Reading Selection

So many stories have already been written in years past. To allow potential new players to sample what kind of game Age of Intrigue is we present to you a reading selection of seasons past and present.

Intrigue & Politics

• Thread What One will do for a Window
• Characters: Charles Blount and the Duke of Lauderdale
• Summary: Privy Councillor Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy, has desired that ultimate in status, a window in his office, for the longest time and finally manages to work out a favour with Lord Chancellor Finch. He is to confront the Duke of Lauderdale and ask him to tone down his wenching with the Scottish ladies, at least in cases where the ladies object to the forcefulness of it, to prevent the Whigs taking it up as a cause celebre. The intimidating Duke doesn't like it one bit.

• Thread:Saturdays Are For Scheming
• Characters: Louis Killington, Darlene Hamilton
• Summary: Alliances in court are fickle things and often come about such turns of life you wouldn't have imagined. Darlene and Louis played the courtly game to perfection during a coach ride on a Rainy Saturday that is for scheming, as they showed how two courtiers could move together but still seek their personal gratification.

• Thread:Furious Hooves
• Characters: Heather O'Roarke, Charles Whitehurst, Charles Stuart
• Summary: The Countess Atherstone manages to wring a favour from the King to benefit the poor, while Major Langdon is forced to accept the realities of politics, a maturing experience.

• Thread:Riding to Basildon
• Characters: Louis Killington, Francis Seymour, Elisabeth Killington
• Summary:Louis and Francis ride to Basildon to arrange marriage between the Duke and his sister Lucy, part of his effort to thwart Edward Seymour´s claim to his wife´s inheritance. He also has an issue to discuss with his wife regarding his fidelity during her confinement.

Swashbuckling

• Threads In the Dark a Shadow moves & Rebecca Out in the Middle of Nowhere & Dinner with a Villain Douglas in Pursuit & The Foulest side of the Quay & A Lead to Port & Going Undercover & Awaiting the Call to Action & Auction at the Quayside
• Characters Daniel van Nassau, Rebecca Hale, Douglas FitzJames, Charles Whitehurst, Kane Graas
• Summary More Turks and kidnappers. The Lady Rebecca is kidnapped by Count Ravenna, the adversary of Major Whitehurst of the Life Guard, and wounds Daniel van Nassau-Breda, one of her suitors, in the process. He threatens to sell Rebecca at a Slave Auction, a plot of revenge from the Tunisian Bey who demanded a 1000 white English virgins for his Harem as a compensation for the death of his son. Yet, is that a little romance blossoming between the lady and her kidnapper? Alas, he is slain! To restore the reputation of the lady, the King marries her of to a suitable gentleman. Sadly, Daniel van Nassau Breda by then is back to his father's estate to recover from his injuries. The King refuses his written suit and instead the honour goes to one of her rescuers.

• Thread: The Incident & Chasing through Chelsea
• Characters: Louis Killington, Elisabeth Killington
• Summary: Swashbuckling is not always confined to the gents. Failing in her duties as lady in waiting, Lisa manages to loose Princess Mary to a Turkish kidnapper and calls in her fiancee's help

Art

• Thread: Nightingale's Aria
• Characters: Heather O'Roarke, Mirtel Hardwick
• Mirtel, famed for her signing voice, is chaperoned by the ever virtuous Lady Atherstone when she is asked to perform in secret for a mystery guest, who turns out to be nothing less than a Spanish Prince.

Comedy

• Thread:The Peacock Adventure
• Characters:Kane Graas, Darlene Hamilton, Charles Blount
• Summary: Kane and Darlene set off to steal peacocks

• Thread: Catching the Scent
• Characters: Charles Blount, Owen Langland
• Summary: Amidst serious discussions Lord Mountjoy deals with his peacocks

• Thread:Paying her Dues & Swansong
• Characters: Isabeau Everhart, Charles Sackville
• Summary: Lord Middlesex forever pursues the court beauty Isabeau and she escapes him time and time again. In the first thread Middlesex entices her to a Roman party that ends with the infamous foot post, while in the second he is the researcher M.Poster.

Witty

• Thread: Poetry in Motion
• Characters: Alexandra Rosewyck, Rochester
• Summary: A handsome man who can sent Poetry in Motion is more dangerous than one might expect. Alexandra is learning that first hand as she falls for the charm of the silvertongued Rochester.

• Threads:Godiva rides, times three & The Challenge of the Godiva's
• Characters: Gwendolyn Llywelyn, Heather O'Roarke, Isabeau Everhart
• Summary: In a drunken moment at one of the literary circles of Lady Atherstone, three ladies decide to accept the dare that the Duke of Buckingham has set out to the libertine circle. They ride their horses naked through the Privy Garden. Matrons of proper society intercept them and outraged demand action by the amused King who had been secretly invited to the spectacle. The ladies defend themselves that such pranks are part of a new movement within the libertines, and that there is more than just lewdness that they are capable of. The King challenges them to duel three wits of the Merry Gang and perform a play, a satire and a poem. Through much plotting and despite several set backs the ladies manage to do so at the Theatre Royal, where a picture of the previous event is revealed. The Godiva's are declared the winners and the King grants them access to the activities of the Merry Gang.

Romance and more

• Threads The Hunt, Lavish Dinner, The King and I, Letter to the King, A moment of her time, The Grand Royal Tour of Chelsea,Godiva Rides...Times Three, Royal Steeds at the Royal Mews, Chasing a King, Chasing a King, part II, Late in the evening when the gloaming comes down Awaiting a King, Poetry at a different pond
• Characters: Charles Stuart, Heather O'Roarke, Douglas FitzJames
• Summary: Heather's been pursuing the King and becomes his secret mistress. Ambition fulfilled, but why then does she fall into the arms of the King's Life Guard?

• Thread: Practicing on a Different Court & Tea for Three &When in London do as Dukes do & Call on the Fallen & Courting on a Court at Court & Supper at Seymour
• Character: Louis Killington, Elisabeth Killington
• Summary: Louis meets 'Robert Seymour' and discovers his hidden identity. It seems an innocent amusement but in the third thread the Duke of Somerset dies dramatically. He charges Louis to take care of his sister. Louis helps the family find a marriage candidate, but finds he'd rather be the candidate himself.

• Thread Scottish Tistle & Stripes & The Kafir & the Moor
• Characters: Abdul Basir Mustafa,Catriona MacGregor, Adam MacGregor, Nigel Harrington
• Summary: Abdul and Catriona consume their passion at Hawthorne's mask, as the first discovers the true depth of his heart but the ladies heart is already won. In the second thread Abdul, who has been thrown into prison because he stalked Cat for her own protection and proceeded to insult the King, discovers the true love of Cat. In despair he abuses the young innocent Catherine. Lord Blackheath marries Catherine to save her reputation and challenges Abdul to a duel in the snow.