TEXT: 
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  The 6 Ineffable
  Lessons
  of the Hidden Moon
  Unforunately, we do not today have 
  a complete transcript of the seminal 
  ven opera The Six Ineffable Lessons of 
  the Hidden Moon.  What we do have 
  is a number of manuscript fragments, 
  some of them overlapping, many of 
  them contradictory.  Other works quote 
  from Six Lessons or recount one of the 
  many plot threads that run through the 
  work.  Putting these disparate sources 
  together, we have reconstructed most, 
  but not all, of the opera referred to by 
  its contemporaries as “the Apotheosis 
  of All Art.”
  This is what is certain: six nobles, one 
  from each unveiled House, come to 
  Davfanna Aldrena for the autumn ses-
  sion of the Senate.  Four are barons; 
  two are roadmen.  As such, they do not 
  possess their own castles in the capi-
  tol, and are assigned rooms at a quar-
  terhouse — the Hidden Moon House 
  of the title.  This provides the conceit 
  upon which the entire opera rests. 
  Each noble comes to the Hidden Moon 
  House with a desperate agenda, and 
  their web of interconnections serves to 
  entangle their agendas and spur those 
  agendas forward to their inevitable 
  conclusions.
  But what we do not have are those 
  conclusions.  We do not know how the 
  opera ends — outside, of course, the 
  assumption of terrible tragedy.  The 
  vast majority of the surviving frag-
  ments and extratextual references are 
  to the opera’s first movement.  While 
  the scheming, scandal, and blood of the 
  other movements are heavily foreshad-
  owed (and lauded in other works), the 
  specifics are lost to history.
  Tomorrow is the New Moon.
  Tonight, six nobles ride into the greatest city in the world.
  They seek vengeance, justice, patronage, and destiny.
  They seek the ransom or rescue of family.
  They seek to stir the dying ashes of love.
  But what you seek is not always what you find.
  They come to Davfanna Aldrena
   
   the city whose walls challenge the sky.
  They come to sit in the Senate,
   
  to gamble, to scheme, to plot.
  They come to the quarterhouse of the Hidden Moon,
   
  where they will find what they did not seek.
  Lessons.  Lessons.  Lessons.
  — from the Aria of Bajinoth Steele,
   
  Minoan-C Manuscript Fragment
  A Fragmented Opera
  and
  Scholarly Invitation
  Compiled by Josh Roby, Pacific Institute of Prehistory
  
  
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Of course, to academics, the ab-
  sence of recorded history is not 
  so much a liability as a challenge. 
  Many studied minds such as C. J. 
  Fredericksson, Jess Heinig, and 
  Jessica Kauspedas have written 
  extensively as to how Six Lessons 
  “must” have ended.  While the 
  insights and deductions found 
  in their papers are not unworthy 
  of our attention, they are still, at 
  best, conjecture.  Six Lessons sits 
  on the outer bound of our disci-
  pline, where the art and science 
  of research becomes something 
  more akin to a game.
  All this is why I chose to present 
  this edition of Six Lessons in the 
  style of the noted ven researcher 
  John Wick.  Mister Wick’s cre-
  dentials are, of course, beyond 
  reproach, even if his methods 
  may seem slightly out of the or-
  dinary.  By explicitly presenting 
  Six Lessons as a game, it is simul-
  taneously easier to highlight what 
  gaps exist in our research while at 
  the same time inviting the reader 
  — or, in this case, participant 
  — to better and more fully expe-
  rience the opera at its most basic, 
  visceral level.
  And so this is an invitation of sorts 
  — I have packaged up the presen-
  tation materials I created for my 
  seminar and am making them 
  available online for other profes-
  sors and their students.  It’s pos-
  sible, though highly unlikely, that 
  these materials might also fall into 
  the hands of ven enthusiasts out-
  side of academia, although I find 
  that highly unlikely.  But whatever 
  your credentials, I do hope you 
  enjoy playing your version of “the 
  Apotheosis of All Art.”
  Dramatis Personae
  a matter of conjecture.  However, 
  it is a significant stretch of the 
  imagintion to assume, as Freder-
  icksson argues, that this was an 
  intentional choice on the part of 
  the author and that the parts were 
  played by both men and women. 
  I must reject this conjecture; we 
  simply do not know which of 
  these characters were male and 
  which female.  I leave it to your 
  players to decide for your table.
  Of course, our understanding of 
  the opera’s antagonists is one of 
  scholarship’s greatest failings.  We 
  have only a handful of character 
  notes for each of these, which I 
  have transcribed as potential as-
  pects for each character.  
  Beyond this, we have no greater 
  insight — it is even uncertain if 
  any of these characters gave the 
  protagonists assistance or hin-
  drance, acting as helpers or ad-
  versaries for the six nobles of the 
  Hidden Moon quarterhouse.  
  Their strengths and weaknesses 
  — what Wick terms their virtues 
  — are an open question.  Again, I 
  leave these determinations up to 
  you as Narrator and to your play-
  ers’ Wisdom risks.  As you de-
  termine each antagonists’ virtues 
  and aspects, fill them in on the 
  blanks provided.
  A reader of any familiarity with 
  ven scholarship will quickly see 
  that the protagonists of Six Les-
  sons are all broadly-drawn ste-
  reotypes of each blooded house. 
  However, as Kauspedas has point-
  ed out, the stereotypes — or as she 
  calls them, archetypes — serve as 
  a springboard for more nuanced 
  characterization and portrayal of 
  House politics of the time period.
  For each protagonist, I have begun 
  with their ‘character announce-
  ment’ which, it is believed, the 
  actor would declare as they first 
  took the stage.  Thereafter I have 
  endeavored to translate the dra-
  matis personae of the opera into 
  the clever game mechanics of Mr. 
  Wick.  In the interests of full dis-
  closure, as I planned to use these 
  materials in my upper-division 
  seminar, the students of which 
  might not be familiar with Wick’s 
  work, I attempted to lay out the 
  characters’ mechanics in as clear 
  a format as possible.  My apolo-
  gies to any purists who might take 
  exception to my edits, which were 
  entirely of good intention.
  As C. J. Fredricksson points out, 
  thanks to the ambiguity in ven 
  pronouns, we do not even know 
  the genders of most of the princi-
  pals.  While Maura Burghe must 
  be female and Torr Adrente must 
  be male, the others’ identities are 
  
  2
  Strength
  3
  Cunning
  2
  Courage
  5
  Beauty
  3
  Wisdom
  0
  Prowess
  Style
  Abazai Yvarai
  Blooded of the Fox
  I am Abazai Yvarai; my name means "cherry blossoms fall."  Some may say that I 
  am a minor noble commanding a single barony, but that is a temporary state of 
  aﬀairs.  My brother, Baron Lonor Yvarai, has been kidnapped by Duke Vangalio 
  Mwrr.  I have come to Davfanna Aldrena to deliver the ransom.  My mother also 
  suggested that, if I could rescue my brother, I could just keep the ransom...
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  Call your Vassals
  “Why in the world would I carry a sword?”
  Eyes Wide Open
  Court Gossip
  My Reputation Precedes Me
  My schoolmate, Wyel Myrr, has knowledge I respect.
  My friend Gryndil Torne helped me through a rough time.
  Geef, my Valet (Valet-2) [Clever Decorum]
  Te Boys (Spy Network 2) [Underhanded Well-Financed]
  Te last time I crossed paths with Halia Torne, we had words.
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Add their rank to appropriate risks.  Invoke Aspects once per game.
  Abazai — “Cherry Blossoms Fall”
  6 foxwine
  4 marble (stone)
  4 herbs
  6 clothes of  rank-3 quality
  ...all of which are for the ransom
  1 of your own
  3 by proxy from your mother
  Technically, Lonor controls 2 votes...
  Devotions
  Talia Yvarai 1
  Manna Renay 1
  Shah Eshu 1
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  
  Blessings
  Te Vow (swear mutual promise; break promise, lose all style)
  Moving the Pawn (give a ven a free aspect of a speciﬁc task)
  No Secret is Safe from Me (see opponent’s wagers)
  Spend 1 Style to activate eﬀect.  Use once per Season.
  2
  Strength
  5
  Cunning
  2
  Courage
  0
  Beauty
  3
  Wisdom
  3
  Prowess
  Style
  Dosajee Steele
  Blooded of the Elk
  I am Dosajee Steele; my name means "in the Suaven I trust."  I am a roadman in 
  the service of my father, Count Haroon Steele.  I am also a devotee of the suaven 
  Shara Tayl, a minor suaven venerated by my family and few others.  I have 
  received a vision from Shara Tayl telling me to take on the black as a vashna, a 
  Roadman of the Senate.  In order to do that, however, I need the sponsorship of a 
  Duke.  But Shara has laid the way for me: Duchess Chayan Burghe is my aunt.
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  Revere your Relics
  “You Can Trust Me.”
  Reserved
  Seventh (Overlooked) Son of Seventh (Disregarded) Son
  Always Plan Ahead
  My ﬁrst lover was Maura Burghe.
  I haven’t see my aunt Chayan Burghe for some time.
  I fought side-by-side with my friend Torr Adrente
   
  in the Usurper War.
  Te Sword of Shara Tayl (Relic-3)
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Add their rank to appropriate risks.
  Dosajee — “in the Suaven I trust.”
  4 actions
  4 by proxy from my father, who ordered 
  me to abstain in all but the most 
  greivous aﬀairs
  Devotions
  Shara Tayl 3
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  
  0
  Strength
  2
  Cunning
  5
  Courage
  2
  Beauty
  3
  Wisdom
  3
  Prowess
  Style
  Gryndil Thorne
  Blooded of the Falcon
  I am Gryndil Torne; my name means "illuminating the darkness."  I 
  am a roadman with no liege, nominally serving the House of the 
  Falcon.  In my travels, I stumbled across a Secret Army raised by 
  Duchess Chayan Burghe.  I have evidence of the army's existence, 
  which could destroy the Duchess.  However, that evidence is sorcer-
  ous and illegal.  Not to mention, the Duchess is very powerful.  Do I 
  implicate her, blackmail her, sell her secrets?
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  “Technically, it’s not supposed to work like this...”
  Alive in the Open Air
  Te Roadman is Everyone’s Man
  Untrusting
  I escorted Torr Adrente through his father’s lands.
  My mother is Countess Isla Torne.
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Gryndil — “illuminating the darkness”
  1 action
  none
  Devotions
  Ashalim Avendi 2
  Te Sinjin 1
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Artifact
  Blessing
  Te Five-Sided Mirror (can see where any of its ﬂorets are left; 
   
  one overlooks the army)
  Te Cloak Deceiveous (masquerade as a faceless ﬁgure until
   
  dawn or until you lie)
  Spend an Injury of Blood to activate; carries DOOM.
  Spend 1 Style to activate eﬀect.  Use once per season.
  I convinced my friend Abazai Yvarai not to kill Lonor Yvarai.
  I convinced Lonor Yvarai not to kill my friend Abazai Yvarai.
  
  5
  Strength
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Courage
  3
  Beauty
  0
  Wisdom
  3
  Prowess
  Style
  Maura Burghe
  Blooded of the Bear
  I am Maura Burghe; my name means "the red widow."  I am pregnant with 
  Duke Vangalio Mwrr's child.  My husband, Baron Kyocera, is deep into the fall 
  to Solace.  He can't possibly have been the father, but he can certainly seek 
  Revenge if he ﬁnds out.  Vangalio has recognized his bastards before; perhaps 
  he will do so for me.  Of course, I am also Heartbroken from the aﬀair that he 
  broke oﬀ with no warning.  Can I refrain from killing him long enough to 
  obtain his protection for me and my child?
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  Call your Vassals
  “Do You Know Who My Father Is?”
  Not in Charge, Not my Fault.
  Impetuous
  Heartbroken: Duke Vangalio Mwrr
  I was Dosajee Steele’s ﬁrst lover.
  My friend Wyel Mwrr is our rather boring neighbor.
  Ganna (Maid-3) [Clever Saucy Incorrigible]
  My husband insisted I visit with the virtuous Torr Adrente.
  I had a Romance with Duke Vangalio Mwrr.
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Add their rank to appropriate risks.  Invoke Aspects once per game.
  Maura — “the red widow”
  3 wine
  2 spices
  3 pair rank-3 boots
  2 by proxy from my husband Kyocera
  Devotions
  Talia Yvarai 1
  Manna Renay 1
  Margh Bowen 1
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  
  3
  Strength
  0
  Cunning
  3
  Courage
  2
  Beauty
  2
  Wisdom
  5
  Prowess
  Style
  Torr Adrente
  Blooded of the Wolf
  I am Baron Torr Adrente; my name means "iron does not bend." I am 
  seeking revenge against the Baron Lonor Yvarai, who has done what 
  Foxes do and slept with my wife.  My liege, the Countess Isla, has given 
  me a sealed letter to be read to the Senate, giving her permission for the 
  Revenge.  Trough no fault of my own (of course), the seal has come 
  loose.  I can't present it to the Senate like this — they'll think I read it!
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  “I Hate the City.”
  Youth Spent in Swordsman School
  Honorable
  My Wife is My Soul
  I patrolled my father’s roads with Gryndil Torne.
  I carried my friend Dosajee Steele through the war.
  Maura Burghe is married to my uncle... unfortunately.
  My uncle Kyocera asked me to watch after his wife.
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Torr — “iron does not bend”
  2 metals
  1 lumber
  1 action
  1 of your own
  6 by proxy from your father
  2 by proxy from your brother
  Devotions
  Falven Dyr 1
  Ashalim Avendi 1
  Var Banin 1
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Artifact
  Bloodsword  (adds two dice to any swordplay)
  Carries DOOM.
  Call your Vassals
  Te Iron Garrison (Personal Guard-2) [Vigilant Loyal]
  Add their rank to appropriate risks.  Invoke Aspects once per game.
  
  2
  Strength
  3
  Cunning
  0
  Courage
  2
  Beauty
  5
  Wisdom
  3
  Prowess
  Style
  Wyel Myrr
  Blooded of the Serpent
  I am Wyel Mwrr; my name means "I pledge." A minor noble of a single barony, I found an 
  underground ruin in my lands.  I can't possibly explore it, and now that it's opened, orks 
  are pouring out.  I left my Master of the Road to delay the orks and have come to Davfanna 
  Aldrena for help — and I need signiﬁcant help, the help of a duke or duchess.  But who can 
  I trust enough to ask... and what promises can I extract from them by asking?
  Declare your Name
  Invoke your Aspects
  Trade
  Votes
  Exploit your Relationships
  “You’re mistaken.  I happen to know...”
  Does Not Suﬀer Fools
  Insistent
  Self-Suﬃcient
  My schoolmate, Abazai Yvarai, did not study very much.
  My neighbor and friend Maura Burghe is something of a slut.
  Tis makes her husband, Kyocera Adrente, a fool.
  Add 3 dice for one appropriate aspect.  First use is free; one style thereafter.
  You may also spend one style to tag your opponent’s aspect for two dice.
  If your name applies, add one die to your pool.
  Assert your Virtues
  Spend 1 Style for +2 dice to protect Contacts & Friends
  Gain +3 dice whenever you endanger your Friends
  Maura — “the red widow”
  3 herbs
  2 metals
  2 poisons
  1 action
  1 of your own
  Devotions
  Tyane Bran 2
  Wyel Valar 1
  Add the rank of one Virtue to your pool.
  You Can:
  Perform physical feats with Strength
  Find clues and lie with Cunning
  Face danger with Courage
  Persuade and create with Beauty
  Know things with Wisdom
  Fight and ﬁnd advantages with Prowess
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Rituals
  Blessing
  Te Eye (identify sorcery and artifacts)
  Te Oath (bind ven to common purpose)
  Te Curse (curse ven: always or never do one speciﬁc thing)
  Serpent’s Glare (use Wisdom to intimidate)
  Spent 1 Herbs and an Injury of Blood to activate eﬀect.
  Spend 1 Style to activate eﬀect.  Use once per season.
  
  Maura
  Burghe
  Trophy Wife
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  Dosajee
  Steele
  Devotee Roadman
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  Gryndil
  Thorne
  Wandering Roadman
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  Abazai
  Yvarai
  Ransoming Baron
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  Wyel
  Mwrr
  Sorcerer in Need
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  Torr
  Adrente
  Seeking Revenge
  Get Style Points by:
  1. Make Life Hard On Yourself
  2. Play Up Another PC or NPC
  3. Convert 2 wagers to 1 Style
  Spend Style Points to:
  1. Establish/veto simple facts
  2. Invoke your aspects (+3 dice)
  3. Tag others’ aspects (+2 dice)
  4. Compel others’ aspects
  5. Create scene aspects (2 style)
  6. At Narrator’s Offer
  DOOM!
  DOOM!
  
  Duke Vangalio Mwrr
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Solace-tall and lean
  Maura’s Ex-Lover • Lonor’s Kidnapper
  Collects wives — his own and others
  Carries no sword
  Style
  Notes
  Duchess Chayan Burghe
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Big, Bold, Beautiful
  Gryndil’s Culprit • Dosajee’s Aunt • Wyel’s Rival
  Ambitious
  Host of competent vassals
  Style
  Notes
  Countess Isla Thorne
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  A Political Falcon
  Gryndil’s Mother • Torr’s Liege
  Honest and Genuine Noble
  Wears her Travel Scars Proudly
  Style
  Notes:
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Style
  Notes
  
  Baron Lonor Yvarai
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Notorious Womanizer
  Abazai’s Brother • Torr’s Enemy
  Prat, Fool, Nitwit... at least, in public...
  Carries a Sword as Fashion Accessory
  Style
  Notes
  Halia Thorne
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Rough and Tumble
  Wyel’s Master of the Road
  Grey Eyes, Red Hair
  Wears a Yellow Scarf
  Style
  Notes
  Bajinoth Steele
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Solace-Silver Hair
  Duke Vangalio’s Advisor
  Known Sorcerer
  Wide, Staring Eyes
  Style
  Notes
  Baron Kyocera Adrente
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  0
  Trailing Altrua (Solace)
  Maura’s Husband • Dosajee’s Rival • Torr’s Uncle
  Hoarse, Whispery Voice (Solace)
  High Priest of Talten Steele
  Style
  Notes
  
  
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Developments
  Maura Burghe
  Impetuous
  Heartbroken:Vangalio
  Maura’s husband, who she osten-
  sibly left back at home, is in fact in 
  the capitol.  By this point, Maura’s 
  pregnancy is beginning to show. 
  If he sees her, there will be hell to 
  pay.
  Alternately, Halia Thorne appears 
  in Davfanna Aldrena and asks 
  Maura to introduce her to Chayan 
  Burghe.  Most irregular...
  �
  �
  As noted above, while the first 
  movement of the opera is the 
  most 
  established, 
  researchers 
  have unearthed fragments of the 
  later movements.  Additionally, 
  later sources have made oblique 
  references to plot developments 
  from which we can deduce the 
  most basic outlines.  However, 
  not all of these accounts are con-
  sistent with each other, leaving us 
  with multiple possibilities as to 
  what occurs in the middle of the 
  opera.  However, I would be re-
  miss in my scholarship if I did not 
  included these fragments.
  First, I have listed the character 
  notes for each protagonist that 
  seems to have been their stum-
  bling blocks or their downfalls.  In 
  Mr. Wick’s terminology, these are 
  their aspects’ compels.  I found it 
  useful to have them in all in one 
  place.
  I have also included potential 
  plot threads culled from vari-
  ous sources as suggestions to the 
  Narrator.  It is quite possible that 
  your players will take the rope 
  they have already been given 
  and hang themselves quite hand-
  ily; however, if they require some 
  prompting in how tragic ven op-
  era should be, these suggestions 
  may be employed.  No single sug-
  gestion below relies on any other 
  suggestion being used, but some 
  suggestions will amplify each oth-
  er’s effects.  Please do not, as the 
  Narrator, feel obliged to include 
  every single suggestion (or any). 
  These are merely here for your 
  convenience and as history’s faint 
  echoes, barely audible to the aca-
  demics of today.
  Abazai Yvarai
  Why Would I Carry a Sword
  My Reputation Precedes Me
  Bajinoth Steele, Duke Vangalio’s 
  seneschal, approaches Abazai and 
  suggests that if Lonor was to die, 
  Abazai could keep the ransom 
  and claim the brother’s lands.  It 
  just has to look like an accident, 
  and not the fault of the Duke...
  �
  �
  Dosajee Steele
  Seventh (Overlooked) Son
  Reserved
  A high priest of Talten Steele (in 
  some sources, Baron Kyocera Ad-
  rente), crosses paths with Dosajee 
  and immediately falls into a stu-
  por.  He makes quite a scene, 
  screaming that “that ven” cannot 
  be allowed into the Senate hall 
  or else dire portents will befall all 
  ven everywhere.
  Alternately, Chayan asks Dosajee 
  to get his hands on a particularly 
  troubling mirror at his quarter-
  house.
  �
  �
  Gryndil Thorne
  Roadman is Everyone’s Man
  Untrusting
  Gryndil’s mother, Countess Isla 
  Thorne, approaches the roadman 
  with a request:  keep the Duchess 
  Chayan’s secret, for the good of all 
  ven civilization.  No, she doesn’t 
  say why — just trust Mother.
  �
  �
  Torr Adrente
  Honorable
  My Wife is My Soul
  The letter is read before it reaches 
  the Senate, and the reader finds 
  that Countess Isla calls Torr a 
  fool and a child and withholds 
  her permission.  Now Torr has a 
  choice:  (a) call off the revenge, (b) 
  be embarrassed before the whole 
  Senate, or (c) forge a new letter...
  Alternately, Bajinoth Steele may 
  approach Torr if Abazai flinches 
  at his proposal.  Or he may con-
  tact them both.
  �
  �
  Wyel Mwrr
  Does Not Suffer Fools
  Insistent
  Self-Sufficient
  Halia Thorne, Wyel’s Master of 
  the Road who found the under-
  ground ruin, appears in Davfanna 
  Aldrena, against orders.  She has 
  abandoned Wyel’s service in all 
  but name and plans to sell the 
  ruin’s location to the Duchess 
  Chayan Burghe.  She asks Maura, 
  the only other Bear she knows, to 
  make introductions.
  �
  �
  �
  
  3
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  The First, Second, and Third Movements
  reputation.  Whether or not your 
  game gets to the Senate should 
  not concern you, however: merely 
  the reminder that the sun will rise 
  and the Senate will meet should 
  spur the protagonists forward.
  As mentioned above, there very 
  well may be additional move-
  ments, minor and major, of which 
  we no longer have record.  Olivia 
  Kauspedas is very correct that 
  it would be in keeping with ven 
  opera’s conventions that the story 
  found its conclusion at the Hid-
  den Moon quarterhouse where 
  all the plots began.  However, 
  absolutely no record of any such 
  movement has been found, and 
  no mention of such a movement 
  occurs in lasting documentation. 
  As with the Senate movement, 
  was this the break with conven-
  tion that set Six Lessons apart, or 
  is our vision backwards over such 
  stretches of time simply too weak 
  and faint to see what was? 
  The first movement ends when a 
  herald from the castle of Chayan 
  Burghe arrives at the Hidden 
  Moon quarterhouse, announc-
  ing a gala party that the Duchess 
  is throwing that night for Duke 
  Vangalio Mwrr, to commemorate 
  his newly-written opera.  Not all 
  of the protagonists may choose 
  to attend, and there is some evi-
  dence that four or fewer go to the 
  party.  Nevertheless, you need 
  not fear whether your players 
  all head to the party or split up, 
  with some pursuing darker deeds 
  while nearly every ven in the city 
  is distracted.  Neither possibility 
  should pose any great difficulty.
  The third movement is the least 
  supported by surviving docu-
  mentation; this is the opening 
  Senate session the next day.  It is 
  uncommon for operas to portray 
  actual Senate proceedings; a half-
  century previous, it was consid-
  ered scandalous to show the sa-
  cred Senate on the profane stage. 
  However, at the time of the op-
  era’s writing, these attitudes were 
  changing, and it may have been 
  that the unblinking consideration 
  of the Senate as a venue for drama 
  was what won the opera its lasting 
  While there is hardly any consen-
  sus, more than one source sug-
  gests that Six Lessons had three 
  major movements.  This is some-
  what short for an opera, especially 
  an opera as highly praised as this 
  one.  It is possible that there were 
  also minor movements between 
  the three major movements, or 
  that there were four or even five 
  major movements.  By no means 
  should the Narrator feel con-
  strained to the three movements 
  outlined below; there is absolute-
  ly no historical certainty that the 
  opera proceeded in exactly this 
  fashion.
  The first and most certain move-
  ment takes place at the Hidden 
  Moon quarterhouse as the six no-
  bles arrive in Davfanna Aldrena. 
  The order that the nobles arrive 
  in is given differently in differ-
  ent sources; I suggest the Narra-
  tor ask the players who arrives in 
  what order and play it by ear from 
  there.  While at the quarterhouse, 
  the protagonists’ network of pre-
  vious relationships allow them to 
  portray their agendas and begin 
  to seek out alliances for the some-
  times dirty work they plan on do-
  ing in the city.
  
  4
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Of Quarterhouses and Proxies
  (and the Dukes’ staffs) monitored 
  each other to prevent too many 
  members of a single House from 
  staying in the same quarterhouse. 
  The stereotypical if not usual re-
  sult was that each castle would 
  host one noble of each house.
  Of minor but amusing linguistic 
  concern is the term itself, which 
  I have rendered as “quarterhous-
  es” to preserve its double mean-
  ing.  The nobles who stayed in the 
  quarterhouses maintained that 
  the name was derived from the 
  fact that they were only used four 
  times annually, once per quarter. 
  However, the upper nobility had 
  a less complimentary etymology: 
  the Senate’s manors and castles 
  were where the barons were quar-
  tered, as if they were common 
  soldiers.
  This disdain for the lower nobil-
  ity was one of many reasons for 
  the system of votes-by-proxy that 
  came into vogue around the same 
  time.  Many nobles found reasons 
  not to attend Senate: matters to 
  deal with at home, studies and 
  gambits that required attention, 
  avoiding the perceived shame of 
  staying in a quarterhouse, or sim-
  ple disinterest in Senate politics. 
  These nobles would bestow their 
  votes onto others, handing over 
  carefully-worded letters that em-
  powered the bearer to vote in the 
  noble’s name.  Barons often sent 
  their single votes off to the Senate, 
  and occasionally a lowly baron or 
  even a roadman would arrive in 
  the city bearing the votes of ten 
  nobles.
  More rarely, greater nobles would 
  bestow their wealth of votes on 
  their vassals.  This did allow estab-
  Six Lessons takes place during 
  a curious time of ven politics, 
  when quarterhouses and proxies 
  dominated the Senate landscape. 
  Because not every player will be 
  acquainted with these oddities 
  of history, I will present them, in 
  brief, here.
  Approximately thirty years prior, 
  in the wake of an alleged conspir-
  acy hatched by the Blooded of the 
  Elk, the Senate voted to prevent 
  the Earls from hosting the lower 
  nobility of their own House.  This 
  had been the way of things for all 
  of living memory: each blooded 
  House would see to its mem-
  bers’ needs, often resulting in the 
  members of each House social-
  izing exclusively with their own. 
  Such a gathering the day before 
  the Senate allowed the Earls con-
  siderable influence over the votes 
  of the barons and counts of their 
  House.  Evidently, the possibility 
  of the Elks acting as one coordi-
  nated political body was danger-
  ous enough for the other houses 
  to abdicate their ability to do the 
  same.
  However, this created a prob-
  lem.  Few counts and no barons 
  maintained castles within Dav-
  fanna Aldrena, and in order for 
  the Senate to function, all of these 
  nobles required housing in the 
  city.  The Senate bestowed the 
  Dukes’ Council with steward-
  ship over any unclaimed property 
  within the city and charged it with 
  finding space for the lower nobil-
  ity.  Thus began the phenomenon 
  of the quarterhouse.  The Senate 
  maintained a number of manor 
  houses and castles within the city 
  and assigned incoming nobles 
  rooms within them.  The Dukes 
  lished nobles to spend more time 
  managing their lands, and was of-
  ten used as a means of introduc-
  ing young nobles to politics in a 
  moderately controlled fashion.  A 
  Marquis’ son, newly claiming sta-
  tus as a Baron, might normally be 
  ignored in the Senate, but not if he 
  wielded his father’s votes as well 
  as his own — at least for this ses-
  sion.  Votes-by-proxy also allowed 
  Senators an increased flexibility 
  to trade votes as political favors, 
  and it was not uncommon for one 
  Senator’s votes to be split on both 
  sides of an issue — because half of 
  his votes had been bought by one 
  side and the second half bought 
  by the other.
  Sadly, these curious artifacts of 
  history were short-lived.  The Fox-
  Wolf alliance twenty years later 
  saw the quarterhouses skewed 
  out of their original purpose and 
  the votes-by-proxy abused to a 
  horrific extent.  The Senate quick-
  ly struck down these practices 
  before another strategic alliance 
  could amass even more power 
  and elect a new emperor.
  
  5
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  Fewer than Six Players
  My “Mysteries of Shanri” semi-
  nar is attended by five dedicated 
  students and one whose idea of 
  academic rigor is buying, but not 
  necessarily reading, the assigned 
  texts, and whose attendance is 
  spotty at best.  I mention this only 
  to illustrate that, when you sit 
  down to play through your ver-
  sion of Six Lessons, you may come 
  up short on players.  Therefore, 
  you may need to remove some of 
  the protagonists from play.
  There is actually historical basis 
  for doing this.  For instance, some 
  records of Six Lessons maintain 
  that Chayan Burghe and Vangalio 
  Mwrr constitute lessons of their 
  own, and make no mention of 
  Wyel Mwrr or Maura Burghe.
  I recommend the following sets 
  of protagonists according to the 
  availability of players.  It is quite 
  possible that other combinations 
  are just as viable; I leave this as an 
  exercise for the reader.
  Six Players: Use all six pro-
  tagonists.
  Five Players: Use Wyel 
  Mwrr as an NPC; drop Halia 
  Thorne entirely.
  Four Players: Use Maura 
  Burghe as an NPC; drop Dosajee 
  Steele and Halia Thorne.
  Three Players #1: Feature 
  as PCs Abazai Yvarai, Gryndil 
  Thorne, and Torr Adrente; use 
  Maura and Wyel as NPCs.  Drop 
  Dosajee, Halia, and Kyocera en-
  tirely.
  Three Players #2: Feature 
  as PCs Maura Burghe, Dosajee 
  Steele, and Torr Adrente; drop 
  Wyel, Abazai, Gryndil, Isla, and 
  Halia.
  Two Players #1: Feature 
  Abazai Yvarai and Torr Adrente 
  as PCs.  Use as NPCs Maura and 
  Wyel.  Drop Dosajee, Gryndil, 
  Isla, and Halia.
  Two Players #2: Feature 
  as PCs Maura Burghe and Torr 
  Adrente; use as NPCs Abazai and 
  Dosajee.  Drop Wyel, Chayan, 
  Halia, Isla, and Gryndil.
  Two Players #3: Feature 
  Gryndil Thorne and Dosajee 
  Steele as PCs.  Use Abazai, Torr, 
  and Maura as NPCs.  Make Chay-
  an and Vangalio married.
  
  6
  Six Lessons
  http://housesoftheblooded.com
  About Professor Roby
  It isn’t really research, per se, but 
  I’ve been known to dabble in writ-
  ing fiction as well.  The same sorts 
  of things that I enjoy in the stories 
  of the ven I often find dominat-
  ing my writing.  Swordplay, ro-
  mance, sorcery, intrigue: these are 
  my mainstays, and chances are if 
  you’re reading this, you share my 
  fancy for the idiom.
  If you’ve found any enoyment in 
  Six Lessons, do me a favor and 
  visit my website rooksbridge.com, 
  (you can just click on the URL) 
  where you’ll find some fiction I 
  think you’ll enjoy.  The Rooks-
  bridge stories are available as PDF 
  downloads, as mp3 audiobooks, 
  and as print books.  What’s more, 
  the first story, Dirty Work, is free 
  for the taking.
  I’ve also written some roleplay-
  ing games, but they’re about as 
  far from the ven as you’re likely 
  to get: steam-powered spaceships 
  and moose-riding freedom fight-
  ers.  In any case, they’re available 
  at kallistipress.com.
  If you hold your own Six Lessons 
  seminar, I’d love to hearabout it. I 
  blog at kallistipress.com, and can 
  be reach via email through the ad-
  dress profroby at kallistipress dot 
  com.
  Thanks for reading me drone 
  about myself, and I hope you en-
  joy Six Lessons!
  — Josh Roby
  Pacific Institute of Prehistory
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Houses of the Blooded/Houses of the Blooded The 6 Ineffable Lessons of the Hidden Moon.pdf