Oxford Society

The City of Oxford is the hub of Albion society life; it is where the King's Court meets and where the richest and most influential subjects of the Crown hold their town residences. Most Courtiers at least make business trips to Oxford between the six-monthly Court sessions, and some choose to reside there all year round.

The heart of cultured life in Europe, Salons are where the great, the good, the talented and the merely rich meet to gossip and debate. They are commonly convened by great nobles, patrons of art and thought, and held in their town residences.

Salons are widely touted as the centres of all discussion in political theory, development of art, literature and almost anything you would care to name that the nobility are interested in. To be invited to a particular salon (often given appropriate names such as “Thursday Readers” or “Blue stockings”) is indeed an honour, but to be patron of a large one, even more so.

Forming a salon: Any noble can form a salon with enough cause. Its primary discussion topics need to be set out and a name given. From then the salon will attract (or you can invite) various people, from other nobles, to artists, writers and so on, occasionally opening up interesting intelligence and rumours.

Though technically illegal and considered highly immoral, gaming houses exist across the country where those of slightly less savoury character go to gamble and unwind. The best, of course, are in Oxford. This does not necessarily exclude any of the upper classes, who have establishments more specifically tailored to them (everyone looks a lot cleaner and doesn’t talk back or try to kill you). Brothels, the hotbed of some of the worst sins known to man, host services for men, women and perhaps even creatures stranger (though they’re less likely to pay), are common sights across the country; they range from fleapit knocking-shops to beautifully well-appointed private houses offering the finest in exotic services.

These can serve as discreet meeting places, or a chance to earn some money.

Ownership: Brothels and Gaming Houses can be owned as investments.

Meeting-places, watering-holes and loitering-spots for the great and the good of Oxford, public houses are far more tame compared to brothels and are actually legal. Naturally, therefore, the Puritans would love to seem them closed down (they probably brew their own ale; and everyone knows that the fumes of coffee lead to lewd thoughts and insanity). These are frequented by a cross-section of society and are meeting places for everyone.

Coffeehouses, serving the strange dark brew imported from the Ottoman Empire, are particularly popular spots for young Company Men and intellectuals to gather and debate philosophy. The richer class of Oxford student can also commonly be found here, discussing theology and avoiding lectures.

Ownership: Inns, Taverns and Coffeehouses can be owned as investments.

The Inns of Court are the training-houses for the barristers and lawyers of England - important institutions, since serious advancement in many areas, from the Clergy to politics to business, requires legal training. Students resident at the Inns have the wildest of reputations, and the Inns are a good source for everything from obscene poetry to wild parties to cheap (and unreliable) legal advice. There is frequent rivalry and occasional brawling between students at the Inns of Court (relocated from London at great expense), from the University and from the Invisible College.

Theatres are an important source of entertainment for the common people, and an important political tool for the nobility. They host all manner of plays from a host of companies, all ready to show off new and old pieces. Theatres such as the New Rose, the Harry's Grace and the Wheel are crammed into the tiniest of spaces in crowded Oxford, often taking advantage of adjoining roof- or cellar-space to use as extra seating.

Ownership: Theatres can be owned as investments, as can theatre companies (i.e. the groups of performers).

The churches and synagogues of Oxford serve as the meeting place for the more pious and righteous of the society, and those who enjoy a good sermon followed by tea with the Bishop or Rabbi. No less busy than brothels, though in a different way, churches serve as places of contact for all layers of society.

Attending regular religious services is compulsory; see the Religion page for more details.

All players are assumed to have a small Oxford town residence of some description (appropriate to their rank and wealth), as well as holdings in the Outer Islands. This allows them to go about Oxford business, attend court as regularly as they wish, and participate in Oxford society - but also to get away from the crowding and hubbub of the capital, and retire to their own estates (or cottage) during the quiet seasons.