Workers 3

There she goes, Margeretta Watt, the wife of Doctor Watt on her way to get her Whiskey Barrel filled  just in case the Fusiliers have to go into Action. Whenever the troops march out on a mission, and Dr Watt follows with his Apothecary wagon, Margeretta goes along in the role of Vivandiere.
Unfortunately she´s been halted on her present mission by Agatha Montesfort. Í hope Agatha hasn´t got a lot of new News to tell...

The Smythe Brothers, James  and William. Both are hard at work and as both have a Reputation for quick tempers,   it´s best not to disturb them

Cuthbert Sussman...Sweetshop owner and yet again he´s got a Problem with the local nippers swiping some of his Sweets.

Oliver Barton, Butcher and Algie the Bodstonian fusiliers guard dog.
Olie´s keeping an eye on Algie..who´se got an eye on some of Olies sausages

The Miller´s Ship Mill

Owned by Mathias and Mary Miller, the Ship mill "Dusty"
In Bodstonia there are Windmills and stationary water mills, but one of the most successfull of the mills is "Dusty".
The wind may not blow and a windmill won´t turn,  a Change in the water Level can slow down or stop a water mill but "Dusty" can move to where the current is strongest.

Mary, taking a pause from her work, is lulled by the gentle Motion and sounds of the waterwheel and muses, carried away in her thoughts..perhaps to her younger, more carefree days. 

The Burning Dispute (Pt 3 - Talking costs nothing)

It´s now been several days since James and Adahy were last seen and inside the stockade surrounding the fishing town of Boddinton, things are getting tense.
Jeremiah Coleman and Mr Cheeseman are discussing with Company B´s Staff Sergeant, Robert Lambton,  wether to send out a large patrol and if they were to do so, what would be it´s  size and how might that weaken the towns defences.

At this Moment the sentry on the watch tells them a figure can be seen breaking cover from the distant woodline....and it appears to be  a Native!!
Quickly the town is called to full alert, all those capable of carrying and using a fire arm Position themselves along the palisades.
Using his fieldglass, Jeremiah makes the figure out to be one of the missing two men,  Adahy!!
Quickly mr Cheesman and Staff Sergeant, Lambton run down to great him.

Adahy tells them that James is alright but being Held at ransom to force a Meeting. He has been sent to lead representatives of Bodstonia to the  place of this Meeting and that they must follow him now.
Quickly Lambton gathers a handfull of his Company together, accompanied by Jeremiah and Mr Cheesman, the small Group sets off behind Adahy.

The Party follows Adahy into the forest and after an hour they Come into a large Clearing, on the far side of which is a large Party of natives, James in their midst.
Both groups warily approach each other, weapons held at the ready but after both
Adahy and James assure both sides of no harmfull intent from the other fingers are removed from Triggers and shoulders relax.

After a Long talk it is discovered that the attack on the Trappers cabin was carried out by a handfull of Young braves  from one of the   large Family Groups belonging to the Chinqua tribe.

Thier reason? During the last winter the Trappers had killed beaver and left the meat to the wolves.
A headman from another Chinqua Family Group had discussed this  with the Trappers who said they would in future bring any meat to the natives but word of this hadn´t got to the Young braves of the other Family Group. Thier disgust at the waste of the beaver meat turned to rage when one of the braves got his foot caught in a gin trap set by the Trappers.
It wasn´t a serious injury, the trap wasn´t set well, but this was the last straw for them and  Unfortunately they decided to take the law into thier own Hands.

Upon Hearing about the use of a Gin trap, both Mr Cheesman and Jeremiah Coleman shook thier heads  in  desolation...gin traps are specifically forbidden in Bodstonia and the Trappers would have known this to be the case, it is so written in the Terms of thier hunting licence, which they have read and sighned.

After Long discussion it is decided, there has been hurt  and loss on both sides but as These cannot be measured against each other, "Zacks" injured arm against that of the Natives injured leg, the lost beaver meat against the burnt log cabin,  it is considered that all is equal. As no further harm is intended, no-one had lost thier  life,  both parties consider the matter closed.
They part on friendly Terms.

A week or so later.
The Trappers, Rob and "Zack" ,  have had thier hunting licence revoked and for now work in Boddington as fishermen.

Mr Cheeseman, ever keen to learn more,  has, along with Adahy , met again with the headsman of the Chinqua and arranged to visit their Family Group later in the year.

Jeremiah Coleman and the Bodstonian Dragoons  have returned to Bodston.

And James? He has quietly  gone back to Bodston to write up his adventure, add a bit more to his map of Bodstonia and.......for now.......remain the Apple of Symphonies eye



The Burning Dispute (Pt2 - Reasoned preperations)

After the two Trappers have been taken to safety in Boddington, a rider is sent to Bodston with News of the recent Events. A section of Company B from the Bodstonian Fusiliers and a handfull of Folks Militia head out in the direction of the first Group of Militia to lend  assistance.
(photo)
After nearly two days hard ride the Messenger reaches Bodston and quickly a Meeting is Held to decide on the measures that need to be taken.
Present at the Meeting are, Bartholomew Motesfont,  Jeremiah Coleman, Charles Livesy  ( Captain of the Artillery), Rose Tremain, Officer in charge of the  Purple Roses,  Mr Cheeseman, Dr Greyham Watt, Edward Binder and James Forrester.

It is quickly decided that Company A and C of the Bodston Fusiliers, the  Purple Roses and the Artillery would remain withing Bodston.
Notification is immediately sent to all the local Militia to be ready at a moments notice.
Company B would remain at full strength in Boddington and Company D likewise  in Boddingham.
Jeremiah Coleman and Mr Cheeseman would travel at first light the next day with half the Bodstonian Dragoons  to Boddington, the rest of the dragoons would ride to Boddingham. They are also tasked to alerting and gathering any  single homesteads along the way. 

Two dragoons  loading Barrels of Gunpowder to take to Boddington

Further,  James Forrester would leave as soon a possible for Boddington, then he and  Adahy would continue into the woodlands around the area of the incident and as far as possible, without endangering themselves, try to discover the reason for the sudden and, from the Bodstonian side, unprovoked attack.

Symphonie DelaCroix  watches from the outskirts as James rides away towards Boddington. A sense of foreboding fills her heart.

Evening of the next day is falling and James is nearing Boddington. Suddenly as if  placed by a Spirit Hand,  Adahy appears in a clearing. Both men greet each other warmly  and then continue onwards to Boddington, discussing the Situation and exchanging News as they go.  In the town they learn that the Militia and Bodston Fusiliers have returned safely with no further sightings of the natives and no further incidents have been reported.

Early the next day James and Adahy leave Boddington and after two days search,  find the remains of the log cabin. As The day is now late they decide to rest and proceed on thier Task early the next day but.............

..no sooner than they have set off but they are suddenly surrounded by a Group of natives,whose muskets are cocked and aimed at them. Escape is impossible, both men are quickly disarmed, thier Hands tied and they are led further and deeper into the forest.

Was Symphonie´s foreboding justified? Why didn´t Adahy notice the natives before the trap was sprung? The reasons and Wherebys coming soon.....

The Burning Dispute (Pt 1- Cabin Fever)

For near on two days,  natives of the Chinqua* have held "Zack" Butler and Rob Perris under siege in thier log cabin. Exactly why this Event has come about is for both Trappers unclear and as they have virtually no knowledge of  any native languages, it will, for the time being,  remain so.
However, one thing is clear to both men, their Situation is becoming untenable.

The exchanges of gunfire has  depleted thier  powder supply to a few remaining shots. So far, neither side has suffered any casualties although "Zack" has recieved  small wound to his left shoulder. This occured as the very first shot was fired. "Zack" had gone outside early on the morning of the 1st day of the seige to carry out his morning "constitutional" as a musket ball hit him. Luckily for "Zack" it only broke the Skin but it has  impaired his use of that arm..which is now held in a sling.
Also thier water supply is all but gone.... the Close confines of the cabin combined with the summer heat is becoming unbearable for both men.

With no sign of aid arriving, both men decide on a desperate measure.
Over the period of the attack, they have worked out, through seeing them moving and their rate of fire,  that the Natives cannot number more than a handfull. Hoping that this is the case, they decide to make a run for it. Now useless to "Zack" and too much weight to carry but not wanting it to fall into the Hands of the natives, , Rob takes the lock off "Zack´s" Musket , bends the Barrel and smashes the butt. Then taking one last look around thier cabin, they draw breath, nod to each other in a last agreement and then Burst out of the door, both men firing thier weapons  in  order to Keep the Natives heads down.

It works!!! The natives are taken by suprise at this bold move, one or two fire wildly at the emerging figures but all miss thier marks. Both men run into the surrounding Woods, zig-zagging past trees as they go.

The natives watch them go, considering that giving chase would serve no usefull purpose, thier attention now fixes on the cabin. After rummaging through it´s contents and finding nothing much of use apart from some cooking untensils and blankets, they set fire to the Cabin and after making sure the fire will not spread to the surrounding forest..they depart.

Both "Zack" and Rob run as fast as they can but very soon realise they are not being followed so Change to a quick walk. Soon dusk falls and exhausted from the last two days excersions,  they settle in a small hollow. Sure of thier escape and there are no persuers, nonetheless they spend a fitfull night and as the first light of day breaks, they make thier way again. Around midday they are relieved to meet Group of Militia  who are on thier way to investigate the cause of the smoke rising from the forest. 

After hastily telling thier tale of the preceding days Events, both men are then sent back  to Boddington (a large Fishing Hamlet) with two Miltia, the rest of the Group proceed to the Scene of the seige.

Upon arriving they can clearly see the result of the fire. Nightfall is due and thier numbers not great , they decide that to go further and give chase would be a risk, so they turn back towards Boddington.

*So named after the  Dwarf chestnut common in their Region and  which serves an important part of their winter Foods as contains a lot of starch and protein. Cooked and ground to a  powder it  is commonly added to squirrel stew. Also it is used as an astringent and tonic. An infusion of the leaves has been used as an external wash for the feverish condition common to colds and the dried leaves of the Chinqua tree are commonly used (blown onto the Patient by the healers ) to cure headaches, chills, fevers and fever Blisters.
The wood is hard and durable and is sometimes used for posts and fuel.

Picture from "The Compendium of scientific and traditional knowledge of Bodstonia".  by Kind permission of Jeremiah  Cheeseman

"Betties Grace"

Quite a few of the rivers in Bodstonia are quite shallow and wide. Not shallow enough to be forded on horse.  This poses no problems for canoes or rafts but for the larger types of boats,   even ones with shallow keels, These rivers are virtually untraversable.
Not only this but Inland the wind is not regularily strong enough to power craft with sails and boats so equipped have proven quite unrealiable.
To overcome this Problem the Good folk of Bodstonia have built themselves several Horse powered flat bed paddle boats.

They are propelled along thanks to the power provided by two horses. Very Little effort is required  from them as the power from the horse driven turntable is transmitted to the paddles by some clever internal gears.

As the rivers upon which These paddle boats are employed are quite shallow, steering is done by the means of Punting poles, which again, requires Little effort from the punters, the boats being flat bedded in design.

Here we can see one of the Bodstonian paddle-boats, the "Bettie´s Grace" as it ferries a Pair of  hunters back from thier day out..it was successfull, they have a brace of rabbits with them.
Also onboard are  Jedediah and Jonathan Johanssen. Maybe they are going into Bodston town to buy some small bits and pieces.

"Bettie´s Grace" is owned and run by the Edgewell Brothers, Bobby and Billy.
"Bettie´s Grace" is one of the larger Paddle Boats and is capable of carrying a full  Company of the  Bodston Fusiliers and all thier baggage mules.

Bookworms

Jeremiah  Cheeseman and Edward Binder have taken a trip  to discuss how  the Bodstonian Fauna and Flora should be included in Jeremiah´s upcoming book on the history of Bodstonia. 
According to rumours it will be quite a tome, covering all aspects of the plants and animals in Bodstonia. Alongside colourplates and drawings it will have descriptions of Where the plants grow, what uses and attributes they have, the   Habits and haunts of the animals. There will also be a section on the traditions and customs of the native Population. 
It´s  titel "The Compendium of scientific and traditional knowledge of Bodstonia".

William Coleman (with the puppy) and Anton Braunstone have come along for the ride.

Chaise

As part of his role as Colonel of the  1st Regiment of foot, the Bodston Fusiliers,  Jeremiah Coleman Surveys Areas of land to familiarise himself with them with a view to any possible Military Actions. In order to do this he uses a light weight one - horse Chaise.
This vehicle is capable of going "off road"  and has the Advantage of being covered, enabling Jeremiah to work in the dry in case of rain and  add notes onto maps

Symphonie´s day out

It´s saturday and Symphonie DelaCroix has decided, quite on the spur of the Moment,  to hire a carriage and  get out of  Bodston town and have a day out in the countryside.
For companionship, apart from the rather gruff Coachman Mr Merriwether, she´s taken Young Johnathan Johanssen along. There´s no School in Bodstonia on saturdays and He´s got a day off from his father´s Farm.


Stopping to take in the view, who should be on his way past but a certain James Forrester.
James, as always the polite Gentleman that he is, raises his tricorn whilst bidding one and all a good day.
Was that a slight blush in Symphonie´s cheeks?
Did James´s smile seem to hold a certain je ne sais quoi  ?
Was Symphonie´s  trip into the countryside as Spontaneous as first seemed?
Where is James going, and why?

One thing´s for sure, niether Mr Merriwether nor Jonathan have noticed anything at all.

Bodstonian "state" coach.

Jeremiah Coleman  has got a new Coach. Well, it doesn´t actually belong to him (although he is rich enough to buy several ) but it is the property of the bodstonian Folk and "loaned" for use to members of the bodstonian council.
When not in use for council duties (not that often as most of the councillors already have thier own) it is used to deliver post to the citizens of Bodstonia who live in outlying homesteads and farms.

If a councillor borrows the Coach,  part of the conditions are delivering any mail along the way, a duty to which None of them are contrary as it brings them in contact with thier fellow citizens.

Here we see Jeremiah on a Country jaunt.
He has stopped to talk to a passing felow bodstonian, maybe he has some mail for him.

The Johanssens

Smallsteaders whjo lived on the outskirts of Bodstown, the Johanssens have finally got enough Money to be able to move to a larger house with a larger plot of farming land. This means a Long journey to the town next to the great lake, so everything is packed in their large wagon and off they set.

A group photo of the Johanssens.
From left to right:
Jonathan (son),Jedediah, ( Father), Martha (Jedediah´s wife) William (Baby), Joshuah (Grandfather to Jedediah,) Esther (Josuah´s wife) Rebecca (daughter to Jedediah)

Trappers

Bodstonia has large Areas of Farmland with all varieties of crops, has established some fruit orchards and gathers fish from the sea or the great lake, and, in the main, meat is supplied, especially in the winter months, by "proffesional" Trappers.
They live on the outer edges of Bodstonia in small communities, thier only contact with the main populace being when they trade the meat and fus they have gathered.
Trappers are easily recognisable by thier dress, Buckskins and fur hats, although even when dressed in usual Bodstonian garb they are easily distinguished by the slightly wild look in their eyes and silent natures.

Workers (2)

Another small selection of the working folk of Bodstonia.

Now that the Braunstone Brothers have finished their new house, the DeWitts are in the process of moving. Obviously Mrs DeWitt is Feeling a bit sad About leaving her old home.

Oliver Merriwether, coachman, and Mr Binder, the bookseller, discussthe rising Costs of transport 

Workers (1)

A group of workers and traders, the backbone of the Bodstonian trading system.


In one of Bodstons streets we see some traders bringing thier wares to and fro



A fisherman, one of the important jobs in Bodstonia as fish is often on the menu,especially in the winter months. The poor guy on the right. Even traders have to do physical work, sometimes starting very early in the day to prepare thier wares before the shops open

Even farmers have time to relax and here we see a farmer and his son taking time to look around

Hannah Turset

Married to Thomas Turset, children, Melanie and Harmonie.
Like her Daughter, Melanie, Hannah (40) enjoys horse riding and has passed her sense of business accumen onto Harmonie.

Native Bodstonians (Warriors)

The natives of Bodstonia are generally a peacefull race as can be seen on the accounts of Jocelyn de Bodley´s  discovery of Bodstonia, although warfare  not unknown to them.
As far as can be discovered, mainly through information supplied by Adahy, the "warfare" is on a small scale, short lived, intermitent, usually bloodless and generally  brought on by territorial disputes or the eagerness of younger members of a particular clan to "prove" themselves.
In the last few years this has become more of a "problem" as the population of Bodstonia grows and more land is required to accommodate thier needs.
One expansion meant that a woodland had to be cut down..a woodland that contained a grove which had important superstitious relevance to the local clan. This significance of the grove was unknown to the Bodstonians and they were suprised by the hostile reaction of the natives. Tempers rose on both sides and some bloodshed followed, the natives making of with several firearms*
Since this "incident"  more care is taken in the treatment of land, the task of communicting intentions and resolving any problems being given over to James Forrester.

Here we see a "warband" of natives with thier traditional warpaint. Some wear shirts and other items of clothing traded (or taken) with the Bodstonians. A "warband" is usually 15-20 strong, some clans who have close contact are known to band together and a "warbands" of nigh on 100 strong have been reported but never seen. As the exact number of tribes and therfore the native population as as yet unknown, it cannot be determined as to how many warriors the natives (if the joined together) could field but it is assumed to be  in the many hundreds.

Some natives work as guides and trakers for the bodstonians. Here we see one with an offcast jacket from Company A the Bodstonian Fusiliers
Several of the clans, particularily those who first made contact with the Bodstonians, lend thier warriors to the Bodston defence forces, thus creating a third, though not entirely realiable, force of militia.

A "death" warrior. Some native warriors paint thier faces as to resemble the appearance of a skull. According to Adahy, this signifies their preparedness to stand and fight in order to either obtain some status within the clan or die trying. If succesful in defeating an opponent they will take thier fallen foes heart in the belief it gives them a longer life.


* Before the discovery of the land of Bodstonia, the natives weapons were generally those that were used in the  pursuit of hunting, bows, spears, wooden axes and bone knives. Since Jocelyn de Bodley´s landing, they have aquired quite a reasonable amount of firearms. This has been through trade and some theft on the part of the natives. Another source (although this is not collaborated) is from Jack Dore and his Pirates. When they took the cutter Daniel´s Pride, they aquired a large number of weapons, more than thier number could possibly need. It is assumed they have either traded these with the natives or, given them to a nearby clan which now is in alliance with them.

The Pirates of Jack Dore

Avoided  and ignored since the foundation of Bodstonia, Eggism finally raised it´s ugly head in the spring of 1728. A small family feud had been brewing for nearly a year between the Dores and the De Witts. One evening it came to blows between the two factions after a night of drinking at the Bear inn.
The next day feelings were still running high and to lay the trouble to rest, Bartholomew Montesfort called a meeting of the council, to which the heads of the Dore and DeWitt families were summoned.
Both were sworn to keep the peace or face imprisonment to which both sides agreed and left.

Unfortunately that same evening there was further arguments which again escalated into a fight in which Jack Dore stabbed William DeWitt. The wound was later found to be not serious but at the time the DeWitts left for home, swearing to come back and exact vengeance.
The Dores and several of thier companions also left for thier homes to arm themselves.
The owner of the Bear inn called the watch who quickly formed a guard around and in front of the inn.  The Dore faction took little heed of this and advanced along the high street towards the far end of town, thier intention to march onto the DeWitts farm.
The Watch called out for them to halt and disperse but still they came on. Warning shots were fired, the Dores, thinking they were under attack, opened fire on the watchmen..one member of the which was slightly injured in the  left shoulder. At this point someone rang the Oak Bell and seeing that all was up, the Dores fled.

Within minutes of the Oak Bell being run, a large group of militia, "Purple Roses" and Bodstonian fusiliers had gathered. In the panik, the Dores and thier friends stole down to the dock and took the cutter,  Daniels Pride. This act of piracy was noticed at first light and even though pursuit was given, no trace of them was found.

"Capn" Jack Dore. The titel is self given. At the age of 38, he and his motely "crew" of 46 refugees have spent the last 3 years on the run. Exactly where they are camped, how they are  providing for themselves or if they are in contact with any natives is, as of yet,  unknown, even to Adahy
What is known is that they have taken  one supply ship headed for Bodstonia and at least one Zvezdonian frigate. Both ships and crews they abandoned after plundering thier holds.

Jocelyn de Bodley

In 1685, At the age 41, the descendant of Paul de Bodley, the lord of Styrow on the foam, Jocelyn de Bodley,  set out on a voyage of discovery on board the Galley,  Sea Urchin.
According to the ships logs, they sailed for near on 6 months before finally sighting land. Great cheers arose from the crew, but these soon grew still when they neared the landmass, and realised that it´s coast was one of nothing but sheer cliffs. They sailed for 12 days to the west, and upon finding no landing place, they turned and sailed east for nigh on a full month before finally, when all hope of a landing was lost, a bay was spied.
The ships longboats were launched and raced to the foreign shore.
Upon landing, Jocelyn ran up the beach and raising his left hand, claimed the land as now being under the authority of  Styronia.  The bay, was named Entry Bay.
Realising that a voyage back to the mainland was near impossible due to lack of provisions, the decision was made to remain and reprovision.
A small camp was built upon the flat land above the beach and patrols went in search of water and foodstuffs.
For near a month the men enjoyed the peacefullness of the new land until one night a dreadfull storm raised it´s anger, breaking her ties and driving the Sea Urchin upon the rocks. Luckily she held fast..the handfull of crew still onboard battled all night and finally, as the storm subsided they managed to re-anchor her in the shallow waters near the beach. The damage was not severe but repairs were necessary to allow the return journey.
By now, autumn was approaching and realising that a return voyage in winter was of great risk, the decision was taken to remain. To suit this, a  more permanent residence was required so a small stockade and log cabins were built.

On the 9th of October 1685, a small group of sailors were out hunting when they were suddenly confronted by a large group of natives. Luckily, the man in charge, midshipman Arthur Cobb, realised the indians were not hostile and put himself between the natives and his men.
With hand gestures a conversation of sorts took place, at the close of which, both groups parted company.
The news of this encounter caused some exitement and small concern within the encampment. Sentries were posted, Marines accompanied the food patrols,  although no sight or sound of the natives was heard of for several weeks.
The next contact was at the end of autumn, when three natives, two male, one female came to the stockade, offering gifts of caught fowl and a deer.
Slowly over the next weeks more and more contact was made, the visits by the natives became regular daily occurances, some even set up a small encampment within hailing distance of the stockade.
A decision to remain was made on the grounds that it being better a winter on land as a winter at sea  and the extra time would give them more opportunity to further investigate the new lands Fauna and Fora.

Over the winter of 1685 -86, both natives and Styronians learnt some of each other language and customs. The natives were unsure how large the land was, but told of a mountanous forrested inland, a massive lake, large rivers, other tribes, some of which were hostile, plentifull wildlife but of greatest import, no knowledge of others from the mainland ever having visited.

In the spring of 1686, the Sea foam being fully reprovisioned, the crew, although of heavy heart at having to do so, made preperations to leave for home. At a ships council, it was decided, that if any wished, a maximum of 6 men could remain behind. A guarantee that they would ever be recovered was impossible to give, so only single men could be considered. Under these conditions 6 men did volunteer, thier names being recorded in the ships log as;
William (Bill) Colthurst
Jake Lambton
Larry Merton
Bartholomew (Bart) Rudhall
Isaac Saynsbury
Cyril (Cy) Woodward


On the 11th of march 1686, they finally left, a fond farewell was waved to them from the shore by the natives and thier 6 crewmates.
Near 6 months later, they docked in the port of Styrow on the Foam to a resounding welcome.
News of thier discovery was soon known by all in the land and the great council of Styronia ordered preperations for a fleet of 10 ships to be built and sent to occupy the new land.
After nearly a year, the ships were nearing completion when..in the  late spring of 1689, war broke out. This war was not Styronias want or wish, but as they were part of the northern federation they were obliged to send assistance, troops, and ships to aid thier allies. This meant all of the near completed ships meant for the expedition were quickly converted for war.
Due to the war, the damage to the ships and repairs to the land, another eypedition to the new land was not considered until 1695, nearly 10 years after Jocelyn had stepped onto the beach at Entry bay.

Jocelyn at the front, left hand held high. Behind him is Isaac Saynsbury, and to the fore, Midshipsman Arthur Cobb.


In June 1691, Jocelyn was killed in the 1st federation war, leaving his wife Maria alone with thier two young sons. As custom allowed, Maria kept her Husbands sir name as did one of her sons but the other took her fathers name...Forrester. A grandson, James Forrester was born in 1710, in Bodstonia.

Adahy ("Live´s in the woods")

Member of the Native tribe, the Illini. Adahy is a man of few words who can dissapear into the wilderness for months at a time, appearing as if called to aid and assist James Forrester and the Albon Brothers on thier quests to map and record the "unknown" areas of Bodstonia.
He speaks, along with several native dialects, Bodstonian

His age is unknown but he must be in his 40´s. No wife has been seen or mentioned

Symphonie DelaCroix

Symphonie (19) is alone in the world..her parents, both artists of some renown,  were killed in a boating tradegy. Fortunately, for Symphonie,  they left behind a not inconsiderable sum of money in the bank and the  family home .
Not being able to reconcile her feelings of loss whilst living in the family  home, Symphonie sold it and on the spur of the moment boarded  a ship leaving for Bodstonia.
This was just over two years ago, in which time Symphonie has started to paint, draw and write, an enterprise in which she has some sucess as Bodstonia lacked a cohesive artistic community.
She has become the head of a small group of like minded ladies, and the occasional rare Gentleman.
James Forrester has been known to attend the occasional book reading, much to the delight of Symphonie.

A large barn in Bodston has been converted into a rough and ready playhouse for the purpose of putting on plays and musical soirees. With the support of Jeremiah Coleman, mainly because Jeremiah´s Wife, Anne, is part of the Bodstonian Ladies of Culture group, there have been moves made towards garnering support from the council of 12 to have a purpose built playhouse created.

Symphonie has  had several "proposals" from the  Menfolk of Bodston, all of which she has politely declined and has only shown interest for one man in the whole of Bodstonia..James Forrester.