Courtesan

Courtesans are the sex workers and erotic entertainers of Aodh. They are well-respected in Aodhian culture, and often among the wealthier middle class commoners.

 Overview

Courtesans are crafters of experiences. Considered a customer service job above everything else, Courtesans that are the best at their job are usually charming and people-oriented - customer service smile is often a must.

While most Courtesans are quite flexible in their offerings, some choose to specialize in niche fields, and for some, sex may not enter the picture at all. One popular Courtesan service is simple companionship - ranging from the “partner-experience” to being arm-candy at an important event. Although no specific education is required to enter the field, many of the most successful Courtesans are at least Upper Secondary educated, well-read and capable of holding a good conversation on most topics. With nobility and wealthy upper class being some of their main clientele, most Courtesans make the effort to try and fit in - in both their skills, their discussion topics, and their accessorizing.

Courtesans often end up spending quite a lot on their lifestyle: outfits, accessories, haircuts and all the rest. Gifts from loyal clients can help out, but ultimately the Courtesan is responsible for upkeeping their own appearance, and perhaps more importantly, their image. When your job is to sell a fantasy, you need to look the part.

As sex work faces no stigmatization in Aodh, Courtesans are free to promote themselves and go at their job like any other professional - from the Aodhian perspective, it's really no different from being a merchant. The rape or assault of a Courtesan is treated just as seriously as a crime against any other person.

### Employment

Most Courtesans choose to work within a brothel establishment. This is partially for the convenience - it removes the need for them to do managerial and clerical tasks. Working from within a respectable brothel also offers safety, as brothels will almost always employ security staff. Although Courtesans are well regarded in Aodh, just like with any other customer service job, they do face a lot of strangers on a day-to-day basis; and with the job’s private nature, risks certainly do exist for a Courtesan who doesn’t have the protection of a well-managed brothel.

Like with most workplaces, the better brothels can afford to be selective in who they hire, and Courtesans who constantly receive bad customer feedback or prove themselves to otherwise not be good workers may be let go. Brothels do have standards to upkeep and expectations to fill, after all. Reputation means a lot to a Courtesan, as having a bad one might make it difficult to find a place to work - or any clients, for that matter.

The more desperate Courtesans might wind up working at some of Eithne’s more seedy brothels, where things run profit margin first, worker security second. This is really no different to working at a bad job in any other field. Courtesans and customers alike are well-aware of what places are reputable, and what are not - but some people are just desperate, or simply don’t care.

A minority of Courtesans choose to go at it on their own, acting as freelancers. This gives them more freedom in picking their clients, schedules and prices, but the trade-off is the need to be your own manager, secretary and security. Freelancers often rely on their established client lists and loyal customers to make a living. Business models range accordingly, with some having only a few, high price clients, while others work more and offer more reasonable prices. Most of the very famous, very wealthy Courtesans are freelancers, albeit they often started their career at a brothel.

Working at a brothel is generally considered the best way to launch a career, as it provides an opportunity to learn from others, form connections and focus on the job, rather than all the minutiae of the managerial duties.

#### Pearl’s Mistress

The Pearl is one of the largest, most luxurious and certainly most famous brothels in New Valore. The leader and manager of this establishment is called a Mistress - a gender neutral title. They are often an experienced Courtesan, and a former worker at the Pearl themselves. As the Mistress, their main duties are clerical: daily upkeep, paperwork, hiring, firing, customer service, advertising and promotion. No one is stopping them from having their own clients either, but the needs of the Pearl should always come first.

The Mistress also has the important duty of maintaining the blacklist of the Pearl - a list that is not made lightly, but is nonetheless necessary for the safety of their employees.

The Mistress is a special, unique subrank of Courtesan. It is a limited, bi-monthly AC rank that receives all the Courtesan rank rewards, except for the last level, as it is entitled to a **Mythical Familiar**.

The current Mistress is *TBD*

## Cultural Notes

* Sex and sex work is in no way stigmatized in Aodh. Being a Courtesan is a job like any other, and no character will receive dirty looks because of it, or be barred from doing anything because of it.
	+ This also means a character’s parents would not disapprove of taking this job versus any other commoner job - they could be against the specific brothel the character wants to work at, for example (maybe it has a bad reputation), but not the job itself.

* Being a Courtesan is just like any other job in that it has ups and downs. Just like with any other job, sometimes the work sucks, and you have to do things you don’t necessarily like all that much.
	+ Loving sex is in no way a requirement to being a Courtesan, although it can certainly help.
	+ While a Courtesan working at a reputable establishment will never be coerced into anything they don’t want, it is a paid job. As such, declining to engage in something or with someone they don’t personally find attractive is a decision they must weigh against their bank account.

* Aodhian Courtesans offer more services than just sex. Dancing, massages, companionship - all can fall under the umbrella of Courtesan. Not all their activities have a direct connection to sex.
* The proper term for their rank is either Courtesan, or sex worker. Slurs such as pr\*stitute or wh\*re are not used by Aodhians.
* Aodhians under the age of 18 are not permitted to be Courtesans, or work at brothels in any capacity. They are also not allowed to be customers.

## Rank Levels

* **At 25 AP |** You might be surprised how often a Courtesan plays therapist to their patrons. You may gain your **Tier 1 Talent** early (for your first talent only).
* **At 50 AP |** Often, your body is the best advertisement. Make it noticeable with free **Anklets and Ribbons**.
* **At 75 AP |** Being a courtesan is harder and more taxing than you’d think! For your dedication, receive **+15 SP** to **Vitality** or **Agility**.
* **At 100 AP |** To get through the day, comfort is often imperative. If your familiar spot is free, receive an **Aodhian** **Level 1 Familiar.**