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Role: Disillusioned veteran and potential ally
Occupation: Former Imperial artillery officer (now on half-pay)
Age: 47
Residence: Lyon (lodges at a respectable but modest townhouse near Place Bellecour)
Faction: Independent; quietly loyal to France, not the monarchy
Appearance
A tall, broad-shouldered man with the bearing of a soldier even out of uniform. His hair, once black, has gone iron-gray at the temples; his face bears the creases of years spent squinting through gunsmoke. He dresses neatly but simply — dark blue coat, brass buttons polished to a dull glow, and a worn officer’s cane that he still carries out of habit. His hands are calloused and nicked, and he smells faintly of tobacco and oil.
When he enters a ballroom, conversation dips — not out of awe, but recognition. He has survived more than most in this room.
Personality
Measured, pragmatic, and tired of glory. Moreau is a man whose loyalty was once absolute — to France, not kings. The Bourbon restoration has left him displaced, and he masks his bitterness with stoic courtesy. He dislikes aristocratic excess and despises political games, but respects discipline, courage, and sincerity when he sees them.
If the investigators approach him with honesty (or demonstrate competence under pressure), he becomes one of their strongest allies in Lyon.
Public Reputation
- Known as a hero of the German campaigns and for his role during the defense of Lyon in 1814.
- Viewed by royalists as “dangerously Napoleonic,” but too respected to openly insult.
- Frequently attends civic events (like Brissac’s Ball) to maintain appearances and watch the shifting political tide.
He has refused several offers to join the gendarmerie or the prefecture, telling Prefect Duret bluntly:
“I have no patience for uniforms that come without courage.”
Private Reality
Moreau suspects that something unnatural is stirring beneath the veneer of Lyon’s political intrigue. He has noticed missing soldiers, rumors of “blue-sashed men” drilling by night, and unexplained vibrations that shake the foundations of the old Roman quarter.
While he dismisses the supernatural as superstition, he knows Mathilde_Savarin’s influence reaches into the garrison — and he detests her quiet manipulations. If convinced the investigators are trustworthy, he shares intelligence discreetly:
“Savarin’s friends move like a regiment, but answer to no flag I recognize.”
Motivations
- Primary: Protect Lyon from chaos; restore honor to France’s veterans.
- Secondary: Expose corruption in Mathilde_Savarin’s network before it disgraces the army further.
- Tertiary: Mentor younger officers; he sees one of the investigators as a reflection of what he used to be.
Skills & Stats (7th Edition Call of Cthulhu)
| Attribute | Value |
| STR 70 | CON 65 |
| SIZ 70 | DEX 60 |
| INT 65 | POW 60 |
| APP 55 | EDU 60 |
| HP 13 | MP 12 |
| SAN 60 | MOV 8 |
Build: +1D4 | DB: +1D4 | Luck: 60
Combat Skills:
- Fighting (Brawl) 60%
- Firearms (Musket) 70%
- Firearms (Pistol) 55%
- Melee (Saber) 65%
- Dodge 40%
Other Skills:
- Command/Military Science 70%
- Listen 55%
- Psychology 50%
- Spot Hidden 60%
- Persuade 55%
- Intimidate 60%
- Ride 45%
Weapons:
- Officer’s Sabre (1D8 + DB)
- Pistol (1D10, single shot)
- Cane (1D6)
Role in the July 3rd Ball
- Present as a guest of the Duchesse de Brissac.
- Serves as the foil to the royalist aristocracy, arguing quietly for the honor of the Imperial veterans during Brissac’s toast.
- Acts with protective instinct if violence breaks out — either restraining or defending the investigators during the Blue Sash Incident.
- If treated respectfully, he will later offer to introduce them to “a few honest men who don’t like what’s happening beneath our streets.”
Keeper Notes
- Tone: Moreau should exude weary strength — the soldier who has seen too much but refuses to yield.
- Hook: Once he learns that Mathilde_Savarin’s “society” employs ex-military men, he becomes the investigators’ conduit into uncovering the cult’s paramilitary structure.
- Endgame: If the investigators gain his trust, he can supply armed assistance or diversionary support during the Roman temple confrontation. If ignored or alienated, he may later fall victim to Fouchard’s purges — found “dead of a duel” under suspicious circumstances.
- Combat: Moreau is competent and dangerous but not superhuman. He makes an excellent ally but never a solution to a problem
- Do not make him deus ex machina
Campaign Design Notes
Moreau represents the investigators’ path into Lyon’s military and civic structure. He is a foil to Mathilde_Savarin’s supernatural corruption—a man of honor and pragmatism who senses her wrongness without understanding its nature.
Campaign History
Chapter 2 — Lyon
Moreau was introduced to the investigators by Duplessis at the Ball at Château de Camberonne. His suspicions about Savarin’s paramilitary network proved well-founded, and he committed his veteran soldiers to the party’s cause.
Moreau’s veterans participated in both major assaults. At the Orphans_Hospital_Raid, Moreau entered from the rear with the ladies, Thomas, and Adrien. Both Thomas and Adrien were wounded.
At the Silkweavers_Guild_Assault, Moreau’s veterans descended into the tunnels with the investigators. When the Chakota was unleashed, his veterans fell back and prepared a volley. Marina — her mind shattered by the sight of the creature — attacked Moreau, thinking he was an enemy. He grabbed her and spun her into the Chakota’s mass. Marina detonated herself with lantern oil and gunpowder, killing the Chakota. Moreau barely survived the blast. His veterans then fired the volley that killed Savarin instantly.
After Augustus’s death at the hospital, Jay took over Moreau as a player character for the remainder of Lyon and into Vienna.
Chapter 3 — Vienna
Moreau continued as Jay’s PC into the Vienna chapter. He was assassinated on the Graben on the evening of 7 August 1814 by the Bauer brothers — three stab wounds, staged as a robbery. First PC death of the Vienna chapter. See Moreau_Graben_Assassination.
Connections to Other Files
- Abbe_Etienne_Duplessis — His Order contact
- Mathilde_Savarin — His suspected antagonist
- Luc_Fouchard — Savarin’s enforcer; Moreau despises what Fouchard represents
- [Chapter_2_Lyon](…/…/chapters/Chapter 2 - Lyon/chapter-2-overview.html) — His home city and sphere of influence
Relationships
- Knows Abbe Etienne Duplessis — Order contact who introduces him to investigators
- Enemy of Mathilde Savarin — Senses her corruption; despises her influence over soldiers
- Knows Duchess Honorie de Brissac — Guest at her balls; respects her pragmatism