from the publisher website Ambition. Lust. Revenge. You cannot have one without the others. Thousands of years ago, the ven ruled the world. They were a passionate people, obsessed with Romance and Revenge, opera and theater, and all the forbidden delights their decadent culture provided. In the end, that which made them beautiful was also the key to their own destruction. Houses of the Blooded is a game about tragic obsession. Set in the fantastic world of ven myth and legend, players take the roles of powerful characters bent on conquering their world, destroying their enemies and possessing all they desire. A game of romance. A game of revenge. A game of invisible wars and sorcerous blood. A game with no victors. Only casualties. This is Houses of the Blooded: a roleplaying game in a violent world ruled by a magical race who call themselves “the ven.” The ven see all the world as an enemy and the inhabit­ants of the world as either weapons or tools. Their culture is highly ritualistic and obsessed with duality. Six noble Houses play an elaborate, invis­ible game of deception and betrayal. Forbidden by law from declaring open war, their secret wars allow for more subtle weapons: seduction, espionage and assassination. With this game, you and your friends can tell stories of nobles engaged in these covert conflicts. You tell stories of adventure, exploration, romance, intrigue, loyalty and betrayal. All you need is this book, a handful of dice, some pencils and some friends. Get those together and we’ll get started.