Revision [27302]
This is an old revision of NewOrleansGameScaffold made by KateMagner on 2013-01-22 10:51:06.
Game Specifications
- Set in New Orleans
- All PCs were at the same orphanage - TheStJamesOrphanage The St. James Orphanage
- Arrive at the orphanage by 1865
- The orphanage will accept children until they’re around 16
- Game will start in 1880s, so PCs need to develop prelude up to that point
- If away from orphanage, write letters, or provide some other type of updates to keep the group knit together.
- No meta power required - Batman will be totally competent in this game - but everyone MUST be a carrier. Any major handicaps must be acquired during life, rather than congenital.
- No requirements for awakening timing.
- Orphanage life was tough. Orphans are neglected, beaten when they misbehave, and spend their days in work houses.
To do:
- (Each PC) Provide:
- Date and age when you arrive at orphanage
- Other minimal character facts (name, e.g.)
- (Kel) organize the characters into a minimal timeline, and set up shell events to get the role playing started. NOTimelineOrphanage Orphanage Timeline
French Quarter Overview based on a 1870's map
French Quarter Detail <#kate: I put in the hotel and orphanage arbitrarily here (it seemed a good spot in relation to the church and market), but I'm totally open to altering the position. The other details are historical landmarks that were there at the time (or before then). I'm hoping to add more but if anyone knows of something else to add, let me know. I'm happy to either share the file or get it into Google in a more editable format (but don't really feel like spending the time figure that out at the moment so a picture you have now =P) #>
St. James Hotel Front Facade Drawing
St. James Orphanage Front Facade Drawing
Hotel and Orphanage Site Layout
Orphanage Interior
Hotel Second Floor
Hotel Third Floor
Hotel Fourth Floor
PCs to choose their beds in order of arrival - with NPCs likewise choosing as appropriate.
| Left Side | Right Side |
|---|---|
| Stairs | Bed 1 - Jefferson |
| Bed 2 - Erin | Bed 3 - Minnie |
| Bed 4 - Shawn | Bed 5 - Name? |
| WBed 6 - Callahan | Bed 7 - Name? |
| WBed 8 - Nicolas | Bed 9 - Ollie |
| Bed 10 - Celeste | Bed 11 - Jeanne |
| Bed 12 - Deco | Bed 13 - Valerie |
- Kate
Orphans and Orphanages
Orphanages
Louisiana Online Historical Newspapers
SiblingsPossibilities
NOAnswered Answered discussion questions and other details removed from the Scaffold page
Contemporary picture of a similar hotel
Hotel bedroom
Hotel bedroom
Parlor room
Sitting room
Dining room
Please go to NONpcs NPC's Page to see a list of the NPCs and links to their individual pages with descriptions.
Notes etc below:
Kelly's random thoughts (These are mutable but might give people some things to incorporate) :
1) I think the orphanage is run as a business...my gut is that its attached or nearby a factory / hotel thing and the orphanage provides for the children but they are expected to work at the business "getting real world training to make them productive members of society." (In other words free labor in exchange for room and board).
2) I think the business was heavily involved in the civil war, but with it over, has seen better times. (example if it was a hotel it housed soldiers, if it was a factory it made munitions, etc.)
3) I think the business is run by the male half of a couple, while the female half runs the orphanage. (I can also see the whole family being involved...oldest daughter cooking the kids food, oldest son working as the foreman at the business).
4) I think the orphanage has a tall tower or spire that the kids can climb up and look out over the city.
I'll add more as my brain churns, others can feel free to add as well.
<#kate: The St. Louis Cathedral was the big one around and I figure we go there (?). How do the kids take to the church? I think Ella likes to the organ music (I doubt there's kick ass Gospel) and can give a rats about the actual faith stuff. Just something to consider if not answer given privacy / figuring things out. #>
sounds good to me
<#ann: I'm down with that. Celeste is Catholic, so she'll fit right in.#>
<#bill: Cole is religion curious...but he's a kid so he does get bored. When he's very young, he like the part of the bible that are interesting stories (like the Flood). When he's older he becomes more intellectual about it...but true faith never really takes hold. #>
<#court: Jeanne and Ollie were raised Catholic, so regardless of any personal opinions, they will be used to the ritual (though this will be much bigger/grander/more crowded than what they're accustomed to. #>
<#jonah: Ollie isn't a big fan of church, as his mom makes him hush and sit down and stop moving, all things which are very difficult for the boy to do. He's too young, I think, to understand what it actually means. #>
Note they go to church until they leave, so I think Ollie would eventually be old enough.
<#kate: Are there any celebrations (this is something I remember doing in the BC game) like birthdays? I can't imagine many of the children know exactly when theirs are, but maybe we do a song and dance for the Blacks on Rose's birthday or something for Louis. Just a thought on something to maybe add to the timeline. #>
<#bill: I will note that Cole definitely knows his exact birth date. In fact, it is an occasion he marks/celebrates each year - either publicly or privately depending on how it's handled in the orphanage/orphanage culture regarding birthdays. #>
<#ann: Celeste knows her birthday too.#>
<#kate: Cool. Perhaps for the folks with birthdays, we can have little "events" like we did in BC. I imagine that it's something everyone can look forward to and there seem few and far between. #>
Louis would most certainly bake people a cake (small) on their birthdays.
<#court: Jeanne and Ollie celebrated birthdays in their family. We are trying to figure out if we would know the dates, as such, or just know the time of year our family celebrated them. #><#jonah: Yeah... who knows what's historically appropriate? #>
<#ann: Not us, obviously! But wikipedia says that the Happy Birthday song was first written down at the turn of century, and that there are references to birthday candles in the early 19th century, and off the top of my head, I know there is a birthday party scene in A Little Princess, first serialized in 1888 (which I didn't know off the top of my head, I'm not that good). Brief (less than ten minutes) of googling suggests that while the day would be acknowledged and a rich child would get presents, poorer children might not expect receive gifts, or would be delighted with an orange or stick of candy or something. Louis's cake might be the highlight of the day.#>
<#kate: Just to add to the birthday discussion: Reference Article on Birthdays. #>
<#kate: Another thing to think about - New Orleans has lots of storms, including the following that really happened: New Orleans Storms 1865-1879. I'm not sure how historically accurate we need to be, but I thought I would bring it up before adding anything to the timeline. #>
Something that comes up later. Mr. Black gives each child a gift when they leave the orphanage. We are not there yet but it will be something that comes up eventually.
<#kate: A few new questions: #>
<#kate: This one's pretty much for the girls but if the boys have ideas please comment! Do any of the girls deal with hair particularly well? ie: Braid, have it as a focus of their appearance, note the new styles etc. I'm thinking that might be Minnie, but wasn't sure. It's definitely not Ella for a while. #>
<#court: Definitely not Jeanne either, at least not at this point. #>
<#kate: Is there a point where the place gets divided between boys and girls? I figure that'd be an event on the timeline but am not sure where it would get to the point the Blacks or Lizzy feel like they need to take action. Maybe mid 1870's (1874-5?). #>
<#bill: An answer to Kate and then a question of my own: Kate, regarding the separation issue...I'm not sure if you're asking if there's a separation or just trying to nail down the date. I recall a discussion on the Cape. I believe the final decision, down from on high, was that the Blacks simply don't have more space so they all continue in the same room. There was a possibility of putting up curtains within the bedroom, but I think the thing that came back to was "Does any one complain?" I'm not sure that issue was settled.#>
<#court: I could see the girls - at least some - starting to feel awkward in a few years... maybe we could have an event where we get together and discuss it and see where it goes? #>
<#kate: To answer Bill: I meant to nail down the date for the curtain to go up to separate the kids in the same room, girls on one side, boys on the other. I agree that it wasn't settled in the Cape so I'm trying to do so here. I could see this coming up a few ways:
1. Court's idea could definitely work especially if the boys are anything like my brothers who did - no wait they still do - like to make boobie and butt jokes. Maybe then it's the girls who put up the curtain?
2. Maybe be the Blacks/French/Lizzie (an adult) catches people snogging or gawking at/with a guest and start to worry about the pitter patter of more little orphans.
3. As good Christian folk the Blacks might be concerned about the virtue of the girls under their care or perhaps want to separate the boys from icky girlness depending on their perspective and put up the curtain under their own accord.
4. We could just skip it and not move people around, although imo it seems kind of unrealistic that a Christian family's going to let a bunch of young adults be shacked up in the same place regardless of how brotherly/sisterly they were as kids.#>
<#kate: Ella is most likely going to write letters to folks post leaving the orphanage. I know this is way ahead of where we are (Kate never does that) but if she knows of a good address / location she can reach you at during her travels you'll get mail =).#>
<#court: I will have one... have thoughts on where it will be, but not nailed down yet. And likewise - Jeanne will send mail (probably newspaper clippings and other things more than personal letters, we'll see) if you have a location to send them! #>
<#bill: My own question: This one is really for Kel. As I recall, there as a statement early on that everyone got a beating on there first day from Mr. Black just to let them know how it was going to be. That actually wasn't reflected in any of the arrival events. Does that still happen? Is it something we forgot? Or something, perhaps, he does in private so there aren't any group events about that? #>
<#jonah: That was Mr. French, and that detail is listed on his page, MartinFrench here. The question of whether this statement is still true holds. I could take it or leave it, personally. It seems somewhat inhumane. #>
<#kate: I agree with Jonah that the beatings just for beating's sake seems inhumane.#>
NeedsAnn
NeedsJonah
NeedsKelly
NeedsCourt
