Giovanna de Moreau

Giovanna was born in 1613 to Giovanni and Catherine Moreau, a physician and seamstress/midwife respectively, during what could be described as a 'troubling' labour to say the least. This was preceded by a stressful pregnancy that left Catherine with a severe case of postpartum depression that lasted right up until her death from 'Falling sickness', now known as epilepsy, 6 years later.

She spent the next part of her youth being raised by her father, brother and the neighbouring family until her brother's death in the Siege of Nègrepelisse, where the French army killed all the citizens to serve as the king's example against protestants. This was when her father realised the danger they were in and moved them to Paris and played the devoted Catholic.

Giovanna grew up in relative comfort the daughter of a doctor, at the time only the wealthy could afford a doctor but spent most her days following her father around in his 'workshop' to watch him make his tonics, poultices and cures. When she was old enough he took her with him to patients, claiming she was a midwife or assistant with the goal being to teach her everything he knew. Though the threat of them being found out and her being burned as a witch always hung over them. This was because she did things like cut open different parts of the anatomy to draw and label every part of them to get a better understanding of how they worked.

She grew up as part of a Protestant family at a time when that being such was in a minority and could lead to persecution, so in order to keep practicing medicine and using it to earn money, they pretended they were Catholic and went to the required services but precited Protestantism in secret with a bible that wasn't in Latin the they kept hidden under the floorboards.

Growing up she grew into her beauty and though being an educated woman could be seen as a bad thing in some circles she was an only child and whoever married her was set to inherit her father's practice, such as it was in the 17th century and money, her father received a number of marriage requests from businessmen or some landed gentry on behalf of their 5th son to ensure all their children got something. Al of which she begged her father to refuse.


She was 'recruited' for an unofficial physician role and somewhat of a spy role, having the practice in staying hidden as a woman physician. Arabian countries at the time were more understanding when it came to mental health which was very appealing to her, in fact the Cardinal got to her right on time when she was crossing the border. She was told in no uncertain terms that she was playing a dangerous game, and can be offered sanctuary in return for joining up. ''So either you work for me and do what I need you to do, or I have you burned as a witch.'' She's always been used to the threat of death hanging over her so she takes it in her stride, along with the benefit of being able to read medical material and to learn about the best ways to keep everyone alive would have been a step up for her anyway. Though now she was right under a Catholic clergyman, which brought it's own level of troubles.