Is your character known (discreetly!) for being the person to go to for their specific expertise/connections?
List them in a comment below, along with their purported specialty (no more than 3, please) and their class (so you can determine whether your player would be in their social circle or not).
Note: This is NOT required.
This is a resource for players to recommend other players to those who might not be on the forums but are searching for additional connections and/or plot.
Your character can be an actual expert in this or they can be rumored to be an expert in this but not actually be- the whole idea is furthering connections based on perception.
Note 2: This is about what your character knows/does, more than who your character is. Please focus on skills and expertise (rumored or true), rather than personality.
Example of how this would work:
Player A is known amid their social circle for having an excellent eye for racehorses.
Player B is in Player A's social circle, and engages communications with Players C, D, and E.
Player B learns (via the newsletter, direct correspondence, or rumors from other players) that Player D intends to buy a racehorse.
Player B can include in their next correspondence to Player D that they've heard Player A has an uncanny ability to identify top-tier racehorses, and perhaps Player D should contact them?
Player D now has the name of Player A and can write to them on the pretext of buying a racehorse (and in doing so, they can all enjoy some plot developments).
Looking to deepen your character's connections with others, forming drama worthy of writing about? You should also check out @Duke James Richmond (Greg)'s Character Tie BINGO: https://www.romancingjan.com/forum/gaming-forum/6820f0ba
(will update with additions)
Running List of "Experts"
Name: @Sophrona Ramsbury
Known for: Finding unusual new dishes/foods and sending them to others (generally heavily spiced foods)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Earl Nicholas Howard
Known for: Animal expertise and collection (both domestic and exotic)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Eleanor Savery (Hilary)
Known for: Matchmaking (romantic and otherwise)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Duke James Richmond (Greg)
Known for: Horse breeding, ethical art/antiques curation, throwing excellent parties & hunts
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lady Violet Heloise Blankeney-Coventry (Elizabeth)
Known for: Fashion advice, reading recommendations (especially in French), connecting together new debutantes for collaboration & commiseration
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lady/Marquess Emmeline Petty-Fitzmaurice (Robin)
Known for: Collecting art/antiques/books, international travel experiences, business sense (being an investor, connecting business partners, etc.)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lord Ambrose Etienne Galois (Ezekiel)
Known for: Having a keen eye for fashion, being the owner and of La Couronne upon Saville Street (tailor shop), having a keen knowledge of wine (especially palm wines)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lady Theodosia Graves (She/Her Rachael)
Known for: Discreet pubs in which to play at being merchant-class, discerning taste in brandy, horse training
Class: Nobility
Name: @H. Ada Everley Whitman (Carly)
Known for: Fashion trend expertise, being a patron of the arts, and being in the know about the next big arts trend/performance
Class: Nobility
Name: @Duchess Eudora St. Clair
Known for: Botany/gardening, especially exotic flora and discreet pubs/parties in which to play at being merchant-class
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lady Kaeitha Vale {Allison}
Known for: Gambling expertise, skill with a sword, and taste in fashion
Class: Nobility
Name: @Tara M. Clapper (Lady Catherine Stuart)
Known for: Excellent singing voice, being devoutly Catholic, being keen about politics
Class: Nobility
Name: @Primrose Hazelton
Known for: Breeding and training exceptional hunting dogs
Class; Nobility
Name: @(Rachel) Hazel Wynnewood
Known for: Theatrical knowledge, musical talent, and their social machinations
Class: Nouveau Riche
Name: @Lady Olivia Curtis (Helen)
Known for: Fossil hunting, local geography, and livestock husbandry
Class: Nobility
Name: @Abraham Griffen (Steve he/him)
Known for: Exceptional skill at sailing, good with navigation, and good at combat (personal and nautical)
Class: Nobility
Name: @Lady Yvette Bellamy (Kitty)
Known for: Natural philosophy, knowledge of folklore and the occult, herbal remedies and knowledge
Class: Nobility
Name: @Bishop William Lincoln (Dan)
Know for: Knowledge of Biblical precedent for a variety of possible actions, being a discreet personal confessor, having an eye for jewelry and art appraisal
Class: Clergy
Name: @Octavia Thistledown (Tavvi) / (JL)
Known for: Botany/medicinal potions, hosting lively salons, and giving advice/assistance to young persons.
Class: N/A
Name: @Lady Charlotte Merriweather (Merry)
Known for: Expertise with firearms and an in-depth knowledge of sea shanties and other nautical songs
Class: Nobility
Name: Lady Charlotte Merriweather
Known for: Expertise with firearms, in-depth knowledge of sea Chanteys and other nautical songs
Class: Nobility
Name: Octavia Iara Thistledown (Tavvi)
Known for: Advice and personal assistance for young folk, including employment, lodging, and starting a business.
Known for: Her knowledge of botany and medicinal potions. Her apothecary carries quite a number of unusual items for ailments of the body, and a few to ease the spirits.
Known for: Lively salons; at present in abeyance, but a written version may be in the offing.
Class: She is not British, but moves freely among all classes and is welcomed in the finest drawing rooms.
Name: Bishop William Lincoln
Known for:
An encyclopedic knowledge of biblical precedent and the ability to apply said precedent to justify or condemn actions as suits his purpose
Personal Confessor
Jewelry and Art Appraisal
Connoisseur of Wine and Brandy
Class: Clergy
Name: Yvette Bellamy
Known for: some portion of natural philosophy (she can conduct an autopsy, draw out parts and uses of various flora and fauna), occult knowledge (the exact degree and knowledge is likely fuel for rumors), folklore (of France, Britain, and various other reaches of the world), herbcraft
Class: Nobility (minor after her family's fall from grace in France)
Name: Abraham Griffen
Known for:
-Exceptional skill in sailing and navigation. He guarantees that the contracted cargo will arrive safely and on time in spite of human or natural interference.
-Highly skilled in ship to ship and personal combat. Former Royal Navy, Captain of the highly successful frigate, HMS Naiad. Expert in sword, hand to hand, pistol.
-Generosity - has detailed knowledge of villages on family lands and takes good care of the land and the people. Is willing to help anyone regardless of station If it is within his ability to do so.
-Compassion - will befriend people sitting by themselves at an affair. Has a soft spot in his heart for the less fortunate, the needy, the oppressed, the downtrodden, and is always looking for ways to help, both large and small.
Class: Nobility
Name: Olivia Curtis
Known for: fossil hunting, local geology, livestock husbandry, and crop management. She stays on very friendly terms with the tenant farmers and has a deeper-than-average understanding of things like farm livestock and crop rotation.
Class: Nobility
Lady Primrose Hazelton
Known for: Breeding and training exceptional hunting dogs.
Class: Nobility
Name: @(Rachel) Hazel Wynnewood
Known for: Theatre, Music, Social Machinations,
Class: Nouveau Riche
Name: Lady Catherine Marie Stuart
Known for: Parlor singing and being a romanticized novelty as a Stuart (overt); devout Catholicism (covert, but totally guessable considering lineage); political ambition (covert)
Class: Nobility
Known for: Game, Wager and Gambling Expertise;
Esteemed Taste in Fashion;
and Swordcraft.
Class: Nobility
Name: Eudora St. Clair Duchess of Devon
Known for: St. Clair estates in both Leeds & Devon are well known for their gardens & botany. Each year we change which flowers are showcased- including a hedge maze that changes. Eudora has taken a love to exotic flowers or finding ways to push the boundary each year, so she has become her own expert in it. Eudora is always known for her behaviors in finding underground parties, or places to go drinking/brothels that you wont run into people at.
Class: Nobility
Areas of expertise: Fashion especially fashion forward, court fashion and who are the best and most discreet tailors and sewists in Europe. Keeping a Secret, need help and the highest discretion? Ada is a Swiss Bank of people who needs an ear, a loan, a discreet liaison. The Arts, as a patroness of the arts and hostess of private salons that are the talk of scandal in public but are a desired invite in private, Ada knows who is up and coming, who is producing the next big thing and where your attendance and patronage (or lack there of) would have he biggest impact. Class: Nobility (not the first born)
Name: Lady Theodosia Graves
Known for:
-Knowing the best little pubs where someone of Nobility might not be recognized.
-Usually having brandy on hand at most events.
-Talent with horses and training horses (especially for racing, but also rehabilitation, care after retirement, etc).
Class: Nobility
Name: Lord Ambrose Etienne Galois or Monsieur Ambrose if you just want to talk tailoring
Known for:
Professional tailoring advice and a keen eye for fashion trends,
Extremely knowledgeable about fabrics and forever has recommendations (notably silks and fine linen through family business, though because is a tailor he's excellent with wools as well.)
Wine recommendations(notably palm wines as this is what he trades through family business)
Somehow always being in the "know" despite only living in England for 3 years (he's a gossip, a dandy, and loves to chat with just about anyone)
A graduate of Sankore University (is an avid reader)
Also: His shop is called La Couronne upon Saville Street should you want to address mail "to" the shop
Class: Nobility (He works as a tailor very much by choice though)
Name: Emmeline Petty-Fitzmaurice
Known For: Carrying on the traditions of her family, she continues to...
Add to a generations-long collection of art, antiquities and books.
1st to establish a book lending library from private London collection
Diverse offerings including nonfiction, novels, poetry, philosophy, foreign (including translated French and German novels from Heloise Blake and untranslated books of all kinds from each of the continents)
Father’s multi-room sculpture display at Bowood is famous.
Travel for business/investments, returning with a deeper appreciation of the world, compelling items (furniture, rugs, art, cultural pieces) and occasionally creatures. (All on the up-and-up!)
Invest in others’ businesses and make intros/create biz partnerships
One of her least lucrative investments happens to be her favorite: a bakery her father commissioned when she was young (See also: Emmeline named and introduced the “cupcake” to England)
Dabble in rare Irish crochet lace
Class: Nobility, but not exclusionary/snobby
(It's really 4 things, but I'm not known for writing concisely so... details.)
Name: Violet Blankeney-Coventry
Known for: Fashion advice (non-professional), recommendations of novels, especially French, runs an informal society for fellow debutantes in their first season to commiserate about our frustrating current experience, talented amateur pianist and open to exchanges of sheet music
Class: Nobility (but willing to talk with anyone and everyone)
Name: @Duke James Richmond (Greg)
Known for:
• Breeding some of the finest horses in Western Europe
• Ethically collecting art and antiques from around the world
• Throwing gorgeous balls and hosting thrilling house parties and hunts.
Class: Nobility
Name: @Eleanor Savery (Hilary)
Known for: Matchmaking, whether that be romantic or connecting new best friends
Class: Nobility (but from her interests, she enjoys connecting with everyone)
Name: Nicholas Howard
Known for: Menagerie; keeping of exotic pets, and also unusual collections related to them (such as weird hoax taxidermy, probably more "normal" things like pinned butterflies, etc.). Also more "typical" or practical animals such as horses (particularly Welsh cobs), geese, dogs (mostly shepherds, but also hounds), and carrier pigeons.
Class: Nobility
Personal Connections Thread: https://www.romancingjan.com/forum/gaming-forum/earl-nicholas-howard-connections
sorry that's a bit wordy, but I figured "animals" would be far too vague lol.