Troupe

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Troupes are magical groups found in the League who perform rituals through a tradition of theatrical performance.

"I swear to keep the secrets of the Black Dragon Troupe, to tell nothing of my comrades arts, to protect all of my brothers and sisters from harm and to work only for the good of the Troupe, sound in the knowledge that they do so for me."

Traditional Oath of the Black Dragon Troupe

The relationship between a Troupe and its Patron (or Patrons, if they are particularly lucky) is a complicated one - by accepting funding from a rich individual or Carta, they are accepting an implicit agreement to show their Patron in a good light. They are likely to send performers to work at their Patron's party or perform at their Patron's request, but a Troupe must pay careful attention to the political climate - to be seen to support a Carta that is out of favour may be a quick way to ruin.

Most Troupes will insist new members swear an oath of secrecy upon joining - the precise details of this oath change between Troupes, but the principals are often the same - to protect its members and its secrets. Often, if a Troupe also has a Charter, the oath will be built in to that; and the punishments for breaking the oath are a closely held secret.

Different Troupes are often rivals, competing for the patronage of the Mechant Princes or arguing ove “artistic differences”, jealously looking for the new ritual that will give them an “edge” over the other ritualists in terms of improving their prosperity.

Some Free Companies will employ a Troupe to improve morale, or to tell great deeds of their exploits in battle. Some churches, too, will employ Troupes to perform morality plays, explaining the Imperial Virtues to the layperson, or depicting the lives of Exemplars and Paragons.

There are also many ways a performance can be done, and the quality will determine the success moreso than whether it is in the fashionable style, no matter what some might say. Some work in verse, others mime, some will improvise and interact with the audience, some with grand costumes, others with simply decorated masks and everyday clothes. Whilst there are grand troupes who specialise in doing long elaborate shows their patrons desire, far more are short and poignant, flashy or even shocking. The skill is in getting and keeping the audience’s attention and short and sweet is often best.

“Like the finest fruit, the sweetness fades the longer it sits on the platter”

The Fallen Herald, Act III, Scene I

Creating a Troupe

Here are a number of questions you could ask about the group when creating a Troupe. This is not an exhaustive list, but should allow some jumping off points for ideas.

• How was the Troupe formed? How are new members of the company brought on board?
• How are the decisions made? Is there a single leader, or are important decisions put to the vote? Do all members get an equal vote?
• What is the Troupe's focus? Do they pay more attention to magic or performance? What kind of performances do they put on? While it is good to be ambitious, sometimes it is better to put on a simple piece with magical overtones, or have a set number of well rehearsed songs, rather than over-reach one selves.
• What kind of Patrons does the Troupe have? How does this impact on the performances they put on? A Troupe that is attached to a Free Company will have a very different feel to one attached to a church, for example. Do they seek out Merchant Princes as patrons, or work for more humble crowds?
• What is the Troupe's circuit like? Do they play high-end theatres and opera houses or country fayres and street carnivals? What is their prefered kind of work?
• What about when you’re not casting spells? Do you put on theatrical performances for cash? What about in downtime? There's a difference between a troupe that picks only magical resources – mana and library, for example - and one that picks less magic and more “financial resource” to represent a larger, richer theatre that also has political pull.
• Does the Troupe use masks? Where do they get them from? Are they antiques, held by the company, or are they remade, year after year, according to the recent fashions?
• What other roles does the troupe support apart from "Mage" and "performer"? Are there Bravos to act as security? What about crafters? Who handles the money?

Stock Facio Archetypes

Here are some of the stock archetypes you could use in the Facio Plays. Again, this list is not exhaustive, but can give you some ideas to use in your own performances.

The Rivers and their Qualities

• Bobinati - Languid; Primal; Wise; Crude; Instinctual; Prosperous (natural bounty).
• Vassa - Furious; Fast; Foolhardy; Determined; Proud; Vigilant.
• Scorrero - Slow; Tenacious; Courageous; Methodical; Humble; Loyal,
• Gancio - Capricious; Vengeful; Enigmatic; Ambitious; Quickwitted; Prosperous (worked).

The Cities - Verrario, Mestra, Regario, Holberg, Temeshwar and Sarvos.

• The Servant of two masters. (<MAKE FIT TO EMPIRE VIEW ON SERVANTS>
• The Wise Councillor. (Also sometimes a Senator or Doctor.)
• The Lover, who is often unlucky in Love and comes to a bad end.
• The Mountebank, a swindling conman, who steals apples from children.
• The Bishop, a priest or priestess, with a heavy paunch and a heavy purse, soemtimes counting coins, sometimes dispensing sweets to the crowd in a display of charity and prosperity.
• The Captain, a Bravo or professional soldier, a braggart with a lustful eye.
• The Orc, a hulking green monster, all warts and lank hair, who eats children.