Salon Beriquiste

Jorvik’s cities have long traditions of boarding houses. They emerged naturally as cheap living for workers and their families and gave travelers and merchants a safe, reliable temporary home. In recognition of the benefits these houses bring, most cities subsidize and monitor them somewhat.

The houses have always little communities unto themselves, where everyone gathers for shared daily meals and conversation. The cheaper ones invariably drew artists, thinkers, and performers who struggled to turn these gatherings to their own passions. Where they congregated the thickest, the dining rooms and common spaces of the houses were pressed into service as open parlors for their patrons and associates, or performance spaces and galleries.

Competition between these artist houses became common with each trying to attract to themselves the best talent. Those who were successful usually remembered the house that had incubated them and their gifts allowed some of these establishments to become patrons themselves, driving the artistic taste of the city and becoming its social hub.

Currently Jorvian high culture is widely accepted to be driven by Salon Beriquiste. They have one or more houses in every major city which serve as theaters, cafes, and parlors. Each is run by a "connoisseur" who can provide the discriminating visitor a perfect meal, a room suited to their tastes, an evening of fine entertainment, and a companion to enjoy it with.

The Salon is always interested in signing on new talent. A representative of Beriquiste must be confident at moving through all types of society with poise and preferably possess some notable artistic merit of their own. Other houses still stalk the same prizes, but Salon Beriquiste is confident its agents can keep it at the top for a long time, and do so in style.