Who’s who in Większy-Bydlin
The Garrison
Infantry
Pułkownik [Colonel] Leopold Michałowski – one time trainee on Raven’s Knoll, at the school there, who was envious of Mikołaj’s and Seweryn’s reputations as pranksters. Rang the fire bell and drove Małgorzata into miscarriage. Has a prejudice against the Krasińscy, but has been overcoming it and learning much.
Cornet Rudolf Michałowski aka Rudek – much younger brother of the colonel and wanting to emulate him, and a prank rival of Jeremi Skrzetuski and friends.
Ulans
Pułkownik Dębski. A canny fellow, and a good leader. Related to Stefan Czarniecki, hero of the Deluge.
[Rotmistrz [Captain] Kajetan Wolski aka Kaj aka Kajtek to his parents & siblings – a big, dark man, with long hair and moustaches. Recommended Starski and Hulewicz for duty under the starosta, married Marcelina Hulewiczówna. Musters out spring 1779 to be a proper husband and see to his family lands.]
[Bâtman Janko Machowski, who brought disgrace on himself]
[His siblings are Jagna, Wiktoria, Aduś, Slawunia]
[Lieutenant Józef Bojanowski – a tall, gangling man with a self-deprecating sense of humour, but easily led. Resigns under a cloud summer 1779 ]
Adjutant
[Quartermaster Grodecki – not the strongest character. Resigns under a cloud summer 1779]
Towarzysze:
[Dawid Starski & Konrad Hulewicz; see under judiciary]
Jeremi’s lance
Jeremi Skrzetuski – descended from the famous Jan Skrzetuski. Blondish hair and ginger moustaches referred to by his friends as foxes up his nostrils. Grey eyes, tall, handsome. The most serious of his Lance of towarzysze but still a sense of fun. Later, Lieutenant in charge of ‘Misfits’, later Captain [from late summer 1779]
Pacholik Jaracz Rzędzian, an impoverished branch of the family, acts as adjutant to Jeremi, also see later.
Grzegorz Palczewski – Dark, dashing, hazel eyes, sabre scar on cheek from duel. Stocky. Daring, bold, a bit wild
Jerzy Boreski aka Jerzyk, the swift, slim, blond, handsome and knows it, ready smile, blue eyes; a bit of a player.
[Stefan Prusinowski, deceased, who was the most dedicated prankster of the four who died setting up a dangerous prank against young Michałowski.]
***
[Captain Koczolski – replaced Wolski in spring 1779, and objected to Jeremi trying to help him out. Set up war games with the express purpose of humiliating Jeremi by finding towarzysze train who had been rejected by others. Executed late summer 1779. A straight and foolishly constrained moustache. Executed.]
Temporary: Kazimierz Ogiński, nephew [fictional] and aide to Prince Michał Kazimierz Ogiński [real], Grand Hetman of Lithuania. Kazio is young and merry but also trained to do diplomatic sorts of things.
Towarzysz Roman Czesiński, later Lieutenant, after summer 1779 leader of a double-lance of jaeger Ulans/scouts, a man of honour but briefly misled.
[Komorowski & Ściora, a pair of vicious killers who manage to make up their own Nietzscheian philosophy, and behave like Leopold & Loeb. ]
Jaracz Rzędzian, Quartermaster after summer 1779.Blond, beefy, efficient, horse doctor, loves horses, larcenous but never from his fellows.
Józef Sumiński, a laconic but efficient man. Lieutenant after summer 1779
The Misfits
Jaras Bogacki, blond, a fuzz of a moustache, a wealthy orphan with a healthy respect for his sister’s book learning. He plans to marry Sylwia.
Ludwik Bogacki, aka Ludek, aka Ludwika Bogacka, aka Ludka, his sister pretending to be his little brother to avoid being forced into marriage with a wicked cousin while her brother was away. Blonde.
Maid, Ruta
Sylwan Lasecki, aka Sylwia Lasecka, dark haired, fine features, has been dressed as a boy for 11 years owing to the rapacity of a local szlachcic who outranked her father. Sylwia has a partisan pet
Ursyn Kudła, a [gelded] brown bear originally being trained to dance and taken away by Sylwia who hates cruelty.
Aureliusz Strojny, an expensive young man sent to do his duty on pain of his father cutting off his allowance. Aureliusz overcame being rather precious and he plans to marry Ludka. Good on water; owns wetlands and likes duck hunting.
Valet Adi Marnik and his sister, Anna Marnikowna
Paweł Kwaśniewski, bitter and unhappy at first, told by his Uncle to do a stint as an Ulan if he hoped to marry his cousin, Edyta, but actually uncle was stealing from him.
Edyta Grymulińska, Paweł’s beloved, dressed as a boy to join his poczet. Thought he was choosing to leave her for fears of consanguinity.
Jan Jankowski, raised a szlachetka, and unable to read, but left money, land and stables by an uncle. He joined up but had trouble because of being illiterate, but would not muster out to give his father the last laugh. Now able to read and much happier.
The feckless four/five
Maksym Kuziemski, aka Minimus, as a joke on his name and his size. Pale blond hair, light skin, rather gangling, good natured and happy.
Jarusz Pstrzonka, a freckled youth of good nature and a mind like a sieve.
Jakup Szałapski aka Kuba aka Szałaput [Scatterbrain]. A dreamer, wont to wander into trouble without even meaning to do so.
Teodor Wesołecki. A small, slight man, happy-go-lucky, strong faith.
The feckless fifth of the four:
Kryspin Ciochoński, untidy, tousle-headed youth with light brown curly hair, and a propensity for leaving his kit lying about.
Stojan Turtoński, small and dark, takes everything slowly and dawdles. Still growing, and will be average to tall when he finishes, but currently suffers growing pains.
Szczęsny Rusiecki, a ruddy-faced lad with chestnut hair and dark blue eyes. Has a pugnacious manner, but practical and gets things done.
Tymoteusz Wojna brown hair and eyes, pugnacious in defence of his milk brother Niecisław Barczyński.
Niecisław Barczyński, built like the proverbial brick outhouse, rather slow from a long birth and easily angered, especially if others let him take the blame for slowness. Looks enough like Tymoteusz for speculations to be made about who sired him.
Associated pages:
Marcellina Hulewiczówna, aka Marcyś, page to Capt. Kaj Wolski, later his wife.
[Jacek Strażnik her groom and his wife, Jaga, supportive and helpful.]
Anna-Maria Finckówna aka Adam Duszek, aka Adam Sokół, page to Lt. Jeremi Skrzetuski, educated at The Mews in Dołany with her sister, Janina.
The Judiciary
Starosta Klemens Młocki, in his thirties, a hard-working official with a dwór and attendant village just outside the city. Later marries widow Stefania [née Hulewiczówna], Konrad’s sister.
Kazimierz Bystrzanowski, sub-starosta, a cousin of Władysław Sokołowski. Auburn hair, green eyes with hellrings. Always wears amber ear-rings since firelight catching one enabled Mariola Krasińska to pull a blow and not decapitate him. Married Mariola. Known to dislike torture.
Mariola Bystrzanowska, née Krasińska, aka Lew the page; two fisted fighter, on a par with her sister, Joanna Sokołowska. Known for ‘messing with heads’ to get information from criminals to avoid torture. Fairly musical, and rarely loses her aplomb save under Laudanum to which she reacts ... badly. The shy, quiet one.
Marciński, officious clerk, until he irritates Młocki sufficiently by overstepping his remit in 1778 [Dance of Law] when he is sacked.
Bolek, the torturer who also does autopsies and is a pretty good physician.
The coroner, who does not do the autopsies but who is paid to sign off on Bolek’s findings, and to pronounce death officially.
Konrad Hulewicz, seconded from the Ulans. A quiet szlachetka, blond and stocky, methodical. Marries Marcjanna Podolska of the pickpocket gang.
Dawid Starski, seconded from Ulans with his partner, Konrad. The brilliant, but erratic one of the pair, but known for driving too fast and damaging city property. Marries Floriana Bystrzanowska, Kazimierz’s sister.
Helena and Floriana, as pages Leon and Florian [Florek] to help their brother.
Stefania Rokoszowa, née Hulewiczówna, turns up looking for her brother and, saves Młocki’s life from an escaping criminal, moves in as clerk. Marries Młocki.
Children: Karol, 3, twins: Agata & Agnieszka
Temporary
Faustyn Szadurski, aka The Redboots, akaHelena’s Redboots, aka The Red Domino. A member of the Ciolek banner and an agent of the king. Marries Helena Bystrzanowska. Usually to be found in Warszawa.
Pan Komorowski, Faustyn’s steward. Also usually to be found in Warszawa.
Scipion Brzeziński, Krzesimir Zaklika, Idzi Sroka, Rysio Korwiński, Raven Banner temporary help to the Starosta’s office
Other People
Szlachta
Lord Onufry Oborski, szlachcic of Mikołaj’s generation, set a trap for thieves. Lives in a dworek on a part of his land, and rents his old family house [but not the land!] to a cloth merchant.
The Syruciowie
They own several small villages around between the city and the town of Brzeżany, parts of Brzeżany, and some properties in Większy-Bydlin, sold by the Wronowski.
Paweł Syruć, three parts senile and the rest pure wódka, gets drunk and assaults either the statue of Jan Sobieski or the hippocampus in the pond.
[Antonin Syruć the ageing lecher with saggy knees who assaulted Mariola, thinking her a peasant girl, and died when she duelled him.]
[Karol Syruć, younger brother of Antonin, a very entitled man with a lousy temper. Involved in the cloth smuggling business. Met Kaj Wolski with extreme prejudice.]
Wiridiana Syruciówna, his daughter, spoilt brat but clever enough to get over it, and learn to be a decent girl. Lovely girl, cloud of dark hair, perfect creamy oval face, smoke-grey eyes.
Josia, her maid and half-sister
Tymofey Syruć, cousin of Karol & Antonin, heir to Paweł, and at risk from Karol’s murderous attacks. A man who worries.
Regina Syruciówna, his daughter, a bit spoilt, but not too unreasonable. Pretty, dark hair, good complexion.
Idzi Syruć, a physician, family doctor
Herbert Szemesz, husband of the late Dorota Syruciówna/Szemeszowa, sister to Antonin & Karol
The servants in the dwór of Karol Syruć.
Matylda Żmuda, housekeeper
Sławomira, the laundress
Jan Czapla, the chief groom
Stach, once a footman, a lewd fellow, now probably a criminal.
, an elderly, infirm maid
[Danuta, who was probably a poor szlachcianka, an early governess to Wiridiana.]
Others
Józef Rękawicznik, glover, has contract with local military and also makes falconry gloves, life saved by Mariola relieving a depressed fracture to the occipital lobe.
Jan Rękawicznik, son of the above, tried to kill his father who did not press charges, and knows he is watched, having got in with bad company.
Abram Dawidowicz, furrier. Jewish.
Aron ben Abram [Dawidowicz] – his youthful son, b. c 1767
Diebold Adenaur, Swiss carter, one leg, trustworthy, likes to linger over his meals.
Gerta, a high class madam, formerly occupying a brothel specialising in ‘costume drama.’
Nutka, a high class prostitute, employed by Gerta.
[Arslan, Tatar thug, used in intimidation gang, executed summer 1778]
[Ilya Ivanovitch Yahontov, Russian ‘Business man’ and head of intimidation gang. Executed summer 1778.]
Krawiek, tailor who was blinded by abacination, a stipend arranged by Mariola
Cloth merchant, not named, lives in country in Oborski house, and also rents the former brothel from Milena, who bought the property. Sub-lets rooms above shop.
Jan Woniak, cloth merchant on the Rynek, longer established, buys cloth from Karol Syruć of dodgy origin.
Szlachetka, unnamed, steward for [probably] one of the Wronowski overseeing several prosperous peasant tenant farmers.
Adrian Szewcowicz, shoemaker, married, and elderly, no children.
Adi Szewcowicz, his nephew, also a shoemaker, in his own business. As yet unwed.
Marcin Szewczyk, shoemaker, specialises in boots.
Józef Adamiak, shoemaker
Stefan Stasiak, vintner, several servants
[Sbyzsko Śnieżek, his butler, part of the hole in the wall gang, killed by his comrades]
Ninka, the rather inadequate maid to Stasiak
[Śnieżek, the former mason, executed]
[Frycek, the big bully in the through the wall gang. A murderer; executed.]
The Pickpocket gang 1778
[Run by the real villains of the piece, Marcin Podolski of the Dwór Nadrzecze and his cousin, Maks.]
Szlachta
Arrested in Większy-Bydlin
Marcjanna Podolska first recruit along with Paweł Podolski, her older brother, killed by Marcin, becomes page and then marries Konrad Hulewicz.
Andrzey Podolski, Marcjanna’s brother. To Mews.
Konstancja Świrska, golden haired and musical, had escaped the nunnery Alicja [now Jęndrowska] was in.
Elżbieta, adopted by Konstancja as her sister, though technically a peasant.
Antoni Mroczek, strong sense of responsibility
Wincenty Mroczek, his little brother. Both to The Mews.
From Warszawa
[Nicefor Czarnkowski, 14, chip on shoulder, tried to escape to go freelance, died of Raven horse.]
Sebastian/Bastuś Czarnkowski, 13, brother to Nicefor and horrified that he was ready to kill. To The Mews.
Others: in general to other school in Dolany
Arrested in Większy-Bydlin
Franciszek/ Franek, 14, townsman, generous, rather radical. Dark brown hair
Jan, 10, townsman. Resentful, nicely spoken, sandy hair.
Matasz, 11, rural, quiet, dim, dark brown hair.
Paweł/Pawlik, 6, rural, conforms.
[Ewcia, 16 or 17, sold to a brothel]
From Warszawa
Marianna,9
Józef, 8, a bit sly
Katarzyna, 14, likes to avoid trouble, becomes Floriana’s [Starska, née Bystrzanowska] maid
[Jan, 16, set habits of dishonesty, escapes to go freelance.]
Connected through investigation: Felicja Wąż, szlachcianka, see Fledglings of The Mews.
