Elegant aristocrat, master fencer, intelligent and composed under pressure.
Overview
Émeric de Puyrault is an elegant young aristocrat of 26, master swordsman, and heir to a substantial but impoverished estate north of Lyon. He is charming, intelligent, and composed under pressure—but also isolated by the social fractures of post-Restoration France and increasingly concerned about the occult forces gathering in Lyon.
Appearance & Demeanor
- Appearance: Striking, well-groomed, dressed impeccably in fashionable dark coats and crisp cravats
- Bearing: The natural grace of French aristocracy combined with military precision from fencing training
- Voice: Warm, measured, with traces of wry humor
- Manner: Polite but never obsequious; he moves through society with quiet confidence
Characteristics (CoC 7e)
STR 55 CON 60 SIZ 60 DEX 75
INT 70 POW 65 APP 80 EDU 75
HP: 12 MP: 13 Move: 8
Build: 0 DB: —
SAN: 65 Luck: 65
Combat Skills
-
Épée (Fencing Saber) 80% — 1D6+1
- On 01–05: automatic riposte → immediate 1 free attack at 40%
-
Pistol (flintlock) 45% — 1D10+2, 1/3 rounds
-
Dodge 60%
-
Brawl 45%
Professional Skills
- Charm 75%
- Fast Talk 55%
- Persuade 70%
- Credit Rating 75%
- Spot Hidden 50%
- Listen 55%
- Psychology 50%
- Ride 65%
- History 50%
- Occult 35%
- French Nobility Etiquette 80%
Special Traits
- Master Duelist: Acts at +20 DEX in first melee round
- Unflappable: Advantage on SAN rolls vs. violence or gore (but not Mythos exposure)
- Aristocratic Bearing: Social rolls with French nobility gain +20%
- Order Adjacent: Knows enough about the occult to be useful but not enough to suffer SAN loss from exposure
Role in Chapter 2
At the Ball at Château de Camberonne, Émeric introduces the investigators to Viscount Adrien de Montferrand, framing it as “a meeting of old friends and new allies.” Later, if the investigators befriend him, he may offer them:
- Access to his estate library (contains occult texts)
- An invitation to stay at Le Coteau des Ombres
- Subtle intelligence about Mathilde Savarin’s influence in Lyon
Public Reputation
- Known as a capable swordsman and elegant courtier
- His family’s estate has been damaged but not destroyed by Revolution
- Whispered suspicion that he was in England during the Terror (true)
- Considered a potential marriage prospect for ambitious families
Estate: Le Coteau des Ombres
Émeric’s family seat lies on the northern outskirts of Lyon, overlooking the Saône. The estate includes:
- A three-story manor house (partially fire-damaged, gradually restored)
- Outbuildings (wine press, stable-house)
- Walled garden (overgrown)
- Private chapel (deconsecrated, locked)
- Vineyard (half-productive)
The estate has a dark history: it served as a revolutionary barracks in 1793, and locals fear it is tainted by blood. The vines bear small, black clusters that villagers call “les raisins de la honte” (the grapes of shame).
Staff
- Jules (steward, mid-50s): Loyal, cautious, ex-soldier. Lives in the gatehouse.
- Thérèse (cook/maid, elderly): Warm-hearted, mostly deaf. Refuses to approach the chapel.
- Lucien (stablehand, groundskeeper): Ex-soldier with a limp, missing two fingers.
Campaign History
Chapter 2 — Lyon
The investigators encountered Puyrault at the Ball at the Hôtel de Brissac in Paris, where Georgiana returned his family seal ring — recovered from bandits at a roadside inn on the journey from Dover. Grateful, Puyrault invited the party to stay at Le Coteau des Ombres and provided lodgings throughout the Lyon chapter.
At the Ball at Château de Camberonne, Puyrault introduced the investigators to Adrien de Montferrand, an old friend who would become one of their most important allies.
Throughout the chapter, Puyrault formed a romantic attachment to Georgiana, which she spent the entire Lyon chapter politely deflecting. After the destruction of Savarin’s cell, the party rested at his estate for several days before departing for Vienna. Puyrault proposed to Georgiana. She refused, explaining that she had to move on. He remains at his estate, a rejected but genuine suitor with an open door.
Connections to Other Files
- Le Coteau des Ombres — His family estate
- Jules Steward — His loyal steward
- Viscount Adrien de Montferrand — His friend and ally
- Mathilde Savarin — His romantic entanglement
Relationships
- Courts Mathilde Savarin — Target of Savarin's romantic manipulation
- Employs Jules Steward — Loyal steward of his estate
- Employs Therese — Elderly cook and maid on his estate
- Employs Lucien Stablehand — Groundskeeper and stablehand, ex-soldier
- Friend of Adrien de Montferrand|Viscount Adrien de Montferrand — Old friend; introduces investigators at the Ball