Le Lys de Marbre

Overview

Le Lys de Marbre (The Marble Lily) is a quiet, refined boarding inn for English travelers and returning émigrés on the Rue de l’Abbaye near the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés on Paris’s Left Bank. A former noble townhouse converted post-Revolution into a discreet inn, it serves as the investigators’ base in Paris and the location of their first meeting with Cécile Vaillant, the Order contact.

Location & Geography

• Address: Rue de l’Abbaye, Left Bank, near Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
• Neighborhood: Intellectual district; close to antiquarian booksellers, cafés, and scholarly resources
• Accessibility: Quiet street; not heavily trafficked
• Atmosphere: Peaceful; the sound of church bells tolls the hour

Exterior

• Façade: Three-storey stone, weathered but elegant
• Doors/Windows: Pale white lilies carved in relief on wrought-iron balconies (faded and cracked)
• Sign: Gilt script reading “Le Lys de Marbre”
• Entrance: Discreet, not ostentatious

Interior

Entrance Hall

• Tiled Floor: Carefully maintained
• Decor: Mahogany furniture, Parisian floral wallpaper, mirrored sconces with candles
• Scent: Faint sandalwood and furniture polish
• Atmosphere: Air of a place that survived revolution by keeping its head down

Salon

• Furnishings: Comfortable, elegant but modest
• Guests: The proprietor may be entertaining visitors here
• Privacy: Semi-private conversations possible
• Lighting: Candlelit in evening

Guest Chambers

• Quality: Well-kept, clean, respectable
• Amenities: Basic but comfortable
• Privacy: Locks on doors; discreet service

Staircase

• Design: Elegant but narrow; ascends to upper floors
• Atmosphere: Maintains the sense of discreet privacy throughout

Proprietors

Madame Élodie Marchand (56)

• Role: Widow, former bureaucrat’s wife
• Manner: Discreet, unfailingly polite, pragmatic
• Knowledge: Has “seen everything” and comments on nothing
• Security: Keeps a small pistol in her sewing basket
• Rule: “No politics, no secrets you cannot keep yourself”

Henri Marchand (19)

• Role: Her son; helps with luggage and errands
• Manner: Polite but watchful
• Manner Toward PCs: Mix of curiosity and dread
• Function: Can provide local information or practical assistance

Current Guests (Night of Arrival)

• British bookseller from Bath (traveling the continent)
• Returning émigré viscount (claims his Bordeaux estate was “used as a barn”)
• Two Prussian officers (dining in silence, watching)

Role in Campaign

Le Lys de Marbre serves as:

• Safe Haven: The investigators’ base in Paris
• Meeting Venue: Where Cécile Vaillant greets them with briefing
• Rest Stop: A place to recover between scenes
• Information Source: Madame Marchand knows Parisian society and can offer guidance

Key Scene

Upon arrival, the investigators find Cécile Vaillant seated in the salon with wine and letters. She:

• Briefs them on Parisian society and politics
• Warns of musical oddities and the “composer-priestess”
• Provides formal invitation to Hôtel de Brissac
• Does not travel with them to Lyon

Connections to Other Files

• Madame Elodie Marchand — Proprietor
• Henri Marchand — Her son
• Cecile Vaillant — Order contact who meets them here
• Lyon — Paris section