Reichsfall (A Very Story-Driven M/M/F Historical Epic - M Looking for F or M)

[White Wolf]

Reichsfall
1753

IN A NUTSHELL...

To strip it down to the Elliquiy essentials, my idea is for a historical story set in 18th century Germany. The story centers primarily around three main characters:

--A Prussian nobleman's son, who is both a skilled pianist and only recently has been named a Colonel in the Prussian Army.
--His male lover, a banker's son hoping to go into the family business and take over until, as a matter of political expedience, he is made a Major in the Prussian Army and drafted into his lover's regiment
--A fictional Princess of Great Britain who, to cement the ties between Britain and Prussia, is married to the nobleman's son very much against his will.

The story consists of the love triangle that inevitably blossoms between the three characters - the exact dynamics of which are open to negotiation, but my basic idea is that the two gay lovers have to hide their relationship with each other while the nobleman's son has to nonetheless do his duty with his lawful wife to provide an heir to his family.

Matters get complicated when the Seven Years' War breaks out between the alliances of Europe, pitting Britain and Prussia against France and Austria. The two male characters are swept off to the front lines together while the Princess is left at court to pursue whatever extra-curricular activities she so desires... (for story purposes obviously one or both of the male characters will have frequent opportunity to return home for various reasons, to keep the plot with the princess ticking over. All this can be worked out beforehand, of course).

I'm not necessarily looking for a history buff or anything like that, the history itself doesn't really matter beyond the fact that there's gonna' be a love triangle and there's gonna' be a war. Otherwise anything and everything can happen.

THE SETTING...

PRUSSIA; THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

The Royal Court of King Frederick II the Great, in Berlin. Now that Prussia is a rising star among "the Germanies," Berlin is home to some of the world's finest thinkers, poets, writers and musicians. Baroque art flourishes in the Court in spite of Prussia's deeply Protestant heritage and in Berlin a licentious and antagonistically liberal atmosphere has built up around the nobility who frequent the balls, feasts and masquerades of Frederick the Great's Court. Despite Prussia's grave military traditions - she boasts the most powerful land armies in all of Europe - libertine behaviour is common throughout Berlin and King Frederick's Court has gained a notorious reputation within the greater Holy Roman Empire - the collection of Germanic states and principalities ruled (in name only, so a Prussian would say) from Vienna - for its openness and lewd behaviour, shocking to most 'right-thinking Germans.'

The recent alliance with Britain has allowed a number of untoward British practises to seep into Prussian aristocratic life; most notably the notorious Hellfire Club, promoting such wickedness as demon worship, sexual orgies and - so the rumours say - child sacrifice (but, truth be known, as many enemies as the Hellfire Club attracts - both in military circles and, dare it be said, the Catholic Church, its members are surely prone to all manner of malicious slander and rumour).

Worse, still, some might say, is the influences of Vienna. Prussia is still ostensibly a member of the Holy Roman Empire, and so Empress Maria Theresa of Austria still holds at least a ceremonial position over King Frederick. Disaffected Prussian nobles - for in royal circles, there are always bound to be those on the outside looking in - are all too willing to make a deal with the Devil and recant their Protestantism to embrace the wicked idolatry of the Empress and her Papal lapdog. Demon worship, black magic rites and sex orgies are one thing - but Catholicism, in Berlin? And so soon after the alliance with Britain, a fellow member of the Protestant sisterhood?

As exciting and adventurous as Berlin may seem to new arrivals, there are plenty of threats - and secrets - for the inquiring mind to get swept away by. Berlin is a big city, and Prussia is a proud nation, and its history runs long, and red with pagan blood. For everything about this country is military to its core - it was founded, centuries ago, by the Knights Teutonic Order to butcher or convert the heathen Prussian, Lithuanian and Polish natives of the region and in doing so carve out a new eastern frontier for the Reich, back when it truly was a German Reich in more than just name. Future generations of Germans, inspired by the Teutonic Knights, may look to the east again in search of lebensraum...

But, what will be will be. For now, Prussia - and the Court of Frederick the Great - is a nation at a crossroads. She has been to war twice in living memory, and only recently scored the tangible victory against Austria she's so desperately craved since her inception. Germany - and all of Europe - looks to Berlin to see what will happen next. The Court would do well not to disappoint.

THE COURT...

KING FREDERICK II THE GREAT
His Majesty, the King in Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg, Master and Sovereign of the Order of the Black Eagle, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick the Second of the House of Hohenzollern.

Count Ulrich von Westringhausen
Lord of Westringhausen and Undersecretary for the Army

Lord [NAME TBD] von Westringhausen
The Count's son, and heir. Expert pianist and, recently, made Colonel of the 114th Regiment of Foot

[NAME TBD]
Son of [TBD] and heir to the Hessenbacher Banking House. Principle clients include the Doge of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, a Prince Abdul-Aziz of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and an undisclosed Cardinal of the Papal States. Unscrupulous in business, dealing with enemies of both Prussia and Protestantism, but a fierce and loyal lover to the Count's son. When rumours slip that he may be homosexual, his father forces him to buy a commission in the Army and enlist as a Major in the 114th Regiment of Foot.

Princess [TBD] of the United Kingdom of England and Scotland
Currently the youngest daughter of King George II. Speaks fluent German as well as English and French. Other character traits to be worked out in discussions.

THE WORLD IN 1753

It's been five years since the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession. The world sits ill at ease in its newfound peace. Austria, motherland of the Holy Roman Empire and jewel of Europe, has had her nose bloodied by an insurgent Prussia. The Protestant German states have found in Prussia a rising power to gravitate to and strip away the last vestiges of Imperial authority from Vienna; in Frederick the Great, they've found a military leader who could just crack the facade of the Reich and overthrow Austrian rule once and for all.

In America, the colonials are unwilling to wait for a formal declaration of war. George Washington, a colonial general, has already begun leading his troops against Native allies of the French in Pennsylvania. The French are massing their colonial marines to retaliate against the Thirteen Colonies, while in Europe the Royal Navy has blocked French shipping from freely navigating the Mediterranean. Tensions all over Europe are fit to erupt; Austria, with its newly reformed army sitting poised on the border with Prussia, is praying that they do. Prussia will welcome any excuse to march on Vienna and eliminate Maria Theresa as a threat once and for all. Britain and France, meanwhile, are just happy to have an excuse to shoot at each other again.

All it will take is a single spark, and a generation will march off to war.





If anybody is interested in discussing/fleshing out this idea further, please don't hesitate to private message me with anything at all you have in mind! I'm willing to hear out any variation or change or whatever else. Please get in touch, and thanks for reading this far!