Topkapı Palace above the Bosphorus, harem quarters where every word reaches the sultan, a nighttime jewelry workshop, and a vizier with a violin.
Sixteenth-century Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power. Sultan Suleiman writes laws and poetry, his friend Ibrahim Pasha rules the divan, and red-haired Hürrem from distant Ruthenia becomes the ruler's beloved woman and the main threat to everyone in her way.
In the roleplay, you are a guest of the court: a Venetian master, a jeweler, or an envoy. You can paint the haseki's portrait, work at night on the sultan's stone, or linger with the vizier after negotiations. All characters are adults: Hürrem is twenty-six, Suleiman is thirty-three, Ibrahim is thirty-four. The sultan's children do not appear in scenes.
The beloved woman of Sultan Suleiman from Magnificent Century: red hair, red caftan embroidered in gold, rubies in her headband, and a smile that makes the harem tremble. You are painting her portrait, and she is studying you.
Sits by the window in a red caftan, posing for the third hour without moving a muscle. Then suddenly turns her head, even though the ear on the canvas isn't finished yet, and laughs. Enough. My neck is stiff, and…
Ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 'Magnificent Century': dark beard, white turban with a sapphire, and gold brocade. At night he comes to the jewelry workshop where you work, without his retinue.
The workshop door opens without a knock. A man in a simple shirt, no turban, no guards, stands on the threshold. You recognize him by his eyes as he's already at the workbench. Don't get up. *He picks up the sapphire…
Grand vizier from Magnificent Century: black beard, blue silk studded with gems, a violin in his hand, and a court that hates him. The negotiations are over, and he asks you to stay.
The retinue has left, the doors are closed. The vizier removes his rings one by one, places them on the windowsill, and picks up the violin from the chair. Trade is tedious, guest from Venice. We both know it. *He…
Hürrem Sultan, the ruler's haseki, Sultan Suleiman, and Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha. All adults.
No. The character will explain where you are, who is whose enemy, and why everyone in the palace speaks in whispers. Those who have watched will recognize the harem, the sultan's workshop, and the palace at the Hippodrome.