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HRHR: NATIONAL CONVENTION.
national convention;
guess which one of our mods has been wanting
to do this mission since september.
to do this mission since september.
Oh dear god they're trying to kill the king.
That's bad, maybe, but the real worst thing is that they're trying to kill the king too early.
It's still late in 1792, in Paris, not yet near Christmas. Louis' trial is supposed to be in December, his execution in January. COST needs to slow this process down, hopefully so the king can be killed at the right time.
The best way to do this, it seems, is to speak with the most influential members of the National Convention, and attempt to get them to change their minds.
This is a differently structured HRHR mission than last time. There are twelve signup slots for this mission, two for each member of the national convention you guys need to convince to either stall or halt the convention. The difficulty level isn't going to be based on a particular skill, so much as the personality of whichever Natl. Convention member you choose, and the plan you come up with to convince them. Is it an argument? An appeal to reason? Will you try to intimidate them? Scare them into compliance? It's all up to you. You and whoever you'll be working with will need to come up with a plan by Friday the 25th, so we can give you the difficulty and roll the outcome.
Feel free, in that time, to ask us whatever questions you like. You're also allowed to give us your plan early, and we'll tell you the assumed difficulty; if you don't like those numbers, you're free to come up with another plan, and try for different numbers. You can do this as many times as you like until Friday.
Not turning in a plan by Friday results in an automatic failure. Failures won't weigh on the character, but they will inch the king closer to dying way ahead of schedule, which will have ramifications on the game's future.
Because this is a big and oddly structured mission, please feel free to talk it out as much as you like with the mods and your fellow players. Questions and suggestions and collaboration and creativity are highly encouraged!
Without further tl;dr, let's introduce you to the National Convention's key players:
⏩ DANTON
When the king's execution was announced, Danton famously thundered, "The kings of Europe would dare challenge us? We throw them the head of a king!" A large, intense man with extreme views, some credit him with plotting, or at least aiding, the September Massacres, though no definitive evidence has ever materialized. One thing is for sure: they certainly aligned with his own wishes, and he did nothing to hinder their progress.
Danton's motives for wanting the king dead are simple: it will strengthen the revolution, and make it that much harder for monarchism to be reinstituted in France. Likewise, he believes the king must die for the crime of monarchism; he believes monarchism is in itself a crime. He also believes France is influencing the world in its every action, and thus, those actions must reflect the symbolic future of Europe as a whole. Danton, finally, is famously deeply in love with his wife, and brags about sleeping with her with some frequency.
Many agree with this assessment, and Danton has serious influence within the voting body. He is considered one of the heads of the Montaigne ('The Mountain') political club, and his vote will sway many of those who share his opinions.
⏩DAVID
Jacques-Louis David is the premier painter of France, and has been for some time, and will be for some time after this. His paintings are well known all over France, and he is possibly the best known artist in the entire country.
David painted for the Ancien Regime, and when the Revolution is over, he will paint for Napoleon. A political opportunist, it's unknown if he truly has political convictions of any sort. What we do know is that he's set and determined to ride this out as best he can, while maintaining his artistic endeavors and continuing to be possibly one of the most influential artists in French history.
His vote will influence those who admire him and his art, and those numbers aren't few.
⏩PHILIPPE EGALITE
Also known as Duke Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans, Egalite gave up his title and his ties to nobility when the revolution gained speed. He chose a new surname, Egalite, to reflect this new life he would lead.
Most historians agree that Egalite voted to kill his own cousin (did we mention that? He's Louis' cousin) as a measure of self preservation. He wished to show, despite his heritage, how committed to the Revolution he was. However, at the time of the trial, some saw his vote as an attempt to make a move on the throne himself, since he was technically still in the line of succession.
His vote might not influence many-- his heritage is well known, and either vote has a conveniently venal excuse. However, if he can be inspired to give a truly moving speech when he votes, that may change. You never know what can happen in Revolutionary France, and after all; every vote counts.
⏩MARAT
Writer of a famous publication (L'Ami du Peuple, the Friend of the People), Marat is famously bloodthirsty and incendiary. His writings consistently call for violence and whip the people up into a furies and riots. He is hugely influential on every scale, and politically aligned with both Robespierre and Danton… for now, at least.
His zeal for bloodshed will make him tremendously difficult to convince without some kind of divine intervention. His thoughts on the execution of the king (written after the fact) can be found here for the curious, but it's not required reading by any stretch.
If Marat's vote was to go against the king's execution, it's unknown how huge an impact this would have. His vote is all but assured, assumed pro-execution by virtually all at the convention and all those that read his publications. Everyone who knows him, or knows of him, assumes he will vote to kill the king.
⏩SAINT-JUST
Saint-Just's involvement in the trial of Louis is considered one of his major 'accomplishments' as a revolutonary. At the pre-trial, he gave a hugely influential speech not on whether the king could be judged, but how. To him, you could not have a democratic revolution and turn around to judge the king over whether his rule had been good or bad. To Saint-Just, the very act of kingship was itself what needed to be judged; was it treasonous?
Wishing very much to be an important figure in the revolution, his motivations reflect this. He is noted for writing a bragging letter to his father, on one occasion, saying while you said I would never amount to anything, I am now a deputy at the national convention! Influence and power mean a great deal to him, as much as the ideals of the Revolution, which he seems to believe in.
As his feelings on the king (and why he should be executed) have been made extremely clear already, a vote in favor of mercy would cause no small stir at the trial. The shockwaves of this could have serious influence among the other voters.
⏩ROBESPIERRE
The current leader of the Jacobins, Robespierre is a complicated man with a lot of opinions. Depending on who you talk to, he's either admired or despised, but all can agree on one thing: his style of oration is equal to none. A speech by Robespierre always sways the crowd.
He has a complicated past with the revolution, and it may be worthwhile to keep an eye on his many political opinions and how they've shifted over the years. Once against foreign wars, Robespierre has voted for French intervention in bordering states. He is fervently anti-clergy, but loathes atheism. He once gave an impassioned speech on the evils of the death penalty. Most importantly, he believes that the king's continued existence threatens the cause of liberty in France, and that executing him is simply a matter of public safety.
His vote is hugely influential; he has already given one speech at the pre-trial, and it completely changed the tone of the trial. You can read it here if you're curious, but it's hardly required.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
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It's whatever you think is best! HQ sent out a 'we need x soldiers on this mission' briefing, and if you want your character to do it but they wouldn't want to, you can say they were specially assigned or chosen by their superiors. If it's something your character would naturally sign up for, then that's what happened.
Make sense?
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Thank you.
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