Virtues
Strength 2
Cunning 5
Courage 2
Beauty 3
Wisdom 3
Prowess 0

Parentage
Father: Marquis Theodore Steele, House of the Elk (dominant)
Mother: Baroness Evelyn Burghe, House of the Bear
Birth Order
Sister
Me
Sister
Brother

Married to Alma Burghe

Contact: Travis Thorne

Aspects
I am Hateful
Invoke: To harm others
Tag: When I must be kind
Compel: To be cruel

Chance-Taker
Invoke: When taking a risky action with a high probability of failure
Tag: When I must take time to make decisions
Compel: Feels compelled to always take dangerous risks

Description:
Medium height and build. Short brown hair, clean-shaven. Dresses simply, mostly with earth tones and/or season-appropriate colors. Commonly in traditional Scottish garb, including kilts and a wide collection of sgian dubh. Also known to dress even simpler, frequently in overcoats and decorative riding boots.

Background:
Raised competitively in outdoorsmanship, hunting, strategy, and debate with the children of his father’s vassals.
Swore to Vrain as an alternative to his father in order to prove his independence and distance himself from some weak members of his family he felt were unnecessarily familiar with the strong members.
Met and rescued his wife, Alma, from a winter storm while trekking in Vrain’s legendary hunting grounds.

Three things:
Reputation as a great hunter
Generous to allies
Known to be capable of despicable things

Trivialities:
-Jasmine hosted in Vrain’s absence. She was not pleased by my gift.
-I juried a dispute between Niassa’s husband, Gregor, and Victor Steele over an indiscretion between Gregor and Delia, Victor’s fiancée and Niassa’s sister.
Fellow jurors: Krueger, Kether (intoxicated), Verdict: Duel to the Blood on the third day of the party.

Personal:
My wife, Alma, continues to surprise. Her organization, kind demeanor, and admirable preparation have become a force in my life. While I do not envision her warmth becoming one of my qualities, it may be vital in the growth of our home. I am confident her strength will serve both of us well while I am away with Donovan.
Alma and Donovan, two Blooded of the Bear to whom I am bound. The theatre of Ven deceit and illness has always aroused my enmity, but perhaps my stage will yet prove it is best shared.

Lord Vrain Adrente, Count of Sandrose

-Hates Travis

-Is wearing the black

-Morgana Mwrr’s mother was his mistress

-Niassa protects his lands with her Roadmen

-Has a great game reserve

-Niassa was betrothed to his son, Victor, but broke it off for a better match

-Niassa is one of the few who know why he’s wearing the black

-Nisassa’s apothecary leanred from his

-He’s wearing the black to cover something Nisssa did.

Facts about Paevra K’mar (The Sea of Cutting Hatred)

-The lands are cursed

-Excellent road system

-Plagued by pirates at sea

-Caravans travel overland with ease

-Vrain helped settle the area

-Lot of Ruins

Spring Gala at The Verdant Palace

Jasmine Steele is throwing the annual spring gala even though her husband is ostracized because her son, Victor Steele, is announcing his betrothal.  Victor was betrothed once before, to Niassa Yvarai, but that was broken off.  Turns out his new finacee is one of Niassa’s many sisters, Delia, though his mother doesn’t think it’s a good match.  She would prefer he got together with Niassa, which is complicated by Niassa’s marriage to Gregor.

The night began with the presentation of gifts of Lady Jasmine.  Notably, Travis and Niassa’s gifts impressed while Ambrose and Morgana earned nothing but scorn.  Travis’s gift of a gorgeous red dress drew a coy smile from the Lady.  Morgana, embarrassed because of her Lady’s displeasure apologized profusely.  Lady Jasmine told her that she could make it up to her by helping get Niassa and Victor back together by breaking up Niassa’s marriage.  Morgana quickly began plotting.

After gifts were presented everyone retired to the banquet hall and proceeded to mingle.  A small scandal broke out when Travis inadvertantly ripped a large gash in Jasmine’s dress as he pulled out her seat.  As the Lady retired to change outfits, her son Victor was obviously insulted by Travis’s action.  A quick Game of Insults later left Victor with the reputation of being negligent with his father’s lands, as he was the steward.  Several of Victor’s cronies, including Goodren Steele came to ease him back from doing something rash afterward.

Many facts were declared during these exchanges:

Lord Victor Steele, Baron of Drummond

-Widely known to have beauty as a weakness

-Mama’s Boy

-Duels at the slightest insult

-Taking care of his father’s estate

-Hates Travis for the same reason as his father

-Holds no anger towards Niassa…

-…Though he was greatly hurt by the ending of their betrothal

-Expert swordsman

-Loyal followers

-Planning to marry one of Niassa’s sisters

Lady Delia Yvarai, Baroness of Valtross

-Younger sister to Niassa

-betrothed to Victor Steele

-Better match for Victor than Niassa

-Lady Jasmine is displeased with this match

-Lord Vrain was pleased with the match

-Thinks Victor overreacts to most insults

While the guests await the return of their hostess to eat, foxwine is brought out and mingling begins in earnest.  Ambrose gets to know Stacia Silja and learns she is in need of both support and vassals since her husband has passed. He has promised to help.  Morgana begins her search for a way to split up Niassa and Gregor by talking to Lady Peacock, the court’s most famous gossip who is also already drunk. Morgana learns that Gregor, Niassa’s husband, is already looking for a way out of the marriage and is just looking for an excuse.  It’s also rumored that he has been seen flirting heavily  with all of Niassa’s sisters. Word of Lady Peacock’s loose lips finds its way back to Niassa when she starts chattering with all her sisters.

Niassa also spends time speaking with Lady Azra Ru, whom Niassa allows to borrow her apothecary for two season in exchange for his being trained and a cask of wine. She also speaks at length, uncomfortably, with Count Vyzir Mwrr whom she gives he son Ivan as an apprentice in exchange for aid in discovering the potential of one of her artifacts.

Lady Jasmine eventually comes back out, attired in the dress that Travis gave her as a gift. She publicly scolds Victor for his temper over the accident.

After dinner the annual Chase for The Rose and The Thorn began.  The Rose is an expertly crafted silver rose encrusted in jewels and its always hidden somewhere in the flower-strewn lands of The Verdant Palace. Whoever finds it becomes The Verdant Lord (or Lady), an Aspect that aids in beginning romances. That person also becomes the “belle of the ball” so to speak, only second in importance to the hostess herself.  The Thorn is a black iron rose covered in thorns. Whoever find it may give it to anyone they choose.  Once given, the bearer becomes shunned for the season as bad luck tends to follow them around.

Ambrose quickly finds The Rose which he gives to Stacia, who was desperately looking for it.  Jasmine sees him hand it off to her and is a bit upset he did so secretly.  Niassa finds The Thorn.  Morgana disovers a journal while looking around.  Soon after discovering it, she and a multitude of other stumble upon Gregor and Delia locked in a passionate kiss in a secluded corner of the garden.  Niassa  gives Gregor The Thorn while Victor goes straight to the jury to ask for a duel.

The jury consists of a completely drunk Count Kether, Ambrose, and the always eccentric Lord Krueger. After a brief discussion they decided that it shall be a duel to the blood. The duel is then scheduled for the final day of the party.  Travis is chosen as Victor’s second, something his mother insisted.  Tabitha, Travis’s wife, is chosen as Gregor’s second as she was late in arriving and Gregor asked her before she knew he had The Thorn.

As the guests all retired to their beds that night, Morgana stumbled across a body in a corridor.

End of session.

Once again, it seems your arrival heralds an escalation in The Great Game. I’m not sure what prompted you to leave Alleria, but your presence at the parties is always… a welcome sight. You know how I feel about swimming alone with these sharks.

The entrance and mingling was frightfully dull this year, which was a welcome change from last year’s reception when our noble Count Vrein embarrassed me publicly upon our entrance. Do you remember?

The Countess was most impressed with ‘our’ gift of the dress. The other vassals, Ambrose and Morgana didn’t present anything worth noting. Niassa, however, presented a gift I can’t remember but the Countess was enthralled with it. The rest of the gift presentation was uneventful and droll, though Countess Jasmin did invite me to sit at her side on the main table.

There was a bit of an incident before dinner. I pulled her chair, as is custom, for her to sit and it caught on her dress, ripping it from her body. As the servants escorted her from the dais, her son Victor (do you remember him? He was betrothed to Lady Niassa before it was broken off for whatever reason) accused me of embarrassing his mother. I taught the dullard a lesson in insults, though, so no dishonor came to me.

The remainder of dinner passed without incident, though I did hear some interesting gossip about Lady Niassa’s sister and Lord Victor being intimately involved (more on this to come!). Lady Niassa is a barbed rose. Watch your step around that one.

After dinner, the annual rose ceremony commenced. I thought I was a major contender for the Red Rose, the ultimate symbol of romance at the spring party, but Lord Ambrose found it first (and under the chair that ruined Lady Jasmin’s dress, no less!) and gave it to the young Marquess Stacia.

I thought for sure Lady Niassa, who found The Thorn would give me that prize (do you remember the oaf that won The Thorn last year? Nobody spoke to that oaf for the rest of the party!), but during my hunt I spotted Lord Gregor, Lady Niassa’s husband intimately engaged with Lady Delia (Lady Niassa’s sister and Lord Victor’s betrothed!). After Lord Victor told Lord Gregor he was taking him to Jury over the matter, Lady Niassa gave him The Black Thorn. What an exciting first couple hours!

It was at this point that you showed up, dear. Lord Victor has chosen me as his second, and Lord Gregor, shunned pariah of the party asked the only person at the party who did not yet know of his shame: you.

Your Devoted Husband,
Travis

Core Players refer to the group that makes the vast majority of games.  Cameo Players refer to those who only make the occasional game.

Given the nature of the game, I’m also laying down some requirements and encouragements of how we’ll be playing.  Here’s the list.

1. Read the book. Part of the fun of the game is emulating Ven culture and to do that you’ve got to know the basics.  Since the game allows you to basically define culture and rules as you like, it helps if we all start on the same page. Plus the PDF is only five bucks and is awesome in so many ways.

2. Maturity.  I think we’re all aware of just how goofy things get when we get going (ERIC NO!).  This game gives you enough narrative control to really make the game a goof-fest.  While that’s all well and good, I’d like to tone of this to be relatively serious.  As such, using wagers or Style to do things like making tons of people gay or graphically dictating the arousal state of others is going to be considered Bad Form.  Really, this falls under the “Don’t Be A Wanker” rule in the book, but I thought I’d be explicit.

3. We’ll be using the full rules from the book so you’re going to need to manage your Domain.  We’ll be handling most of that via email, I imagine.  Cameo Players will not be expected to maintain their Domains, but may certainly do so if they wish.  Each player must keep an Action Log that documents how each Season Action was spent.

4. Character Backgrounds are required by the third game a player attends.  Backgrounds should be a few paragraphs long, at most.  Remember to just hit the high points and leave a lot of room to be filled in during play.  Both you and other players are going to be able to dictate facts about your character, so keep that in mind. These will be posted on the blog.

5. Every character will need to have their Three Things done at character creation so they can share with everyone. These will also be posted on the blog.

6. Core Players are required to submit an in-character post to this blog at least once between each game session. This should take the form of a letter, diary entry, poem, song, or anything else that the group would deem cool.  The post should at least make reference to the events of the most recent session.  Additional posts are also encouraged to let the player explore their characters lives not covered during gaming sessions, like exploring their Domain and the like.  Proper maintenance of the blog earns Style. Really impressive use of the blog may earn greater rewards.

7. Additional player contributions are highly encouraged. Art, music, maps, etc. will all earn Style.

8. This is a Friendly Game.  That means all secrets and plotting is out in the open.  Remember, your character is there to be messed with. Revel in it.  All players know all other player’s compels at the start of the game.  Invokes and Tags must be learned through Cunning risks, as usual.

9.  Cameo Player Quick-Start.  If you’re jumping into your first game you don’t need to do full character creation if you don’t have time. We’ll likely have a few characters ready to be played.

10. NPCs.  Whenver you turn a vassal into an NPC, the GM will create the NPC.  The player may state the Three Things about the NPC for free.  Any additional details will cost Style.