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Written by Gabriel Brouillard

Edited by Graeme Davis

COLONIAL GOTHIC Line Developer Graeme Davis

Layout & Pre-Press by Jessica McDevitt

Cartography by Gabriel Brouillard

Art by David R. Deitrick. Clipart courtesy of FCIT (Florida Educational Technol-

ogy Clearinghouse)

COLONIAL GOTHIC logo by Leanne Buckley

Special thanks to Mathieu Gélinas, Jean Boisclair, Amélie Brouillard and Martin
Béliveau for their various contributions.

COLONIAL GOTHIC: NEW FRANCE all contents is © 2011 by Rogue Games Inc.
No part of this book may be reproduced without permission except small parts for
review or scholarly criticism.

ISBN 978-0-9826598-2-3

Published by Rogue Games, Inc.

Rogue Games’ Rogues are Richard Iorio II & James Maliszewski

Rogue Games, Rogue Games logo, COLONIAL GOTHIC & COLONIAL GOTHIC
logo are TM and © 2007-2010 by Rogue Games, Inc.

Visit the Rogues on the web: www.rogue-games.net

9
 "#$%&'()'*(+,&+,-
Introduction ........................................................................................ 6

Glossary .............................................................................................. 7

=#7,'!>'"?&'*(%(+;&- ............................................................................... 8

Chapter 1: A Brief History Of New France ............................................ 9

The Golden Age of New France ............................................................. 10

The War of the Conquest ....................................................................... 10

British Rule and the American Revolution ............................................ 10

Chapter 2: The French North American Colonies ................................... 13

Acadie (Acadia) ...................................................................................... 13

Terre-Neuve (Newfoundland) ................................................................ 14

Canada ................................................................................................... 14

Louisiane (Louisiana) ............................................................................. 19

Baie du Nord (Hudson Bay) and Terres de Rupert (Rupert’s Land) ...... 22

Society .................................................................................................... 26

Economy ................................................................................................ 28

Religion .................................................................................................. 31

Chapter 3: Organizations ...................................................................... 33

The Compagnie des Cents Associés ....................................................... 33

The Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement de l’Autel ..................................... 34

The Knights of Malta ............................................................................. 35

The Hudson’s Bay Company .................................................................. 36

Chapter 4: Native American Tribes ........................................................ 37

Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) ................................................ 38

Wabanaki Confederacy ........................................................................... 38

Algonquins ............................................................................................. 39

Hurons and Wyandot ............................................................................. 39

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 "#$%&'()'*(+,&+,-
Montagnais ............................................................................................ 39

Atikamekw ............................................................................................. 41

Inuit ........................................................................................................ 41

The Mandoag ......................................................................................... 41

=#7,'9>'A&,,;+B- ......................................................................................... @<

Chapter 5: The Golden Age Of New France ........................................... 44

Adventures ............................................................................................. 45

Personalities ............................................................................................ 47

Chapter 6: The French And Indian War (1754-1763) ............................... 54

The French Commanders ....................................................................... 56

Adventures ............................................................................................. 57

Personalities............................................................................................. 59

Chapter 7: The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) ...................... 66

Adventures ............................................................................................. 68

Personalities ............................................................................................ 70

=#7,'<>'CD%&- .............................................................................................. 74

Chapter 8: Creating a Character ............................................................ 75

Colonists ................................................................................................ 75

Freeman .................................................................................................. 77

Military .................................................................................................. 77

Native American/First Nations .............................................................. 78

French Names ........................................................................................ 78

Chapter 9: Duels .................................................................................. 82

Sword Duels ........................................................................................... 83

Pistol Duels ............................................................................................ 84

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 "#$%&'()'*(+,&+,-
Chapter 10: Mysteries ........................................................................... 85

The Black Man’s Mound ........................................................................ 85

The Mysterious Cobbled Roads ............................................................. 86

Magnetic Hill ......................................................................................... 86

Black Bartelmy’s Ghost .......................................................................... 87

La Corriveau .......................................................................................... 87

The Kingdom of Saguenay ..................................................................... 87

Chapter 11: Monsters ........................................................................... 89

Feux-Follets ............................................................................................ 89

Flying Dogs ............................................................................................ 89

Mestabeoks ............................................................................................. 90

Tuurngaits .............................................................................................. 90

Appendix I: Bibliography And Other Sources ........................................ 91

E
 1+,7(:D8,;(+

1+,7(:D8,;(+
This book is a compan-
ion to the COLONIAL GOTHIC
RULEBOOK, covering the French
colonies in present-day Canada,
the Great Lakes region, and the
Mississippi Valley. You can use it
to expand the action of a game set
in the Thirteen Colonies, or to play
a game set some decades earlier in
NEW FRANCE.

The book is divided into three

sections:

Part 1: The Colonies provides

information on the history, geog-
raphy, politics, and people of NEW
FRANCE.
Part 2: Settings details three historical periods as settings for roleplaying adventures:
‡ The Golden Age of NEW FRANCE (1720-1744)
‡ War of Conquest/French and Indian War (1754-1763)
‡ British rule during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Part 3: Rules covers the creation of French colonial characters, local monsters
and mysteries, and offers some notes for the GM.
This book is intended to give the historical, geographical and cultural back-
ground of NEW FRANCE while leaving the door wide open for the more esoteric
elements of a traditional COLONIAL GOTHIC game.
While the book’s contents are based on historical fact, you will notice that this
book leans toward the French point of view of history. French names have been used
to preserve a sense of the time and place. The glossary below gives their Anglicized
counterparts or English translations.
This is not a history book. It is not intended to offend people or insult anyone’s
ancestry, origins or beliefs in any way. History does not serve everyone fair justice but
we have to take it as it is made available to us. Please keep in mind that this book is
for entertainment, and for this purpose we may have altered some facts to create a
more convenient setting for intrigue and mystery.
With that said, have fun!

F
 1+,7(:D8,;(+
3%(--#7H
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Acadie Acadia
Appalaches Appalachians (including Adirondacks)
Baie des Plaisances Placentia Bay
Baie du Nord Hudson Bay
Fort Carillon Fort Ticonderoga
Îles-de-la-Madeleine Magdalen Islands
Louisiane Louisiana
Nouvelle-Orléans New Orleans
Pays de l’Ohio Ohio Country
Pays des Illinois Illinois Country
Plateau Laurentien Canadian Shield Mountains
Québec Québec city
St-Laurent St. Lawrence River
Terre-Neuve Newfoundland
Terres de Rupert Rupert’s Land

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Conseil Souverain Sovereign Council
Coureur des bois Literally “wood-runners,” free-ranging hunters,
trappers, and traders
Évêque Bishop
Seigneur Lord
Sieur Sir
Voyageurs Literally “travelers,” officially licensed coureurs
des bois

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Acte de Québec The 1774 Quebec Act of the British Parliament,
which set procedures of government in the
British Province of Quebec
Guerre de la Conquête French and Indian War (in Europe, the Seven
Years’ War)

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 *?#K,&7

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Britain was not the only colonial power with eyes on North America. The brief
histories of the New Sweden and New Netherland colonies are discussed in the
COLONIAL GOTHIC GAZETTEER, and Spanish explorers and conquistadores were
active further south. Although New France was eventually conquered by Britain,
it lives on in many of the differences between the United States and Canada.

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 2'N7;&)'4;-,(7H'.)'0&5'67#+8&

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The history of New France begins with the voyage of the French navigator
Jacques Cartier in 1534. Drawing from the experiences of earlier explorers and fish-
ermen, Cartier crossed the Atlantic and claimed the region known as l’Acadie in the
name of King François I of France. Early attempts to colonize the region were not
very successful, but the French explored a vast area of North America and estab-
lished relations with several Native American tribes.
In the late 16th century, French activities in North America were limited to the
establishment of trading posts. Cartier had reported the potential of the fur trade
around the St-Laurent valley, and further exploration confirmed that the lands be-
yond were just as promising. Encouraged by private merchants, the French claimed
vast territories but failed to populate them.
All that changed beginning in 1608,
when Samuel de Champlain was man-
dated by King Henri IV of France to
build a permanent settlement. Merchants
were offered land in exchange for their
undertaking to help populate Canada,
l’Acadie and Terre-Neuve. Kings Louis
XIII and XIV, prompted by Cardinal de
Richelieu, reinforced the policies favor-
ing colonization. Despite these mea-
sures, the population of New France was
still significantly lower than that of the
British Colonies, and was more widely
dispersed.

Tensions between France and England

in Europe were mirrored in their North
American colonies. The French forces
in North America were hard pressed to
defend their large territory from Brit-
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 *?#K,&7'!
ish colonists and native tribes. In 1649 Montréal itself nearly fell to attacks by the
Iroquois. The British claim on the Baie du Nord and Rupert’s Land was heavily
disputed and the French responded by expanding south. Their new territories were
named “Louisiane” in honor of King Louis XIV.

As time went on, New France, especially Canada and l’Acadie, became increas-
ingly secure and profitable. In 1663, King Louis XIV officially made Canada a prov-
ince of France and increased the number of garrisoned troops. Border skirmishes
with the British continued, and New France built numerous forts to ward off in-
cursions while conducting mlitary expeditions of its own. At about the same time,
Louisiane was also made a province of France and given its own governor. L’Acadie
and Terre-Neuve remained protectorates.
Like the British colonies, New France found itself drawn into conflicts that
originated in Europe. Most significant were the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701-1714) and the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).
While the War of the Spanish Succession raged in Europe, British colonists
attacked French and Spanish interests in the New World. Although British expedi-
tions failed to reach Québec, the war ended with the British in control of l’Acadie
and Terre-Neuve, which they renamed Nova Scotia and Newfoundland respectively.

"?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
New France flourished after the Treaty of Utrecht brought Queen Anne’s War
to an end in 1713, despite the territorial concessions France had been forced to
make. The construction of the Chemin du Roy (“King’s Highway”) from Montréal
to Québec stimulated trade, and was accompanied by the building of new ports and
the improvement of existing ones. Fishing and agriculture prospered, and the flow
of colonists from France increased.
This was a time of growth, with increased immigration from France and the ex-
pansion of trade and infrastructure. Although there were still occasional skirmishes
with the British, the colonists of New France lived in peace for several decades.
This period of peace and prosperity came to an end in 1744, when news reached
North America of the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession in Europe.
Once again France and Britain were at war, and their North American colonies
followed suit. French forces tried to recapture l’Acadie (renamed Nova Scotia by
the British) but failed. The following year, the Governor of Massachusetts attacked
Louisbourg at the mouth of the St-Laurent, and it fell after a prolonged siege. At
the end of the war the borders of the colonies were restored to their former state, but
there was lasting enmity between the French and British colonists.

"?&'P#7'.)'"?&'*(+QD&-,
In 1756, the Seven Years’ War drew France and Britain into conflict again.
While skirmishes between New France and the British Colonies had never really
ceased, this new European war paved the way for larger actions. At the time, New

!O
 2'N7;&)'4;-,(7H'.)'0&5'67#+8&
France had about 70,000 colonists while the British numbered over 1,100,000. This
North American conflict would be known as the War of Conquest to the French and
the French and Indian War to the British and Americans.

Despite early French successes at Monongahela, Fort Oswego and Fort William
Henry, it was only a question of time before the weight of British numbers would
overwhelm New France. In mid-1758 the British laid siege to the fort of Louisbourg
in Acadie which had, so far, kept access to the St-Laurent open for support from
France. The next year the British sailed into the St-Laurent to capture Québec, the
capital of New France. Montréal surrendered in 1760 and in 1763 France conceded
almost all of its North American lands to Britain under the Treaty of Paris.

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The Treaty of Paris left France with only the islands of St-Pierre and Mique-
lon. All French territory east of the Mississippi went to Britain along with Spanish
Florida, while Spain acquired all France’s claims to lands west of the Mississippi,
including Louisiane and Nouvelle-Orléans.
In the Quebec Act of 1774, the British Parliament set out laws for the gover-
nance of the Province of Quebec, as British Canada was then called. As a concession
to the French colonists, it guaranteed religious freedom for Catholics and removed
references to the Protestant faith from the oath of allegiance to the Crown. French
civil law governed personal disputes, while English common law was used for every-
thing else.
As in the Thirteen Colonies, the King appointed a royal governor for the prov-
ince. He was to be assisted by a legislative council, but there was no provision for an
elected assembly.

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 *?#K,&7'!
In the Thirteen Colonies, the Quebec Act was
counted among the Intolerable Acts that con-
tributed to the spread of revolutionary sentiment.
The lack of any provision for an elected assembly
was seen as part of a drive by Parliament to es-
tablish direct control over the North American
colonies and deny participation to the colonists
themselves. In addition, the inclusion of the Ohio
Territory within the borders of Quebec dashed
the hopes of many speculators from the Thirteen
Colonies who had spent considerable time and
effort to drive the French out and establish ter-
ritorial claims there for their own colonies.
During the Revolutionary War, support for
the American cause was mixed. The clergy and
landowners generally supported Britain, while
English-speaking merchants and migrants from
the Thirteen Colonies supported American in-
dependence. American forces invaded Quebec in
1775 and captured Montreal, but their attempt to
besiege Quebec City failed and they were pushed
out of the province by June 1776. Within Que-
bec, revolutionary sentiment resulted in a few
skirmishes between colonists and British troops,
but British rule was never seriously threatened. As the war went on, Loyalists from
the rebellious colonies arrived in British Canada in increasing numbers.

!9
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At its height, New France surrounded the British colonies, extending from
Newfoundland to the Great Lakes and the entire Mississippi valley. Unlike the
Thirteen Colonies, however, much of its extent was based on territorial claims rather
than actual colonization.

28#:;&'S28#:;#T
The Acadie region was located south of the St-Laurent estuary and was much
more extensive than today, covering parts of modern New Brunswick, Nova Sco-
tia, and Prince Edward Island and extending into Maine. Following the Treaty of
Utrecht in 1713, it was divided between the French and British and shared with
some Wabanaki natives.
After the Treaty of Utrecht, l’Acadie had a high strategic importance as it be-
came the only French land still protecting the entrance into the St-Laurent. Its
loss in 1758 allowed the British to sail into the St-Laurent at will and to blockade
French Canada. After the French and Indian War, French Acadians were expelled in
large numbers. Some returned to France while others went to Louisiane (which by
then was under Spanish rule) and founded the Louisiana Cajun culture. “Cajun” is a
degraded form of the word “Acadien.” A few fled inland to areas still under French
rule.

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 *?#K,&7'9

"&77&U0&DR&'S0&5)(D+:%#+:T
The island of Terre-Neuve is home to the earliest known European colony in
America: the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, which was founded circa
AD 1000. It was claimed in 1583 by Sir Humphrey Gilbert and named Newfound-
land. Most European nations, including England itself, did not recognize this claim
at the time, but this did not deter British fishermen from establishing several out-
posts. In 1635, French fishermen succeeded in establishing a foothold in the Baie
des Plaisances through various deals with the British locals. This French outpost was
later fortified and became Fort Plaisance, serving as a base to launch series of suc-
cessful attacks against the British.

Though the French secured the southern portion of the island, it was entirely
ceded to Britain in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. The French fishermen were al-
lowed to remain as subjects of the British Crown. France again contested the area
during the French and Indian War, but Britain retained control of everything except
the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

*#+#:#
This region was traditionally defined as the valley of the St-Laurent River. It is
a wide strip of flat land located between the Appalaches Mountains and the highest
summits of the Plateau Laurentien. With thousands of lesser rivers flowing down
the two mountain ranges into the St-Laurent, Canada was well-suited for agricul-
ture. Furthermore, the St-Laurent itself offered easy access from the Atlantic Ocean
up to the rapids of Lachine located near the island of Montréal.
The Canadian winter was a major obstacle to colonization. The Europeans en-
joyed a much milder climate and were not initially ready to face it. An average of

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"?&'67&+8?'0(7,?'2I&7;8#+'*(%(+;&-

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 *?#K,&7'9
316 cm (roughly 125 inches) of snow falls on this region each year. Even if the
temperatures during the summer could reach 34° C (roughly 94° F), the colonists
experienced drops to -35° C (roughly 0° F) during winter. Letters of the time relate
the amazement of some colonists seeing Native Americans occasionally go out dur-
ing the coldest winters wearing little more than a loincloth.

VDW$&8
The city, after which Canada was briefly renamed the Province of Quebec, was
built on a site the natives once called “Stadacona” or “place where the river narrows”.
This accurately describes the site, on the top of a sheer cliff running along the St-
Laurent and offering an easily defensible position. As the capital of New France,
Québec was fortified with stone walls and bastions that completely surrounded it.
This wall, called l’Enceinte by the French, would be incorporated into later fortifica-
tions built by the British.
West of the city are the Plains of Abraham, a long strip of rolling plains border-
ing the St-Laurent atop a line of sheer cliffs.
Other points of interest in the area are the Montmorency Falls and the Île
d’Orléans. The first are known for their impressive height, greater than that of Ni-
agara Falls. The Île d’Orléans was known for the quantity of wild grapes growing
there. It was settled by a few colonists even before Québec itself, and a few villages
thrived there by the time General Wolfe landed and used its largest house, the Man-
oir Mauvide-Genest, as his headquarters.

X(+,7W#%'S4(8?&%#B#T
When Jacques Cartier arrived at the island of Montréal in 1535, he found an
Iroquois village called Hochelaga, which meant “Beaver Lake” in the Iroquois lan-
guage. He was welcomed by the natives and when he saw the mountain at the center
of the island, he named it “Mont Royal”. Visiting in 1611, Samuel de Champlain
found that the Iroquois had left the island.
Another notable feature is the rapids of Lachine, which prevented European
ships sailing further upriver. They were given this name by Jacques Cartier as be
believed China was just beyond them. “Lachine” translates literally as “The China”.
Financed by various religious orders in France, Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de
Maisonneuve led an expedition in 1642 to found the city of Ville-Marie. He was ac-
companied by members of a society called the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal
(see p. 57) whose goal was the conversion of the natives. Together they settled on the
island, building churches, hospitals and palisades.
Later, Montréal was given its own true fortifications. To replace the obsolete
wooden palisades, two stone walls with parapets and gates were built around the city
between 1717 and 1737. Because the ditch between the two was poorly drained, it
partially filled with water and mud.

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 *?#K,&7'9

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Trois-Rivières was an important fortified trading post built in 1634 near
the confluence of the St-Maurice River and the St-Laurent. At the invitation of the
Montagnais chief Capitanal, Samuel de Champlain sent Nicolas Goupil de Lavio-
lette from Québec to locate the site and settle there. Its name, literally meaning
“three rivers,” came from the islands that split the St-Maurice River in three where
it joins the St-Laurent.
The trading post prospered over the years, and eventually established a small but
unofficial regional government of its own.

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As part of New France, and later as a province of France, Louisiane was much
larger than the present-day state of Louisiana. It comprised all the land between the
Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. While its eastern border was firmly defined by
the Appalaches, its western limits are still the subject of debate between American
and Mexican scholars. The French subdivided the region into two districts called
Haute-Louisiane (Upper Louisiana), also called Pays des Illinois (Illinois Country),
and Basse-Louisiane (Lower Louisiana). The border between the two was the Ohio
River.
During the War of Conquest, the portion south of Lake Erie was called Pays
de l’Ohio (Ohio Country). It had become a refuge for Native Americans who had
escaped previous European expansion, and was heavily disputed. After the war, the
French population of southern Louisiane was increased by refugees from l’Acadie,
who found that the Treaty of Fontainebleau had secretly transferred Louisiane to
Spain as of December 1764. A rebellion in 1768 failed to prevent Spain taking con-
trol of the French colony. This rule lasted until Napoleon Bonaparte re-established
French control in 1800.
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 *?#K,&7'9

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0(DR&%%&U.7%W#+-
This city, built in 1718, succeeded Biloxi and Mobile as the Capital of Basse-
Louisiane in 1723. It was essential for French control of the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi. The area around Nouvelle-Orléans is wet and unsuited to most types of
agriculture. Tobacco and indigo dye were exported to Europe in the city’s early days
but it often depended on trade with Spanish colonies to meet its need for basic com-
modities. Nouvelle-Orléans was ceded to Spain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris.
The absence of rigid social, political and religious structures in Basse-Louisiane
contributed to give its people a greater feeling of liberty they had previously known.
Few went to church, and the unique blend of newly arrived settlers, African slaves,
Native Americans and Spaniards made Nouvelle-Orléans very distinctive. Even be-
fore 1733, when Bienville returned for his last term as Governor General, the city
already had the reputation of being a “joyful place”.

9!
 *?#K,&7'9

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This bay, located northwest of the region of Canada, owes its present-day name
to British explorer Henry Hudson. Like Canada, this region is naturally drained by
an impressive number of rivers which allowed beavers to proliferate. The British saw
the potential for their own fur trade and claimed the area. The famous Hudson’s Bay
Company began operating there in 1670. The land around the bay became known as
Rupert’s Land after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the Company’s first governor and a
cousin of England’s King Charles II. The French contested this claim, but although
several attempts were made to dislodge the British they never escalated into war.
The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 officially confirmed England’s claim to the region
but this did not deter French Canadian coureurs des bois and voyageurs from ven-
turing there to hunt and trade. The name “Baie du Nord” remained in use among the
French colonists as a rebuff to the British.

99
"?&'67&+8?'0(7,?'2I&7;8#+'*(%(+;&-
The bay begins to freeze in October and thaws in June. Despite this there is
surprisingly little snow, about 75 cm (roughly 30 inches) varying with latitude.

"7#:;+B'=(-,-
The trading posts were initially founded to trade furs with the natives and to
supply French trappers and explorers, among others. They were essentially rough
dormitories and supply depots, usually surrounded by a simple palisade to block the
cold winter winds. The most famous trading posts were Tadoussac, Gaspé and Port-
Royal.
Trading posts were found all over the territory of New France, and even beyond
into lands unclaimed by any European power. In the early 17th century trading posts
were responsible for the bulk of New France’s trade. An alliance of French mer-
chants, called the Compagnie des Cent-Associés (Company of One Hundred As-
sociates; see p. 33) received a monopoly on the fur trade in New France in exchange
for help in populating the colonies. This endeavor created hundreds of profitable
trading posts but failed to increase the number of colonists significantly. In the 18th
century, many of these posts grew into forts or small villages.

9<
 *?#K,&7'9

6(7,-
Forts were essential for the defense of French territory. They served to garrison
and protect troops sent from France as well as locally-raised colonial militias. The
most important also supported a small civilian population, the perfect example being
the fortress of Louisbourg in Acadie.
Louisbourg was a key point of the French North American colonial defensive
strategy. Its loss to the British in 1745 spurred the French to invest massively to
improve its defenses after it was returned to them three years later. Its second fall in
1758 required a massive effort on the part of the British.

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"?&'67&+8?'0(7,?'2I&7;8#+'*(%(+;&-

[#D$#+UA,H%&'6(7,;);8#,;(+-
Most forts in North America were based on the Vauban design. Vauban forti-
fications were evolutions of the Italian “star-fort” where the bastions were replaced
by towers that could cover each other, bringing both frontal and flanking fire to bear
on attackers. Even if a tower were captured, the two on either side could fire on it to
dislodge the enemy.
Vauban forts have low but very thick walls, to resist cannon fire rather than
discourage assault by escalade. In Europe they were built of brick, which made them
impervious to most attacks. In the French and British colonies, however, stone and
wood were often used instead. The colonies did not always have the resources to
build forts in brick, and the need to secure territory often meant that solidity took
second place to speed of construction.
The classic Vauban fort had five sides, with sloping walls and outworks at each
corner. The outer walls, when made of brick or stone, had inclines of approximately
70°. Since wooden forts could not sustain artillery fire, this measure was rarely im-
plemented on them. Simpler, four-pointed star shapes were also built if the terrain
and the available resources required it.

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 *?#K,&7'9

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*(+-&;%'A(DR&7#;+
The supreme authority in New France was the Conseil Souverain (Sovereign
Council). This council was the heart of the judicial structure in the provinces of
Canada, Haute-Louisiane and l’Acadie. It was composed of the Governor-General,
the Intendant, and the Bishop of New France. The Captain of the Militia passed on
the Intendant’s development plans to the colonists and was in charge of the census.
In addition, five councillors (increased to twelve in 1703) served as a court of ap-
peal and supreme court of law. Until 1675 the councillors were appointed by the
Governor-General; thereafter they were appointed by the King.
The establishment of the Conseil Souverain in 1663 marked the end of the
monopoly granted to the Compagnie des Cent-Associés (see p. 33) to manage the
colonies of New France. The company had failed to increase the colony’s population
as it had promised.
The Governors-General of New France and Basse-Louisiane were appointed by
the French Minister of the Navy. They were in command of all French land and sea
forces in North America. The office differed from earlier governorships that were lim-
ited to certain cities. The district of Basse-Louisiane, due to its remote location, re-
mained separate from the Conseil Souverain and retained its own Governor-General.
The Intendants of New France and Basse-Louisiane were in charge of the day-
to-day administration, economy, finance and, as part of the Conseil Souverain, the
legal system of the colony. Because of the overlap between the powers of the Inten-
dants and Governors-General, quarrels over precedence were not uncommon.

9F
"?&'67&+8?'0(7,?'2I&7;8#+'*(%(+;&-
The Archdiocese of Québec is the oldest Catholic see in America north of
Mexico, and the Évêque (Bishop) of New France was a very influential man. As a
member of the Conseil Souverain, the Bishop was in charge of religious affairs (in-
cluding missions to the Native Americans), charity work, education, and hospitals.

/&-'A&;B+&D7-
The Seigneurs of New France formed the next layer of society below the Con-
seil Souverain. They were landowners who divided their estates (called seigneuries)
into long, narrow strips of land and assigned them to French settlers in a system
derived from medieval feudalism. Unlike their European counterparts, few of them
were nobles. The Seigneurie also served as administrators to facilitate the work of the
Intendants. Three days per year, a Seigneur could require all his settlers to work on
roads, mills or other useful items of infrastructure. The Seigneur also collected taxes
within his Seigneurie and sent them to the Intendant along with reports on annual
production.

"?&'*(%(+;-,-
The bulk of the population of New
France was made up of two groups. Tenant
farmers worked the lands of the seigneuries,
while merchants and craftsmen populated
the cities. The latter group were little differ-
ent from their English-speaking counter-
parts in the Thirteen Colonies, but a farmer’s
life in New France was not the same as it was
further south. Instead of owning their own

9G
 *?#K,&7'9
land, farmers rented from a Seigneur, to whom they paid taxes and for whom they
labored on roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects. As tenants rather than
landowners their prospects were limited, and this may have been one reason why New
France never attracted settlers in such numbers as the British colonies did.

L+B#BW-
The engagés were comparable to the indentured servants of the earlier British
colonies. Like them, they had pledged themselves as laborers in return for passage to
the New World. The term of engagement was usually three years, and they were bet-
ter treated on the whole than their English counterparts, who were often regarded
as little more than slaves.

*(D7&D7-':&-'N(;-
Some men preferred to engage in the fur trade directly with Native American
tribes, venturing into the woods to acquire furs instead of waiting at a trading post
for the furs to be delivered. These men often made extensive journeys and forged
bonds with many tribes, sometimes living among them. They quickly acquired a va-
riety of survival skills and an unmatched knowledge of the terrain. This practice in-
tensified after 1640 when the Iroquois dispersed the Hurons, who were the French’s
main trading partners at the time.
Influenced by the established fur trading concerns, the government of New
France perceived the coureurs des bois as a potential threat to the profitability of the
fur trade and tried to regulate them. A few were issued permits and called voyageurs.
A coureur des bois caught trading without such a permit could expect harsh punish-
ment. The first time he would be whipped severely, the second he would be branded
with a fleur-de-lys, and the third he would be sent to row on a royal galley for the
rest of his life.
The coureurs des bois were often regarded as uncivilized, corrupted by their time
in the wilderness and their close ties with native tribes. However, the image of the
independent outlaw hero still attracted many young men to this life. After 1716,
the ban on the practice was lifted and a second generation would receive lucrative
contracts from licensed merchants. They were henceforth all called voyageurs.

L8(+(IH
“Only when the last tree has withered, the last fish has been caught,
and the last river has been poisoned, will you realize you cannot eat
money.” - Cree saying
Initially, trade in New France was often conducted by bartering but to encour-
age the development of a system compatible with France, French livres were intro-
duced. The livre was a coin made of billon, an alloy of copper and silver. It coexisted
with other forms of currency, including promissory notes and even signed playing
cards.
Like all paper currency, the value of promissory notes and playing cards de-
creased rapidly with time. They were initially introduced in the late 17th century

9J
"?&'67&+8?'0(7,?'2I&7;8#+'*(%(+;&-
to counter the lack of minted coin from France. They gradually disappeared over
time, but a claimant with a long-forgotten note was not unheard of. If the heirs of
its issuer had enough money and could be successfully located, the note could be
redeemed.
Historically, a livre was divided into 20 sols (later changed to sous) which were in
turn broken down into 12 deniers each. Like the British Pound Sterling, the value of
a livre was initially equivalent to one pound of silver, but this value depreciated over
the centuries. The British colonies were very reluctant to accept French livres. Not
only were the livres much lighter than the Pound Sterling, but France continuously
adjusted the value of the livre to maintain it below that of other European curren-
cies. As a result, French characters who trade with the merchants of the British
colonies may find that a livre is worth less than a pound.
Data is hard to come by, but in the early 18th century a British pound was worth
as much as 13 livres, 6 sous, and 8 deniers. For the purposes of the game, it is more con-
venient to stick with the exchange rates suggested in the COLONIAL GOTHIC RULE-
BOOK, page 70. All mention of monetary value in this book refers to this system.

"7#:&
The colonies of New France were initially set up as sources of revenue for
France, rather than as French settlements in the New World. Before 1720, Canada,
l’Acadie, and Haute-Louisiane had little other than furs to export, and required
massive amounts of imported goods. When Louis XIV and Richelieu changed of-
ficial policy to emphasize settlement, it became crucial for the colonies to become
less dependent on France and survive on their own resources.
The colony of Terre-Neuve was in the hands of the British by 1713 and so it had
few dealings with France, Canada and l’Acadie. It could import from the Thirteen
Colonies, Britain or even Africa. Fishing was the base of its economy.
Basse-Louisiane depended on imported goods from friendly Spanish colonies.
The Marquis de Vaudreuil turned this situation around and reformed the entire
colony’s economy. In just a few years it started sending its surplus of sugar, tobacco,
dyes and fish oil to France along with its furs. All these items had a high value on the
European markets.
/&'A,U/#D7&+,
More than a simple trade route, the St-Laurent was the cornerstone of the over-
all development of the colony of Canada and much of New France. Its thousands
of tributaries offered easy navigation deep into the hinterland. The French explorers
had learned from the natives how to build canoes from local materials that could
handle rough waters. Later the coureurs des bois, voyageurs, traders, colonists, and even
the French Navy would employ this knowledge to exploit the land’s resources and
transport people and merchandise safely.
Before the construction of the Chemin du Roy, rivers were the only practi-
cal means of transportation. The St-Laurent was, for lack of a better metaphor, the
highway of the age.

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Early in the 18th century, the Conseil Souverain decided that the colony of
Canada would benefit greatly from having a single road linking all the major sei-
gneuries along the northern bank of the St-Laurent. The result of this decision was
the building of le Chemin du Roy (“The King’s Highway”), which began in 1730. The
road was completed in 1737 and ran from the tip of the island of Montréal to Trois-
Rivières and Québec, passing north of all the seigneuries along the St-Laurent.
At the time, Le Chemin du Roy was one of the widest and longest roads in
America. It allowed easy transportation along the most populated axis of New
France.

C&%;B;(+
"?&'C(I#+'*#,?(%;8'*?D78?
In the early days of the French North American colonies, Protestants and Ro-
man Catholics coexisted, though their relations were less than cordial. Samuel de
Champlain noted how a Huguenot minister and a Roman Catholic priest came to
blows over a question of faith.
In 1627, however, Cardinal de Richelieu granted the Catholic Church exclusive
rights to the colonies of New France. This meant that only Catholics were allowed
to emigrate, while all others had to renounce their previous faith and convert. This
measure strengthened the position of the Church but greatly limited the number of
new colonists. By contrast, the British colonies had received great numbers of settlers
from nonconformist religions who wished to leave Britain for religious reasons.
The Church was at the center of every village and parish. Because the clergy
staffed and administered hospitals and schools, the Church received handsome sub-
sidies from the state. Most significantly, the Church collected a tax on all production
called la dîme, another feudal relic descended from medieval tithes. By the middle of
the 18th century, the Church held one-third of the land in New France.

"?&'AWI;+#;7&':&'VDW$&8
The Séminaire de Québec (Quebec Seminary) was (and still is) a community of
priests, but the name also refers to its assets in the city of Québec. The Séminaire’s
main purposes were the education of future priests for New France and promoting
the colony in Europe. Like the Sulpicians, the Séminaire received several seigneuries
from which it drew income.

"?&'\&-D;,-
The French Jesuits were agents of the Church sent to convert the native popu-
lation. In the early 17th century, they had concentrated their efforts mostly on the
Huron, who called them the “Black Robes”. Their efforts met with little success, and
indeed the Huron population was decimated by diseases that the Jesuits inadver-
tently helped to spread. Defeats at the hands of the Iroquois further reduced their
numbers. In all, this aspect of the Jesuits’ mission was a failure.

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 *?#K,&7'9
The Jesuits were unpopular with the French colonists, especially traders who
were happy to satisfy the natives’ thirst for alcohol. The Jesuits denounced this trade
loudly, and their zeal in other matters tried the colonists’ patience. After 1763, the
Jesuits of New France were disbanded by the British and their seigneuries became
Crown land.

"?&'AD%K;8;#+-
Members of the Sulpician order arrived in the New World shortly after the
founding of Montréal. Their order, founded in Paris before Maisoneuve’s voyage,
moved to assist the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal. They received vast expans-
es of land around the island, most of which they converted into seigneuries where
they employed colonists and engagés.
While they also made attempts to convert the local natives, the Sulpicians
focused mainly on building churches and running schools. They were much more
popular than the Jesuits and were helpful to new arrivals.
In the late 17th century the Sulpicians were asked to expand to other regions,
such as Acadie, and lay the foundations of the Church’s permanent presence in these
areas.

"?&'4DBD&+(,-
The Huguenots were French
Calvinist Protestants. Driven out of
France in the late 17th century, they
sought refuge in some Germanic
states as well as New Amsterdam
and the British Colonies. At the
time, religious unrest in Europe was
a powerful incentive to leave for the
colonies. Because Protestants were
banned from emigrating to New
France, the flow of new arrivals there
was much slower than in the British
colonies.
In New France, the Huguenots
were few and marginalized. Their situation was precarious at best, but they managed
to survive despite oppression spurred by Catholic priests. The British victory at Qué-
bec and the Royal Proclamation of 1763 improved their position considerably.

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 .7B#+;]#,;(+-

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.7B#+;]#,;(+-
Various organizations, both esoteric and mundane, were active in New France
and the surrounding territory. The following pages give details on several bodies that
Heroes might encounter in NEW FRANCE, along with a few adventure ideas.

"?&'*(IK#B+;&':&-'*&+,-'2--(8;W-
Also known as the Compagnie de Nouvelle France, this was the third organi-
zation to receive the exclusive exploitation rights of New France. These rights had
passed through the hands of two rival companies, the Compagnie des Marchands
and the Compagnie de Montmorency, before Cardinal de Richelieu gave them to
the Compagnie des Cents Associés in 1628.
As its name suggests, the Compagnie des Cents Associés (Company of One
Hundred Associates) was a group of a hundred French businessman bound together
by a charter drawn up by the Cardinal. They were to encourage migration to the vari-
ous colonies in New France in exchange for a monopoly on the fur trade.
Officially, the company experienced serious difficulties right from the begin-
ning. Administrative costs were high, and its fleets were continuously harassed by
British privateers. In 1645 it sublet its rights to another company, and it later went
bankrupt when these rights were canceled by the King.

A&87&,'AD7R;R#%
Unofficially, the Hundred Associates engineered their own apparent demise.
After a few years, they realized that despite the wealth in New France, they could
never secure it for their benefit in Europe as long as the British had the upper hand
in the Atlantic. Despite the efforts of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the French Minister
of Finance at the time, France’s navy remained less impressive than Britain’s and
could not guarantee their success. Given the situation, the company’s only profitable
course of action was to play both sides.
The Cents Associés contacted the Royal Navy through the Thirteen Colonies to
sign secret agreements that would be sure to lead to them amassing a fortune. They
would continue to exploit the resources of New France, keeping a part for the sake
of appearances but diverting the rest into British hands. In return, Britain would cre-
ate and foster businesses in its own colonies, which the associates could take over by

<<
 *?#K,&7'<
becoming British citizens. The scheme worked for four decades until the company’s
rights were revoked. The Cents Associés retired and traveled secretly to the Thirteen
Colonies to defect and take possession of their new companies. Their involvement in
the economy of New France did not stop there; the wealthy offspring of the associ-
ates regrouped and continued scheming.
By the Golden Age of New France, the third and fourth generations of heirs of
the Cents Associés were fully assimilated British citizens, and the company was now
a secret covenant of businessmen.
By 1740, internal conflict had destroyed most of the company’s influence in
New France. While traces may have remained in lost or forgotten documents, it was
virtually non-existent.

X;--;+B'"7&#-D7&
During their early exploration of the lands of New France, the Cents Associés
unearthed several treasures. These were moved to secret locations deep in French-
held lands to keep them out of French and British hands, and the knowledge of
these locations was handed down within the company. The later Cents Associés
hired teams to recover these treasures, trusting that their expeditions would pass un-
noticed among the movements of the coureurs des bois and voyageurs in the wilderness
of New France. In addition to avoiding the notice of French and British authorities,
these expeditions had to be kept secret from the native peoples from whom the vari-
ous treasures had been taken. At the same time, though, the company was experienc-
ing internal conflict, and many of its members would dearly have loved to possess
these treasures for themselves.

"?&'*(IK#B+;&':D'A#;+,UA#87&I&+,':&'%Z2D,&%
Formed in 1627 in France, the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement de l’Autel
(Company of the Secret Sacrament of the Altar) was the Opus Dei of its day. It
facilitated Maisonneuve’s efforts to found Montréal and was behind the nomination
of several administrators of New France. Zealously opposed to religious reform, it
was the sworn enemy of the Huguenots and allegedly engineered Richelieu’s decree
forbidding their emigration to the colonies of New France.
The company also pursued several ambitious charitable projects, such as provid-
ing access to free health care and supporting war victims. Its powerful roots in the
nobility, the army, and the French parliament allowed it to interfere with the policies
of Richelieu, Mazarin and Louis XIV. The company made public accusations of her-
esy, denounced adultery and sought to have beggars imprisoned. To remain secret,
the company created or took over several fraternities with different names including
the famous Rose+Croix (Rosicrucian Order).
Of the many societies that were created, the Société de Notre-Dame de Mon-
tréal pour la conversion des Sauvages de la Nouvelle-France (Society of Our Lady of
Montreal for the Conversion of the Savages of new France) gave the Compagnie du
Saint Sacrement de l’Autel a foothold in North America. It was a joint effort with
the Knights of Malta to found a perfect Christian Catholic colony.

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 .7B#+;]#,;(+-
The overall objective of the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement was to prepare
France for the second coming of Christ and make it into a second Kingdom of Je-
rusalem. Toward this end, its members needed to purify France of those that made
it, according to them, “less holy.” When New France officially became a province of
France, the need to purify the colony and convert the natives was of utmost impor-
tance. Aware of the company and growing suspicious of it, Mazarin attempted to
ban all secret societies as a precaution, but the Saint-Sacrement de l’Autel enjoyed
the support of Anne of Austria, the king’s mother, and survived. After her death, her
son Louis XIV successfully disbanded the company.
The Compagnie du Saint Sacrement survived only in Canada, where it imposed
a strict moral code of conduct. Its members in Montréal completely controlled edu-
cation, charity, and hospitals in Canada. At this point, the company’s objective was
simply to retain its power.
While the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement had already been silenced in France
before the Golden Age of New France, their heirs in the now covert Society of
Notre-Dame de Montréal continued to thrive. They maintained their objective of
the conversion of natives and purification of the colony.
The War of Conquest led France to station several regiments in Canada and
send administrators to the province. What remained of the Compagnie du Saint Sa-
crement de l’Autel had to be even more careful in maintaining secrecy. They needed,
above all, to hide their existence from the scrutiny of French officials sent to New
France for the war effort.
By the time of the American Revolutionary War France had lost its colonies
in North America, but the situation was to the society’s advantage. The remaining
Canadians would need to cling to their French roots to retain their identity, and the
British would need a channel to the now leaderless populace. The Church was happy
to provide both with what they needed. The Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement de
l’Autel had failed to purify New France, but it could now disappear from view within
the Church it controlled.

"?&'^+;B?,-'()'X#%,#
This history of the Knights Hospitaller
dates back to the Crusades. The Holy Land
was lost to the Ottomans, and European en-
deavors to protect Europe prevented any at-
tempt to recapture it. Much to the ire of the
Turkish Sultan, the Hospitallers were given
Malta by the King of Spain. From there they
continued to harass Muslim shipping as well
as fighting off the Barbary Pirates.
On Malta the Order’s fortunes turned
when they began capturing Muslim ships. The knights who had previously vowed
poverty became immensely rich. Soon, the Knights of Malta began investing in

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 *?#K,&7'<
European ventures to the New World, particularly those of France. Several French
Navy officers were also Knights of Malta, and they could benefit from the advan-
tages of both affiliations.
With their infiltration of the French Navy, the Knights of Malta were able to
move some of their fortune to the New World. Their goal was to distance themselves
from a precarious position in the Mediterranean and gain influence in the Americas.
To achieve this, part of the order merged with their long-time allies, the Freemasons.

"?&'4D:-(+Z-'N#H'*(IK#+H
The Hudson’s Bay Company was a powerful commercial entity. Although not
part of New France, its impact on the French colonies was significant. The company
exploited the very lucrative resources of a vast territory called Rupert’s Land (Terres
de Rupert in French). The area was explored by two French traders who noted its
potential. Unable to get financing from the French, the two traders went to Boston
where they found English businessmen eager to participate in the project.
The two were sent to England and re-
turned to North America in 1668 with a
British-financed expedition to explore the
lands of the Baie du Nord further. The expe-
dition returned to England in spring 1669
with considerable profits. The British busi-
nessmen lobbied the King and obtained a
royal charter for Rupert’s Land. With its
appointed governor, the company became
virtually a colony in its own right. French
Canadians tried to pressure the company by
sending their own trappers upriver to seize
its resources, and attacked trading posts to
intimidate company employees. The Hudson’s Bay Company successfully warded off
these attacks and continued to prosper.
A large part of the company’s success is attributable to the natives with whom
its employees traded. These natives helped the employees survive in the region as
well as providing a productive supplement to the workforce. Marriages between
male company employees and female natives were not uncommon. These women
were highly appreciated as they knew the territory and the local dialects, and would
work harder for less pay than most European men.

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When the first French expeditions landed in America, the white men from
across the ocean were somewhat of a curiosity to the Native Americans. At first the
French were respectful, and the natives helped them survive during the first winters
of their presence.
Relations between the French and the
local natives were generally much better
than those with the British. Up to 1608
the French were more interested in profit
than land. Apart from a few isolated in-
cidents, the French were not as invasive
or destructive as the British colonists.
They set up trading posts where the na-
tives could acquire European manufac-
tured goods including guns and alcohol,
but did not expel them from their land as the British did.
French traders and coureurs des bois traveled far inland and established good
relations with most of the tribes they encountered. By doing so, however, they dis-
covered many strange places: places cursed by spirits, which the natives had long
decided were best left undisturbed. Foolhardy and overconfident, the French paid
little attention to the warnings of the locals. Certain that the only possible darkness
was cast by the Devil and that their Christian faith would prevail, they braved the
limits of wisdom at their own expense.
The Natives were sensitive to the messages of nature. As the decades passed
they grew aware of the effects that the European colonists were having on the land.

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Even if the French proved generally more agreeable than other Europeans, they still
brought their own conflicts.
The French were apt at befriending the natives. They even offered marriages
to seal deals and alliances. As time went on, the natives became even more divided
than before. The French could generally be trusted, but the British offered more of
the goods they had come to depend upon.
Further details on some of these native peoples can be found in the COLONIAL
GOTHIC GAZETTEER.

17(QD(;-'*(+)&:&7#8H'S4#D:&+(-#D+&&T
This confederacy of five tribes (later six) made their home south of Lake On-
tario. The tribes were the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tus-
carora. The confederacy was a traditional enemy of the Hurons and was frequently
involved in the various French-English conflicts. The Iroquois practiced agriculture
which helped them to support a larger population on a much smaller territory than
most tribes could by simple hunting and gathering. They produced squash, beans and
corn. These advantages allowed the Iroquois to wage many successful wars against
rival tribes. They were considered dangerous by many. To replenish their losses, they
often captured members of defeated tribes to assimilate them.
The Iroquois were animists. They believed that a pantheon of spirits was the
cause behind all changes in nature and that dreams were a way to understand one’s
relationship to these spirits. For this reason it was highly important to find a dream’s
significance. Their spirituality is further detailed in the COLONIAL GOTHIC RULEBOOK,
page 213.
The Iroquois were notably different from other Native American peoples in
many ways: they were fully sedentary, built complex palisades, forts, and longhouses,
used leather armor before the introduction of firearms, and waged wars to destroy
their enemies rather than simply subdue them. If some accounts are to be believed,
they may have been influenced by Vikings who passed through the region in the 11th
century.

P#$#+#_;'*(+)&:&7#8H
The Wabanaki were five tribes that originally banded together to oppose the
Iroquois. They occupied a territory that later became the subject of conflict as the
French and British tried to establish a definitive border.
The Abenaki tribe described in the COLONIAL GOTHIC RULEBOOK is a member
of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The others are the Panawahpskek (Penobscot), the
Pestomuhkati (Passamaquoddy), the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet), and the Sourisquois
(Micmac). All share similar beliefs and traditions.

The confederacy is known to be on very good terms with the French, whom they
perceive as less hostile and intrusive than the British. The feats of Assacumbuit (see

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 0#,;R&'2I&7;8#+'"7;$&-
p. 52), a Wabanaki hero who opposed the English, earned them great respect from
the French.

2%B(+QD;+-
The Algonquins are actually several tribes that shared the same language and
had a similar culture. These tribes occupied a territory north of the Great Lakes and
lived by hunting, fishing and trading. Even before the arrival of the Europeans, an
extensive system of trade existed that allowed the Algonquins to acquire corn, beans,
squash and tobacco from other tribes.
The most important Algonquin tribes were the Nipissing, Mississauga, Pota-
watomi, Ottawa, Ojibwa, Sauxteaux, and Cree. Their main religion is called Mide-
win and consists of healing diseases through spiritual purification. The religion was
relatively compatible with Catholicism, and the two were often practiced simultane-
ously by converted Algonquins.
Algonquins are mainly nomadic. They move from place to place according to
the seasons and travel over vast expanses of land. After the Hurons were nearly ex-
terminated by the Iroquois, they mourned the former, with whom they often traded,
and became the new enemies of the latter.

4D7(+-'#+:'PH#+:(,
The Hurons practiced agriculture and trade in what was known as the Ohio
Country. Unfortunately, their wars with the Iroquois brought them to the brink of
extinction. In their golden age, the Hurons numbered between 16,000 and 30,000.
After their wars, only 500 or so had survived. In 1649 the survivors were sheltered in
Québec by various religious orders.
Some Hurons attempted to reform late in the 17th century and merged with
another minor tribe. This new tribe became known as the Wyandot and resettled
in the Midwest. A few remained in Canada and formed small communities on the
south shore of the St-Laurent, retaining the name of Hurons.

X(+,#B+#;-
The Montagnais lived peacefully in the mountains of the Plateau Laurentien,
trading with their northern neighbors the Inuit. With the arrival of French colonists
and traders, the Montagnais devoted themselves to the fur trade. They allowed the
French to build settlements in their territory in exchange for a yearly amount of flour
to relieve famine in hard years. The colonists were astounded by their tolerance for
cold.
The Montagnais’ territory yielded an excellent supply of furs which they traded
for tools, weapons, lard, and tea. The clergy established close relations with them and
many were converted. The presence of the Hudson Bay’s Company did cause some
concern to the Montagnais, but they did not respond to its infringement since its
presence did not seem to have an adverse effect on the stocks of fur-bearing animals.

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Located between the Montagnais and the Algonquins, the Atikamekw territory
greatly favored trade. They were able to supplement their diet of game and fish by
acquiring corn and beans. In spring, they harvested the sap of maple trees and boiled
it to make valuable sugar and syrup. Between 1670 and 1680 smallpox afflicted their
population and they nearly disappeared. As they recovered and strengthened their
bonds with the French colonists, the Atikamekw were introduced to Christianity
and eagerly embraced the new religion. They gave up polygamy, married, and had
their children baptized.
In 1774 the Hudson’s Bay Company opened its first trading post on the fringe
of their territory, and they traded with the English as happily as with the French. The
traders were surprised to see how “Europeanized” the tribe was. In fact, at that point
many of their ancestral traditions had already been abandoned for new ones acquired
from the French.

1+D;,
Occupying territories far to the north, the Inuit were left relatively undisturbed.
They were aware of the presence of the French and noticed the British operations in
the Terres de Rupert. They chose to remain isolated, conducting little trade with the
white men. The remoteness and the cold climate of their territory protected them
from foreign influence for a few more centuries.
Inuit life revolved around the hunt. Short-term survival depended greatly on
meat and fish to provide nourishment while the leftovers were useful in the manu-
facture of almost anything. It is no surprise that the hunt was included in the various
rituals performed daily to quell the spirits and avoid their anger.

"?&'X#+:(#B
When the first white men heard about the Mandoag from other Native Ameri-
cans, they were unsure if they were a mere legend. Nonetheless, when the French
expanded south of the Great Lakes and followed the Mississippi to the Gulf of
Mexico, they unknowingly alerted the elusive Mandoag. Instead of seeking a di-
rect confrontation, the Mandoag wanted to study these new men, understand their
power, and learn how to destroy them.
The French colonists would never know security. The thick forests and muddy
swamps of Basse-Louisiane offered ideal locations for the Mandoag to hide. Always
on the move, the Mandoag ensured that no small group of Frenchmen would be
seen again once they ventured away from their cities. Politically, they infiltrated the
local tribes and engineered wars between tribes and against the colonists. Every war
and every death favored their cause and brought their plans closer to fruition.
The Mandoag had several opportunities to destroy the French cities or the crops
that fed their inhabitants, but they held back, fearing to show their hand too openly
and provoke the white men to return in greater strength. Instead, they chose to work
@!
 *?#K,&7'@
on the colonists’ nerves, making them leave of their own accord and spread stories
that would deter others from replacing them. Basse-Louisiane had to become a like
a cauldron of poison where fear, mistrust, and hate continually boiled.
The Mandoag reveled in this poison. They had to make their existence felt yet
remain a myth. They were careful never to leave a trace of their passage, yet some-
times they allowed one survivor to escape from an ambush. Masks, tattoos, and war
paint helped them blur the distinction to these survivors between man, animal, and
demon.
The War of Conquest was a golden opportunity to return to the western slopes
of the Appalachians and Adirondacks. The Mandoag knew these regions very well,
having fought a war over them with the now-extinct Cahokians. With the French
spread thin, it was easy to bypass forts and trading posts to fuel the conflict in their
own devious ways. Their favorite trick, aside from a simple ambush, was to plant
evidence pointing to another tribe at the site of a massacre or other action.

@9
 A&8,;(+

=2C"'9
AL""103A
“People don’t change. Only their costumes do.”
- Gene Moorse
This part of the book explores three periods in the history of New France that
are well suited for use as settings for COLONIAL GOTHIC adventures.
The Golden Age of New France lasted from the ending of Queen Anne’s War with
the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 until the outbreak of the French and Indian War in
1754. During these few decades the French colonies prospered and expanded.

The French and Indian War saw France and Britain locked in a struggle for control
of the North American colonies, which ended in a British victory in 1763.

The American Revolutionary War saw New France almost entirely under British
control, and used as a base for expeditions against the rebellious Americans despite
widespread indifference from the French-speaking population.
A brief history of each period is followed by paragraphs on specific themes and
organizations which can be used to develop adventures, and descriptions of major
personalities of the time.

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 *?#K,&7'E

*?#K,&7'E
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2B&'.)'0&5'
67#+8&
The peace that followed the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 allowed New France to
expand and develop. Despite the territorial concessions France had made under the
treaty, the life of the colonists had been made secure for several decades.
Most of the development of New France’s infrastructure occurred during this
period. Trade flourished and the number of colonists increased significantly. For the
first time, French emigrants picked New France over other colonies. The period was
marked by dynamic entrepreneurship, peace with both the British and the natives,
and a substantial improvement in living conditions.
Beneath the expansion and
prosperity, though, lay the fear – a
certainty in some opinions – that
peace was only temporary. It could
only be a matter of time before
political conditions in Europe
brought France and Britain into
conflict again, and any such con-
flict was bound to spread to North
America. Following the classi-
cal maxim that he who desires
peace should prepare for war, New
France used this time to reinforce
its towns and build forts. France
also sent more troops to the col-
ony, as a protection and deterrent
against further British aggression.
@@
 "?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
2:R&+,D7&-
Although it is a time of peace, the Golden Age offers plenty of opportunities for
adventure.

=7&K#7;+B'6(7'P#7
The colonists of New France were not alone in regarding the peace of the Gold-
en Age as temporary. British agents from the Thirteen Colonies were detailed to
keep a close eye on the refortification of towns and the construction of forts in New
France. As well as reporting on construction, agents might be required to undertake
sabotage missions, making sure that the new fortifications contained hidden weak-
nesses that could be exploited by an attacking British force when war came again.
In the Ohio country, competition for control of the fur trade was fierce despite
the peace. French territorial claims ran from the Appalaches to the Mississippi, hem-
ming in the British colonies on all sides. Boundaries were vague and disputes were
common. Like the East India Company, the Hudson’s Bay Company was practically
a government in its own right, and could take actions that the British government
could not. Sabotaging or capturing French forts and trading posts, and even terror-
izing entire communities into leaving, were not out of the question.

"?&'^;+BZ-'4;B?5#H
At the time of its construction, the Chemin du Roy was the longest road north
of the Rio Grande. Surveying and construction took seven years (1731-1737) over
a length of 170 miles. As with any project of this size, there may have been a certain
amount of corruption as communities jockeyed for a prime position on the road and
funds were diverted into private purses. Also, there were no guarantees that the route
would not disturb native settlements and sacred sites.

"?&'*(IK#B+;&':&-'*&+,-'2--(8;W-
The Compagnie des Cents Associés (see p. 33) had officially disbanded by this
time, but was kept alive as a secret society whose members controlled commercial
enterprises in the Thirteen Colonies. Weakened by internal dissention, the Com-
pagnie had splintered into a number of factions, each pursuing its own agenda while
trying to wrest control from the others. Some members mounted expeditions into
the wilderness to recover cached treasures, while others concocted elaborate schemes
to overthrow British rule in Nova Scotia and return l’Acadie to New France.

"?&'*(IK#B+;&':D'A#;+,'A#87&I&+,
Although the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement de l’Autel no longer operated
openly, its agents in the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal and elsewhere contin-
ued to pull strings. These secret societies pursued various policies with regard to the
native population, ranging from peaceful conversion to outright genocide.

@E
 *?#K,&7'E
Some factions sought to promote the power of the Catholic Church and remove
the Huguenots and other Protestants from New France by means that included
bribery, political maneuvering, and assassination. Their association with the Knights
of Malta (see below) also gave them an interest in hunting down surviving Templars
and recovering the lost Templar treasure that was rumored to still be in l’Acadie or
Nova Scotia.

"?&'^+;B?,-'.)'X#%,#
When the Knights Templar fell in 1314, much of their wealth and property was
given to the Hospitallers, who later became the Knights of Malta. Since the dissolu-
tion of the Templars there have been persistent rumors of a missing Templar fleet
that somehow escaped from Europe carrying a great treasure. Templar origins have
been claimed for several sites in North America (for example, Newport Tower in
Rhode Island – see the COLONIAL GOTHIC GAZETTEER, pp. 32-33), including some
in Nova Scotia. Whether the lost Templar treasure is monetary or mystical in nature,
the Knights of Malta have a great interest in locating it before anyone else does.
During the Golden Age, they followed up aggressively on any rumors of treasure or
Templar activity.

"?&'"&IK%#7-
The Knights Templar survived their dissolution in the 14th century, and were
active in North America as a secret society. They were hunted by the Compagnie du
Saint Sacrement de l’Autel and its successors, who regarded them as heretics, and
opposed by the Knights of Malta, who coveted their missing treasure and considered
themselves entitled to all Templar property under the Papal decree that dissolved the
Templar Order.
The Templars had a long standing association with l’Acadie, and some legends
maintain that this is where a missing Templar fleet made landfall in the New World
almost two centuries before Columbus. Nicholas Poussin’s painting Et in Arcadia
Ego, painted in the 1630s, is said to be a clue pointing to l’Acadie. With part of
l’Acadie under British control and renamed Nova Scotia, the Templars were redou-
bling their secret efforts in the area, although this led to occasional conflict between
resident French Templars and newcomers from Scotland.

"?&'67&&I#-(+-
At this time, the Freemasons of Europe were in the throes of change. The found-
ing of the Grand Lodge of London in 1717 was followed by the establishment of sim-
ilar Grand Lodges across Europe, and lodges fought each other in a growing schism.
The greatest divide, between the Ancients and the Moderns, was growing in Europe.
In New France, control of the Freemasons was disputed between the Knights Tem-
plar and the Knights of Malta at this time. The Compagnie du Saint Sacrement had
attempted to establish control of Freemasonry in New France through its agents in the
Rosicrucians, but failed and now regarded the Freemasons’ growing body of lore as hereti-
cal. They were active in promoting the excommunication of Freemasons by the Vatican.

@F
 "?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
During the Golden Age, various organizations tried to infiltrate or influence
the small but growing lodges in Montréal and Québec, at the same time as the Ma-
sons themselves were developing their knowledge of the occult based on native as
well as Old World sources.
The growing popularity of Freemasonry in both France and England gave both
governments cause for concern, raising fears that one country would be able to co-
opt the growing numbers of Freemasons in the other’s army and navy in time of war.
Masonic lodges made ideal meeting-places and recruiting grounds for the spies of
both countries.

"?&'X#+:(#B
During the Golden Age, the Mandoag were active mainly in Basse-Louisiane
and the Ohio country, watching the white men and deciding what to do about them.
They had seen that the French and British colonists were often in conflict, and were
formulating plans to use them against each other to the weaken all the North Amer-
ican colonies.
The Mandoag worked to create a stronghold in the swamps of Basse-Louisiane
from which they could attack the Europeans with diseases and sorcery and ulti-
mately drive them out of the Mississippi valley. One of their major concerns was to
prevent white explorers from stumbling across any remains of the Cahokian civiliza-
tion, or any trace of the Mandoag’s own existence. Some Mandoag shamans were
working with Christian missionaries in the back-country; under the guise of simple
native converts, they studied the Black Robes and turned vulnerable individuals into
their own tools when they could, corrupting them with promises of power and mys-
tical knowledge.

=&7-(+#%;,;&-
*?#7%&-':&'%#'N(;-8?&`'X#7QD;-':&'N&#D?#7+(;-`'
S!FG!U!G@MT
Governor-General of New France from 1726
to 1746, the Marquis was a powerful and well-
connected man. His older brother had been the
Intendant of New France in the early 18th cen-
tury, and his sister had married the next Inten-
dant. Moreover, his victories during the War of
the Spanish Succession had made him a hero at
the French court. When the Governor-General of
New France died in 1725, Beauharnois requested
the office and was accepted.
He arrived in Québec as New France was
entering a commercial cold war with the British.
He successfully prevented the British from allying

@G
 *?#K,&7'E
with the Wabanaki, which would have endangered the parts of l’Acadie still under
French control. His relationships with his Intendants were tense at best. One of his
priorities was preventing further British territorial expansion, while his Intendants
focused on the development of infrastructure and sending the colony’s profits back
to France – profits which the Governor-General preferred to use to develop military
strength.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ The growing commercial conflict with the British requires intelligence-gathering
and even sabotage in New England. Beauharnois might engage a group of He-
roes to undertake such a mission.
‡ His efforts to prevent an Anglo-Wabanaki alliance would need to be conducted
through secret diplomatic missions in both l’Acadie and Nova Scotia. Heroes with
suitable skills and contacts would make ideal agents for this kind of enterprise.
‡ If the Marquis catches wind of efforts by the Templars and the Knights of Malta
to find a lost Templar treasure in l’Acadie, he would certainly send agents of his
own to recover it for his own purposes.
‡ Beauharnois was frequently in conflict with his Intendants, who are described
below. He might hire one or more suitably-skilled Heroes as secret agents to
thwart plans against him and gather material for blackmail or other political
purposes.
‡ During his naval career and as the Governor-General of New France, Beauhar-
nois learned the value of small units of marauders striking wherever the enemy
was weak. He would make a good patron for a group of Heroes who specialize in
commando-style raids against British forts and trading operations.

*%#D:&U"?(I#-'aDKDH`'S!FGJU!G<JT
After studying law, Dupuy became very successful in France and was ascending
the ranks of the lesser nobility when he was appointed Intendant of New France, a
post he held from 1725 to 1728. He administered justice with a firm hand and tried
to reduce the colony’s dependence on the fur trade by promoting agriculture and
other economic activities. His appeals to France for more colonists and aid in setting
up shipbuilding, glassmaking, and pottery industries, all of which could profit from
the colony’s plentiful stocks of timber, fell on deaf ears.
While in office, Dupuy came into conflict with the Marquis de Beauharnois on
several occasions. He failed to consult the Governor-General on his plans to develop
and beautify the city of Québec, and Beauharnois deplored the expenditure involved.
Beauharnois saw him as arrogant and overly ambitious, lacking the respect to which
the Governor-General felt himself entitled. The bitter rivalry between the two led
to a political struggle which ended with Dupuy recalled to France after a little more
than two years.

@J
 "?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Dupuy was a learned man, with a personal library that was said to total over
1,000 volumes. In addition to law, he was proficient in the sciences – especially
mechanics – and had brought a full-scale physical laboratory to New France with
him. He also had copies of the Bible in several languages. Various secret societ-
ies would have an interest in acquiring some of his rarer volumes – some of
which might be books of forbidden lore – while Beauharnois and the more zeal-
ous successors to the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement might hire scholarly Heroes
to secretly search his collection for heretical works that could be used to discredit
him. They might even pay to have such works planted in his collection in order to
incriminate him.
‡ After his return from New France, Dupuy’s interest in applied mechanics led
him to design a water-pump that praised in contemporary scientific publications.
During his tenure as Intendant, he might have designed various machines – pos-
sibly including weapons of war – that the British and other powers would give
much to know about. His abilities as an inventor could also make him a good
patron for a group of Heroes in a proto-steampunk style of campaign.
‡ At the height of their conflict, Dupuy harboured suspicions that Beauharnois was
opposed to his proposed reforms because of some vested interest in the fur trade. He
might hire a discreet group of Heroes as secret agents to uncover evidence of his
suspicions, with the intention of taking it to the king and having Beauharnois
replaced.

3;%%&-'4(8QD#7,`'S!FM@U!GJ<T
Hocquart was the Intendant of New France from 1728 to 1748. Like the Mar-
quis de Beauharnois, Hocquart was influential and his family was very prestigious.
He was a cousin of King Louis XIV. Arriving in New France, he was disappointed
with its administration and undertook sweeping reforms.
The Intendant was known to be a cool and calculating man, yet he was also
sympathetic to the colonists. While he was initially regarded with some scepticism
by the colonists, his acumen and selflessness eventually won their admiration. The
Marquis de Montcalm would later write that Hocquart had been the only Intendant
who did not enrich himself, and further pointed out that he never owned a house in
New France.
Officially, his mission had been to send the profits of the commercial exploita-
tion of the land to France. This clashed with the Marquis de Beauharnois’ wish to
put more emphasis on the military. Still, Hocquart managed to diversify the colony’s
economy and shift the emphasis from the fur trade to agriculture. He was also be-
hind ambitious projects such as the smelting workshops of the St-Maurice, the first
road linking Montréal to Québec (Le Chemin du Roy) and the development of
shipwright companies. Despite his exceptional statesmanship, France was not satis-
fied and eventually recalled him.

@M
 *?#K,&7'E
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Using some forgotten papers left behind by the departing Dupuy, Hocquart se-
cretly commissions one of his new shipwright companies to build a revolutionary
new warship that would redress the balance of naval power between France and
Britain. British colonists might be engaged by the First Lord of the Admiralty
to steal the plans or sabotage construction, while French colonial Heroes might
be engaged by Hocquart to provide security or locate and destroy cells of British
agents.
‡ While he longed to develop New France economically, Hocquart was under con-
stant pressure: from Beauharnois to find money for an expanded military, and
from France to send back the profits which were regarded as the colony’s only rea-
son for existing. Trapped between these two demands, he might well be interested
in patronizing a group of Heroes with a successful track record in locating and
recovering gold and other precious resources.
‡ Upon his arrival in New France, Hocquart undertook a thorough review of the
colony’s finances. This might have led him to discover questionable payments and
other evidence of secret societies penetrating far into the colony’s administration.
Naturally, this discovery would mark him for death, and the GM can decide on
which side of the ensuing struggle the Heroes might be involved. Their task could
be to protect Hocquart and thwart plots to assassinate or discredit him, or to en-
sure his death or recall in the interests of their patron organization.

=;&77&U4&7I#+'a(-QD&,'S!FM!U!GGGT
Officially recognized as Évêque de Québec from 1734 to1739, Dosquet had al-
ready been in that office for several years in an acting capacity which was recognized
in his admission to the Conseil Souverain by Gilles Hocquart and the Marquis de
Beauharnois. During his years as Évêque, he would travel back and forth several
times between Québec and France. He finally gave his resignation upon his arrival
in France in June 1739.
Dosquet was a patron and benefactor of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost,
an organization founded in Paris in 1703 for the purpose of training missionaries.
During his tenure, he gave this organization almost exclusive access to l’Acadie and
other French Atlantic possessions. He clashed with Beauharnois and Hocquart over
conditions among the communities of nuns in the colony’s hospitals and elsewhere,
and lobbied unsuccessfully for an increase in the tax known as la dîme to improve
the circumstances of parish priests.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ The Congregation of the Holy Ghost may have an ulterior motive behind its mis-
sionary activities, such as the recovery of missing Templar gold. It may be a tool
of the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement. Any interference with the Congregation
may bring the Heroes into conflict with Dosquet.
‡ Alternatively, Dosquet may hire a band of Heroes to investigate the mysterious
disappearance of one or more Congregation missionaries who were working with

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 "?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
the natives in this region. The reason could be native animosity, a hostile shaman,
Jesuit machinations, or the activities of British agents working to extend their
country’s control of l’Acadie.
‡ Dosquet was openly critical of the religious life of the nuns in New France, forc-
ing the Ursuline nuns to destroy some of their annals. Officially, these pages re-
ferred to an unseemly dispute with the chapter of Québec over the appointment of
the nuns’ confessor, but it could be that he was acting to cover up a scandal caused
by lax morals or even demonic possession such as occurred a century earlier in a
convent in Loudun, France. This case was immortalized by Ken Russel in the
1971 film The Devils.

\&#+UN#K,;-,&'/&'X(H+&':&'N;&+R;%%&'S!FJOU!GFGT
Also known as the Sieur de Bienville, Bienville explored Louisiane and the
Mississippi with his brother and built the first settlements there in 1699: Fort Mau-
repas and Fort de la Boulaye. In 1701, he was appointed Governor of Louisiane for
the first of four terms, interrupted by several absences in France.
Bienville founded New Orleans, laying out the Vieux Carré or French Quarter
in 1720. This new city became the capital of Basse-Louisiane by 1723.
His last term, from 1733 to 1743, was marked by conflict with the Chickasaw
natives. Before his return from France, the Chickasaw initiated trade with the Brit-
ish, which Bienville attempted to stop. Cultivating the divisions between the local
natives, Bienville succeeded for several years until the Chickasaw, hard-pressed, had
no option but to ask the British for logistical support.

E!
 *?#K,&7'E
Upon returning from France, Bienville initiated two campaigns against the
Chickasaw. His European tactics proved ineffective and in the first campaign his
forces were crushed. The second was plagued with logistical problems and diseases,
and Bienville had to sue for peace.
This loss of face was too terrible to bear for the Sieur de Bienville and he re-
quested that he be stripped of his office and rank. He returned to France in 1743 but
provided political support for Louisiane up to his death.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ The Chickasaw Wars provide opportunities for both French and British colonists
to become involved, both openly and covertly.
‡ As noted earlier (p. 41), the Mandoag have established a power base in the
swamps of Basse-Louisiane, from which they use diseases and other means to
weaken the settlers. It could be that they have engineered the Chickasaw Wars to
set Britain and France at odds with each other. If Bienville hears from Chicka-
saw captives that there is another, more powerful tribe in the swamps, he may
engage the Heroes as irregular troops in a series of reconnaissance or search-and-
destroy missions.
‡ Given its long history in various mystical traditions, it could be that Bienville
inadvertently – or deliberately – founded New Orleans on a site of mystical pow-
er. Mandoag or Cahokian relics might be found there, or evidence of powerful
magics dating back even further. It could be that Bienville has been influenced
by these magics, becoming a tool of the Mandoag as they turn Basse-Louisiane
into a laboratory for developing methods to set the white men at odds and finally
destroy them.

2--#8DI$D;,'SbU!G9GT
One notable warrior of the Wabanaki Federation became a legend and helped to
strengthen bonds with the French. Assacumbuit took part in several attacks against
British forts in l’Acadie and killed over 140 enemies of King Louis XIV. So impres-
sive were his feats that he was brought to France, where the king knighted him and
gave him his sword. Afterwards, the Jesuits referred to the Wabanaki as the “Guard-
ian Angels of the French.”
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Assacumbuit was undoubtedly a fearsome warrior, and his service was valuable
to France in its struggles against the British. However, the Heroes’ patron – per-
haps a senior churchman such as l’Évêque Dosquet (see above) has received trou-
bling news that his prowess may not be entirely natural. The Heroes are called
upon to investigate a revered warrior and hero of France without his knowledge,
and determine whether he is a tool of the Mandoag, or even human. Once they
have found out the truth, however, what are they to do with it?
‡ Assacumbuit has not been seen since 1707, and now his services are needed again.
It could be that some new British danger needs to be averted, or that French

E9
"?&'3(%:&+'2B&'.)'0&5'67#+8&
relations with the Wabanaki are delicate and require his presence to prevent a
British diplomatic coup. Perhaps the King of France, on a whim, wishes him to
come to Versailles to receive another honor. Whatever the reason, the Heroes are
sent into Wabanaki territory to find him. They may be opposed by British agents,
British-leaning Wabanaki, or Wabanaki who wish to bury the past and remain
neutral. They may even be opposed by Assacumbuit himself, who has something to
hide – something like his involvement with the Mandoag, who lent him martial
strength to promote conflict between the white men, the effects of which have left
him horribly mutated.
‡ His time among the French gave Assacumbuit a knowledge of French and Eng-
lish culture and tactics that far outstrips the understanding of the rest of his peo-
ple. He has decided to free his people and their land from the colonial yoke, and
has secretly been using his French military contacts to equip Wabanaki warriors
with the latest firearms. A disturbing rumor has reached the ears of the Gover-
nor-General, and the Heroes are called upon to investigate.

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 *?#K,&7'F

*?#K,&7'F
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2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'
S!GE@U!GF<T
After a period of growing friction over trading rights with the natives of the
Ohio country, a new conflict in Europe sparked confrontation between French and
British forces in North America. The colonists on either side supported the war ef-
forts and renewed their alliances with the Native American tribes. The French were
allied to the Algonquins and a few other tribes, while the powerful Iroquois Con-
federacy sided with the British.
This war is known as the War of Conquest to some, and as the French and
Indian War, the Third Carnatic War, or the Seven Years’ War to others. Regardless,
it was a time of trouble for the colonists of New France. Many were drafted into
the militia and expected to assist the French garrisons in fending off the British
Redcoats. For those in charge of the colonies, it was also a difficult time. France was
wise to take advantage of the good years to prepare New France for this, but the task
would prove to be its greatest challenge.
After a series of clashes at forts in the interior, Britain tried to seize French
forts on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in the Hudson River valley, and on
the borders of Nova Scotia and l’Acadie. General Braddock launched a disastrous
expedition against Fort Duquesne (modern Pittsburgh). He was accompanied by
Lieutenant-Colonels George Washington of the Virginia Regiment and Thomas
Gage of the 44th Regiment, who would become opponents in the American Revo-
lutionary War twenty years later. The only real British success in 1755, the first year
of campaigning, was the capture of Fort Beauséjour in l’Acadie, which isolated the
fortress of Louisbourg.
The following year, regular French troops arrived under the command of Major-
General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm (see p. 59) and the British replaced the dead
Braddock with Lord Loudoun. 1756 saw a few small actions at various forts. In 1757
a proposed British attack on Québec was ordered to deal with Louisbourg first, but

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"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T

upon arriving there they found the British naval blockade broken and themselves
outnumbered. They returned to New York. A secondary British force was massacred
at Fort William Henry, on the borders of New York and Canada, when Montcalm’s
native allies objected to British captives being released under parole and tried to at-
tack and loot the unarmed, retreating Redcoats.
Loudoun was replaced by James Abercromby, a master of logistics who turned
out to be a very poor tactician. In 1758, he led a disastrous assault on Fort Carillon
(later Ticonderoga) and was recalled like his predecessor.
The next commander was Jeffrey Amherst. Wishing to avoid more disasters, Pitt
gave Amherst a specific plan of attack and the reassurance that a few minor defeats
would be forgotten if he achieved his objectives. Pitt also assigned him his own staff
of young, bold officers nicknamed “Pitt’s Boys.” With them, he could finally clear
his command of old, conservative, and overly cautious elements and implement the
strategies that would take advantage of his immense resources and manpower. He
also mended relations with the natives, bringing the powerful Iroquois Confederacy
to the British side.
In 1758, New France was weakened by a number of external factors. Reverses in
other theatres of the war prevented France from supporting its new colony with any
significant resources; the harvest of 1757 had been bad, which stretched resources
even further; and the alleged profiteering of Intendant François Bigot made matters
worse. Better officers, better relations with the natives, and an enemy short of sup-
plies allowed the British to go on the offensive.
The first step in Pitt’s plan was to isolate the French colonies by attacking the
resources upon which their trade depended. This required the British to take Fort
Frontenac and isolate Canada from the Great Lakes region. The fortress of Louis-
bourg was next, as it guarded the entrance into the St-Laurent. The fort was success-
fully besieged during the summer of 1758, and Fort Duquesne fell the same year.
British successes in 1759 led to it being dubbed an “annus mirabilis,” or year of
wonders. In addition to military and naval victories in Europe, British forces cap-
tured Fort Ticonderoga and General James Wolfe captured Québec. Although the
British subsequently lost the city, they were able to achieve final victory in 1760 with
the surrender of Montréal.

EE
 *?#K,&7'F
Following its usual strategy, France had concentrated on the European conflict
while providing only negligible assistance to the colonies, intending to negotiate for
their return once the war was over. However, British success left them with no sig-
nificant bargaining chips. When the war was officially ended by the Treaty of Paris
in 1763, France ceded all its North American territory except for the Atlantic islands
of St-Pierre and Miquelon. Spain received Louisiane, while Britain took the rest of
New France as well as Spanish Florida.

"?&'67&+8?'*(II#+:&7-
The French commanders, Montcalm and Vaudreuil, were outnumbered but
could deploy their troops much more quickly than their British counterparts. The
St-Laurent, the Great Lakes and the thousands of other rivers allowed them to dis-
patch a force to an ill-defended British fort, sack it, and then leave the area. British
troops sent to assist had to cross rough and forested terrain, and most of the time
they arrived too late. While the British were rebuilding a destroyed fort, it could not
be used to launch an attack, and took soldiers and resources away from other forts.
The French strategy also relied on the disunity among the British colonies and
poor relations between them and Britain. The British regulars were less affected but
their colonists, who had little experience of warfare, were plagued by doubts and
poor morale. It was a simple affair to capture an American colonist and interrogate
him on British movements.
The war turned increasingly sour for the French forces as the rivalry between
Montcalm and Vaudreuil was compounded by France’s repeated failure to send help.
With gradual attrition and a general lack of resources, Vaudreuil advocated switch-
ing strategy to a guerrilla war which relied on the heavy use of a dispersed militia and
alliances with the natives. Montcalm, and advocate of traditional European warfare,
disagreed and began acting independently. Friction between the colonists and the
French troops also began to undermine the war effort.
The French Minister of the Navy unknowingly stirred the conflict between
Montcalm and Vaudreuil. Montcalm, who technically held the higher rank, was put
under Vaudreuil’s orders. The Minister however, following the hierarchy, addressed
his missives and directives to Montcalm alone alienating Vaudreuil.
When the British sailed into the St-Laurent in May 1759, Vaudreuil relin-
quished command of all Québec’s forces to Montcalm, who was able to keep the
enemy away from the city until mid September. When Wolfe lined up his forces
on the Plains of Abraham on September 12th, Montcalm could not have been hap-
pier. The opportunity to wipe out the entire British task force had finally come. He
quickly took command of one-third of Québec’s forces and rushed out to lead an
assault, which failed.
With Montcalm defeated, Vaudreuil summoned the Conseil Souverain to vote
on a course of action. Vaudreuil himself and the Intendant, Bigot, were for engag-
ing the British with their remaining forces, but the others pressed for a retreat to
Montréal to prevent further losses. The garrison of Québec, despite the fact that

EF
"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T
it still outnumbered the enemy two to one, surrendered the city and regrouped at
Montréal. Québec was a loss from which the French would not recover.

2:R&+,D7&-
The French and Indian War was immortalized by James Fennimore Cooper in
his novel The Last of the Mohicans. During this period, there are many opportuni-
ties for a small, combat-oriented group of Heroes to attack forts and native villages
alongside French militias, coureurs des bois, scouts, and native allies. There are also
many possibilities for adventures of a more esoteric nature, negotiating the webs of
intrigue spun by various power-brokers and secret societies.

"&IK%#7'3(%:
With the British poised to capture what remains of l’Acadie, efforts by various
organizations to locate the lost Templar gold and other Templar relics reach fever
pitch. While the armies and fleets of both sides try to outmaneuver each other,
agents from the Compagnie des Cents Associés, the Knights of Malta, the Freema-
sons, and the Templars themselves must negotiate the hazardous conditions. This
kind of adventure might be something like The Da Vinci Code played out on the
battlefields of Normandy during World War II.

"?&'*(IK#B+;&':&-'*&+,-'2--(8;W-
The remnants and successors of this fallen society, along with any who might
have gained access to their scattered records, may know that several of the Compag-
nie’s missing treasures were cached in the Ohio territory. They will definitely know
that, from 1759 onward, it seems impossible that New France will retain control of
these hiding places. As with the rumored Templar treasure in l’Acadie, a race will
ensure between a number of interested parties to find and recover these relics.

"?&'A(8;W,W':&'0(,7&Ua#I&':&'X(+,7W#%
With the fall of New France to the Protestant British a growing certainty, the
Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal must gain leverage with the new masters if it
is to protect the Catholic Church in North America. Secret Catholics and Catholic
sympathizers on the British side must be sought out and brought under the Société’s
influence by any means possible, including bribery, blackmail, threats, and kidnap-
ping. Huguenots, the natural allies of the British because of their religion, must be
suppressed before they can cause irreparable damage. The Séminaire de Québec, the
Jesuits, and the Sulpicians must all be convinced – or forced – to form a united front
that will ensure the survival of the Church in a British Canada, and this may require
certain individuals to be removed or discredited.
Missionaries working among the native population must redouble their efforts –
if not to convert entire populations, at least to instil in them an enduring hatred of
Protestants in general and the British in particular. If this involves staging massacres
and outbreaks of smallpox to make them seem to have been caused by the British,
then the end may be said to justify the means. In extreme cases, whole native peoples

EG
 *?#K,&7'F
may need to be exterminated in order to keep their souls from falling to Protestant-
ism and their bodies from being used in the service of the British.

"?&'67&&I#-(+-
The growing schism between Ancients and Moderns is overlaid by a struggle
for control of Freemasonry itself. Over the last few decades, many lodges have be-
gun to look to a Templar ancestry for their rituals, threatening the influence that
the Knights of Malta have carefully established. The Hospitallers will not leave this
challenge unanswered.
During the course of the war, Freemasons from either side may encounter
brother Masons among their enemies, especially given the increasing popularity of
Freemasonry in the military. This will place them in a quandary as they weigh their
national allegiances against their Masonic duties of mutual aid. Masonic lodges will
become hotbeds of espionage, as well as the objects of intrigues by various more
secretive groups.

"?&'X#+:(#B
The war has come about, in part, as the result of Mandoag attempts to set the
colonial powers at odds with one another. It is important to ensure maximum casual-
ties on both sides in order to weaken the Europeans before final extermination. The
Mandoag have set in motion a number of events like the massacre at Fort William
Henry, stirring native warriors to a pitch of ferocity and provoking atrocities.
At the same time, the Mandoag have been working to weaken powerful native
confederacies like the Abenaki and the Iroqouis, making the other Native American
peoples less able to resist Mandoag ascendancy once the settlers have been wiped
out. This war elegantly achieves both objectives.
In addition, the Mandoag have come to learn of the various treasures sought
by the Templars, the Knights of Malta, and other secret societies. They have only a
limited interest in gold, but their avidity for mystical relics knows no bounds. They
will be certain to join in any hunt for the lost treasures of the Templars and the
Compagnie des Cents Associés, dealing ruthlessly with any rivals.
Unknown to the Chevalier de Kerelec, the Mandoag have played a role in the
defense of Nouvelle-Orléans, and have exerted their influence to ensure that both
French and British priorities stay fixed in the north. Through Creole agents in and
around the city, they keep informed of de Kerelec’s plans and ensure that no threat
arises to their growing power base in the bayous.

EJ
"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T
=&7-(+#%;,;&-
/(D;-U\(-&K?':&'X(+,8#%IU3(](+`'X#7QD;-':&'X(+,8#%I'
S!G!9U!GEMT
The Marquis de Montcalm began his military career in the French Navy at the
age of eight. Before becoming Grand Maréchal (Grand Marshal) of the French
forces in New France in 1756, he took part in eleven campaigns in Europe.
Montcalm had been assigned to New France when Versailles realized that war
in North America could not be avoided. His assignment, to defend a large terri-
tory against superior British forces, would prove a difficult one. Up to late 1758, his
strategy of pre-emptive strikes proved effective and his forces prevailed in several en-
gagements. However, his victory at Fort William Henry turned sour and politically
costly. His Algonquin allies, dissatisfied with the terms of surrender he had granted,
deserted him and turned on the defeated British to acquire their share of the spoils
of war.
After the British captured Louisboug, Montcalm knew the tide of the war had
turned. He returned to Québec and wrote to France requesting reinforcements. France
refused his request and Montcalm’s response was to delay the British so that the onset
of winter would force them out of Canada. Unfortunately for him, Major General
James Wolfe, at head of 4,600 regulars, managed to land near Québec, forcing Mont-
calm to fight him in the field. Both commanders died from their wounds.
Unlike many other generals, Montcalm led his troops from the front rather than
taking up a more commanding (and safer) position at the rear.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Colonial characters may be attached to Montcalm’s expedition to Fort William
Henry as part of a militia; Native American Heroes may be among his allies. As
well as participating in the siege directly, both kinds of character could have the
opportunity to uncover a Mandoag shaman hiding among the native warriors,
exhorting them to slaughter the surrendering British regardless of the terms of
surrender.
‡ Before he came to New France, Montcalm served in a number of campaigns, sur-
viving at least five saber slashes and a musket ball. It may be that his resistance
to wounds is magical in nature. Perhaps he is not human; perhaps he is undead;
perhaps he has a magic amulet that protects him. In any case, he is vulnerable if
this becomes known. Heroes attached to his staff may have to deal with magi-
cally-skilled British agents sent to neutralize his resistance or to assassinate him.
‡ Montcalm’s home town of Nîmes was a Protestant stronghold during the French
Wars of Religion in the 16th century, and he may have – or be suspected of having
– Huguenot leanings. Acting on good intelligence or British misinformation, an
assassin from the Compagnie du Saint Sacrement or one of its successor organi-
zations may have been dispatched to remove him. If the Heroes can uncover the
assassin and save his life, they may earn themselves a powerful patron.

EM
 *?#K,&7'F
=;&77&' 67#+c(;-' :&' C;B#D:`' X#7QD;-' :&' [#D:7&D;%U
*#R#B+#%'S!FMJU!GGJT
Of all the French governors of New France, Vaudreuil was the only one born
there. The son of an earlier Governor-General, the Marquis de Vaudreuil began his
service in the French Navy at the age of ten; he earned the rank of Lieutenant in less
than a year, and was made a Captain at seventeen. In 1755, after serving ten years as
the Governor of Basse-Louisiane, Vaudreil achieved his lifelong ambition of becom-
ing, like his father, the Governor-General of New France.
One of his voyages to France happened to coincide with the Sieur de Bienville’s
request to be removed from command of Basse-Louisiane. Maurepas, the French
Minister of the Navy, was looking for a suitable replacement when Vaudreuil arrived
at Versailles.
Vraudreuil’s father, a powerful and influential man in Québec, taught him much
about intrigue and how to foil conspiracies. As Governor of Basse-Louisiane, Vau-
dreuil distinguished himself and earned much political credit at Versailles. His pro-
posals to share the protection of Haute-Louisiane with the Governor of Canada led
to the capture of many British smugglers. He opened markets with several Spanish
colonies, such as Cuba and Vera Cruz. Their dependence on French exports from
Basse-Louisiane was one reason behind its concession to Spain after the war.
While in Québec, he often clashed with the Marquis de Montcalm over strat-
egy in the war against the British. Montcalm was comfortable with European-style
battles with soldiers arrayed in ordered lines, while Vaudreuil wanted to apply a
guerrilla strategy using the Canadian militias and native allies. He was quick to no-
tice that Intendant Bigot was using the colony to enrich himself, but turned a blind
eye because Bigot supplied the militia and Montcalm’s men appropriately.
With Montcalm defeated at Québec, Vaudreuil tried to organize a counterof-
fensive with the garrison of Montréal, but had little success. He was captured and
returned to France, where he remained until his death.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ During his governorship of Basse-Louisiane, Vaudreuil became aware of the
Mandoag and their activities in the swamps. Through agents still in Nouvelle-
Orléans, he has learned that the Mandoag intend this war to weaken both the
French and British colonists so that they are vulnerable to extermination by the
Mandoag. However, the things he has learned have affected his judgment some-
what, and he sees Montcalm’s insistence on European-style warfare as a sign
that he may have been influenced by the Mandoag to fight a war in the most de-
structive way possible. He has become obsessed, seeing Mandoag plots everywhere
and working secretly to bring the military forces of New France under his own
control. He may hire the Heroes to kidnap Montcalm so that he can be questioned
and purged of Mandoag influence – an influence that does not actually exist.
‡ Before 1762, Vaudreuil is using his contacts with Spanish traders in Cuba and

FO
"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T
Vera Cruz to try to induce Spain to enter the war on the French side. Heroes with
social position and diplomatic skills might well be sent as envoys to Havana or
even Madrid, opposed by British secret agents who will try to derail their mis-
sion.
‡ As an enthusiastic supporter of guerrilla warfare, Vaudreuil might organize a
number of missions against British forts and other interests using French colo-
nists with strong wilderness skills and Native American allies. Some missions
might even be aimed at sabotaging Montcalm’s efforts, with the objective of forc-
ing him to acknowledge the effectiveness of this kind of warfare in the New
World. While he will support any Heroes engaged in this kind of mission, he will
be quick to deny all knowledge if they are captured or discovered.

67#+c(;-'N;B(,'S!GO<U!GGJT
Of all the Intendants of New France, Bigot is perhaps the most controversial.
He held the office of Intendant from 1748 until the fall of New France in 1759.
Upon returning to France, he became one of the main scapegoats for the fall of the
North American colonies.
Bigot began his career by joining the French Navy in 1723. There he rose
through the ranks and was eventually appointed as the First Financial Ordainer of
the fortress of Louisbourg in 1739. While in Louisbourg he contracted companies
owned and controlled by friends to supply the fortress, and pocketed vast sums of
money. He also sold some of his own goods to the colony for prices he himself de-
cided.
His greed apart, Bigot was a very resourceful man and a keen entrepreneur
with an unconventional approach to problems. As the British stranglehold closed on
Louisbourg, he replenished its supplies on several occasions by buying them through
an agent from the enemy in New England. He also initiated a triangular trade be-
tween France, Louisbourg and the French islands in the Caribbean. He invested in
several industries such as fish glue and coal, all of which turned unexpected profits.
He went as far as offering pirates a market for their non-French loot, with no ques-
tions asked, and selling it back to the Thirteen Colonies.
The first time Louisbourg fell to the British, in 1745, Bigot saw his chance to re-
ceive an office in France. To his dismay, he was given the mission to liberate the part
of l’Acadie that had been lost. His mission failed due to disease, bad weather and
accidents. He was not held responsible for this, but to his great displeasure he was
again given an office in New France, this time as Intendant. Unhappy, he resumed
his practice of stealing public funds.
The money Bigot took was mostly spent on lavish parties and gambling. His
weekly soirées were renowned for the amount of wine consumed, as well as their
tendency to end in scandalous debaucheries. The Marquis de Montcalm kept a close
watch on Bigot, but never had the chance to remove him from office.

F!
 *?#K,&7'F

Adventure Seeds:
‡ The Heroes might be engaged by Montcalm or Vaudreuil to infiltrate Bigot’s offices
and recover his account-books, providing proof of his financial irregularities.
‡ An alchemist who can create gold would be of particular value to Bigot, especially
in the absence of any significant financial support from France. The Heroes might
have such a character among their number, or be hired by Bigot to oversee the
manufacture of gold; as a man of flexible principles himself, he is not inclined
to be trusting. This alchemist could be a fraud, or even a British agent sent to
undermine the economy of New France.
‡ Bigot is actually an upright and honest official, who has been unfairly targeted
by Montcalm, Vaudreuil, and Pontbriand. Seeing that the war cannot be won,
they have begun to manufacture evidence against him so that he can be made
a scapegoat when New France falls. He engages the Heroes to expose them and
clear his name.

X#d(7'3&+&7#%'\#I&-'P(%)&'S!G9GU!GEMT
Wolfe was appointed to lead the British expeditionary force whose mission
was to conquer l’Acadie and Canada. For this task he had been given ten battalions
of veteran troops and extensive material resources. After taking part in the siege of
Louisbourg as a Brigadier-General, he was promoted to Major-General and sent
to take Québec from the Marquis de Montcalm, whom he considered a personal
enemy.
But Québec would prove to be difficult to take, for not only was the city easily
defensible but Montcalm’s strategy denied Wolfe the critical engagement he needed
before the arrival of winter. To provoke Montcalm into leaving Québec, Wolfe re-
sorted to burning and pillaging the farmlands outside of the fortified city. Montcalm
was too wise to fall for the trap and the British soldiers began to resent and make
fun of Wolfe. Moreover, Wolfe’s health had been very fragile, forcing him to delay
several operations.
F9
"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T
Eventually, Wolfe’s health improved and he maneuvered his men skillfully
abound the defenses of Québec, forcing Montcalm into a rushed sortie. The cat-
and-mouse game was over. Wolfe died from a wound inflicted by a French sniper
but had been told just before that the French were on the run. He did not, however,
have the satisfaction of triumph over his personal enemy, Montcalm, who outlived
him by several hours.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ With General Wolfe’s troops drawn up before Québec, the Heroes are entrusted
with a dangerous mission. They must make their way through the British lines
with vital papers that must not fall into enemy hands, and get them safely to
France.
‡ Instead of carrying papers to France, the Heroes might be sent to assassinate Wolfe
before he can attack Québec.
‡ Somewhere in the countryside that Wolfe is ravaging, a vital treasure lies con-
cealed in a small church. The Heroes must recover it and get it safely back to
Québec. It may be a holy relic that could turn the tide of the war in favour of
New France.

4&+7;UX#7;&'aD$7&D;%':&'=(+,$7;#+:`'eRfQD&'()'VDWU
$&8'S!GOJU!GFOT
Pontbriand was appointed as Évêque of Québec in early 1741. Before his de-
parture from France he spent several months studying the situation of the colony.
Noting that the religious institutions had suffered greatly from the lack of a deter-
mined bishop, Pontbriand resolved to remedy the situation. He arrived at Québec
later in the same year and immediately took office.
Unfortunately, his enthusiasm was overshadowed by the excesses of Intendant
Bigot. His zeal would also cause friction with some missions in Acadie and Basse-
Louisiane, as they had grown used to operating without the presence of a strong
Bishop.
With the war slowly shifting in favour of the British, Pontbriand was concerned
about the preservation of the Roman Catholic Church. He blamed the hardships of
the colonies on the lack of piety and the abuses of its upper class, specifically men-
tioning Bigot.
After the defeat at Québec, Pontbriand sheltered in Montréal. Sick and dying,
he wrote several letters to the British pleading for an end to hostilities.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Pontbriand’s zeal has brought him into conflict with the Compagnie du Saint
Sacrament or a similar shadowy religious organization. Depending on their af-
filiation, the Heroes might be charged with the mission of killing or compromis-
ing him, or with the duty of protecting him from such attacks.

F<
 *?#K,&7'F
‡ The Heroes are hired by Pontbriand to investigate a number of dissolute nobles
and seigneurs whom Pontbriand blames for the religious decline in New France.
Depending on the GM’s whim and the group’s preferred style of play, these in-
dividuals might be simple overprivileged wastrels, members of a Hell Fire Club,
or members of a sinister cult.
‡ Fearing that they might be lost if they fall into British hands, Pontbriand en-
gages the Heroes to collect holy relics from a number of churches in l’Acadie and
Canada. The priests and congregations who look after them will be less than will-
ing to give them up, especially if they have some real magical powers that protect
the communities in which they are housed.

/(D;-'N;%%(D#7:`'*?&R#%;&7':&'^&7%&7&8'S!GO@U!GGOT
Kerlerec held the office of Governor of Basse-Louisiane from 1753 to 1763. He
was appointed there to succeed the Marquis de Vaudreuil, who had been promoted
to Governor-General of New France.
As relations with the British and
the Native Americans went from bad to
worse, Kerlerec tightened military dis-
cipline in Basse-Louisiane. He success-
fully kept the British from sailing up the
Mississippi by fortifying his position in
Nouvelle-Orléans.
During the war, Kerlerec had no
support from France, and ruled the
colony with an iron fist as his own petty
kingdom. His extensive military expe-
rience and his total control of Basse-
Louisiane did keep the British at bay,
but in the process he had made several
enemies among his citizens.
Basse-Louisiane was only a secondary target for the British. While it was well
defended by Kerlerec, it was known that he could not mount any serious offensive,
much less endanger the continental or Caribbean colonies. The British did test Ker-
lerec’s resolve, but their priorities lay in the north.
Kerlerec, cut off from France and the other colonies, only learned after the war
that his colony was lost and had to be handed over to the Spanish. He returned to
France where he was exonerated from responsibility for his controversial policies. He
died shortly after.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Kerelec is fighting a war on two fronts. In addition to fending off British efforts
to enter the Mississippi, he faces infiltration by agents of the Mandoag who lurk
in the swamps of southern Basse-Louisiane. Heroes with magical abilities or

F@
"?&'67&+8?'2+:'1+:;#+'P#7'S!GE@U!GF<T
experience of dealing with supernatural enemies will be of great value to him in
the latter struggle.
‡ Kerelec is engaged in secret negotiations with the Cherokee to induce them to
abandon their British allies. Heroes with suitable skills and connections would
be of enormous value to his plan.
‡ In addition to securing the entrance to the Mississippi, Kerelec sends expeditions
upriver to support French forts in the interior. The Heroes might be sent on such
an expedition, encountering native tribes as well as mysterious remnants of the
Cahokian civilization.

FE
 *?#K,&7'G

*?#K,&7'G
"?&'2I&7;8#+'
C&R(%D,;(+#7H
P#7
S!GGEU!GJ<T
Much of New France ceased to exist after the French signed the Treaty of Paris
in 1763. Canada and l’Acadie became known as the “Province of Quebec,” and Lou-
isiane passed under Spanish control.
The Province of Quebec would spend almost two years under a military ad-
ministration before receiving a constitution and a body of laws from the British
royal court. This constitution had long been awaited by both the French Canadians
and the occupying British forces. The colonists were anxious to know what would
become of them under British rule, and the British worried about the mood of the
French Canadians and Acadiens.
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was not what either party had expected. The
Province of Quebec received the same generic constitution given to all British colo-
nies. It was wrongly assumed that the French Canadians would prefer British insti-
tutions and laws, and were eager to become British citizens. Among other things, the
Seigneurial system that had served New France so well was technically abolished.
In response, the French Canadians and Acadiens began a long, very long, phase
of passive resistance in response to any move from the British minority. Some of
the Native Americans who had traded with the French missed their former trad-
ing partner, while the British took advantage of their new status as the only market
available. Pontiac (Obwandiyag) led many Algonquin Tribes in a three-year revolt
against the British.

FF
"?&'2I&7;8#+'C&R(%D,;(+#7H'P#7'S!GGEU!GJ<T

Sensing trouble brewing in the Thirteen Colonies, Parliament passed the Que-
bec Act in 1774 to prevent the Canadians from taking part in any American re-
bellion. The Act restored many of the conditions of New France, but with British
officials in control. Overall, the new constitution pleased the Church and the Sei-
gneurs. The common French Canadians, though relatively satisfied with the changes,
remained indifferent and tried to ignore the British as much as possible.
Perhaps because of its timing, the Quebec Act was not well received by the
Americans, many of whom saw it as the first move to create a template that would
later be forced upon them. It passed in the same session of Parliament as the so-
called Intolerable Acts (COLONIAL GOTHIC GAZETTEER, p. 17), and was regarded as
another reaction to events in Boston in 1773.

"?&'VD&$&8'28,
The main provisions of the Quebec Act were as follows:
‡ Territorial Expansion: The Province of Quebec was expanded to include
much of what is now southern Ontario, plus Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Ohio, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota. This angered American land
speculators in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and elsewhere (includ-
ing George Washington and Daniel Boone) who has been counting on
an expansion of their own territory and trade into that area.
‡ Law Reform: Civil law was now based on the French law that had gov-
erned New France. British law still applied in administrative and criminal
matters.
‡ Religion: Catholics were no longer barred from holding office, and oaths
of office no longer included any reference to Protestantism.
‡ Land Use: The seigneural system of New France was restored.
‡ Government: Quebec was to be ruled by a Governor, assisted by a legisla-
tive council. There was no provision for an elected legislative assembly, or
any other representation of the colonists themselves.

FG
 *?#K,&7'G
To the south, the Thirteen Colonies rebelled against Britain to obtain their in-
dependence. Before the conflict escalated, the French Canadians were invited by the
Continental Congress to join them as the “Fourteenth American Colony” and fight
the British alongside them.

Three letters were sent between 1774 and 1776, pointing out that the people of
Quebec had the right to the legislative representation denied them by the Quebec
Act, but the letters had little effect. The First and Second Canadian regiments joined
Montgomery’s unsuccessful expedition to Quebec in 1775 and a number of indi-
viduals joined the American cause, but revolution did not spread to the province as
a whole. While Governor Guy Carleton reported that the upper classes of Quebec
were willing to enter the war on the British side, the “peasantry” remained uninter-
ested and their apathy spread to the native population.
From 1775 onward Quebec was a staging area for British attacks down the
Hudson valley, and at the end of the war the province remained largely in British
hands. Its population was boosted by large numbers of Tory loyalists leaving the
now-independent United States of America.

2:R&+,D7&-
The time of the American Revolution forms the main setting for COLONIAL
GOTHIC, and this period offers many kinds of adventure in the Province of Quebec.

P#7'.+'"?&'4D:-(+
The American expedition to Quebec in 1775 came close to succeeding. Gov-
ernor Carleton was nearly captured when American forces took Montréal. It was
only when the Americans came to Québec that their plans began to go awry. After
a failed assault killed Montgomery and seriously wounded Benedict Arnold, the
Americans settled down to a winter siege that they could not win. A brave and skil-
ful band of Heroes could rewrite history by infiltrating Québec fortifications and
breaking the stalemate.
In the summer of 1776, Québec received reinforcements from Britain and Car-
leton launched a counter-attack down the Hudson valley, recapturing Montréal and
forcing the Americans back to Crown Point. Both sides created a makeshift navy
on Lake Champlain, which resulted in the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11th.
Although the British won the battle, the Americans could be said to have gained a
strategic victory, preventing British forces from going further down the Hudson. A
band of Heroes on either side of the war could find adventure in missions to capture
forts, raid enemy forces, and negotiate with potential native allies.

"?&'"&IK%#7-
As will be seen in F LAMES OF FREEDOM: BOSTON BESIEGED, the Knights Tem-
plar are active in the Thirteen Colonies as a secret society whose agenda includes
promoting the American Revolution. They are also engaged in a clandestine struggle
against the minions of Lord Southwell for control of the Freemasons in the Colo-

FJ
"?&'2I&7;8#+'C&R(%D,;(+#7H'P#7'S!GGEU!GJ<T
nies. The struggle between the Templars and the Knights of Malta also continues as
both sides try to locate and recover the rumored lost Templar gold that came to the
New World after the Templars’ downfall in Europe.

"?&'A(8;W,W':&'0(,7&Ua#I&':&'X(+,7W#%
Before the passing of the Quebec Act, the Société de Notre-Dame de Mon-
tréal waged a complex campaign of political influence to safeguard the Catholic
Church and Catholic interests in the former French colonies. After the passing of
the Act, they shifted their efforts toward maintaining Catholic unity in the Province
and keeping Québec out of the growing conflict between Britain and the Thirteen
Colonies. Some members hope that
the British and Americans will weaken
each other sufficiently that a return to
French rule will become possible.
Even as it works to promote unity
among the French-speaking popula-
tion, though, the Société is rent by a
growing schism. Some members favour
taking action against British interests
in Québec and putting the blame on
the Americans, while others distrust
any course that would involve the for-
mer territories of New France in the
conflict. Either faction might employ a
trusted band of Heroes to further their
own designs or to thwart the other’s
plans.

"?&'67&&I#-(+-
The schism between Ancients and Moderns continues as Templar agents try
to thwart Lord Southwell’s plans to bring the Masons of North America under his
control. In addition, the Lodges of Québec are divided between those that look to
France for leadership and the British Lodges that are spread throughout the military
and administration. Heroes may encounter Freemasons involved in a dizzying array
of secret operations on behalf of an equally confusing variety of masters, and Heroes
with Masonic connections will scarcely know whom to trust.

"?&'X#+:(#B
The Mandoag are active on two fronts during this period.
In the north, they are watching the conflict as it escalates and doing everything
they can to fan the flames. Prophecies have told them that this war is divine retribu-
tion for the smallpox that wiped out native populations in the early years of contact,
and will weaken the white settlers no less than disease ravaged the natives. The Man-

FM
 *?#K,&7'G
doag are staging massacres and other atrocities that the two sides can blame upon
each other and strengthening both sides with magical assistance to ensure that the
war is as bloody as possible.
In Spanish Louisiana, the Mandoag are taking the measure of the new colonial
rulers. In particular, they have heard that the Spanish Inquisition, although weaker
than it was in its heyday, is still active in the pursuit of witches and other threats.
Inquisitors have arrived in New Orleans, but so far there have been only a few inves-
tigations and no trials. The Inquisitors, for their part, are working to sort fact from
superstition in the tales of dark forces that lurk in the swamps.

=&7-(+#%;,;&-
3DH'*#7%&,(+`'N#7(+'()'a(78?&-,&7'#+:'3&+&7#%'
S!G99U!JOJT
Carleton served as a General during Wolfe’s attack on Québec and took part
in the Seven Years’ War in Europe. He was appointed Governor of the Province of
Quebec from 1776 to 1786 amid British fears that the American colonists would
attack Canada.
He tried without success to create French-Canadian regiments. When the
Americans launched a two-pronged attack against Montréal and Québec, he re-
treated to Québec where he defeated the American combined forces of Richard
Montgomery and Benedict Arnold.

GO
"?&'2I&7;8#+'C&R(%D,;(+#7H'P#7'S!GGEU!GJ<T
Even before the passing of the Quebec Act, Carleton was well aware that the
usual system of administration would alienate the French Canadians. To offset this,
he maintained the system of seigneuries and returned them to the Sieurs from whom
they had been taken.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ After failing to raise French-Canadian regiments to help defend against an
American attack, Carleton secretly recruits small teams of highly-skilled indi-
viduals – including natives and magicians of European background – to harry
any American advance up the Hudson. This exercise can be an ideal pretext for
bringing a band of Heroes together, and Carleton’s office can supply a range of
missions from investigation and scouting to commando-style raids against supe-
rior American forces.
‡ As a senior army officer, Carleton may well have been a Freemason under the
control of Lord Southwell. Southwell’s plans for Canada were ambitious – some
would say unrealistic – and his demands were high. Southwell begins to suspect
Carelton’s loyalty because of his sympathy for the seigneural system, and when
Carleton loses Montreal Southwell decides to have him removed. The Heroes find
themselves having to save the Governor from Masonic assassins, and if they suc-
ceed they will have gained a powerful friend and patron – and some even more
powerful enemies.
‡ News reaches Carleton of a massacre on the borders of New York and Québec.
An entire village has been wiped out with unbelievable savagery, and there is
every indication that the Canadians, rather than local natives, were responsible.
As the clamor grows in New York for a punitive expedition, Carleton recruits
the Heroes to find out exactly what happened. The true cause of the atrocity could
be a Mandoag plot, a group of British regulars of Hessian mercenaries running
out of control, another band of Heroes putting down a supernatural threat, or a
complete fabrication by American agents.

\&#+U.%;R;&7'N7;#+:`'eRfQD&'()'VDW$&8'S!G!EU!GM@T
Born in France, Briand came to Canada in 1741. After Canada fell to the Brit-
ish he gave them his support in exchange for his ordination as the Évêque of Qué-
bec. Returning from England where he pledged his allegiance to King George III,
he played a major role in keeping the French Canadians indifferent to the American
cause. He condemned those who joined or helped the Americans, and barred them
from any sacrament or ceremony even if they repented.
Even though he was, as Évêque, one of the most influential men in the Province,
Briand stayed true to his vows of poverty. He spent many years with just enough to
sustain himself, not even able to accommodate visitors. Governor Carleton gave him
a free hand in all religious affairs and publicly praised Briand’s virtues.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Briand’s oath of allegiance to the British king was abhorrent to many Catholics
in the Province, and none more so than the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal.

G!
 *?#K,&7'G
Heroes with ties to the Société may find themselves ordered to discredit or even
assassinate him, while Heroes with British allegiances may be ordered to keep
him safe at all costs.
‡ An Episcopal seal is stolen from Briand’s residence, and it is feared that pro-
American agents will use it to forge documents in his name lifting the ban on
supporting the American cause. The Heroes are engaged to find and recover the
seal, destroy any false document, and bring those responsible to justice before any
damage is done.
‡ The Heroes encounter the ghost of a French Canadian who helped a wounded
American soldier after a battle on the Hudson. Denied the Last Rites by Briand’s
policy, this tortured soul is condemned forever, and may even be haunting the
Bishop himself. The Heroes must find a way to lay the ghost, even if it means
persuading Briand to relax his policy and grant extreme unction to the unhappy
spirit.

X;8?&%ULD-,#8?&U3#-K#7:U2%#;+'*?#7,;&7':&'/(,$;+;Y7&
S!G@JU!J99T
Lotbinière was born in Canada and joined the military. He had been a mere
cadet when he defended the city of Québec in 1759, and the capitulation of New
France destroyed any possibility of a further career in the French military. He con-
tinued his studies and became a surveyor. In 1770, he began purchasing several sei-
gneuries west of the island of Montréal.
He joined the defense of Fort St-Jean and Montréal against the American inva-
sion commanded by Richard Montgomery. He was captured but returned to his sei-
gneurie in 1777 and was appointed a judge and Captain of the Militia of Montréal.
With his lands and his civil and military offices, Lobtinière was one of the most
powerful men in the region of Montréal. His actions against the Americans gave
him enough credit to be left relatively alone by Governor Guy Carleton.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ At the start of the Revolutionary War, Lotbinière is a prisoner of the Americans
in Albany, New York. This fact gives a group of American Heroes an opportunity
to encounter him and become caught up in the politics of Québec. It also gives Ca-
nadian Heroes a motivation to rescue him and get him safely back to Carleton.
‡ As Captain of Militia, Lotbinière makes a good patron for a group of Heroes
based in or around Montréal. During his career as a surveyor he could have
encountered supernatural mysteries and been motivated to establish a capability
for dealing with magical and monstrous threats. His position as a Justice of the
Peace also makes him a good source of investigative missions, especially where
witchcraft or other supernatural activities are suspected.
‡ Before he began accumulating lands in his own right, Lotbinière’s father had lost
his holdings in America. Although he is nominally – and vocally – loyal to the
British administration, Lotbinière may well be scheming to regain these lands as

G9
"?&'2I&7;8#+'C&R(%D,;(+#7H'P#7'S!GGEU!GJ<T
part of a deal with the American rebels. Depending on their own affiliation, the
Heroes may be required to assist him or to investigate claims of double-dealing
on behalf of the Governor.

N&7+#7:(':&'3#%R&]'H'X#:7;:`'*(D+,'()'3#%R&]
S!G@FU!GJFT
The Count of Galvez was the Spanish Governor of Louisiana from 1777 to 1785.
Following the Seven Years’ War in Europe, France transferred the ownership of Loui-
siana to its ally Spain through series of secret agreements. His role in the American
Revolutionary War would be crucial to the success of the Americans as he prevented
the British from encircling them. He opened a continental supply line to the Thirteen
Colonies and provided them with material assistance along the Mississippi.
With the war raging on, the Count of
Galvez also toiled to restore previous
losses. He secured Nouvelle-Orléans,
and from 1779 to 1781 he won im-
portant victories at Bâton-Rouge and
Mobile before finally liberating Florida
from the British. His forces consisted of
Spanish regulars supplemented by the
former French colonists of Louisiane.
Because his military involvement in
the war left him little time to take care
of the daily administration of Louisi-
ana, Galvez entrusted most of the bureaucracy to his aides. As a result, the economy
and legal system were kept in the same state of laissez-faire that had served reason-
ably well under French rule.
Adventure Seeds:
‡ Communications between the Thirteen Colonies and Spanish Louisiana were
sporadic at best, but Galvez was an important ally of the Revolution. A sea jour-
ney from Boston or Philadelphia to New Orleans involved a long voyage down
the Atlantic coast and around the Florida Keys, with the Royal Navy holding an
unshakeable supremacy at sea. Conveying letters from the Continental Congress
to Galvez would be a challenging adventure for seafaring Heroes.
‡ Even before his formal attacks on British forces in the Gulf of Mexico, Galvez
may hire a band of Heroes as an irregular commando force to harass and weaken
British interests.
‡ While conveying aid to the Americans up the Mississippi, the Heroes encounter
a ruined Cahokian city. They have the opportunity to learn much about the Ca-
hokians and the struggle that destroyed their civilization, but the Mandoag will
respond strongly to ensure that they do not get to spread this knowledge.

G<
 *?#K,&7

=2C"'<
Cg/LA
With NEW FRANCE some slight changes and additions to COLONIAL GOTHIC’S
rules need to be made. These changes are done so that players and Gamemasters
wanting to set their games within NEW FRANCE, can. This section covers the creation
of French colonial characters, local monsters and mysteries, and offers some notes
for the GM. More importantly, they offer more options and these options apply to
game not only set in NEW FRANCE, but throughout the New World.

G@
 *7&#,;+B'2'*?#7#8,&7

*?#K,&7'J
*7&#,;+B'2'
*?#7#8,&7
The rules for character creation in the COLONIAL GOTHIC RULEBOOK are un-
changed. However, some backgrounds require a few adjustments to reflect the situ-
ation in New France. All skills given by a background are at Base Rank.

*(%(+;-,
2:I;+;-,7#,(7
A character with this background has been given an office in the kingdom’s
colonies and he is expected to serve his king by protecting and promoting his assets
in the New World.
Some considered an office in NEW FRANCE as an occasion to distinguish them-
selves, and others as a punishment akin to exile. The former eagerly strove to perform
well and the latter did what they could while seeking another office elsewhere.
Only male Heroes can become administrators.
Background Bonus: Study (Law), Bureaucracy, and Language, (French - Fluent)

*#,?(%;8'=7;&-,
The priests of New France are either from the Séminaire de Québec or educated
in France. They either tend to the colonists in matters of faith or attempt to convert
natives to Christianity. Characters who wish to be missionaries should take the Di-
plomacy background bonus instead of Bureaucracy.
Although the priesthood is exclusively male, female Heroes can belong to one
of the several orders of nuns that ran schools and hospitals in New France. These
nuns will require Study and Language skills to work in schools, and Medicine skills
to work in hospitals.
Background Bonus: Profession (Clergy), Bureaucracy or Diplomacy, and Language
(French – Fluent)

GE
 *?#K,&7'J
*(D7&D7':&-'N(;-
These individuals go into the back
country to trade directly with the
natives rather than waiting at trad-
ing posts or in cities. Coureurs des bois
who have an official license to practise their
trade are called voyageurs, and in some periods it
is illegal to trade without a license. Whether licensed or
not, their lifestyle was often condemned for its proximity to the
natives. The great and the good deplored what they saw as their
heathen ways and loose morals, and believed that anyone who mixed
with them too much would be corrupted. Be that as it may, no colonists
know more about the land or the art of survival than the coureurs des bois.

Background Bonus: Survival, Bargain, and Language (French - Fluent)

67(+,;&7'*(%(+;-,
New France did not have frontier colonists like those in the Thirteen Colonies.
Instead, see Landowner, Rural Colonist, and Coureur des Bois.

/#+:(5+&7
The Seigneurs of New France were wealthy and politically powerful, but unlike
their counterparts in France they were not often of noble birth. Their main concern
was to make sure that their seigneurie ran smoothly, producing crops, trade goods,
and taxes. In the event of any trouble, from a crop failure to attacks by natives or
monsters, the tenant farmers would look to their Seigneur for a solution.

Background Bonus: Bureaucracy, Diplomacy, and Language (French – Fluent)

CD7#%'*(%(+;-,
Commercial entrepreneurs, former engagés, former soldiers or French citizens
could all travel to North America and receive lands in a seigneurie. France needed as
many of them as possible to support her claims in the new world.

Background Bonus: Trade (any), Study (any), and Language (French - Fluent)

g7$#+'*(%(+;-,
The urban colonists of New France are very similar to their counterparts in
the Thirteen Colonies. Unless they are not of French ancestry, they all speak fluent
French.

GF
 *7&#,;+B'2'*?#7#8,&7
67&&I#+
67&&:'A%#R&
Slavery was not permitted in New France before the British victory in the War
of Conquest/French Indian War. There were, however, about 1,100 African slaves
who worked as domestic servants in New France between 1654 and 1759, most of
whom had been imported from the Thirteen Colonies. Thus, any character with a
background related to slavery is likely to originate from outside New France.

L+B#BW'S1+:&+,D7&:'A&7R#+,T
The engagés are people, usually from the lower classes of France, who exchanged
a commitment of three years of work in the colonies for their subsistence and some
money. Unlike their equivalents in the Thirteen Colonies, the conditions in which
they lived were quite decent even if they received a meager 75 livres per year. After
their three years, the engagés officially became citizens and could engage in activities
such as the fur trade that were previously restricted to them. They could also return
to France.
Initially, most of the men who came to New France were engagés and few chose
to stay after their term was up. As the colonies developed and life there became more
comfortable, more and more decided to stay.

Background Bonus: Trade (any), Profession (any) and Language (French - Fluent)

X;%;,#7H
Apart from language differences, the French military was very similar to the
British, and indeed the military of any European nation.
The army was divided into infantry, cavalry, and artillery, with further divisions
into light and heavy. Soldiers fought in massed ranks with the skill of their general
playing at least as great a role as their
fighting ability. Local militias knew
their own territory well and made effec-
tive raiders and skirmishers, but could
not generally stand up well to a mass
battle.
While the French Navy was not as
powerful as its British counterpart, it
was not to be despised. French ships
were often faster than British ones, but
their crews were not as well trained and
disciplined.

GG
 *?#K,&7'J
0#,;R&'2I&7;8#+h6;7-,'0#,;(+-
The indigenous peoples of NEW FRANCE are described on pp 37-42. Any Native
American background applies equally well to New France, and indeed the lands of
some tribes lay partly under British rule and partly under French.

"&IK%#,&-
COLONIAL GOTHIC TEMPLATES (available from the ROGUE GAMES store and
other online sources) provides partly-created Heroes based on specific character
concepts, and can be used for characters from New France as well as from the
Thirteen Colonies; the only adjustment necessary is to make French the charac-
ter’s first language.
The following templates can be used when creating characters from New
France, according to the background chosen.
*(%(+;-,
Administrator: Official
Catholic Priest: Minister
Coureur des Bois: Explorer, Hunter/Trapper
Rural Colonist: Farmer
Urban Colonist: Academic, Craftsman, Criminal, Journalist, Laborer, Lawyer,
Merchant, Physician
X;%;,#7H
Soldier: Artilleryman, Cavalryman, Infantryman
Sailor: Able Seaman, Naval Officer

0#,;R&'2I&7;8#+h6;7-,'0#,;(+-
Native-Born: Native Farmer/Gatherer, Native Hunter/Fisherman, Native
Shaman, Native Warrior
Tribe Adopted: Native Warrior

67&+8?'0#I&-
Here is a list of the most common names for French colonists. These names
reflect a bias toward the middle and lower class people sent, willingly or not, to New
France.
During the Middle Ages, the use of “de” in a name often implied nobility. As
time went on, many began to adopt it to designate their hometown, region or prov-
ince. If a character is from the nobility or ascends to it, you may add a “de” and finish
with its place or birth or residence.
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 *7&#,;+B'2'*?#7#8,&7
6#I;%H'0#I&-
Allard Cormier Gélinas Leblanc Racine
Asselin Côté Germain Leclerc Rémillard
Aubin Courchesne Giguère Lemay Renaud
Beaulieu Cyr Gilbert Lemire Ricard
Beaupré Daigle Girard Lepage Rioux
Bédard Daoust Gravel Lessard Rivard
Bégin Demers Grégoire Levesque Rivet
Bélan Denis Grondin Lussier Roberge
Bélanger Desjardins Guérin Maltais Robert
Benoît Després Hamelin Marcoux Robitaille
Bergeron Dionne Hébert Martel Rochon
Bernard Doyon Huard Martin Roy
Bertrand Dubé Hubert Mercier Sauvé
Bérubé Dubuc Laberge Messier Savard
Blanchard Duchesne Lacombe Michaud Séguin
Boivert Duhamel Lacroix Morin Sévigny
Bouchard Dumont Laflamme Nault Simard
Boucher Dupont Lamontagne Normand Sirois
Bourque Duval Landry Ouellet Taillon
Boutin Faubert Langevin Paquette Tardif
Breton Fillion Langlois Paré Tessier
Brière Fortier Lanthier Pelletier Therrien
Brochu Fortin Laroche Pelletier Tremblay
Brodeur Francoeur Larocque Petit
Vachon
Caron Frigon Larose Picard
Vallée
Champagne Gagné Latour Pilon
Chartrand Gagnon Plamondon Verrault
Laurin
Chevalier Garand Lauzon Potvin Vézina
Chouinard Garneau Lavoie Prévost Viau
Clermont Gauthier Lebel Proulx Villeneuve

GM
 *?#K,&7'J
3;R&+'0#I&-
As Catholics, the people of New France were restricted in their choice of given
names. Only the names of saints could be used. To counter this limitation, the com-
mon solution was to compound two or even three names: Jean-Luc, Jaques-Yves,
and so on. The male names below can also serve to generate a last name with the
prefix “Saint” (or “St”).
Female names were rarely compounds, except with Marie as a prefix: Marie-
Claire, for example. Girls could also be given masculine names if they were preceded
by Marie.

JO
 *7&#,;+B'2'*?#7#8,&7
X#%&'3;R&+'0#I&-
Alexandre Gabriel René
Charles Mathias
Alexis Guillaume Richard
Claude Mathieu
Alfred Henri Roger
Clément Maurice
Alphonse Jacques Samuel
David Maxime
Amable Jean Simon
Denis Michel
André Joachim Sylvestre
Édouard Nicolas
Antoine Joseph Thomas
Étienne Olivier
Armand Laurent Toussaint
Eustache Pascal
Augustin Lazare Xavier
Fabien Paul
Baptiste Léonard Yves
Flavien Pierre
Basile Louis
François Régis
Casimir Marc

6&I#%&'3;R&+'0#I&-
Agathe Céleste Félécité Julienne Reine
Ambroise Charlotte Françoise Louise Rosalie
Angèle Claire Geneviève Luce Rose
Angélique Clémence Hélène Madeleine Sophie
Anne Dorothée Hyacinthe Marguerite Suzanne
Apolline Élizabeth Ignace Marie Thérèse
Brigitte Émilie Jeanne Marthe Ursule
Catherine Esther Judith Monique Véronique
Cécile Euphrosine Julie Nathalie

J!
 *?#K,&7'M

*?#K,&7'M
aD&%-
One socially acceptable way of resolving a conflict in the 18th century was the
duel. The form of the duel would depend greatly on the individuals involved, their
concept of honor and the means at their disposal.

Dueling was restricted to the upper classes. In New France, this meant members
of the Seigneurie and the nobility, and officers. Lesser mortals resolved their differ-
ences by brawling, and disputes between members of the upper and lower classes
usually resulted in a sound thrashing administered by the servants of the higher-
ranking individual.
Several dueling codes were created over the centuries. The basics of the French
code of the 18th century are as follows:

J9
 aD&%-
1. The duel would begin with the challenger making a public claim of an insult
or wrong committed by his opponent.
2. The person challenged could either offer an apology (sometimes with material
reparation) or choose the weapons for the duel. The challenger could propose
a time and place for the duel, but the challenged party could refuse and sug-
gest an alternative if he had a reasonable justification for doing so.
3. Each party would bring a physician and at least one second to the appointed
place at the agreed time. A party who did not appear could rightfully be de-
nounced as a coward. The seconds acted as witnesses to prevent foul play, and
as go-betweens to attempt to resolve the issue before blood was spilled. If a
settlement could be reached even at this late hour, both parties could leave
with honor. If not, the seconds would assist the duelists in preparing for the
duel.
4. The duelists had to agree to the conditions of the duel. It was generally con-
sidered unmanly to stop at first blood, so the deciding factor was usually the
first disabling wound. In game terms, the duel is over when one character
becomes unconscious or enters shock (COLONIAL GOTHIC RULEBOOK, p. 98).
Even though duelists could – and did – die in the course of a duel, proposing
a duel to the death was considered barbaric.
5. If all these conditions were met, the winner had to consider the matter closed
and the loser would retain his reputation of a man of courage and honor.

A5(7:'aD&%-
The French dueled mostly with a sword known as a smallsword. Most, if not all,
other swords were too heavy to allow a fencer to riposte, a move that turns a quick
deflection into an attack. The smallsword was a lighter version of other swords called
colichemardes, which were popular among officers during the War of Conquest. Sabers
were generally considered distasteful weapons, but were still employed occasionally.
Smallswords first appeared in France and spread to other countries in Europe.
About 28 inches long and extremely light, they were perfect for duels. The French
fencing schools soon adopted the smallsword, and it remained on the battlefield
even into the 20th century.
Skill: Melee
Damage Value: 4(40)
Parry (Block only): +2
Range: --
ROF: --
Size: 1H
Cost: £4 or 3 Louis, 20 Livres, 12 sous and 24 deniers

J<
 *?#K,&7'M
=;-,(%'aD&%-
Pistol duels gained popularity in the late 18th century and could take several
forms. The most common were the duel à volonté (duel at will), the duel à marche
interrompue (broken march duel), the duel au signal (signaled duel), and the duel à la
barrière (fence duel). The form of the duel was chosen by the challenged party.

aD&%'i'[(%(+,W
SaD&%'2,'P;%%T
Two lines are drawn on the ground
some 25 to 40 paces apart. Two more are drawn inside,
at an equal distance from the first lines. The duelists begin
at the outer lines and move in toward one another, but may
not cross the inner lines. Either can stop moving whenever he wishes
and take aim. The moment a duelist has fired, he must remain in his place to
offer his opponent a shot.

aD&%'i'X#78?&'1+,&77(IKD&'SN7(_&+'X#78?'aD&%T
This duel is a variation of the duel à volonté and requires the same initial setup
of lines. The two duelists advance from the outer lines, but can do so by zigzagging,
halting and resuming movement. A duelist may only shoot when standing still and
must still offer himself as a stationary target after firing. This gives a slight advantage
to the duelist not attempting the first shot as he may still zigzag, walk, and change
pace to make his opponent’s shot more difficult.

aD&%'2D'A;B+#%'SA;B+#%&:'aD&%T
The signal in this form of duel is a clap of the hands by one of the seconds. The
two duelists start some distance apart, and begin to advance at the first clap. At the
second clap they take aim while still advancing, and at the third they halt and fire.
The claps are made three seconds apart.

aD&%'i'/#'N#77;Y7&'S6&+8&'aD&%T
Probably the most famous form of pistol duel, the duel à la barrière places the
two opponents back to back. At a signal, the two begin walking a predetermined
number of paces before turning to fire. This form has the greatest chance of missed
shots.

J@
 XH-,&7;&-

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This chapter adapts a few folktales from NEW FRANCE for use as COLONIAL
GOTHIC adventures.

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One summer morning, lobster fishermen in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine found
the body of a black man washed up on shore. Though the exact cause of his death
was not apparent, his body was covered with strange tattoos and scars. Not knowing
what to do, the fishermen called for a priest, who identified the man as an African
sorcerer. The priest recommended that the corpse be buried nearby. Because the
sorcerer was unlikely to be a Catholic, the priest decided that a mound should mark
the burial site instead of a cross.

For the next year, hunting and fishing were very bad. It seemed as though all
the fish and animals had fled the area. Someone reported seeing a light coming from
the mound at night. The site was investigated, but there were no traces of a recent
fire. After more reports of lights, a few brave men decided to watch the mound over-
night.

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Near midnight, a flame sprouted from the rocks and sand. The flame grew into a
large fire and burned for several hours. The men tried to extinguish it with earth and
water, but could not put it out. The fire only ceased to burn shortly before sunrise.
To the men’s amazement, nothing had been consumed by the fire. Claiming this was
the work of the Devil, the priest had the coffin dug up and opened. The corpse was
intact, showing no signs of decomposition. It was decided that the body should be
cast back into the sea. Since then, the corpse has frequently reappeared elsewhere,
and the story repeats itself. Each time a mound is built and its presence brings bad
luck to local hunting and fishing.

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Some of the most remote villages in the colony of Canada host a puzzling mys-
tery. These villages have nothing in common except this phenomenon. Someone, or
something, is building high-quality cobbled roads in the most unusual places. The
phenomenon began around 1670, and as time went on more and more of these roads
were reported. No one ever saw anyone building the roads, but they seemed to be
extended by a few hundred yards each year. These roads would require the work of
several men just to maintain them in their pristine condition, let alone to continue
extending them.
The roads do not begin or end anywhere in particular. They simply run through
the woods, sometimes even crossing their own path several times. Despite the age of
some known sections, most of the roads do not show any signs of wear or neglect.
Some, apparently unused by their mysterious makers, are being reclaimed by vegeta-
tion and show signs of natural erosion.
In a COLONIAL GOTHIC campaign, the phenomenon could have a number of
causes. They might be built by faerie-like creatures such as the nagumwasuck and
mekumwasuk of neighboring Maine and l’Acadie. They might not be roads at all, but
the results of an attempt by a secretive group of magicians to trace a magical symbol
on the ground for some unknown purpose. They might be created by the wandering
ghosts of early colonial road-builders who were killed or enslaved and driven mad
by local natives or supernatural creatures. They might even be a kind of supernatural
“Yellow Brick Road” leading to another dimension.

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This strange hill is located in l’Acadie, or New Brunswick as the British re-
named it. The first track here would not be built until the 1800s, but in colonial times
a few local people might be aware of the strange phenomenon that surrounds it.
There is a spot near the base of the hill on the southern side where wheeled ve-
hicles have a tendency to roll up the hill instead of down it, as if normal gravity were
inverted. The reason for this effect could be supernatural, or it might be due to the
presence beneath the hill of a large deposit of a strange magnetic mineral, like the
gravity-blocking Cavorite from H. G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon. Whatever
the cause, both mystics and scientists would be interested in studying the phenom-
enon, and would require guides and escorts to accompany them to the site.

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 XH-,&7;&-
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The evil pirate Black Bartelmy met his end near a reef called the Roaring Bull,
by Cape Forchu in Nova Scotia. His ship struck the rocks, and as it sank Bartlemy
and his mate, Ben the Hook, murdered the crew one by one and escaped in a boat
with the group’s treasure. After the two hid the treasure in a cave and blocked the
entrance with rocks, Bartelmy murdered Ben and set off for safety, secure in the
knowledge that he was the only living soul who knew the treasure’s location. Unfor-
tunately, he found himself engulfed in quicksand and died.
Soon after, a lighthouse keeper saw a flare off the Roaring Bull, and a lifeboat
crew set out. As they approached, they saw a ghostly sailing ship with a man in
black on deck, standing amid piles of treasure and brandishing a cutlass. It was the
last thing they saw before the breakers overwhelmed their boat and they were all
drowned. Local stories tell of further sightings, and warn against going to the aid of
a vessel in distress off the Roaring Bull.
As for the treasure, it has never been found. It still rests in a blocked-off cave,
possibly guarded by the ghost of Ben the Hook.

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In 1763, the British authorities in Quebec City condemned Marie-Josephte
Corriveau to hang in irons for the murder of her second husband with an axe fol-
lowing alleged domestic abuse. This was a punishment unknown under French rule,
and harsh even by British standards. After being hanged, her body was displayed in
an iron cage as a deterrent to other would-be evildoers.
The details of the case are complex. Her father was condemned initially, but
convinced the authorities that he was merely an accessory after the fact. A cousin
who worked for the Corriveaus as a maid changed her story several times during the
trial, and was lashed and branded with the letter P for perjury.
After her death, tales began to spread about La Corriveau. Some said she had
killed all her previous husbands – as many as seven in some accounts. Others whis-
pered that she was a witch and celebrated the Witches’ Sabbath at the Île d’Orleans.
Her body, still in its irons, was said to terrorize travellers at night near the place
where it was gibbeted.

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Early French settlers heard native tales of a kingdom ruled by a blond people
rich in gold and furs. It was not until 1960 that archaeologists discovered the Viking
site of l’Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of Labrador, but these tales may be
a folk-memory of Viking settlers in the 11th century.
If the Heroes stumble across a Viking-age site, they might find it peopled only
by ghosts, or it may be that the Vinland colony has somehow survived 700 years in
isolation. The Vikings may be pure-blooded Scandinavians still, or they may have

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 *?#K,&7'!O
intermarried with the local native people. They may even have made some terrible
deal with the Mandoag or some other supernatural power, granting them immortal-
ity in exchange for blood-sacrifices.
Aside from the supernatural implications of such a discovery, a Scandinavian
colony in North America would have huge political repercussions. The New Sweden
colony on the Delaware River lasted only until 1655, but Sweden might renew its
claims if news of a Viking settlement leaked out. French or British explorers would
have to ensure the settlement’s existence remained a secret, and might even be or-
dered by their governments to discreetly wipe it out – a measure that the Vikings
would surely resist. A more peaceful – but no less challenging – adventure might
see the Heroes as secret agents of the Swedish government trying to locate the lost
Vikings and convince them to accept Swedish rule. The Vikings of Vinland were
mainly Norwegian, and might not react enthusiastically to such overtures.

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 X(+-,&7-

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Also known as Ignis Fatuus or will-o’-the wisp, feux-follets are known to appear
in graveyards and swamps at night. Those who have had the misfortune to encounter
them describe them as flying creatures entirely made of fire. They appear spherical
when at rest and take the form of a fiery jet when moving. They attack by flying into
their target.
Feux-follets have a tendency to attack without warning or provocation. Animals
seem to be aware of their presence, and horses and dogs will flee from them. The Île
d’Orléans, near Québec, is known to be haunted by feux-follets.

Might 1 Nimble 6 Vigor 3 Reason 3

Resolution 4 Resolve 15 Plasm 20
Skills: Brawl 3
Abilities: Flight (50’), Night Vision, Insubstantial

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These large black dogs fly by running through the air as if they were on solid
ground, and are seen as they follow the Spring and Fall migration of ducks and
geese. They will attack humans in the absence of other prey.
Flying dogs are encountered in packs of at least five individuals. On a few occa-
sions, dozens have gathered to hunt down the entire population of villages north of
Trois-Rivières. The most effective way to deal with them is simply to go indoors and
wait for them to leave. They rarely remain long in a single area, and never persist in
chasing a quarry that has reached safety.

Might 2 Nimble 4 Vigor 2 Reason 2

Resolution 6 Resolve 20 Vitality 10
Skills: Observe (4)

Abilities: Bite, Flight (60’), Light Sensitivity, Night Vision

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Most often seen near the St-Maurice River, this race of immortal giants is re-
corded in the tales of the Atikamekw. They say that the Mestabeoks are people
resembling humans, as tall as trees yet gentle and peaceful. Mestabeoks are shy and
shun all contact with others. They have been around for countless ages, and accord-
ing to the Atikamekw they toiled long and hard to make the land what it is, using
magic and huge tools to carve the rivers, raise the mountains, and plant the first
forests. With most of their work now done, the Mestabeoks are rarely seen.
A Mestabeok looks like a giant Native American carrying a mallet, a stone
chisel and a plethora of magical trinkets such as beads, a necklace, or a smoking pipe.
Once it becomes aware of the presence of others, it will try to leave at once, avoiding
all contact with mortals.
Might 13 Nimble 5 Vigor 9 Reason 8
Resolution 5 Resolve 32 Vitality 55
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 5, Heal, Lore 10, Melee 2, Observe 5,
Sense 8, Survival 4
Abilities: None

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These spirits of the Inuit territories appear as translucent puppets flying, or
rather hanging, from the night sky by endless strings. Some claim that they are mis-
chievous creatures and can cause fresh vegetables to rot, poison wells and summon
swarms of flies.
The tuurngaits are actually neither good nor evil, but seek amusement by play-
ing pranks. They are attracted to good fiddlers and will make them play almost to ex-
haustion, tormenting anyone who refuses with humiliating and often painful pranks.
Tuurngaits can speak in any human language but only speak to demand something
from their victims. Tuurngaits may be alone, but most of the time they travel in
groups of three to five.

Might 1 Nimble 3 Vigor 1 Reason 4

Resolution 5 Plasm 25 Resolve 20 Vitality 5

Skills: Brawl 3, Observe 4, Stealth 5

Abilities: Flight (30’), Night Vision, Illusions, Telekinesis

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2KK&+:;j'1
N;$%;(B7#K?H'2+:'
.,?&7'A(D78&-
Le Québec: Héritages et Projets (2nd edition), HRW Editions.
Alvarez, Jose Rogelio (director). Enciclopedia de Mexico. Secretaría de Educación
Pública, 1987.
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies. W. W. Norton
& Company, 2005.
Dickinson, John A. & Brian Young. A Short History of Quebec (4th edition). McGill-
Queen’s University Press, 2008.
Falardeau, Paul. Sociétés secrètes en Nouvelle-France. Momentum.

Perro, Bryan & Alexandre Girard. Créatures Fantastiques du Québec (2 vols). Trécarré
2007.
Provencher, Jean. Chronologie du Québec. Boréal 2008.

.+%;+&'C&-(D78&-
The Atlas of Canada – New France: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/
historical/preconfederation/newfrance1740
Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: http://www.biographi.ca/index-e.
html
Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.org

1+:;R;:D#%-'2+:'1+-,;,D,;(+-
Micher Barbeau, genealogist
Musée de l’amérique française
Fort William Henry Museum, Lake George

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