We're doing something a bit similar on the Discord, but wanted to make sure forum-only people (or those who find the Discord confusing or overwhelming) got a chance to something like this instead, so we can get some of our stories straight before we submit our accounts of the race day to the GMs -- the thread should work a bit similar to Emmeline's party thread from before game started. It is not a thread for roleplaying or in-character interactions, only establishing general facts like who you arrived with, what you wore, who you might have spent time with, if you had horses entered or bet on them, or anything major of note that might have been publicly observed. Try not to lavish too much detail on the minutia or things other characters wouldn't have readily noticed, to leave some things for the Gazette/Crier to reveal! Also, if you are someone (like me) who uses both the Discord and the forums, and have made any comment/posts in the Newmarket Race channels in the Discord, please do the best you can to keep your post there and your post here in sync! We certainly wouldn't want to end up with alternative or conflicting timelines going on for your character.
To keep everything orderly, please try to keep to this general template of information as much as possible:
Your name:
Attended with/seated with:
Horses entered/supported/bet on:
Additional activities:
Anything else of note:
Connections wanted: (such as if you are looking for someone to attend with, or get into a fight with, etc. etc.)
Remember that this post is not the end-all, be-all of your activities at the races -- just a general starting point. The bulk of your information on the interactions should be submitted to the GMs as well as discussed through letters.
Your name: Octavia (Tavvi) Thistledown
Attended with/seated with: came on Thursday and got a room at the local Inn. Hopes to meet some potential new business partners, and spend some time socializing. Her beautiful youngest sister, Urraca, is with her, curious to meet the English. She speaks English with a charming accent. They will stay at the In. Until Sunday, and are quite open to invitations.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: it particularly interested in the races. There for the social aspects, and to make a few connections for her, ah, import - export businesses.
Additional activities: flirting, looking for possible connections for moving items and people between London and the Basque Countries.
Anything else of note: also willing to speak with people regarding the resumption of her salons first as written discourse and later on when we may meet again.
Connections wanted: (such as if you are looking for someone to attend with, or get into a fight with, etc. etc.) interested in anyone who can:
Help her move people (refugees from the war in Spain) from the Basque Countries into London where she can relocate them
Help her move herbal remedies, tonics, and herbal liqueurs from the Basque Countries into London without the hassle of, ah, port taxes and such
Help her move medical supplies and assorted materiel (cough) from London to either the Basque ports on the Bay of Biscay or farther south in Porto (in Portugal) where she has connections.
Your name: Miss Elisa Thomas
Attended with/seated with: @Amelia Rutherford (Renee) and her friend Lord Perry Stone at the Richmond Pavilion
Horses entered/supported/bet on: She is of course supporting Elegant Bachelor, the horse of her family friend Duke James Richmond
Additional activities:
She will be attempting to say hello to @Morven Blackwood (Jenn) but Morven will be pulled away quickly on a regular basis. They are seeing conversing when @Lady Violet is absent.
She will be attempting to introduce Lord Perry Stone to the Duke after they had a correspondence. It would be clear it might be matchmaking attempts.
She will be seen lightly flirting with @Lord Aramis Matthew Beauclerk (Jordana) as they had met previously at salons and other art gatherings. She might also be seen flirting with Lt. Amelia Rosemount if she attends (unsure at this point)
@Viscountess Charlotte Hughes approaches her at one point and makes a big deal of her latest performance. It is...rather awkward.
Finally near the end of the race, she is seen in an intense conversation with @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan) and Lady Violet (completely in French) from which she leaves visibly upset. She spends the rest of the time with Amelia and Lord Perry and leaves shortly after the race is won.
Anything else of note: She is dressed in a red embroidered sarsnet spencer and a fine white gown trimmed with lace and cut strategically short to avoid the mud so often found around a racetrack. (yes this dress is from a bit too late, so remove the double flounce, this would be a straight hem)
Connections wanted:
Someone of higher social status to be seen with as a potential romantic match (gossipigossip) and/or someone to snub her due to being "just an opera star" Miss Elisa Thomas is going to be attending the races at the invite of her friend Duke Richmond. I am trying to get her to actually deal with attempting to make it in society and also the issues around being famous and well off but not really part of the upper class/gentry. Opera stars regularly married into the upper classes (her goal??) but it was not that common. Please either drop a react or tag me in planning if interested in any one of these activities. She is famous, attractive and witty, so quite a catch if only she was you know, landed/had a lot of money.
Your name: Taethath Serdanhia
Attended with/seated with: Madge Kristofferson
Horses entered/supported/bet on: none. She will be spending that money on snacks.
Additional activities: A talk about horses with Bishop Spencer.
Anything else of note: She will be wandering around, carrying a very fine dressage whip in one hand and eating snacks with the other while trying to put faces to names in the Suitors' Corner.
Connections wanted: People to eat Regency racetrack snack foods with. Parmesan iced cream, anyone?
If you think her choice of colorway or silhouette for her raiment is strange, or you think it's super, feel free to let her know.
If you would like to get whipped in the face, accidentally or otherwise, with her thematic accessory, lemme know.
Outfit:
Your name: @Lord Aramis Matthew Beauclerk (Jordana)
Attended with/seated with: arrived alone to @Duke James Richmond (Greg)'s pavilion and then "works the room" circulating and socializing
Horses entered/supported/bet on: He's not super interested in the actual horse racing aspect, so he might place a couple bets but it's not his focus
Additional activities: He's mainly there to be a social butterfly. For him this mainly means conversations, flirting, and drinking. Over the course of the day, he definitely flirts with @Lady Helena Fane (Melissa), @Viscountess Charlotte Hughes, @Lady Euphemia Griffen, Lady Tavvi Thistledown, and @Primrose Hazelton. While he does get progressively more inebriated over the course of the event, he never gets to the point of sloppiness - just a little more casual and saucy, concluding with joining in on cards, carousing, and more drinking & flirting with @Ricardo Castillo and @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan)
Anything else of note: is wearing this - green and pink to welcome spring!
(Source - Regency Gentleman blog post)
Connections wanted: Please tag me if anyone needs to be flirted with. Also anyone should please feel free to be intrigued, scandalized, or anything in between by Aramis' behavior.
Your name: @Captain Katharine Sunderlin (she/her, Kim)
Attended with/seated with: Attended with @Lady Euphemia Griffen
Horses entered/supported/bet on: Regina Of The Thousand Steps (a roan horse with a black mane and socks). Katharine owns half of the horse in conjunction with @Colonel G.O. Molyneux
Additional activities: Make small talk and likely talk to the @Duke James Richmond (Greg) 's man @Mr. Edmund Ayles (Jesse) about horses for a while. Also likely call on @Mr. James Hughes MP while she is there.
Anything else of note: She is wearing her Navy Captain's dress coat, and looks quite sharp in it.
Connections wanted: someone to flirt with Katharine but she has zero idea how to react except being very polite, people to talk about science with (she is very curious about the Martian Highways), to be asked about her recapture of the Calcutta to which she will--also very politely--avoid answering questions.
Your name: Lady Yvette Bellamy
Attended with/seated with: Yvette arrived by family carriage with a personal attendant
Horses entered/supported/bet on: None, she went with the intention of becoming more involved in society and to get a look at the horses to see if there were any of interest for sale or would be available for studding
Additional activities: People watching
Anything else of note: Nothing at this point
Wearing something a little overly flamboyant like (but tighter in all areas):
Connections wanted: Any, please reach out if you have any interest :)
Your name: The Right Reverend and Right Honorable, The Lord Kaleb Spencer, The Bishop of London
Attended with/seated with:
The Lady Alice Spencer (NPC), Marquess of Blandford and heir to the Duchy of Marlborough, has determined that her horse Frigid Void will be entered in the Newmarket Races on April 17th, 1811. Her father, His Grace Lord William Spencer (NPC), Duke of Marlborough will host a minor pavilion at the races for members of the family only. The Lord Kaleb Spencer, younger brother of Lady Alice Spencer, has made clear that he attends under protest - as he always does when racing and hunting are involved. The Lady Jane Spencer (PC), heir of the Earl of Bathurst, and the youngest Spencer daughter is also expected to be in attendance with her mother, Duchess Henrietta Bathurst (NPC), the Third Earl of Bathurst.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: Frigid Void (entered by The Lady Alice Spencer) is NOT being supported or bet on by The Lord Kaleb Spencer.
https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/assets/images/thoroughbredIdentification/aBlack_small.jpg
Additional activities: The Lord Kaleb Spencer is seen primarily in the company of @Duke James Richmond (Greg) and Taethath of House Serdanhia @Amanda Yazdani. He is also seen briefly speaking with @Lady Euphemia Griffen a friend of his younger sister.
Anything else of note: The Lord Kaleb Spencer is overheard making several unflattering comments about a variety of horses at the event, about which he seems very uninformed, comparing their appearances to that of their owners. Though he is never overheard to have insulted ether his sisters horse or that of Duke James Richmond.
Your name: Lady Violet Blankeney-Coventry
Attended with/seated with: arrived with @Morven Blackwood (Jenn) , seated with her cousins.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: Elegant Bachelor, out of family feeling more than any particular desire to bet
Additional activities: Violet spent a fair bit of the day ferrying food and drink to and chatting with @Mr. Edmund Ayles (Jesse) and Elegant Bachelor, and probably ought to have stayed there, given later events.
She spent a bit of time with her Oxford chums Jane Spencer and Helena Fane, as well as Charlotte Hughes, and noticed an intense look between her cousin James and Jane at one point, which the friends good-naturedly teased Jane over. She and @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan) walked over, arm-in-arm, to the Molyneux Pavilion, where he conversed with the Colonel and his cousin Emmeline, leaving Vi to make awkward small talk with Mr. Hughes, MP. However, at some point during the conversation, he surprisingly made a joke, which sent Violet into peals of laughter, much to his surprise. As she collected Nicholas and pulled him away from the wine-spilling incident, she was seen whispering something to Mr. Hughes, and winking at him, at which he actually *smiled*.
Violet and Nicholas next ran into Miss Elisa Thomas. Violet was seen to hastily pull her aside. The trio had an involved conversation in French at a very low volume, during which a couple of very strange individual lines may have been overheard. (Message if you want to have overheard something, or see if it makes the newsletter!) At some point, Violet took Elisa's hands and looked up at her pleadingly. Elisa seemed to take this somewhat well, but then glared at Nicholas, said something unintelligible to him, and stormed off. At this point, Violet and Nicholas had a short, terse exchange, and each stormed off in different directions. She spent the (short) rest of the day in tears, being consoled by her cousins Morven and Eleanor.
The next day, Nicholas turned up with a bouquet of peonies, and the two had a seemingly cordial exchange. It appears they have made up?
Anything else of note: Dressed her cousin @Morven Blackwood (Jenn) for the event in a green gown with a white overdress embroidered with gold thistles and a matching gold hat, and is hoping her lovely cousin's suitors will take note! Attempted to dress down herself. Succeeded, by Violet standards.
Connections wanted: Look, poor Violet's had a horrible day already. If you'd like to have a brief, pleasant interaction with her feel free, but I think she's full up on dramatic happenings!
Feel free to contact me if you want to gossip/overhear things!
Your name: Amelia Rutherford
Attended with/seated with: @Miss Elisa Thomas (Kate)
Horses entered/supported/bet on: None in particular; simply wants to see the races
Additional activities: Likely going off to check on Elisa after her argument with @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan) and @Lady Violet Heloise Blankeney-Coventry (Elizabeth) .
Anything else of note: Dressed in half-mourning, as is appropriate.
Connections wanted: Conversation partners, mostly. After her period of mourning, Amelia feels more than a little lost in larger social situations anymore...
Your name: Elder Armitage Sleeping Bear
Attended with/seated with: Is been attending there with @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan) , and most likely be seen at some
point with @Lady Euphemia Griffen before being perhaps a little time on for a bit.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: None, will have to be talked into it.
Additional activities: Wish to enjoy a walk of the grounds a little and seeing some explanations of the races more.
Anything else of note: Fabrics and cloth is more of what seems to be Western Tsagli Empire make then the traditional London, with style of the Western Empire, but reserved.
Connections wanted:
- Has a couple to meet upon, but will always accept some approach's and meetings even if passing. - Will at some point have to be seen, watching more of the races and attempting to recite in their home tongue what it seems to be for them. Note: Drawing is by me, and as Artist, I give full rights for community use if needed.
Your name: Euphemia Griffen
Attended with/seated with: Attended with @Captain Katharine Sunderlin (she/her, Kim) , seated in the @Colonel G.O. Molyneux pavilion.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: Officially supporting Regina of the Thousand Steps.
Additional activities: Very discretely offered a token of good luck (a bit of blue ribbon) to @Mr. Edmund Ayles (Jesse) prior to the beginning of the races as she knows that Mr. Ayles trained Elegant Bachelor. Was seen flirting with @Lord Aramis Matthew Beauclerk (Jordana) . Also was very excited to see an old friend from The Westlands @Armitage Sleeping Bear (Aaron) . Euphemia was obviously not remotely interested in the horses or the racing and was only there because she wanted to socialize and see people. Stayed as far away from the actual horses and racing track as could be done without drawing too much attention or being offensive to anyone.
Anything else of note: Outfit worn day of the race!
Connections wanted: If anyone else is open to a little flirtation let me know. Effie is all about that flirt life right now.
Your name: Lady Emmeline Petty-Fitzmaurice
Attended with/seated with:
@Duke James Richmond (Greg)
@Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan)
@Lady Violet Heloise Blankeney-Coventry (Elizabeth)
@Morven Blackwood (Jenn)
Horses entered/supported/bet on:I’m not overly interested, so I’ll just root for whomever my cohorts have entered.
Nicholas- Ivory Storm & Ivory Dune
James - Elegant Bachelor
Additional activities:
Em would arrive with James and whomever is with him and would primarily stay there, but would pop into the Molyneux pavilion for a short time.
In the Somerset pavillion
Emmeline is never seen without a glass of red wine. She's not downing them, but she's allowed herself to get pleasantly tipsy. (She's known for drinking in moderation and remaining in control). She spoke with Miss @Morven Blackwood (Jenn) and inquired about her runaway camel ride. Chit chat with @Amelia Rutherford (Renee).
While visiting the Molyneux pavillion
Others might notice part or all of the following: She is speaking with and flirting with @Colonel G.O. Molyneux. @Earl Nicholas Howard (Evan) (or "Cousin Nicky") is not sober, comes to say hello and bumps into her, causing her to spill red wine onto her sleeve. Emmeline says something through gritted teeth to Nicholas. The Col. tries to dab at the stain with a handkerchief.
It would be difficult for anyone in the vicinity to miss: As soon as the dabbing starts... @Duke James Richmond (Greg) approaches the Col. & Emmeline with a sense of purpose, says "If you'll excuse us...", takes Emmeline by the arm and leads (not drags, just confidently guides) Emmeline to a corner where they are whisper arguing for a few minutes. Then James walks away, vexed.
After the race
Emmeline would be seen approaching @Mr. Edmund Ayles (Jesse) to congratulate him on a job well done. Still slightly tipsy but just light and happy in a way nobody's seen her in 6 years. The conversation soon becomes tangibly more substantive and Emmeline appears really invested in it. Anyone seeing it would recognize it as not a tipsy girl vapidly flirting, but two adults having a really interesting conversation (very much despite the discrepancy in their stations).
Anything else of note:
Here's what she's wearing
Your name: Reverend Doctor Ricardo Castillo
Attended with/seated with: Attends alone
Horses entered/supported/bet on: Supporting Hunter's Run, an Arabian stallion whose sire, Hunter's Dance, was always good luck for Ricardo in past races.
Additional activities: Drinking. Lots and lots and lots of drinking.
Connections wanted: Anyone who disapproves of his behavior (considering he's a vicar and a professor--someone who ought to be presentable), anyone who wants to carouse and keep the party going, anything else you might think of.
Your name: Lord Nicholas Howard
Attended with/seated with: @Armitage Sleeping Bear (Aaron), spent a decent amount of the morning showing them around and making introductions.
Seated at @Duke James Richmond (Greg)'s pavilion but possibly didn't spend a ton of time there.
Horses entered/supported/bet on: entered two white Arabian stallions, Ivory Storm (a relatively new horse -- a bit unruly and with a jockey who is relatively inexperienced in professional racing) & Ivory Dune (sire of Ivory Storm), a traditionally well-placing horse now close to retirement.
Additional activities:
-- A brief, polite introduction & conversation with @Kaleen/ Lady Lavinia Gregory at some point, in which her sister Eliza Gregory eventually pulls her away in disapproval. -- Seen arm & arm with @Lady Violet Heloise Blankeney-Coventry (Elizabeth) for much of the afternoon as they visit with different pavilions and people.
-- Likely visits with @Colonel G.O. Molyneux to discuss informal steeplechase (?). At some point during the conversation, spills @Lady/Marquess Emmeline Petty-Fitzmaurice (Robin)'s wine on her, and Violet pulls him away from the pavilion before he can make things worse.
-- The pair of them also have a private, albeit somewhat animated, argument in French with @Miss Elisa Thomas (Kate), which results in Elisa storming off, and Violet arguing with Nicholas for a moment longer before both she and Nicholas walk off in a huff.
-- Nicholas spends much of the rest of the afternoon playing cards & getting drunk (and a little loud/annoying) with @Ricardo Castillo.
-- At the end of the event, he escorts Armitage Sleeping Bear home, and invites Ricardo to tag along.
Anything else of note: Nicholas is notably a bit more "dressed up" from what one would typically expect of him (although he gets more disheveled as the day goes on....). Nicholas gets progressively drunker throughout the day (he's like, visibly a little toasted pretty early) but doesn't start to get really bad until after his argument with Violet and Elisa.
Connections wanted: especially in the early part of the day and especially before leaving Richmond's pavilion, Nicholas will pretty much flirt lightly with anyone who's around and responsive to it. also up for betting on the races/general gambling, that sort of thing. open to more suggestions (but please no more major drama, Nicholas will die if anything else substantially dramatic happens to him today lol)
wearing something like this? (but the breeches are black)