The Empire Club

*This article is about the campaign. For the location of the same name, see Empire Club.*

## The Empire Club

### Players

* Daniel
* Dustin
* Kristen
* Logan
* Matt
* Quay
* Vince
* Wes

## Key Parties

### Player Characters

* Cassandra Sorothin
* Dalton Kingsley
* Amani
* J. Perrin Farandole
* Heidegger Dawes
* Marion Olive Gauthier
* Magda Zlatovic

**The Empire Club** took place on Aeldrum starting in 478 A.U. and concerned the revitalization of the once-proud Empire Club, along with the machinations, intrigue, politics, and drama surrounding its investors.

## Background

The year is 478, and the Serene Duchy of Aeldrum has emerged from years of political turmoil into an uneasy new equilibrium. The vast omnibus of constitutional compromises known as the Commonwealth Amendments, ratified by the Aeldman Parliament in 476, are set to take full effect at the beginning of 480, when they will officially dismember the vast colonial empire of Aeldrum into a patchwork of “Sister Republics.” Time alone will tell if the “Mother Republic” of the Serene Duchy can keep together the Aeldman family through bonds of trade and culture now that they no longer share a common national roof. The breakaway powers do not merely include disaffected colonial populations; some of the dearest losses to Aeldrum include many of the Core Worlds, who banded together to demand the abolition of the privileged electoral position of the Spire doges and were rebuffed.

For over two hundred years, the Empire Club was one of the great epicenters of Aeldman political life. Its grandiose lobby welcomed aristocrats, industrialists, ATC directors, Serene Doges. Every evening, members and guests spilled out from the club’s numerous parlors and libraries to the magnificent gallery carved into the living rock of the Aeldrum Spire, to dine and look out over the planet they collectively ruled. If the Parliamentary Palace provided the corridors of power, the Empire Club undoubtedly contained the backrooms. Once. Now, the political bloc synonymous with the Empire Club, the Conservative Party, is defunct. The Empire for which the club was aspirationally named has been won, found a poor investment, and been devolved or spun off.

Following the ratification of the Commonwealth Amendments and the (apparently) consequent suicide of its most recent owner, the arch-conservative Lord Elsevar, the Empire Club’s fate has been in doubt for the past two years under a mountain of legal battles. With the Elsevar Estate finally unraveled and its legal questions settled, however, ownership of the club has passed to your society, a collection of interested citizens of the Aeldrum Spire who seek to restore the Club to its former glory.

The death of the Empire Club was slow: rocked by scandal at the turn of the century during the great Knight Mercantile Purge of the early Bareth era, it lost its highest political connections and was forced to subsist on parvenue clientele drawn by the dimming allure of former power. The club enjoyed a brief resurrection in the 450s as the headquarters of Count Sevrar Orvhim’s New Conservatives, complete with a restoration of decor to the 4th century styles of Orvhim’s illustrious cousin Leopold. With the assassination of the Count, however, the clubs fortunes crashed as quickly as the unity of the conservatives. It became a relic once again, maintained by the likes of Lord Elsevar and other aristocrats who jealously guarded a dwindling political coalition, the Serene Constitutionalist Party, against the “Snips, Sips and Lips” (Secular Nationalist Party, State Industrial Party, Liberal Institutionalist Party). It is said that while Elsevar kept the club open, as the SCP’s fortunes faltered he could barely stand to enter the place himself and made little effort to keep it in a fit state for members. The club was virtually abandoned by 473 except for a skeleton staff and a few sustaining members, and it has been closed entirely since Elsevar’s death. This association is the first to have the privilege to enter it.

## Summary

### Session 0

Mr. Kingsley gives a brief but inspiring speech about once and future profits.

A cloud of dust billows out as we open the doors.  Farandole & Magda both walk in.  Farandole flicks his tongue out to taste the history.

Floors of Aeldrum basalt: the framework for the placement of the tiles.  paneled the living rock of the Aeldrum spire with carved rock.  Dawes taps the tile and proclaims it “good stuff.”

Stairs from tropical hardwoods leading to mezzanine and upper levels – offices, back rooms, bars, private meeting areas, and rooms for rent for traveling dignitaries.

The central feature: a stunning view from 4.5 km above the surface of Aeldrum.  Wires keep the grand open galleries out of the Spire from ever healing and sealing off the view.  Highest full vantage point in the Aeldrum Spire, except for a similar structure for the House of Parliament and some very wealthy estates.  Only semi-public view of its kind.

* Sheet metal has been bolted in, corroded & bent.  Kingsley, frowning, knows you ought not to hear the etheric wind from inside.
* Glass fitted into frames of exotic metal.  Some glass is an unusual crystalline material.

What do we do on the first night?

* Farandole takes a first inventory of the place.  Kingsley left paintings protected; many old portraits; gifts to the club — Leopoldian style, from before the beginning of the century
* Kingsley cleans, making a dent in the mess
* Mlle. Gauthier appraises the place for its art, a lot of which will have to go.  The furniture is all rubbish.  The chandeliers are magnificent, harvested from the crystal that grew on a world ravaged by the Pantheon — they say it contained the death of a world; in a crowded room full of soul energy, they made a melancholy sound.  The style is antiquated but the crystal material is exquisite
* A lot of this club was furnished when you could import *anything*.  Noblemen were bringing Baradun automata back, back when you were allowed to import sentient machines.  When Kingsley goes in for a drink, Jeremy activates his anti-looter protocols before recognizing him.  Jeremy actually seems pleased to see him, as loyal to Kingsley as a soulless-killing-machine-turned-bartender could be.
* Magda is unimpressed – this place is gaudy, too much gold and brass and sharp lines
* Dawes calls in his driver (we have something like cell phones, though not smartphones) to take measurements and photographs to send home to assess materials’ quality.  Then he orders a vodka, straight up, at the bar.  Jeremy is disgusted, and offers him surplus motor oil — only for special occasions, Dawes says — and a personally tailored menu with only the harshest spirits in stock.
* Farandole goes into the Director’s office – magnificent, with a view onto the street below, and a series of mechanized mirrors reflecting light through shafts leading to the outside (providing more natural daylight).  Desk that probably has all the lore inside is tightly locked, as is the armoire.  A bookshelf contains records and archives of the club.  There’s a dusty computer in the corner that clearly was not used, easily 15 years behind the times.
* Magda walks past Jeremy at the bar and helps herself to a bottle of red wine (Jeremy protests impotently).  A servant grinds her nails like knives.  Magda sketches a vision of a club with its own unique identity, rather than a melange of patrons’ findings.
* Unlike Magda, Amani (though startled and almost horrified at the place’s disrepair) appreciates the opulent style and blending of cultures suggested by assorted treasures gathered from former members’ expeditions.  She assesses the club for the most generally pleasing spaces & a minimum viable product for a phased reopening.
	+ All of the plumbing will have to go
	+ Offices could be updated modularly; the higher levels are perhaps the easiest place to start, and would be quickest to turn around
	+ The grand balcony is in total disrepair: a fire hazard, with dust everywhere and missing panes in the view.  It seems like a very large all-or-nothing project, unless partitioned
* Kingsley had right of first refusal on the property; Farandole is in automatically, as his grandfather was one of the owners of the club; Gauthier came highly recommended by a dowager countess.   Amani Noor.. well, we’re all people who had cash ready and were willing to invest in the property almost sight unseen when Kingsley needed to raise the purchase cost in a hurry.  Perhaps, under pressure, Kingsley was less discerning about the group of investors he assembled than he otherwise might have been.

### Session 1

What to do with our finances and our tax bill?

* Magda - Will include the option to round up purchases at her auction house by 2% and gift memberships to those we do?
* Herr Prof. Dr. J. Perrin Farrandole, PhD - We can list the building with the Aeldrum Historical Society
	+ Regular inspections by the Historical Society (a quasi-governmental organization), limitations on what we can do to renovate or the activities that we could do, but we would become tax exempt?
	+ This would put us under the supervision, and jurisdiction, of the Ministry of Culture
		- Way of promoting and maintaining Aledrum’s cultural identity as defined by the ruling government.  It is a propaganda arm and a way of giving space for the religions to air their grievances.
	+ Ten percent of our operations need to be oriented towards the public good
	+ Let’s put a pin in this to see what our cash flow looks like in a few months
* We will get reappraised and have our tax bill adjusted as a result, which makes it difficult to predict our future tax bill.

* Our building:  50 yards at street level, 30 yards deep, two stories above ground, 1 story below ground.

* Property value in tens of millions of ducats. Property tax would be valued proportionately

* Cassandra Sorothin enters the club and inspects the premise. Wearing a nice dress with acoustically optimized high-heels and a very fancy church-lady hat.  Magda offers to “do her (portrait)” immediately.

Party discusses identity of the club:

* Club should cater to the rich and powerful

Pre-opening gala, drumming up excitement event

* (Magda) Host a pre-opening event for the VIP members showing them what we are doing with their money and what we will do with more of their money
	+ Magda will hold an invite-only auction at the event.  You get an invite for paying an extra 1% on top of your purchase.
* (Professor J. Perrin Farrandole) will give tours of the event
* We should each pull on our connections to drum up attendees for the event.
* Decide to make it an opening week, like a Greek Rush Week

Who are our VIPs?

* Talent on retainer and using talent as a reason to recruitment
	+ Historically we have not done talent based acquisition
	+ It is important to Mlle. Gauthier and the Cultural Coalition that the club creates culture and not on old men
* People were recommended by a standing member to join and seconded by an additional member.  It was then subject to approval by the board (shareholders, senior members).
	+ There was not an application fees, but membership fees if you were accepted
* What about patrons of the art auctions?
	+ Perhaps they would only be given a pre-opening tour? Magda proposes an invite-only gala where the purpose of the gala is revealed during the gala. Auction would be held during the gala.
* Opening week of events - Different target crowd each night. Assess attendees for membership afterwards

When to do appraisal?

* Now? Potentially lower value -> lower property taxes, however lower values may anger neighboring properties
* Will there be a large change in appraisal value after our renovations? If yes, change in appraisal value could raise suspicion of government.
* Need to see basement before appraisal

Party goes into the basement:

* Three ways down: Staircase, dumbwaiter, staff elevator
* Magda and J. Perrin take staff elevator down, jittery ride down (Dawes supervises elevator operation)
* Lights are flickering, no outside windows. No health and safety repairs required, but plumbing requires repairs.
* Large portion of basement is a kitchen. Basement about half the footprint of upper levels. Contains a small generator. Club was used to witness etheric storms up close. Generator needs repair. Kitchen also needs maintenance. Vermin currently inhabit kitchen.
* Kitchen was abandoned quickly, no plans existed for winding down operations. Diagram on wall of proper meal presentation style. Cutlery included special fork for eating insects as a nod to the traditions of Aeldrum.
* Magda says we should leave the basement untouched as much as possible and make it our public good museum.
* Plumbing needs to be redone to restore water. Infrastructure for gas in place, but should check for leaks. Appliances need work, corroded.
* Is the other half of the basement footprint unoccupied? Dawes brings in scanning equipment and team. Equipment is not calibrated for Aeldrum rock. Would need to hire someone on Aeldrum to scan/excavate basalt.
* Magda begins to organize auction and produces a piece of art (it is not a masterpiece). Auction is very successful, generates a significant buzz in the Aeldrum art circles. Seven bidders interested in purchasing painting. Magda values painting at 150k ducats (Aeldrum art market is not tax deductible). Painting sells for 5m ducats. Buyer is infamous Baron Hathel of Aeldman aristocracy. Hathel was a bitter rival with Elsevar. Assaulted several members of parliament when dueling was outlawed.
* Kingsley sees old woman at the auction. Woman approaches Kingsley and identifies as Margaret. Margaret asks why Kingsley hasn’t called. Demands to be allowed to dine at the club. Margaret storms out of club. Kingsley hands her son, Lucian Walls, a lollipop. Walls says ‘If my mother ever sees you again, this will be a violation of our agreement’, threatens to ruin Kingsley.
* Prof. Perrin starts to do tours of the basement on a *pro bono* basis to build relationships with key figures in historical society
* Heidegger gets his appraiser friend involved to start the appraisal process.  This involves Heidegger loudly, but charmingly, yelling at the appraiser about things over several days. Heidegger 's guy says (1) value of land alone is 10M ducats, (2) value of material salvage is 500K ducats, for the right buyer and when restored to working order will be worth 20M.  Because we can claim restoration, we get some protections for NIMBY neighbors.  Crystal terrace will cost 3M ducats at cost to restore.
* Heidegger finds a contractor to map out other half of basement footprint, and other parts of basalt structure. Contractor finds evidence of other unused pipework. Interior of basement is sealed, however cut was made 150 years ago and discreetly sealed. 6 inches of basalt behind wall followed by concrete. Chamber is in the footprint of the remainder of basement. Filled with concrete. Empire club likely gutted what was in the space before and left pipework in place.
* J. Perrin investigates history of Baron Hathel - Hathel opposed to desegregation of club.
* Kingsley accesses office computer. Contains tax documents, survey of building, and log of all meetings from past 20 years. Survey results do not mention concrete block.
* Perrin investigates history of club site. Area used to contain houses of noble families before unification. Great houses controlled neighborhoods in the Aeldrum spire. This area belonged to family now extinct, descendants from this family are Elsevar and Baron Hathel. Most likely explanation of other half is basement is not that exciting. Empire club built during first 100 years of Aeldrum golden era of trade. Likely a period of occupation between cave lords and Empire club as evidenced by sophisticated piping.
* Heidegger agrees to start working on the main lobby so that we can host the soft opening galas
* Dalton starts to recruit staff for the events (and for long term)

1. Gala Week
	1. Bohemian Night (10 guests)
	2. Revival Night (30 guests, sommelier with classic wines)
	3. Salon Night (50 guest, Baroness Salvek guest of honor)
	4. Fashion Night (20 guests, social influencers, media types, paparazzi) aka “Mean Girls Night”
	5. Live and Let Liveth (cigars and bourbon)
2. Running Expenses:
	1. Renovations: 200,000 (lobby, backrooms, gallery)
	2. Personnel (6 custodians) = 13,750/mo
	3. Revival Night = 102,000 + 20,000 wine
	4. Art Gala = 128,000 + 12k
	5. Salon Night = 110,000 Bugs & Drugs
	6. Fashion Night = 75,000
	7. Music = 125,000 (every night but “Revival Night””) + 5k for Revival Night
	8. Live and Let Liveth = 50,000

Dalton invites Lady Margaret Seleth to Bohemian night… and will absent himself

Sommelier Whiskins may join the staff if sufficiently pleased with Revival Night

### Session 2

#### Gala Night Planning:

* Amani plans her Gala Night and wants to invite a bunch of the Doges to decompress: happy hour for political bigwigs
	+ Amani is sure that power begets power, so that if someone important comes all must come to maintain influence.   Amani therefore desires to bring someone as close to the Serene Doge as possible, and watch others flock to join
	+ Trying to recruit former advisers and compatriots of the former Serene Doge Bareth
		- Dalton can potentially bring in Baron Algar Maleth (Aeldman finance minister).  He is very bored, but capable of making himself seem very busy.  Dalton invites one of the busiest people he knows to the Gala at the Empire Club.  The Baron keeps Dalton in suspense by timing things with a stopwatch as he “thinks” about his answer.  The Baron says yes.  He will make his appearance late and will be leaving early.
		- The good Dr. Sorothin does not take Cassie’s bait to run the rumor mill and get other Industrialists to come.  He instead talks about just how boring the many medical needs of the Baron are, how diseases are correlated with political ideology, and opts not to come on the same evening the Baron will
	+ Will hold her event on the final evening and attempt to make it an extra recruitment evening (“the most exclusive” event & essentially the one to seal the deal)

* Herr Dr. Professor J. Perrin Farandole, “PhD/D.Sc” is planning on doing the ‘Future Horizons Forum’ with speeches and a moderated panel.
	+ Recruitment: Sends letter to the Leopold Society.
	+ Wants to do it on the anniversary of the beginning of the application process for the licensure of the first Aeldman stock exchange.  At least one person involved in this process was a member of the Empire Club at one point.

Event order:

1. Magda (Art Night)
2. Kingsley (Revival Night)
3. Herr Dr. Professor J. Perrin Farandole, “PhD/D.Sc” (Future Night)
4. Dawes (Live and Let Liveth Night)
5. Mlle. Marion Gauthier (Salon Night)
6. Cassandra Sorothin (Fashion Night)
7. Amani (Political Night)

*Now assuming the role of Magda: Quay*

#### **Art Night**

* Kingsley puts out bug forks and dresses in ‘butler formal’
* HDPJPF wears formal suit with bib with medallion and buttons made of forbidden metals
* Maggie dresses her husband like different barons inspired from an Aeldrum aristocrat lookbook
* Magda sets out the artistic vision of the evening: cheese-bites, ‘Meowtzart’ chamber music w/ powder-wig wearing cats, shaved lion, phallic drinking vessels
* “This 4D dimension’s hottest club is *Baby its cold outside*. Inspired by decadence and unwelcome come-ons, this place has everything: molten cheese bites, a shaved lion, and a seven level course in adult education. A baby butler greets each guest outside. There, everyone gets a crown/tiara–varying heights of spun golden nests rising above in intricate spirals. The Ambient music tonight is Meowzart Sonatas–cats in Mozart wigs are assembled beside appropriately sized chamber music instruments (music plays in background, note, cats do not play at this time). At the bar, drinks are kept cold using ice sculptures with questionable phallus shapes and/or sizes, just odd enough to make the average human man (or equivalent privates of other race) feel slightly worse about himself.
	+ Magda pulled all-nighter to put the entire display together - she does not look good. Has been mixing and matching stimulants.
	+ Magda insists that ‘cats’ are indeed cats. They are not. Rather, several are creatures which emerged from the depths of the Aeldrum spire. Fortunately they are not aggressive. Menacing six-legged lizard creature eats one of the cats.
	+ Lion has been shaved and painted gold. Foam spikes affixed to the lion's back.  Its own mane hair has been removed, then coated in plastic and replaced upon its head.  It is the manticore, the symbol of Aeldrum’s future.  It would be depressing if anyone had seen a real manticore in the last four hundred years.
* Maragret (one of Kingsley’s dowagers) decides to attend. Kingsley subsequently does not attend.
* Amani is wearing clothing she brought with her to Aeldrum
* Cassie is wearing heels (as always), a muted gray dress, and large hoop earring with cat paw prints within. Decides not to wear hats with large feathers.
* Magda is wearing a gown made of spun gold. Got the idea while making pieces for the art night. Became convinced that it was a good idea to try as a gown. Fabric is splashed with gold, and came out looking tasteful/fashionable. Looks like a golden storm breaking against her sides.
* Baron Hathel arrives, the look of victory crosses his face. In his mind, he has won against Lord Elsevar completely. Seeing the totality of the display gives him joy.
	+ Hathel asks Magda where she got the gold from. Magda shares with Hathel that she melted down serving dishes for their gold. Hathel offers to buy any crowns leftover after others have bought the ones they wanted for 250,000. Magda accepts and Hathel begins to laugh hysterically - goes to bathroom and begins shouting to Elsevar’s ghost that he will ruin every part of his legacy.
* Amani makes a friend: Madame Lamora, the senior cultural critic at the legendary Mirror Magazine, who was horrified at the “first-year student’s interpretation of avant-garde” of Magda’s opening night.  She regales Amani with her opinions of the exhibition, of why the Club failed (first the power brokers stopped coming, then the KM ownership and surveillance was revealed), and of how the Club could present itself in the modern era (don’t just reprise the hits, but don’t mock it like Magda did).  She invites Amani to a before-party at her place before Bugs & Drugs night
* HDPJPF speaks with Margaret and convinces her to donate to the restoration of the portrait gallery.
	+ Count > Marquis > Baron – voting aristocracy.  Any acknowledged family members of the aristocracy are Lords.

#### **Revival Night**

* Kingsley resconstructs seating card from the last great dinner of the old Empire Club
* Great banquet is prepared, sommelier on hand to provide a tasting history of the club, paring
* Artifacts are passed around. JPF gives history, Kingsley adds levity.
* Kingsley shows attendees the boarded up balcony, explaining that the club intends to restore the view.
* Party is guided to the private bar where Jeremy serves preferred drinks of each attendee from memory.
* Heidegger is ‘tasting’ the wine from the Whiskins the Sommelier - sommelier is displeased
* Heidegger speaks with Lord Klaussen (admiral under Doge Leopold’s navy), Klaussen begins ranting about the Fialta thinking of starting an empire. Heidegger is somewhat aware that Klaussen is mixing up his timelines - knows that he seems to be living in the past. Maggie informs Heidegger of the inaccuracies after the conversation concludes.
* Heidegger makes a new friend – Monsieur Effim, not a nobleman, but a rich engineer, scopes out potential wholesale deal, invites him to call on him & continue the conversation
* Amani scopes out who is a member of the aristocracy, then recruits many of them to return for the final night; many also intend to bring younger relations, which is promising, because these guys are all very old
* JPF convinces several to come back the next night. Several are convinced, but ask if JPF does books on tape for the history of the club.
* Cassie seeks out attendees to offer advice to. Aggressively approaches several elderly members and insists that they can’t ascend the stairs unaided. Grabs one woman’s cane and berates her for thinking it would support her.  The woman complains loudly to Kingsley about the poor quality of the help he’s hired.  Cassie is very offended and complains loudly in turn
* Mlle Gauthier gives a talk about embracing the new, intended to scare away the oldest of the legacy members; she largely succeeds, scaring off Cane Lady (who Farandole intercepts and convinces to come back tomorrow) and encouraging the Cultural Coalition types.  An aristocrat offers tickets to his opera box, & will come to Salon Night.
* No portrait of Margaret’s husband exists, JPF will try to commission one from Magda.
* Jeremy sours on Heidegger after Heidegger insults Jeremy. Dawes hears clicking within Jeremy, suggesting that Jeremy is trying and failing to activate combat actions. The impotent former war machine takes his vengeance by announcing to Maggie Dawes exactly how much Heidegger has had to drink at any given time.
* Claiming that she intends to apologize, Cassie finds out from Kingsley that Cane Lady is Lady Morweld, then investigates what Farandole knows of her history to find a believable rumor.

### Session 3

#### **Future Horizons Night**

Herr Dr. Prof. J. Perrin Farandole, PhD/D.Sc/D.C. prepares for the Future Horizons Forum by trying to find a picture or description of Margaret’s husband so that a painting can be commissioned

* Magda’s final product is melancholy: “definitely a person”, but is “an empty vessel, a husk that represents Margaret’s longing for a world that she no longer belongs in”.  She takes great pleasure in making it look deteriorated.
* Herr Doctor wears a tacky amount of academic regalia (up to and including two robes to make sure everyone knows how qualified he is), and an unidentified medallion.
* Herr Doctor gives a welcoming speech teasing the panel speakers, including his lecture on the club’s history, and inviting attendees to explore how the past will become the future
* Cassie recognizes several members of the Panel and has Reactions; she sends a note to Farandole onstage via a staffer and then starts to drink copiously
* Farandole speaks about the charter, and prompts discussion on which tools from our past should be used in the future
	+ Farandole is able to bring the discussion to a consensus in that things were much better back when the Empire Club was in its hey day.  The real debate is whether Aeldrum should go back 100 years or 200 years in time for the inspiration of its policy
	+ They mostly rage about barbarism of foreign peoples, and craven industrialists who don’t understand national pride.  It seems to be turning into a political rally
	+ Cassie starts listening to the walls and shaking vents for a bit before giving up to drink again.  Kingsley goes to the upstairs bar with Margaret Saleth, leaving her son Lucius downstairs
* Audience reception to the rally vibe:
	+ Some of different political persuasion who are unhappy, some leaving in disgust
	+ Elderly club members who are either confused, or digging the idea that things were better in the old days
	+ Some with an onyx lapel pin (mourning for the assassinated Serene Doge Sevrar Orvim) who are very enthusiastic
		- History interlude: Sevrar Orvhim was cousin and heir to Leopold Orvhim, Doge during First Coalition War
		- Meanwhile, Doge Bareth, president for life who was getting politically sloppy, was assassinated during the Second – Orvhim inherits party, gains control, assassinated by Veiled Masters 3 days into his term
		- Secularists are radicalized by the assassination, and the fact that Industrialists who gained power (Chella Nebai) did not immediately ban Spiranism, go to war with Nippon States, etc.  They look to both Ohrvims as martyrs, and to current government as foreign puppets
* Farandole gives a speech about how the Empire Club has always been about the coming together of different ideas, and how new ideas and coalitions could be formed here.  Farandole opens the floor up for a Q&A session (\*Cassie’s drinking intensifies to Heidegger Dawes’ levels\*)
	+ The Q&A
	+ A member of the Kirvan Labor Party asks point-blank whether the panelists are saying they oppose the abolition of slavery and indentured servitude.  They loudly deny this.  Things become slightly uproarious—an explosion of people shouting.
	+ Farandole hammers a gavel to quiet the room.  It works, and he knows it’s really the regalia they respect.
* Dalton tries to interrupt the events downstairs and makes apologies to Margaret.  The only thing he does is make Margaret cry
	+ Dalton stays, and Jeremy prints out a note for Dalton from his mouth about how he’s turned off memory recording and will be discreet.
* At the Empire Club, Farandole determines, we do not back down from questions.  He restates the abolition question to the panelist he determines most moderate.  He picks the Governor of Crossways, apparently a pragmatic guy, considerate.
	+ We traded the indentured servitude of a small number for the sale of everything that is Aeldman to the highest bidder, and to the indentured servitude of two billion Aeldmen citizens
	+ Launches into a tirade listing the war crimes of the Kirvans in the Second Coalition War
* Amani successfully identifies the fire alarm pull down in the kitchen and pulls it.  It sets off a fire alarm.  Farandole announces that there is an emergency in the building and that the conversation must be moved outside
	+ Farandole had taken great pains to make sure journalists were apprised of the evening’s events.
	+ Luckily, the most elderly members and some politically opposed folks decide to leave early, and deprived of anyone to rant at or about, the SNIPs mostly settle down.
	+ The Governor goes to shake Farandole’s hand.
* Dalton asks Farandole “What the Hell happened tonight?”.  Farandole calls it a lively night of debate.
* Mme. Gauthier arrives at the scene and receives a call from her Party’s whip on the carphone.  Mme. Gauthier is asked why there are so many secular nationalists at the Club that her Party invested in
* Gauthier asks Farandole for a summary of what happened, and says the Club needs to disclaim affiliation with the Secular Nationalists
	+ Farandole becomes a SNP apologist and argues that we should create space for everyone

Several members hold an early morning meeting to discuss the events of the last night

* The first topic of the agenda is the membership process
	+ Proposal is majority vote of the board in favor or against
	+ Dalton holds a veto power that must be overwritten by a supermajority of the Board
	+ (Tentative) Membership can also be revoked also by a supermajority (5 out of 7 until Quay joins, then 6 out of 8)
* Cassie proposes some damage control of saying a SNP supporter pulled the fire alarm to save the Governor from having to answer a tough question.  The Ladies who Lunch buy this rumor and it is greatly embellished

#### Live and Let Liveth Night

* Dawes embarrasses himself in front of cultural coalition
* Dawes arranges discount windows for the club via a businessman who can connect him to an industrial salvage operation
* Amani (discreetly) discusses potential arms deal with Livethan deputy ambassador; talks to Calathan embassy, who think Dar’Asmad is totally insignificant but shared some useful insight on devolution of the Serene Duchy / maintaining financial independence

### Session 4

#### Fashion Night!

(Cassie shares a truly splendid vision board with the board members in attendance.)

* Cassie’s husband shows up in a nice suit he found on the Jos. A. Bareths and/or Ma’cy’s discount rack five years ago.
* Cassie knows you don’t show up on time to the party: she makes a grand entrance.
* There’s a selfie booth and a designated hashtag: #makingtheempireclubfunagain
* Cassie’s friends are so envious they have to compliment her on “a lovely little night you’ve put together”
* Cassie gives a speech about the night: “Do what you will, and be fabulous while you do it.”
	+ The niece of a Count shows up in a very fashionable and very large hoop skirt, and gets stuck in the door on the way in.
	+ Cassie seeks out fashion designers to do some urgent wardrobe revisions, and gets three: they begin loudly arguing.  Cassie lures away two to consider other outfits that needed to be judged.  She leads them to Heidegger Dawes.
	+ The remaining designer reshapes the skirt to mimic an elegant prowhead.  The niece is pleased.
* The remaining fashionistas “compliment” Dawes’s obvious indifference: why else would his coattails be so misshapen, and his hems frayed?
	+ Maggie comes down to Heidegger’s interception: what were they asking about?
	+ Dawes claims they were complimenting his outfit.  He doesn’t lie very well.  The fashionistas say they were here to protect him from judgment: colonial fashions don’t quite match those on the mainworld, and people can be so cruel.
	+ Heidegger decides to permit Maggie to make the first move against the fashionistas, fulfilling Christophe’s dream to spend a scene fighting with himself about fashion.
	+ Cassie invites Maggie to brunch with her (she said yes!), and the fashionistas call Cassie poor on the way out.
	+ Dawes offers them his connection at a wholesale fabric outlet on their way out
* Farandole works the room sharing news about his latest credential (D.O.)
	+ Cassie’s husband Carl Sorothin is relieved to meet “another medical man”
	+ Farandole shares that he collects teeth (animal and human), and uses them to interpret history.  He hopes his dentistry credential will help him investigate the true history of his collection.
	+ Sorothin’s history included analysis of organ transplants (“after the second Coalition War, we had some demand and some supply”)
	+ “Are you going to check new members’ teeth?”  “Their teeth are still in use.”
	+ Dentures out of the tooth collection: allow people to take a bite out of history.
	+ Carl asked Farandole about his grandfather, and when Farandole said he doesn’t think about him, Carl knocked back his drink and left
* Amani is trying to subtly look for blackmail material
	+ Amani goes around the room and are approached by some of the fashionistas that are seeking to learn about her culture and her fashion sense.  None of them find her looks exciting, they are all very bored by it.  “Cooperation between worlds is fine.”
		- Amani’s response, “If you can’t afford the new fashion, I suppose you must criticize those who can.”
		- Amani gets herself in Cassie’s Burn Book — “I’ve seen great advancements while I’ve been in Aeldrum, but not in this conversation.”  (Cassie reads it as criticism of the whole evening)
	+ Serena, the Count’s niece, is very happy to talk.  She gives Amani some insights into what is in fashion (or what is fashion)
		- Fashion is political in Aeldrum.  The Conservative folk (e.g., the SNPs) dress in a very old-fashioned style, gilded suits and other Bareth styles.  The Dalthadis have a lot of fashion that derives from armor (given their Fialtan inspiration)
		- If someone is mixing and matching styles then they are not subscribing to a particular design, but are motivated by aesthetics; if they are committed then they are committed to that point of view
* Cassie’s grand exit
	+ She leaves early, to leave the crowds wanting more, and to get to the paparazzi first
	+ People who haven’t been able to talk with her yet run after her, and she tells them it’s delightful to be seen with them.
	+ Her husband leaves through the service entrance.
* What do the gossip rags say?
	+ The emotionally scarred fashionistas tried to find easier prey, causing a domino effect of viciousness throughout the rest of the party
	+ Sometimes grainy and cropped images of people placed next Society column about them
	+ Several wealthy Aeldmen are quite upset about the coverage, and there’s some especially mean-spirited gossip at brunch that day.
	+ Cassie has done more than any one person in recent memory to undermine the social cohesion of “the Aeldrum irrelevant classes”
	+ Maggie brings Dawes a stack of society pages, three mentioning her name and one with a photo of her telling off the fashionistas.  She has it framed in gold.  She is also very excited about brunch—happy enough that she will probably pay for everyone’s brunch.
	+ Jeremy serves Dawes an extra-strong drink today, because Maggie is not at the club.  (His opening line is always, “what is the Missus up to today?”)  His heuristics are simple but effective.  Dawes compliments him.

* What are Dawes’s rights as a Baron?
	+ On Liveth, he can’t be tried except by someone very high-ranked; he can carry a weapon more places; he has diplomatic immunity as a member of the Livethan government
* Amani does not have diplomatic immunity, because Aeldrum does not yet recognize the Empire of Dar’Asmad.  No Aeldman embassy in the Empire.

### Session 5

#### Daytime activities

* Cassie brunches with Maggie, who is conspicuously late, and they discuss professions—horror of horrors, not only does Maggie’s husband work for money, but she is also involved.
	+ Cassie \*strongly\* hints that she is a bastard child who is paid hush money to stay out of family politics
* Mme. Gauthier forgoes political stuff to prepare for the party.  It involves making seating arrangements and ensuring that the Cultural Coalition’s Whip is placed in an extremely unpleasant seat
	+ Mme. Gautier asks Farandole for advice on where to take people on a tour of the club and to give a special guest, Baroness Salvek, of Mme. Gautier a personal tour.
	+ Mme. Gautier also invites Margaret’s son
* Dawes goes to seal the deal for the glass for the window
	+ It won’t be installed tonight (or this week), but we are getting some nice new windows
	+ The party discusses what to do with the old glass, “Souvenir shot glasses anyone?”
* Farandole, now with an LLM, tries to study the history of the bugs and the drugs
	+ The bugs are the best kind of bugs you could possibly obtain
	+ The drugs are all kinds of uppers and downers.  Plenty of opioids (as the most popular drug on Aeldrum).  Drugs that run the whole gamut of hardness.
* Amani does secret things

#### Salon (i.e., “Bugs and Drugs”) Night

* Layout
	+ The room is very dim (in an ominous, but relaxing way), the staff lead people to their seat by face alone, the Baroness is put in a place of honor.  Everyone is offered mild downers to get them chill.
	+ Mme. Gautier gives a speech, welcoming everyone to the Empire Club and makes an impassioned speech about hitting their beetles with a mallet to fully enjoy it.
		- Kingsley fails a will save, he is completely distraught that his efforts to polish the good bug silverware were a waste.  Kingsley awkwardly eats his bugs with the proper silverware.  He is accosted by Lucien for his troubles and Lucien goes off on a nationalist rant.  Kingsley strongly implies that he is Lucien’s father
		- Mme. Gautier reveals a beautiful gown and the lights come on revealing a beautiful shimmering sight.  Now the real food comes out.
		- The staff ask everyone their weight, but disguised as tips.
		- The Baroness is very impressed by Mme. Gautier’s event and her speech and calls it a memorable success
	+ Heidegger Dawes offers a man his magnifying glass to better see things
	+ Farandole talks to some playwrights and historians.  Farandole espouses a theory of Aeldrum culture and it is panned by the historian who is not having it.
	+ Amani tries to take a light sample of Aeldman hallucinogens, which interact poorly with her unusual chemistry; she stares deep into the blank face and empty eyes of the Count’s portrait, contemplating how it is a shell, as all of us are.
		- Farandole, trip-sitting in the portrait gallery, steps in to remind her that we are all part of history — she recalls the kaleidoscopic fabric she wore, and realizes we are all part of a great tapestry.  She thinks of home and walks through the portrait gallery as if it were her gardens

### Session 6

#### Planning for Political/Finale Night

* Themed areas around the room that have decorative elements representing the countries that Amani thinks Aeldrum should build relationships with
* Wants a happy hour in the middle of the room
* Also a bit traditional to represent the legacy of the Empire Club
* Cold invites for their own special corners to:
	+ Sermaye - they attend, but don’t decorate
	+ Orcish Directorate - ditto
	+ New Celestial Confederation - they won’t come because they don’t have a map of Dar’Asmad
	+ Saldanese - says Dar’Asmad is a backwater & oppressed, and Amani’s participating in the oppression of lesser nations.  Amani is not delighted. She responds with a copy of a history of the Asmadi Empire that she helped write, in outrageously dated and flowery Aeldman language.  Cassie helps craft the cover letter to accompany the book arguing that there are two types of people:  those that study and read and those that do.  The Empire Club are for those that do.
* Calathans and Percellans come and decorate their own corners
	+ Republic of Calath: A photorealistic painting arrives of the signing of the Calathan constitution (old Dutch masters style) – they signed it with quills, despite it happening 7 years ago
* The food for tonight, make it traditional Aeldrum with flavors from the other nations in attendance (filtered through cultural appropriation)
	+ We order some good Orcish & Sermayan food
* Amani will greet people at the door when someone important shows up, otherwise she will be mingling
* Baron Algar Maleth, Minister of Finance arrives exactly 15 minutes late (having timed it on a stopwatch from across the street).  He had a very important meeting (with the Chair of the ISCB and its President Emeritus Emiir).
	+ Connected by marriage or blood to 5 of the 6 major banks in Aeldrum
	+ Intelligent, but does not appreciate the sugar crust on the meat of the Asmadi dish.  He spits his bite out into his handkerchief and hides it in his coat.  Amani is slightly offended, but appreciates his effort to be respectful despite not liking it, and pretends not to notice.
* Dalton Kingsley greets the Calathans with an archaic bow, but where the back of his neck should be exposed, he has fastened his collar to instead cover it
	+ Lord Izoth, the Ambassador, notices and gives him a “you’re a commoner” nod, opening his coat as he does to show that he is armed
* The Ladies who Lunch wander around, not trying the ethnic food
* Baron Maleth is passed off to Mme. Gauthier.  Mme. Gautier remembers him, he does not remember her besides that she is part of the “Coalition of Culture”.  Upon realizing who she is, Baron Maleth makes an excuse about the food not agreeing with him and flees the scene.
* Lord Izoth and Amani chat, Amani recovers from a slight in which she potentially implied that Calath was a “smaller nation” by indicating she instead meant Persel.  Lord Izoth tries the Asmadi food and adjusts his expectation of Dar’Asmad’s GDP downward.  Amani flash her jewelry, and Lord Izoth adjusts his expectation of Dar’Asmad’s inequality up.
* Cassie notices Lord Izoth has arrived.  She blanches and excuses herself to the basement.  She is followed by the Ladies who Lunch.  Cassie names the Lord as the cause of her behavior and encourages the Ladies to show the Lord the “welcome” that the Ladies are so famous for.  Cassie is then escorted to the basement where she can smoke cigarettes in peace (knowing that the smoke detectors do not work).
* Lord Izoth leads Amani to the painting of his father, where the Ladies are saying very unkind things.  Amani complements the work and how it draws the viewer’s eyes to Marquis Izoth, Lord Izoth’s father.
* Mme. Gauthier looks to mingle with the Sermayans to raise some funds.  She glosses over the Ambassador and goes to the Sermayans girlfriend, Augustine Norat (President & CEO of the Sermayan Transportation Conglomerate), who is the real source of wealth.  Mme. Gautier tries to recruit Augustine to join the club, and successfully raises her interest in how Gautier’s religious views interact with the club’s secular history
* Dalton Kingsley meets Agatha, Hortense, & Marie, the Ladies who Lunch, who are all upper-middle-aged and a little young for his tastes.  They’ve heard great things about him (probably from their mothers).  They try to pry out of him how he knew Cassandra; she appreciates old things, and so does Kingsley.
* Monsieur LeFine appears and goes to rescue Amani from talking to Lord Izoth more abut the painting.  Monsieur LeFine likes the Asmadi food, and goes for seconds.  Unfortunately no one else has liked it so far, and he is a commoner.  This does not bode well for the type of people that like Asmadi food.
* People are directed towards the seating arrangements.  Mme. Gautier is seated next to the Cultural Coalition’s whip and several of the NeoCons, presumably at the behest of Cassie Sorothin.  Amani’s guards head outside as a large crash is heard.
	+ Baron “Red Glove” Hathel and Dalton Kingsley go outside to see an Aeldrum State University student protest.  Baron Hathel is delighted at this sight, but unfortunately, several late guests are on the other side of the barricade that has been constructed.
		- People have the right to protest, so long as they are not violent or deny the right of passage to senior State leaders.
		- Kingsley sends money to have the local food vendors shut down early for the day to try to starve them out, but unfortunately the protestors have brought snacks

* Provoked by Kinglsey, Hathel (outraged by the poor students protesting outside) approaches Baron Maleth, insisting that he address the protestors as a representative of the administration
* Drawing on her deep prior study of fire alarms, Amani instructs Dalton’s engineer to tune the fire alarm to the frequency that young people will be able to hear, but no one else (except Elves).  The mind singer picks up on this, assuaging the distress of the Elves before turning to the street and amplifying a feeling of fear and distress towards the protestors.  A couple of arts students appreciate the artistry of the music they’ve just heard.  The students disperse, complaining about bloody fascists.

* Amani ends the evening with a very persuasive call to join the club.  Everyone is very happy (except for the Baron Hathel, who was itching for a fight, and Baron Maleth, who isn’t delighted with the amount of attention and drama thus far)

### Session 7

#### Invitations

The time for official invitations to the Club has come - the following guests are voted upon by the Committee, requiring a supermajority to pass with a special veto reserved for Dalton Kingsley.

M. Emil Efim: Passes unanimously

Maranth Lefine: Passes unanimously

Baron Algar Maleth: Passes unanimously

Lord Izoth

* Cassie alleges that Izoth is in fact her half-brother through her father, the Marquis (who sired her illegitimately)
* Cassie objects but is convinced by the idea of “leverage” over Izoth (a blank check)
* Passes with all but Cassie (Cassie abstains)

M. Wilthan: Passes without objection

Deputy Ambassador Trifon: Passes without objection

Agatha Wintrhop: J. Perrin Farrandole, RN determines that Ms. Winthrop is a valuable contributor to the preservation of history and the creation of spaces where conversations happen, but she is not a leading authority on Aeldman history

Hortense: Passes with some objection from Maggie Dawes

Marie: Traded away for Mme. Tahn and M. Serl (who were then traded away for Wanda Prince)

Augustine Norat: Passes unanimously

Baroness Salvek: Passes unanimously

Baron Hathel: Passes with Kingsley abstaining

Maggie Dawes: Included without objection

Dr. Sorothin: Included without objection

Joln Naath - Passed unanimously

Yiena, Asmadi Ambassador - Passed unanimously

Fell Herrand, Cultural Coalition Whip - Passed unanimously

### Session 8

#### The Gang Works on the Gallery Window

The party confronts aesthetics: what to do about the gaps between window panes?

* J. P. Farandole, EI has the brilliant idea to hire an aetherecist from the Aeldrum Academies to help out with making the gold glue work and look nice
	+ Prof. Ilmir Valeth, the guy he finds, is a Viscount and old (at least 220 years old)
	+ We agree to go with an exploratory study and go from there once reasonable performance has been demonstrated
* Heidegger asks Frank the Basalt Man if he could control the growth of the basalt.  Frank invites him over to his place to see what he’s got going on.  Frank’s walls are unadorned and the basalt is exposed (unlike what is conventional for Aeldrum)
	+ Frank is attempting to grow mini-spires by aetherically stimulating them
	+ If you grow them too quickly – they sprout and Frank gets headaches
* Amani leads us down a tangent about the Dar'Amsadi Elixir of Life that keeps people looking young until they die of natural causes
	+ Cassie is impressed by the work of the Elixir of Life and Dasmadi plastic surgeons
	+ Amani helps to connect Cassie to said plastic surgeons; Cassie should talk to some plastic surgeons to help with those burns
* Heidegger works to track down adamantium for the arch in case it is possible.  Otherwise, steel-quicksilver alloy cladding on steel
* Mind singer comes with an agent - Zara - and we learn that they go by Quintus
	+ Quintus appears to be an addict, will require a “handler” at all times
	+ Due to multiple Nat 1s -- Amani and Gauthier both really trust and like Zara (who appears to be a Dalthadi Initiate, but originally from the Thalranese Marches)
	+ 50,000 ducats/mo + 10,000 ducat/mo expense account + 150,000 renewal bonus after 1 year
* Buda tails Zara -- she is definitely importing “performers” from Fialta space, setting them up in lovely accommodations and taking them to “stimulating dinners” with very wealthy companions (Buda can add +2 to a blackmail or recruitment check involving wealthy Aeldmen)

### Session 9

* Dalton Kingsley suggests we get someone to kintsugi the urinal that Magda broke
	+ Mme. Gauthier suggests we break all of them and have them all done at once.  Magda shoots this suggestion down as “contrived”
* Current status of invites
	+ M. Emil Efim, Aledrum businessman, yes
	+ Baron Maleth, Minister of Finance,  will probably say yes, but wants to make us wait
		- To get him to respond earlier, we are creating the “Founding Member” tier and an event.
	+ Lord Izoth, Calathan Ambassador, very grateful for the invite and will say yes. Wants to get a Calthan on the board, esp. if Liveth is on the board
		- Cassie permits him to join the board, given that he makes a sizable contribution to the Club
		- Kingsley proposes we create a system that increases the buy-in required to get a spot on the board, and a subsequent buy-out strategy (with a seniority system so that more junior members cannot eject the original board): board buy-in is calculated as Club Value/N where N is the size of the board if the candidate is accepted. A supermajority of more or equally senior board members may vote to eject the board member, at which point the club will have to pay out a recalculated board seat value based on the time of dismissal (if a board member resigns, the club has one year to make this payment but valuation is calculated at time of resignation).
	+ M. Wilthan, Calathan Diplomat, yes
	+ Deputy Ambassador Trifon, Livethan Deputy Ambassador, wants to endow chairs for the important ambassador positions
	+ Agatha Winthrop and Hortense
		- They discuss why Marie didn’t get an invitation; Cassie reveals to them & Marie that Maggie Dawes is the reason
		- After Marie leaves, Cassie reveals that Maggie Dawes didn’t want any of the Ladies to receive an invitation
	+ Augustine Norat, Sermayan shipping magnate (her official title is “Rich as Fuck”), asks if her “special friend”, the Sermayan Ambassador, can take her spot instead (with Mme. Norat paying the fees)
		- We give her a membership and a guest pass that can be used by her friend OTM to come even without being accompanied by Mme. Norat.
		- Mme. Norat turns down a counter offer because she is on Aeldrum so infrequently, and would like her special friends to have access because she is so thoughtful in their selection
		- Kingsley suggests creating a title of “Club Ambassador” that would permit her to have this type of membership.  She accepts the is offer and will treat the title with the respect it merits
	+ Wanda Prince gets her buy-in waved with her performing service to the club as “fashion adviser”
	+ A dozen “Legacy Members” have also accepted.  They will be there to remind us of the old days.  One day they will die.  We will still collect dues even after their death thanks to our policy of auto-drafting membership dues from bank accounts
	+ 16 founding members; Baroness Salvek’s fees are waived and Baron Hathel’s auction purchase bought him membership
	+ Baron Hathel would like to be a board member given how much he has donated to the club (4M Ducats) and would be willing to pay the board buy-in
		- Kingsley goes to interview the Baron at his manor built into the side of a spire.  The Baron is lounging on his “best lounge couch” when Kinglsey arrives.  Kingsley and the Baron play billiards, Kingsley allows him to win.  Kingsley asks the Baron his 5-10 year vision of the Club.
		- The Baron thinks the Club should maintain excitement in the membership.  He spends a while elucidating just how old the club is (Kingsley remembers the Baron’s very clever and articulate reputation), and insists that the club maintain its values
	+ Lord Izoth balks at the extra fee he would pay to be on the board (2.5m Ducats).  Offers up a 2.5M (0.8%) share of a Corporation (the Izoth family estate) to pay (estimated annual revenues 150,000 ducats): if Izoth exits the board for any reason, he exercises the right to buy back the shares (either as a direct exchange for all or part of the board payout or partly or entirely in cash if the value of the estate shares is greater than the board payout).  The board accepts his offer.
	+ Baron Hathel is told board membership will cost 2.5M.  He immediately cuts a check.

* We figure out the dues/donation situation
	+ Historical:  50K dues to buy the membership, annual dues were 20K
		- Adjusted for inflation it would be ~70K to buy membership, annual dues would be ~25K
		- Lord Elsevar held dues down artificially
	+ Current monthly costs 85K, if we fully staffed up (incl. chef) ~255K
		- With food and other misc. entertaining cost might get to 300K
	+ Mme. Gautier suggests we don’t rely on dues as our sole income source and include more events
		- Do we want people to fund events (and make donations) to create those events so that people can do an event with a non-zero probability of having someone they would like to meet with in attendance
	+ Could we instead eliminate the buy-in and up the annual fee?  At least for civil servants
	+ Solution:  Have large ticket costs (sommelier, chef, mind singer) be endowed; dues will cover other operating costs.  Keep inflated due rates
	+ Policy: 75k upfront, 25k annual (either/both may be waived for special “unfortunate” cases: officially "For those who have chosen a career of service rather than a career of wealth.")

Izoth Family: Old money Calathans; Jerom’s great-grandfather was the first Marquis Izoth. High level noblemen in one of the wealthier former core worlds.

18 founding members plus 12 legacy members plus 3 ladies who lunch (2 politically connected; all three the most beautiful of 15 applicants) plus 6 Confederates (Ambassador plus hangers on, two businessmen from CMs, Celestial Prince, ret.) NO Persellans plus 5 Calathans plus 5 historical society figures plus 5 art collectors plus 8 artists (subsidized 50%) plus 3 cultural coalition MPs

Waiving member upfront fees for: 2 civil servants, 1 Baroness Salvek, 1 Wanda Prince, Lord Izoth, Baron Hathel

Claude, the Timeshare King of Persel was denied membership

### Session 10

* Recruiting more generic NPCs to join the club
	+ Baron Dawes gets 4-5 rugged Robber Baron-esque Livethans in the raw materials sector
		- The board decides a meet and greet with these potential members will be necessary, including a video chat with those who do not routinely come to Aeldrum.
		- Amani is fascinated by this technology and highly concerned by the insight that someone can use a piece of technology without understanding the fundamental science of the technology – she remarks how destabilizing this must be to social structures
		- Jeremy serves as camera dolly during the call.  Three are wearing well tailored suits, two are not.
			* Cassie falls in love with the guy wearing a very small suit and really wants him to join the Club.  Magda may actually have fallen in love with him, or at least is very aroused by the ill-fitting nature of the suit.  He is a railroad man - Magda wants him to rail her.
			* Most of the rest of the board really want the three with tailored suits to join as they clearly have connections and means
			* They are on their best behavior for us, it is also very clear that they are multi-millionaires.  The ones with suits that are well-fitting are probably “old” money, or at least old enough to have land and the money to buy titles (one Count, two Barons).
			* The Harbormaster (one of the Barons) wants to join the club to facilitate trade with other powers using Aeldrum as the hub.  If Aeldrum is a seat of power, then the Empire Club is where the powerful meet and I want to be part of that power
			* The Count wants to come back to the well of Aeldrum to see what beautiful things that we have created and can take back to Liveth.
			* Cassie asks about their ties.  The railroad man has a pre-stressed tie, it is beautiful.  The lumber man did not tie his tie properly, but it is a tie.  The non-Baron harbormaster has his tie and it is in the current season.  The Count has a very nice, very fashionable tie that is in the old Aeldrum style (it is a structural tie).  The harbormaster is wearing a tie his son bought him, it is not silk.
		- The board ultimately determine that these men are very rich, and the railroader very stylistically relevant, and all of them are accepted (Dawes: “of course they bloody are/you are welcome”)
* J. Perrin Farandole recruits four historical society members.  They are not attractive, relative to either the Membership of the Historical Society or the broader Aeldrum society.
* Magda gets 8 artists and 5 clients into the club
* Gauthier recruits three cultural coalition MPs