In the World Above, the Sun King lays a heavy hand on all aspects of life - in his eunomy, something can either be vaunted, controlled, illuminated, or banned, forbidden, Exiled.
The theatre is no exception. The morality plays of the Chantry are another vector for the control of the narrative - put on in Chantry offices, town halls or public squares, they present the Royal narrative of history through considered wit and rhetorical flourish. When you say “actor”, the average law-abiding citizen will think of a charming Chantry officer selected for excellent memory, a clear voice and a likeable manner.
However, every Sun has her Moon - what does a Scribe, Astrologer, Hedge-Knight or other Exile-worthy lout think of, when they hear the word “actor?”
The One-and-Seven lands of the Kingdom share few things save a common governance, but in all places - from the ancient serenity of the valleys of Udo to the smoking workshops of Xiata, the stony waste of Oyva and the black hills of the Last Watch - you can find the masked theatre. They are hated by the officials of the Chantry, but their comedic talents let them keep the army laughing long enough to make their coins and move on to the next town. Very occasionally, in select or secret places, the players will put on their rare dramas for unusual audiences.
This is not theatre in the modern sense - there are very few dedicated theatrical buildings in this day and age, and those which exist are Chantry territory in totality. There are no written scripts, distinguished actors, or famous playwrights. What is there is improvisation, defiance, vulgarity, gallows humour - and a set you can strike and run off with in a minute flat.
How are masked players relevant to a Firmament game? Well, PCs looking to enter civilization could easily pretend to be masked players (after all, the only qualification is a big mouth), who are banned, but banned much less aggressively than Astrologers, Scribes, &c. Furthermore, masked players, being itinerant, are excellent sources of local information. Little wandering rumour-gatherers. Lastly, their occasional dramas can be all sorts of things.
For the DM, since they’re itinerant, you can also have a theatre troupe be recurring NPCs!
This is me trying to justify writing this entirely un-useful but enjoyable-to-write post about elfgame commedia dell’arte.
ROLES ON STAGE
Actors rarely play one character. Sometimes your Nada will run off stage and come back dressed up as Pugno, or the two soldiers will return as Primo and Secundo, the caricature nobles. Often, the set of roles an actor plays constitutes part of the joke. It varies, of course - in Kelkora, Arumell and Saral Sar, the troupes get big enough to have the luxury of one-character, one-actor.
Plays rarely feature all of the characters. The total stable never appears at once. A “full house” play is a Sarali extravagance you might see in Carathis, and they’re always a complete riot.
Corra / Chorus / Goro
Mask: Blue, pretty face, curly black hair.
Costume: The nicest normal clothes we can scrounge together.
The narrator! Always the first speaker, but rarely allowed to finish their spiel uninterrupted. Rarely remains on the stage, sometimes vanishes to allow their actor to wear another mask, sometimes descends into the audience to heckle them or their fellow players, as is appropriate for the joke. Often a role played by the master of the troupe, or at least, the wittiest among them. The only Player ever allowed to mention the King, lest the play be cursed. Also the role that gets you arrested first if it comes down to it - perhaps for that reason.
Often introduces the plot, which usually follows this rough formula - two of the High-born are in conflict over something, which makes life worse for the Low-born, until one or more of the Natural-born sort it out through terror, mishap or sudden revelation, then, wahey! Happy ending. The people love it.
THE LOW-BORN
The main characters. These are broad archetypes, not a set list.
Sara / Honesty
Mask: Blue half-mask giving permanently raised brows and a button nose.
Costume: The nicest dress we own.
The country girl. The most usual protagonist, she is earnest, honest, naive, morally upright, poor as dirt, and usually either nearsighted or a little deaf. Absolutely fucking doomed, unless our other characters intervene, in short. Usually the crux of the problem - her marriage has been delayed since her fiancé’s been arrested, or she’s in danger of having her family farm spirited away in the inheritance courts, or something like that. Occasionally, in the Royal Demesne, she has the accent of the mountain village people who the Sun King seems to oddly favour.
Vasa / Charity
Mask: Red half-mask giving permanently scowling brows and a pointed nose.
Costume: The second-nicest dress we own, and a prop knife. Occasionally, for reasons lost to time, a prop crossbow.
The city girl. The most usual deuteragonist. World-wise and world-weary, a total cynic. Knows what’s going on, knows everybody, cunning and mean. Often reports to the audience the history and bad behaviour of other characters. Really, she’d be a villain if she weren’t on Sara’s side. Schemes constantly, sets characters against each other, gets the one-liners, usually stops short of actual murder. Usually.
Nada / Diligence
Mask: Yellow half-mask giving permanently worried brows and a squarish nose.
The upright signatory. Born low, rising through ability, possessed of an unbreakable dignity. Painfully naive, oblivious to love (and often the love-interest of our Sara), doomed to obscurity due to being too honest for the High-borns. Can solve problems with his Signatory talents, but is reluctant to, since they’re for the service of all people, not just his own advancement. Straight-man in jokes, never starts fights, but usually ends them with a heroic right hook.
Sapper / Saapas / Gutal / Mai / May
Mask: Pinkish, smiling, apple-cheeked. Messy hair (often literal straw).
Costume: Cheap peasant’s garb.
The country bumpkin, comically ignorant of custom, politics and manners. Fond of food, drink and love - workshy, unobservant and thickly-accented - in short, a wildly popular and beloved character. In Draad, he’s a Mesian, in Serias, she’s from Saeferk. In Saral Sar and Arumell both, he’s from the town of Epheri. In Magnos, she’s Zzargovi, in Zzargod, she’s a Magnite. The Kelkorans have their own internal Gutals with their own strange behaviours, which nobody but them seems to find funny. Occasionally, there’s a Sapper-Nada-Sara love-triangle.
Coffer / Kaffas / Coffee / Temperance
Mask: Greenish, hangdog, neat hair, silly little hat.
Costume: Decently put-together clothing, now threadbare.
The servant, and the voice of reason. Always the valet or bat-man of one of the High-born, except in Arumell, where he might be their youngest son with poor prospects. Grumbling, demoralised, put-upon, a permanent straight-man. Often played as a comic reversal of the stereotypes of the passionate Sarali, he’ll regularly submit to inclusions in the other character’s schemes simply because it would take effort to oppose them. In Serias, he is Temperance, and there is a little more cunning and motivated. Gets together with Vasa, maybe or perhaps with Mai, or maybe with Pugno if we’re really being strange.
Pugno / Bootstrap / Krikun
Mask: Bright-red, round, raging, tall hat or army cap.
Costume: Pillow in the shirt for a fat gut, sleeves stuffed for big arms, club and loud boots.
The bawling, brawling army sergeant, often motivates the action by their stupidity and aggression. Has the local accent turned up to maximum, or the accent from just over the border in the right places. Character most likely to punch another one so hard they leave their boots behind on the stage (pulling that off is quite a feat of acrobatics for both participants). Deep down, has a soft side. Often bursts into tears of happiness if the play has a romantic conclusion. If you cannot make every line of dialogue ring cups, you cannot play Pugno.
Limon & Lima / Buckle & Brace / Doro & Mizu
Mask: Dull brown and blue, always giving a sidelong glance - either away from, or towards, the other soldier, depending where they stand.
Costume: Closest facsimile of an army uniform we can manage. Prop muskets.
The soldiers, trailing close behind Pugno. Usually, cowards, idiots, consider treason the moment anything goes wrong. Trade their guns for tobacco, kick people in the nuts. Talk over what would be the quiet, somber moments in other theatrical traditions. When it comes down to it, sometimes possessed by maniac bravery. Occasionally conspire with Pugno against their social betters, or maybe knock him out and carry him back to barracks.
Inkpot / Vella / Aquillo
Mask: Pale grey or white, beaky, tied back hair, tall hat.
Costume: Dark clothing which has seen better days. High collar, gloves, boots - no visible skin.
The obvious incognito Scribe. Pedantic, irritable and nervous. Jumps a foot in the air any time they see a soldier or a noble, but nobody seems to notice this, or question them when they present (made up, nonsensical) historical minutiae. Usually the ally of Sapper and Coffer, if they happen to be in the play, or is the terrified impromptu deputy of Pugno or Barque. Sometimes considered a member of the Natural-Born, if the troupe feels comfortable to have them use subtle sorcery to send solutions.
THE HIGH-BORN
The antagonists. These are broad archetypes, not a set list.
Primo / Palais / Prathama
Mask: Pale blue or white, arched brows, pointed nose, surprised expression.
Costume: Comic frippery, extremely oversized ruff, cane, handkerchief.
The ignorant, air-headed duke or duchess. Rules the locality, used to being important, may be a Scribe or a member of a secret society. Often trying to build some kind of project, or secure the King’s attention, or get one over on another, distant, unseen Duke. Occasionally bears an embarrassing curse. Always has the poshest possible accent. Has a verbose manner of expressing their particular opinions on certain developments on the stage and off - counterheckles the audience, in short. With the recent War of Defiance, many Primos have morphed into parodies of Grand Duke Fioretto of Draad.
Secundo / Surpalais / Dusara
Mask: Dark red or tan, hairy brows, strong jaw, annoyed expression.
Costume: Dark and simply dressed, cane, handkerchief.
The scheming count or countess. Petty, mean, occasionally pointlessly cruel, exceedingly envious of Primo. Occasionally from a neighbouring region, occasionally one of Primo’s vassals. Always scheming to bring about Primo’s downfall, perhaps with assistance from the other High-born. Occasionally Nada’s patron or Coffer’s master. With the recent War of Defiance, many Secundos have morphed into parodies of Duchess Serafin of Defiance, and even gained a slightly heroic streak.
Huachia / Hwaka / Tertia
Mask: Bright red, rounded, black hair with a white streak, deep scowl.
Costume: Bright red, pillow for a fat gut, big coat, big cuffs, carrying a lit pipe.
Named for the mythical Dradian founder-hero. Bloviating, performatively brave and well-off, she is an aggressive parody of the small nobility, and of everything Dradian - she may change with the times, but she always hates Magnites and schemes obsessively over money. Obviously, if you’re putting on a play in Ceremtis or Dramyth, you keep her the same, but you make her the hero of the story. A popular role for older women with a loud voice - you might “graduate” from playing Sara or Vasa into Huachia.
Valto / Wallet / Valetto / Walter / Quarto
Mask: Round, golden-brown, smiling insincerely. Broad-brimmed hat.
Costume: Pillow stuffed into your shirt for a fake gut, big coat, nice shoes.
The corrupt signatory, using his power over everyone for ill. Loathsome cheat and liar, exists to garner boos, the most villainous villain. Often the problem facing the Low-born directly, trying to interrupt a wedding or steal away an inheritance. Always gets his comeuppance by the end, usually Exile, occasionally even a death. Without fail, has a posh Capitoline accent.
Barque / Zhi / Pento
Mask: Pointy, angular, golden-brown, scowling. Broad-brimmed hat. Sometimes, in Arumell, a wooden dog-face.
Costume: High collar, big boots, dressed for the road. Prop gun! Prop sword! Prop gun AND prop sword!
The hound, after the Signatories of the Hound Charter, a common antagonist. Once they were just a Low-born thief-taker or a court-runner, but the appearance of the Signatories they seemed to presage has elevated them to the status of regular central antagonist. Always investigating something, incredibly nosy and relentless. Jokes are made of their sleeplessness. Probably always seeking another character in the play but very rarely making the connection - occasionally killed off if they do, or perhaps they make the wrong connection and arrest Huachia or another High-Born as part of our play’s resolution. The ultimate straight-man in any joke.
Potentate / Capitan / Fracassa
Mask: Polished wood or leather, wild-haired, sneering, pointy teeth.
Costume: Big shoulders, prop spear, varies wildly.
Plays a bandit chief, a minor warlord or even an army captain if we can find a yellow coat. Named originally for a historical figure, who survives mostly into the modern day as a villain from the Knightly Matters. A comic villain, spitting insults in a quick flow from the second he appears ‘til the second we kill him off in the most ridiculous way we can think of. Possibly invented to be a nastier Pugno, they are natural enemies, and never share the stage without a brawl.
Ants / Dogs / Potentiti
Mask: Polished wood, one eyehole each, no other features, paired with a peasant’s cap.
Costume: Whatever the actor’s wearing.
The Potentate’s silent minions, a duo, preferably one comically tall one and one comically short one. Slapstick and physical comedy, they’ll never execute the Potentate’s orders without some kind of embarrassing failure or stupid miscommunication. Not just anyone can play the Ants - you need to be a genuine acrobat to really impress audiences, who, of course, remember the last time they saw a play with the Ants in it. Sometimes they brawl with the soldiers, sometimes the four of them stand together and watch Pugno and the Potentate beat the hell out of each other.
Skapiec / Scapo / Coffrefort / Ratna
Mask: Blue, prominent chin, drooping moustache, broad-brimmed hat, squinting expression.
Costume: Oversized robe or coat, sleeves too big, dragging behind him.
The old miser, a skewering of the big-city brokers, artisans and profiteers. Often trips others up with his robe. If the play’s being put on in the countryside, he’ll spend his stage-time complaining about country-roads, pig-farmers and exorbitant tolls. If we’re in the big city, he’s still complaining about that, but from a safe remove. If you’re near the Seriasi Sea, they give him an exaggeratedly Rozian accent, and in Rozendak, they make him sound like he’s from the Capital. Otherwise, he has whatever big-city accent is appropriate for the locality - in Kelkora, he’s from an old family of Okiri nobility, constantly bemoaning the “good old days”. Occasionally, he’s a Low-born’s father (paradoxically). Played by anyone who can really, genuinely complain - preferably someone short, too.
THE NATURAL-BORN
The plot. These are broad archetypes, not a set list.
Ubria / Spitter / Dolata
Mask: Bright red, grinning, phallic nose. Tall hat.
Costume: Bright but threadbare clothing.
The drunk. Comical and upbeat, was once an important figure, but they blew it all on a life of hedonism. Rarely cares, and their function in the plot is trying to regain their wealth to keep on with the life of hedonism. The avatar of censorable humour, the singular presence of Ubria has resulted in moral outrage in all seven regions of the outer Kingdom. Some Defiants laughingly claim the day Ubria walks the halls of Irgavio Sol is the day the King dies.
Grouse / Zalky / Trod-On
Mask: Blue, miserable looking. Occasionally has a huge beard. Raggedy hat with earflaps.
Costume: Comically pitiful rags.
The beggar. Sad and downbeat, was once an important figure, now reduced to rags. Occasionally revealed to be Primo’s brother, or a Signatory, or someone’s missing wealthy mother, or Huachia’s old business rival, or even sometimes Valto and Barque’s superior in disguise. These days, having them just be an actual, normal beggar who happens to solve the plot is subversive (and wildly unpopular).
Aklavik / Guaxa / Shosana
Mask: Reddish, creepily expressionless and symmetrical, with very very long hair.
Costume: Patterned, fanciful robes.
The mysterious witch. Has the power of sorcery, and through this vehicle can resolve the plot, or maybe cause it, by cursing someone. Occasionally causes other Natural-borns to enter the plot via sorcery. Occasionally vanishes characters in a cacophony of flashpowder and drums. Usually appears out of the audience, or stepping through the set. Has every other character petrified. Responds to voices nobody else can hear.
Aven / Hljod / Helyod
Mask: Animal-head (often a deer or a dog), or maybe a helm. Never a face.
Costume: Dark, long ragged cape. Bow, sword and horn.
The huntress. Serious business. Occasionally a noble, occasionally a wanderer, occasionally a hedge-knight. Delivers bad omens, rarely speaks, sometimes points ominously. Sometimes involved in a freischutz sort of a situation. Sometimes a misunderstood hero, sometimes an evil conspirator, sometimes a bounty-hunter. A very mutable role. Might even be a ghost or a spirit. Requires a voice that can make the most of one line of dialogue. The only character allowed to harm Ankou, by the rules of theatre. Commonly punctuates the occasional dramatic play, usually mocked for her laconicity in more comic plays (and it usually causes misunderstandings, too).
Ankou / Ly Erg / Nobody of Importance
Mask: Depicts a helm, or maybe it’s a deep hood. Never a face. Sometimes has briars on his head.
Costume: Dark, ominous, accented red. Has a sword and sometimes a single red glove.
The duellist. Occasionally a rebel, a mysterious nobleman, or a hedge-knight. Wanders into the plot to kill someone, occasionally, or to wound someone. Perhaps motivated by revenge, perhaps someone’s long-lost thought-dead sibling or fiancé, sometimes a political assassin. A very mutable role. Might even be a ghost or a spirit. Requires a deep or husky voice which can carry a threat. The only character allowed to harm Aven, by the rules of theatre. Commonly punctuates the occasional dramatic play, usually mocked for his seriousness in comic plays.
Jiji / Guidsire / Pine-Tree / Scrape / Flinty
Mask: Chalk white, moustache and beard also chalk white, blocky nose, judgemental expression. Tasseled cap.
Costume: White robe or coat, ragged and stained.
The old man. Insults the audience, speaks in riddles, usually comes into the play to deliver a curse, or to inform someone of the terms of a curse. Often given a Zzargovi accent, and the task of bringing down or humbling one of the High-born. A comic character who is nevertheless frightening to the other characters. When he appears alongside Baba, they’re the real antagonists, and the High-born and Low-born must work together to survive the play.
Baba / Grandmere / Larch-Tree / Split / Pitch
Mask: Black or dark red. Wide-eyed, toothy grin. White hair.
Costume: Ragged black robes.
The old woman. Heckles the audience, speaks in riddles, sometimes displays the ability to strike another character dead with an incantation or pointed finger. In some genres of story, she’ll appear to a Low-born at a crossroads and hand them a cursed gift they’re too stupid to reject. Often given a Kelkoran accent, the cosmic opposite of Huachia. A comic character who is nevertheless frightening to the other characters. When she appears alongside Jiji, they’re the real antagonists, and the High-born and Low-born must work together to survive the play.
The Horrible Creature
Mask: Every troupe has their own, and prides themselves on having the most grotesque one.
Costume: Same as above.
Locally might be a vrykolaka, or a jiangshi, or a bhuta, or a giant, or a spirit, or whatever local spookum needs to be in the story to scare two characters into the same bed, to scare Skapiec into scattering his coins into the audience, or to frighten the Potentate into falling down that well prop we worked very hard on all last Winter while there was nobody out to put on plays for. Never speaks, moves only slowly - a good role if you can’t actually act.
When the Horrible Creature monologues, things have gone very odd indeed.
If you’re brave, tell me about something theatrical from your elf-games. It’s an interesting theme, I think.
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