiments / buy ranks (unless the regiment is in the province).
- Visit Court (unless Court is being held in the province)
- Invest in anything other than shares in ventures based in the province (ie no Arms, Commerce or Finance Investments)
- Buy or sell coaches
- Study at an Academy
- Take out loans from the Shylocks (who are based in Paris)
Characters may freely interact with other characters in the same province on a week by week basis.
Balls held in the provinces are called Fêtes.
18.4 Social Levels and SPs
Characters in the Provinces can gain and lose social levels as usual. If a character spends a whole month in the provinces and does not gain a social level, however, half the status points earned for weekly actions (plus Conspicuous Consumption) rounded down are held over and bestowed in the month he or she returns to Paris with tales of their exploits.
Characters in the Provinces for a whole month still require Companionship - fulfilled if accompanied by a wife/husband or paramour. Otherwise there are numerous country girls who will avail themselves to gentlemen travelling without their mistresses at a cost commensurate with the bawdyhouses of Paris. Characters cannot carouse in the Provinces’ bawdyhouses.
It is advisable, but not mandatory, for characters courting a paramour they intend to marry to jointly visit both their partner's family and their own prior to a proposal being made. Each visit made increases the chances of a successful proposal by 1. Male PCs who do marry will have to visit their wives' families some time after the wedding in order to pick up the dowry.