In our own language, “party” is a little word. Perhaps a better word could be “event.” “Occurrence.” “Occasion.” But “party” somehow seems too small. The ven word, “althua” has two meanings. One is what we’re talking about. Gathering, get-together, festivity. But the word has another meaning.
Althua. Where romance begins and revenge ends.
Every Season, ven throw parties. They throw small, private parties and huge raucous, indulgent soirees. Food, drink, sex, dancing, flirting, singing, sex, hunting, duels, bloodshed, sex, and revenge.
Throwing parties is a huge affair for the ven. Most last at least a week, sometimes stretching even longer. The greatest parties were said to last an entire Season, although we may have to attribute those to the ven habit of extravagant exaggeration.
As a Story, your character can throw an althua. There are a few benefits to do so and a few benefits for others to attend.
Throwing a Party
First, we have to determine the rank of your Party. Party rank, of course, is the degree of size, sophistication and style you can summon for your guests.
You may only throw a Party equal to the rank of your Castle’s Staff. Rank 1 Staff, rank 1 Party. Rank 2 Staff, rank 2 Party. You get the idea. The maximum size for a party is rank 3 unless you take the steps to turn your Staff into an NPC. Then, and only then, can you throw a rank 4 Party.
You can only throw a rank 5 Party if your Beauty is rank 4 or higher and you’ve graduated your Staff beyond Vassals into NPCs.
Trade
First and foremost, going to a Party allows you to trade freely with anyone at the Party. Usually, shipping Resources costs Season actions. If you’re at a Party, you can trade freely a number of Resources with other ven equal to the rank of the Party. That is, you can swap up to five Resources with other ven, depending on the Party’s rank. Rank 1 Party, one Resource. Rank 3 Party, 3 Resources.
Romance
Parties are great places to begin Romances. So great, in fact, you get a huge bonus for doing so.
When you begin a Romance at a Party, add the Party’s rank to the Romance’s potential. For example, if you begin a rank 3 Romance with another ven at a rank 3 Party, add three to the Romance, making it a rank 6 Romance.
You can read more about Romance in its appropriate chapter.
Duels and Revenge
While most ven have to wait for the Senate to declare Revenge or sanction duels, ven law allows for such activities at “any significant gathering of nobles.” Yes, that means Parties.
If at least six nobles are gathered in one place, one for each House, they may make an ad hoc Senate, providing the jury for any duels or declarations of Revenge.
Events
A host must entertain his guests, so every Party needs Events.
An Event is a significant happening at the Party. A hunt, an opera, a play, games of chance, debuts of great works of Art. You may have a number of Events at your Party equal to the rank of the Party.
Listed below are the most common Events at Parties and the benefit for your ven if she should choose to attend. All Events have a Prerequisite: something you need in your Castle before you can schedule such an Event.
Art Show
Prerequisite: Art Gallery (Holding)
Revealing new Art at Parties is a huge affair. It gives the artist an opportunity to show his Art for the first time for a huge audience, giving him the opportunity for a massive amount of style. For each point of style another ven pays you for your Art’s aspect, you gain a number of style points equal to the rank of the Party. See Create Art above for more info.
The Hunt
Prerequisite: Master of the Hunt (Vassal)
Going out on Hunts is a popular pastime for the ven. Of course, nobles don’t go out on their own: they bring Personal Guard with them just in case the party does run into orks. While on the Hunt, and for the rest of the Party, any ven gain the aspect “Hunter.” See Aspects for more info. Any ven can spend a style point to keep the aspect for a number of Seasons equal to the Party’s rank.
Hunter (aspect)
Invoke: gain three dice when tracking an enemy or bringing down an enemy you’ve tracked.
Tag: no tag
Compel: no compel
The Opera
Prerequisite: Opera House (Holding)
The great and grand most sacred and holy Art. Holding an Opera at your Castle is the pinnacle of all Events. Of course, you need someone to write an Opera, and then you need an Opera House to put on the Event. But all that is more than worth it.
Like Art (above), Operas give those who see them aspects and give the composer style points. For each point of style another ven pays you for your Opera’s aspect, you gain a number of style points equal to the rank of the Party. See Compose Opera above for more info.
The Play
Prerequisite: Theater (Holding)
The passionate and dangerous play of summoning the spirits into the bodies of the actors is always an alluring risk for the ven. Both the actors and the audience.
When ven watch Plays, they may take on the Roles portrayed by spending a style point. For each point of style another ven pays you for your Play’s Role, you gain a number of style points equal to the rank of the Party. See Write Play above for more info.
The Wager
Prerequisite: Parlor (Holding)
Like most other things, the ven don’t gamble, they Gamble. Make Wagers. A Wager is a bet between two or more ven on a (seemingly) random outcome. Wagers made between ven are only legally binding if made under the shadow of at least three ven from different Houses. At least one of the three must be from a House uninvolved in the Wager. Winning such a Wager not only gets you what you bet against the other ven, but also a number of style points equal to the rank of the Party.
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PS: I’m not entirely happy with the bonus from Opera. It should be… it should be…
It should be Freddy Mercury meets Jim Steinman meets Wagner is what it should be. It isn’t that yet.