One Last Try At Roleplay.....

[SEVERUSMAX]

.....Tudor England.

Me: Sir Ian Rogers, a baronet who is very jaded about the Catholic-Protestant squabbles in his country. Has little use for them and just keeps his mouth shut about religion, as he is rapidly disgusted with both sides. He is too busy womanizing anyway, as well as studying, listening to music, and managing his lands in northern England.

He is very fond of a squire's daughter named Philippa Coldbury. Her father is William Coldbury, who doesn't really care much for Sir Ian, but swallows his dislike in the interest of civil peace and hopes for advancement. He can't afford an enemy like the "godless heathen" Sir Ian, whose reputation for libertinism is growing. He is especially worried given the illness of King Edward VI, in case the Catholic Princess Mary assumes the throne and he is in trouble for his fierce Protestant views.

There are plenty of other roles that can be made up, but try to keep them realistic enough for 16th Century England, as well as erotic. There's no reason why both shouldn't be possible.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Sir Ian looks out rather happily at his estate, realizing that he has most of what he desires. He has peace and quiet, away from the religious disputes between Catholic and Protestant that tear England apart under the dying Edward VI. He has wealth, servants, tavern wenches in the nearest town who are always pleased to serve him for an extra shilling, meat, bread, nice clothes, excellent books, and even an ambitious Italian painter to do his portraits. He is not bothered by the King or his officials for anything. He even has a title, which his neighbors even him. He has mostly good neighbors, except for...

William Coldbury. The pompous, glorified oaf who is in bed with the Duke of Northumberland and the militant Protestant faction that dominates life at the English court. The squire is cozy with Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, etc., and has even named his youngest son after Latimer. He has a lot of influence now, but he fears the imminent death of the sickly King. The most obvious heiress to the throne is the King's elder sister, Princess Mary, daughter of Katherine of Aragon and a fiercely devout Roman Catholic.

He is increasingly sycophantic toward Rogers, who has been rumored to be a Papist because he is so quiet about matters of faith in a country with a state church. He also envies and hates Rogers, despising him as a possible "heretic" at the worst and "lukewarm" at best.

But his daughter, well, his daughter is different. If William had any notion that his daughter, in danger of spinsterhood at 18, really craved this possible Catholic, he would send her off to court ASAP, to make sure that she wedded a "Reformer".

But Philippa is no doormat, even for her father. She has a mind of her own, and has flirted with Sir Ian on occasion. Perhaps she wants to get on the good side of a man who might be safe under Mary. Perhaps she wants a title and wealth. Perhaps, however, she really desires to be Sir Ian's wife. Ordinarily, her father wouldn't object to a match well above her station as a squire's daughter. However, he might not want to go so far to appease Sir Ian, due to his religious differences with him.

Who knows?

Sir Ian laughed to himself. I should get back to my sitting for the portrait. I do not wish the painter bored and tempted to make another advance toward Bess. She has told him that she doesn't want him, but he rarely listens.

Time enough later to think of Philippa, that lovely, fair woman not considered to be worthy of him by some. They are wrong in that, I am sure.