Houses of the Blooded

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lindevi

Game Information

Created Jul 12 '12
Last Post Jul 31 '12 at 2:47am
Status Aborted
System Fate

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Thread: Houses of the Blooded

Game Description

ScenarioThe Greatest Games
Once every five years all the great Houses journey from their lands to the Greatest City in the World, Davfanna Aldrena, for an incredible contest of skill and show of sport. Old rivalries are forgetten, and peace rules the day as the greatest talents in athletics, tivalti, archery, artistry, trivia and prowess come together to determine which of their number is to be named the Greatest of Us All, Sa-Ven. The House to provide the largest number of champions becomes the First among Equals, and is considerered pre-eminent for the remainder of the Season. Its colors are flown in the Capital and its virtues are praised and celebrated in song and wine, and receives the favor of their Suaven.

That is the Face of it, anyway, but behind the Fan of Pomp and Ceremony exists a Great and Bloody battle for Supremacy. The judges are bribed and threatened, the contestants are sabotaged and blackmailed, and each House is expected to win its patron event on pain of death. Indeed, it is only in legend that a clear winner emerged from among the six families (each House will boast of the time that they were Triumphant), but the threat of such humiliation drives each family to the heights of perfidy.

The show of hovana, or truce, hospitality, and civility, is a nominal veil over what is tantamount to war among the families in the Capital during the Games. The laws are held in even higher esteem, and those who openly break them are given up to an even worse fate--the Suaven themselves, patrons of the Games--and each House tries to expose the other even as they break the laws themselves.

SettingAmbition. Lust. Revenge. You can’t have one without the others.

Set in John Wick's land of Shanri, Houses of the Blooded is a game of sword and sorcery, of love and betrayal, of momentary triumphs and of heart-wrenching tragedies. Emphasis is on the politics and intrigue of Ven nobles as they claw their way to ever-greater social status and power using every weapon, vassal, servant, and ritual at their disposal--and not least of all, each other.

If you like shows like Game of Thrones, books like the Kushiel trilogy, and the sweeping romance of sword and sorcery settings, you will enjoy this game.

Details of the six unveiled Houses, the Ven and their World; the rules for undertaking Risks and narrating Privilege; and all that are found in the Core Book for a paltry $5.

Playing the GameEpisodic Play
Each Story will unfold over the course of a month or so, focusing on a particular event or location or family. Players may bring new characters to each Story, or continue with their previous character--if they have survived. New Players may rotate in at this time and old players may bow out if real life demands. Narrators may also swap out in between Stories as their responsibilities allow or forbid.

House Rules
Adaptations from the tabletop to play-by-post medium can be found here.