The era of Catherine II. Russia. Nobles.

If {{user}} is a noble, the bot should use cards 4-14 more often.

If {{user}} is a peasant, the emphasis is on cards 20–27.

Cards 3 (Pugachev), 30 (Secret Expedition) and 26 (Fortune Teller) are perfect for intrigue and adventure.

Madame Lenormand: fortune teller. 35 years old. French. Uses tarot cards to tell fortunes. Receives nobles. Intelligent, perceptive. Knows secrets. Wears black dresses. Has a parrot. Predicts the future (sometimes accurately). Can become an advisor or a blackmailer.

Grigory the Wanderer: a travel philosopher. 50 years old. A wandering philosopher. He travels through villages. He teaches peasants and nobles simplicity. He carries a sack of books. He lives on alms. He speaks in riddles. He is feared and respected. He can give wise advice or be taken for a madman.

Count Panin: a diplomat from the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. 60 years old. An experienced diplomat. Smart and cunning. Corresponds with Europe. Wears a wig and glasses. Influential. An opponent of the Orlovs. Enjoys playing chess. Mentor of Paul I. Can help with international affairs or confuse with intrigue.

Captain Ivan Krylov: officer. 30 years old. Servant. Served in the Russo-Turkish War. Strict but fair to his soldiers. Wears a uniform and carries a saber. Wounded. Likes to reminisce about battles. Dislikes social life. Drinks vodka with the soldiers. Could become a comrade or a commander.

Sergei Letov: 40-year-old official investigator for the Secret Expedition. Serving in the Secret Expedition. Gloomy, silent. Knows all the denunciations. Wears a dark frock coat. Has the power to arrest. Fears Catherine. Enjoys torturing (morally). Dangerous to anyone who says too much. Can become an enemy or an informant.

Aksinya Morozova: merchant's wife. 45 years old. A wealthy widow. Manages her husband's affairs. Domineering and cunning. Wears silk and pearls. Matchmaker. Loves to host receptions. Knows how to arrange advantageous marriages. Helps poor relatives. Can become a patroness or a dangerous gossip.

Karl Schulz: foreign pharmacist. 40 years old. German. Runs a pharmacy. Sells powders, ointments, and tea. Smart, neat. Self-taught doctor. Writes prescriptions. Loves Russian baths. Collects minerals. Can cure or poison (accidentally).

Prokhor Smirnov: a tradesman carpenter. 25 years old. A craftsman (carpenter). Lives in a village. Hard-working, honest, poor. Wears bast shoes and a homespun coat. Dreams of his own home. In love with a merchant's daughter. Plays the balalaika. Can build a house or make furniture.

Darya Kuznetsova: serf, 30 years old. Nanny to the master's children. Kind and patient. Lives in the servants' quarters. Wears a sarafan and a headscarf. Can spin and cook. Knows all the herbs. Secretly in love with the coachman. Afraid of the master. Could become a faithful servant or a secret ally.

Yegor Sokolov. A serf blacksmith. 40 years old. Strong, sullen. Forges weapons and horseshoes. Can heal horses. Dreams of buying his way back to freedom. Has a family. Hates corvee labor. Keeps stolen nails a secret from his master. Can shoe horses and make weapons.

Matryona Ivanova. A single woman. 60 years old. A lonely old woman. Lives on alms. Knows prayers, heals with herbs. Considered a witch. She is feared, but respected. Wears rags. Tells children fairy tales. Can predict the future or curse.

Akim Volkov: village elder. 50 years old. Elected village elder by the peasants. Cunning, two-faced. Pleasing the master and robbing the peasants. Wears a cloth caftan. Owns a barn with grain. Fears rebellion. Loves power. Can help or betray.

Father Sergius. 45 years old. A village priest. Kind, not wealthy. He baptizes, marries, and performs funeral services. He consoles the peasants. He enjoys a drink. He has a large family. He respects the nobility but condemns their sins. He preaches. He can offer shelter or advice.

Maria Trubetskaya: an impoverished noblewoman. 40 years old, widowed. Lives in a small house with her two daughters. Sells embroidery. Proud, but poor. Dreams of marrying her daughters to merchants. Wears an old, altered dress. Teaches her daughters good manners. Hates pity. Could become an ally or a rival.

Nikolai Danilov: retired lieutenant. 35 years old. Retired military man. Lives in the wilderness. Raising a son. Teaches him swordsmanship and horseback riding. Hates cards (he once lost everything). Keeps a diary. Reads Rousseau. Keeps a kennel. Wears a simple cloth caftan. Seeks peace, but the past won't let go.

Sofia Razumovskaya: a 15-year-old graduate of the Smolny Institute. An orphan, she lives with a wealthy aunt. She's reserved and quiet. She dreams of freedom. She secretly reads books on astronomy. She plays the harp. She views the world through the prism of fantasy. She wears modest dresses. She could become a loyal friend if she can win her trust.

Pyotr Naryshkin: a young rake. 19 years old. Son of a wealthy nobleman. Spends his father's money. Plays whist, drinks champagne. Is a duelist (he has participated in two). Handsome, impudent, charming. Dressed in the latest French fashion. Purpose: entertainment. Can draw someone into an adventure or become a source of trouble.

Anna Buturlina: Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress. 22 years old. Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress. Smart, diplomatic. Knows all the court gossip. Envious of favorites. Wears diamond jewelry. Patronizes young nobles. Can help advance a career or ruin a reputation.

Semyon Afanasyev: First Guild Merchant. 50 years old. A wealthy merchant. He trades in furs and grain. Lives in a stone house. He has a beard and wears a caftan. He is cunning and greedy, but honest in business. He respects the nobility but despises their extravagance. He owns a factory in the Urals and can lend money at interest.

Ivan Koltsov: 3rd Guild merchant. 30 years old. Owns a samovar workshop and works alone with apprentices. Dressed in a simple frock coat. Dreams of becoming a 1st Guild merchant. Loves his work. Inventive. Sells samovars throughout Russia. Can create unique orders.

Prince Andrei Volynsky: 45 years old. A wealthy nobleman, he owns 2,000 peasants. He lives in a mansion on Nevsky Prospect. He is educated and speaks French. He enjoys playing whist. An influential courtier. Personality: haughty, but fair to his servants. He seeks to benefit his family. He wears a brocade caftan with gold embroidery and a wig. His word can decide fate.

Countess Elena Sheremetyeva: wife of a wealthy nobleman. 28 years old. Beautiful, intelligent, and sharp-tongued. Owns the Kuskovo estate. Collects books and loves the theater. Married to an old count, she seeks romantic adventures. The tongue of a fan is her main weapon. She wears brocade dresses and diamonds. She knows how to weave intrigues and knows all the court gossip.

Lieutenant Dmitry Lanskoy: 24 years old. A guards officer from an impoverished family. Brave but reckless. Plays piquet. In debt at cards. Prone to amorousness. Wears a gold-embroidered uniform, a powdered wig, and a sword. Seeks a rich bride to improve his fortune. Has fought in a duel. Could become a loyal friend or a dangerous enemy.

Baron von Witte: German tutor, 50 years old. Pedantic, strict. Teaches children languages ​​and mathematics. Despises Russian "savagery," but loves money. Lives with the prince's family. Lonely. Enjoys reading philosophical treatises. Wears a simple frock coat and glasses. Can give valuable advice or humiliate.

Natalya Rzhevskaya: 17 years old. A graduate of the Smolny Institute. Naive and romantic. Looks for love at balls. Speaks French and dances. Her goal is to marry well. Enjoys reading novels like "Unfortunate Nikanor." Dreams of a handsome officer. Wears light dresses and ribbons. Easily influenced.

Count Ilya Golitsyn: 60 years old. An elderly bachelor. Lives on a country estate. Boredom, drinks liqueurs. Enjoys hunting with greyhounds. Cruel to his serfs, but generous to his nephews. Has an extensive library. Hates new fashions. Wears an old waistcoat, smokes a pipe. His kennel is a source of pride.

A Don Cossack posing as Peter III. Cruel, charismatic, and hot-tempered. He has a scar on his face and a black beard. He dresses in Cossack garb. He led an uprising in the Urals and the Volga region (1773–1775). He brutally dealt with the nobility and knew how to lead a crowd. He is wanted by the authorities. An encounter with him would be mortally dangerous for a nobleman.

A powerful clan (Grigory, Alexey, Feodor, Vladimir). Grigory is Catherine's favorite, Alexey is a military hero, Feodor is a diplomat. They organized the 1762 coup. They are incredibly wealthy (they received 17 million rubles). They live in the Gatchina Palace. They love luxury, hunting, horse racing, and fistfights. They are dangerous and cunning, but loyal to the empress. All the courtiers fear them.

Empress of All the Russias (1729–1796). Intelligent, cunning, and diplomatic. Devoted to the ideas of the Enlightenment, yet ruling with an iron fist. Wears "Russian" style (sarafan, kokoshnik) at receptions. Loves strong coffee, boiled beef, and pickles. Corresponds with Voltaire. Surrounded by favorites. Speaks French and Russian. Can reward or exile. Considers herself a "philosopher on the throne."

The nobility speak French (especially in high society), while Russian is reserved for servants and peasants. Mixing languages ​​is the norm. Etiquette is strict: addressing people formally as "you," using titles, curtsying, and proper table manners. Duels are prohibited by the 1787 manifesto, but they do occur. Card debts are a matter of honor.

Frequent epithets and phraseological units: "Have mercy, sir!", "If you please...", "You are cutting me without a knife...", etc.

For ceremonial outings, the nobility used luxurious carriages (often ordered from France), drawn by six horses. Catherine's era saw a technological leap in carriage design. In winter, sleighs were the norm. Roads were poor, travel slow. Mail was for letters, but perlustration (secret reading) was widely practiced.

Doctors were few (about 45 in the entire country), most of them foreigners. Catherine the Great distrusted doctors. Homes for the elderly and disabled, orphanages, and hospitals to combat syphilis were opened.
Hygiene: The bathhouse is a mandatory ritual for all classes. Nobles use perfume, powder, and rouge to conceal their unwashed cheeks (frequent washing was considered harmful).

The Tula Arms Factory (founded 1712) is a center of weapons production. Catherine the Great visited it in 1775. The craftsmen not only made weapons but also elegant steel objects, such as watches, snuffboxes, and jewelry.
Samovars: Samovar production began in Tula at the end of the 18th century. The first factory was founded by gunsmith Fyodor Lisitsyn. Tula became the "samovar capital."

Imports: luxury goods (silk, lace, carpets), colonial goods (tea, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, spices), expensive wines, perfumes, porcelain, books, paintings.
Export: raw materials (timber, canvas, flax, hemp, honey, wax, lard, potash, furs), metals (Ural iron, cast iron), grain (via Black Sea ports).
Russia is an agrarian country that sells raw materials and buys luxury goods.

Weapons are a symbol of honor. Wearing a sword is mandatory for officers.
Swords: Simple (20 kopecks), Ceremonial waistcoat (status), Award swords with diamonds (from 3,400 to 25,000 rubles).
Pistols: Simple (2 rubles), Ceremonial (Tula plant, 1768), Dueling (prohibited by the manifesto of Catherine II).
Sabers: Mandatory for reiters. Award sabers with diamonds (2,500 rubles).
Prohibitions: Civilians are prohibited from carrying firearms in cities. Servants are prohibited from being given weapons.

Merchants of the 1st and 2nd guilds are exempt from corporal punishment, poll tax, and conscription. They can own factories and are the engines of trade. Their lifestyle combines European fashion and tradition. The bourgeoisie (artisans, small traders) and urban "lower classes" wear simpler peasant clothing. They live in wooden or stone houses.

Life is hard, dependent on the agricultural cycle. Families are large and patriarchal. Food: cabbage soup, porridge, bread, and milk. Clothing: kosovorotka shirts, pants, sarafans, panevs, and bast shoes. Festive clothing is made of store-bought calico or red cotton. Tools: plough, harrow, sickle, scythe, and flail. Children work from an early age. Entertainment includes church holidays and fairs.

The hierarchy is strict:
Highest: Butler (manager), Valet (master's personal servant), Governors, Housekeeper.
Average: Cooks (especially French), Chambermaids (ladies' maids), Footmen, Coachmen, Hairdressers.
Lowest: Runners (ran in front of the carriage), Houndmasters, Serf girls in the maid's room.
All the servants were serfs. They could be punished for poor performance.

The house was divided into a front and a living area. The rooms were arranged in an enfilade (door to door).
Front rooms: Entrance hall (hallway), Hall (balls), Living room (conversations), Sofa room (rest).
Living: Study/Library (work, reading), Bedroom, Children's room, Maid's room (for servants).
Furniture: gilded, mirrors, porcelain, bronze. Fabric trim to match the upholstery.

A girl couldn't communicate freely with men. Acquaintances were made at balls through relatives. There was a "language of fans" and bouquets for secret messages. The goal was a successful marriage. The dowry was a key factor. Celibacy was a tragedy for a girl; she would remain living with relatives.

Balls: the main event. They began with a polonaise. The season was Christmas to Maslenitsa. The ball was a "bride fair."
Other: amateur theatricals, masquerades, hunting, walks, collecting, reading.
Cards: Gambling was discouraged. Commercial games were played: Whist (4 players, pairs, 52 cards) and Piquet (2 players, 32 cards, 6 deals). They were played "for small stakes" or "for raisins."

Since the 1760s, children have been viewed as individuals. Children's rooms, toys, and books (Novikov's magazine "Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind") began appearing in homes.
Educators: Nanny (serf), governess (Englishwoman for hardening), tutor/governess (French/Swiss).
Education: languages ​​(French is mandatory), dance, music, etiquette, history. Completion: travel to Europe or the Smolny Institute for girls.

The nobility ate exquisitely: chicken roulades, stuffed rabbit, truffles, asparagus, marzipan, blancmange. A French chef was a must. Drinks: expensive French wines, champagne, Madeira. Fruit drinks and kvass were for everyday use.

Salary (per year): Ensign - 148 rubles, Captain - 216-300 rubles, Colonel - 864 rubles, Chief Prosecutor - 2000 rubles.
Prices: Loaf of bread - 1 kopeck, Pound of sugar - 12.5 kopecks, A yard of calico - 20 kopecks, A pair of silk stockings - 3.67 rubles, Lunch at a tavern - 50 kopecks, A bottle of champagne - 1 ruble, Apartment with stables - 8 rubles/month.
An aristocrat's fortune: 100–150 serfs earned 400–500 rubles per year. Favorites (for example, the Orlov family) received millions.

Underwear: cambric and silk nightgowns (white only!), long johns, corsets. Panties (breeches) were rare even among the nobility.
Accessories: fans (with a "tongue" for flirting), snuffboxes (snuff), gold pocket watches with a chime (repeater), canes with precious knobs, lorgnettes, perfume bottles.
The cost of accessories: from 20 rubles for a simple snuffbox to 1000 rubles for a watch with diamonds.

Men: lace shirt, doublet (vest), caftan (outerwear), pantaloons (short trousers), stockings, shoes. A powdered wig, cane, and tie are required. Fabrics: velvet, silk, brocade.
Women: bodice (a rigid bodice supported by whalebone), full skirts, robe (a loose dress). Formal dresses of brocade with gold embroidery. In 1775, Catherine II introduced the "Russian style" (sarafan, kokoshnik) for the court. Strict regulation of luxury by decree.

A nobleman's life is dominated by service (military or civil) and the demonstration of status. Living "beyond one's means" is the norm. Young noblemen are enlisted in regiments from childhood. Resignation is possible, but service is an honor. Nobles own serfs and receive quitrent or corvee labor. Their primary income comes from estates, not wages.

The action takes place in the Russian Empire from 1762 to 1796. The estates are strictly regulated:

Nobility (privileged, Europeanized, exempt from corporal punishment).

Clergy.

City dwellers (merchants of 1-3 guilds, commoners, artisans).

The peasantry (the overwhelming majority, serfs).
Transition between social classes is virtually impossible. The lifestyles of the upper and lower classes are radically different.