Revision [27541]

This is an old revision of NewOrleansGameScaffold made by AnnCarpenter on 2013-01-31 17:43:44.

 

This is a page which will serve as a scaffolding for building up the 1880s game.

Game Specifications
To do:
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

PCs to choose their beds in order of arrival - with NPCs likewise choosing as appropriate.

Left SideRight Side
StairsBed 1 - Jefferson
Bed 2 - ErinBed 3 - Minnie
Bed 4 - ShawnBed 5 - Name?
WBed 6 - CallahanBed 7 - Name?
WBed 8 - NicolasBed 9 - Ollie
Bed 10 - CelesteBed 11 - Jeanne
Bed 12 - DecoBed 13 - Valerie


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. #>
<#ann: I'm not sure. Honestly I hadn't given much thought to Celeste's hair. Biracial hair can go so many different ways. I'm going to go for super-curly/frizzy. At least as a child it's going to depend a lot on the adults. Does someone do their hair, or are they left to their own? If they're left to their own, I think Celeste's hair is a wild frizz for a year or two because she's never done it on her own before. #>
<#kate: Awesome, three terrible hairdo's it is =). Like I mentioned earlier, maybe this is something Minnie can bring to the party? Give her her own point of authority to help her bond with folks since we all seem to be troublemakers instead. #>

<#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.#>

<#ann: I'd like to have the girls take the initiative because I think it would make for some really interesting roleplaying. I think the Blacks are oblivious to the fact that their "children" are growing up. #>
<#kate: I'm cool with the girls doing it and I agree that especially Mrs. Black probably won't see these kids "growing up". Not sure what might precipitate the event though...? Will mull.#>

<#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! #>
<#ann: Me too! I don't think I'll be leaving New Orleans. Is anyone else staying around? It would be weird to write letter when we could just get together for tea (or board together?) so if more people are sticking around we might want to think of other ways to communicate, or just send letters and pretend it was a conversation over dinner. #>
<#kate: Although Ella goes venturing, she does end up in New Orleans from time to time so she might be able to hook up with people when she's in town for dinner / tea etc. #>

<#bill: Cole will likely be writing letters in the military. I don't know exactly who he writes to...I'm sure there will be at least one person - especially if they in one place settled. I doubt he's writing 4 or 5 letters. If, as Kate suggests as a possiblity, some people are living close to each other he'd write a letter everyone near by - but obviously he has to get sent to one address. Also, I haven't researched it, but I think that he'd be able to receive letters. Even though he might be moving around with the military, I think he'd either be giving a heads up in his letters where he is/where he's headed to, or you could probably send them to one military address that then forwards them on to him. I think....librarians correct me... #>

<#kate: I think the military could get letters to Cole. You'd send it to General Cole at Fort whatever and they'd get the mail to you. They got them to soldiers in POW camps during the Civil War so I can't imagine they couldn't do it for active folk.#>

<#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.#>
<#ann: It seems to me that we've been sort of evolving the orphanage from one of misery and torment to one where we are generally happy. Life isn't perfect, and we are certainly deriving most of our comfort and sense of community from one another rather than from caring and sympathetic adults, but at the same time we're fed, warm, and dry. We work hard, but this is an era when that was not uncommon for children. I don't have a problem with the orphanage being a place where they are very strict, where every disobedience is promptly and sometimes violently dealt with, and there are occasional bouts of unfairness (what kid's life doesnt' include injustice?) but where there isn't any actual child abuse. #>

<#bill: Sorry, I meant Mr. French. I'm okay with it one way or the other. Since it was Kel's thought initially, I didn't know how important it was to him as god to keep or not. Like I said, it wasn't reflected in the events we've gone over. Not that I don't think it's really messed up to do/abusive - cause I do - I will say that I don't necessarily think if it stays in that there's a pervasive atmosphere of abuse/sadness in the orphanage. I think that's particularly true of you're judging by the standards of the time and not modern day.

It does give me an idea for an event: (that could be bonding for Cole and Celeste). What do people think about the idea of leaving it in until Cole arrives. French beats Cole but Cole kind of freaks out about it and causes a huge disturbance (struggling to get away, "it's not fair! it's not fair! i haven't done anything! etc etc) and the Blacks, while not countermanding French in front of the kids, quietly put an end to the practice. If people don't think that's entirely unrealistic I think that's in character for Cole and it would put an end to it before anyone else gets to the orphanage. To be clear, Cole isn't complaining directly to the Blacks or going to them for help - I think that is out of character. It's more he doesn't submit and creates such a commotion that the Blacks (one or both) come to investigate what's going on and just sees/hears it and responds. Frankly, I think the whole orphanage would hear it. Thoughts? #>
<#court: I think it's a possibility, if there were a story that made sense. I'm not sure just Cole making a scene would be enough on its own, since I can't imagine no kids have made a scene before. But maybe something has happened to change the Blacks' sensibilities since the last time, or maybe they've always been conveniently away before, or... something? #>

<#bill: Well, that's sort of what I was thinking. Not necessarily that they've been away...but that they've been oblivious. They leave pretty much all the duties to the help. Mr. French just has always done this - didn't run it by them. It was just how he thought it ought to be done and didn't feel the need. He waits until there's an appropriate time for him and the child to be alone (not because he's hiding it, but because he thinks it's a private thing - a lesson to be taught about who's in charge/how it's going to be, but not an act of shaming, as doing it in front others might feel like) and then he has a little chat with the kid and beats them. I am sure that none of the kids like it and most, if not all, cry. I don't know how much of a scene most kids would make though. I could see Valerie taking it stoically and Callahan having a stiff upper lip for the sake of appearance...it's individual. But I get the impression that for a lot of kids, like Ella maybe, such a thing is just a way of life and something to be accepted/endured. It's not for Cole so he doesn't...it's a titanic struggle and that's what first brings it to the attention of the Blacks. #>

<#ann: I have a question: We originally said that the children learn just the basics in reading, writing, arithmetic, in part because Miss Lizzy is not terribly educated herself. It will only be a few years, then, before she reaches her limit.The steady supply of new children would mean that the education is staggered at various levels for quite a while. What happens when Lizzy runs out of what she knows? Do the kids keep going on their own, sort of homeschooling themselves with Lizzy's supervision? Do the lessons stop and that time is reassigned to other tasks or lessons? Does it depend on the kid? I know Celeste is motivated to learn more than just the basics. #>

<#bill: Maybe when the kids are older/more mature and they've reached the point that they're surpassed Lizzy, Mrs. Black would choose to step in and provide some education. She seems to be an educated woman, has time on her hands, and perhaps likes playing school teacher for a few hours a week. #>

<#kate: I could also see that just being the end (like graduating college). Your studies are over at a certain point but if you want to learn more, maybe you can have access to Mr. Black's books or in your free time study more on your own. I can't really see Mrs. Black having the patience or dedication to continue their education on her own.#>

<#ann: Kelly said in the chat that it would be self-study. If a child shows promise or talent, a tutor can be procured. If you've learned the basics and show no interest in more, that part can drop off a bit. #>

<#ann: Second question: As the children get older they can take on more and more responsibility, and are doing their old tasks much quicker because they're older and more competent (also there are more of them), so that by the time they are young teens and starting to get ready to leave, they might even have some more free time in their day. Are they allowed to do jobs on the side to make money, like baking extra bread to sell or growing extra herbs, or does the hotel services grow with the kids, becoming more prosperous and thus more busy as the kids get older and are better at their jobs? #>

<#bill: What your saying about being for efficient etc due to numbers/maturity makes sense to me Ann. I actually thought doing extra jobs or apprenticeships (particularly in the case of the boys) would be a good idea. It makes sense as far as the Blacks trying to prepare the kids for the world/moving out. Also, if we go the opposite way as far as the hotel - it's becoming less prosperous/losing money - the Blacks could want us to make some money to earn our keep. Maybe we can keep a percentage of what we earn to save for when we move out. I also think this option could create some more opportunities for interesting back story. #>

<#kate: I'm totally behind having outside jobs if that fits into the work schedule. Maybe for the Blacks, so long as the Hotel chores get done, the extra time (by the time they're teenagers) is theirs to do with as they like. Maybe even Ms. Lizzy's gone - giving folks the opportunity to go extend their studies elsewhere while others do their apprenticeship or side job. If there are no little kids to teach (or Celeste or someone can do the job) there doesn't seem a need for Ms. Lizzy to hang around.#>

<#court: I also like the idea of outside jobs, and in fact, plan to have one at some point. Bill, your rationale for it would be useful, I think! #>

<#ann: Kelly said in chat that while it's not terribly encouraged (particularly for the girls) some of the children can be hired out based on their particular talents. All of the money goes to the Blacks. #>

<#kate: I can also see the Hotel being bought at some point when the last orphan is leaving/old enough to go and the Blacks no longer have the energy/desire to run it. The new owner could actually hire people to do the menial labor so the orphanage part is moot.#>

<#bill: I thought of another question. I know that the orphanage stops taking kids after Ella and there are practical reasons for that - but will that be addressed in game in any way? Do we see kid/kids brought to the orphanage who get turned away? That might be an interesting event. And could be really impact those of use who get to stay. This wouldn't work for Cole, but I could see one reaction being that someone tries to create/run an orphanage when they're older.#>

<#kate: Interesting idea, although I don't think Ella would have that reaction either. She'd feel sorry for the kid but it wouldn't inspire a "goal" for her life.#>


<#kate: Given the Minnie happens as now on the timeline, I think that she, for a tactful term, blossoms early, enabling the girls to get an idea of what's ahead of them before they leave the orphanage. Just a thought that I'm sure all the guys wanted to think about =). #>

<#kate: Jonah: Not sure when Ollie would be interested in getting lesson's dancing but feel free to stick it in and let me know. Court: Same with the learning the French songs and such.#>

NeedsJonah
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