Note: I only have five Passions listed below. I’m looking for the sixth. And the write-ups aren’t done yet. Still working on good, hard examples. The book will include a Virtue+Passion example for each combination.
____
The ven are moved by passion. The burning of desire is a welcome pain. This is the engine, the energy that feeds their hearts.
Your character has Passions. Without them, she will find risk difficult to take. Or, just more difficult. But each ven’s heart is different: different desires, different Passions. You must ask yourself: what does my character want most?
Listed below are the six Passions that drive the ven. You may pick five. The last does not inspire you. Whenever you take a risk, you may add a number of dice to your pool equal to your Passion.
Like Virtues, you may choose one Passion at rank 4, two at rank 3, two at rank 2 and the last you gain no ranks at all.
Of course, the ven are fickle things and their hearts change over time. Each Year, you may change your Passions as you see fit.
Ambition
The only way to secure your borders is by eliminating the random elements around them. Expanding your lands means expanding your power means expanding your control. The more control you have, the less danger and trouble you need to worry about. The more lands you have, the more power you control.
Wealth is power. Power is control. Control is security. Security is freedom.
Ambition leads to all these. Whenever you seek to extend your reach (even if it extends your grasp), you may add a number of dice to your poolequal to your Ambition .
Duty
In Virtues , the author defines “duty” as “what we know we must do, however we choose.” He aruged that all ven have a sense of morality–they just chose to ignore it. But if they listened to that voice, if they chose the right thing rather than the easy thing–their lives would be made easier.
Duty is that little voice–the voice urging you to do the right thing. To show mercy to a fallen foe, to show charity to those without enough, protecting those who cannot protect themselves, giving sympathy to those in pain… this is “duty.” Knowing what must be done.
When you invoke Duty, you invoke the Motivation of ethics. The right choice. The moral choice. In other words, chosing against every single nerve in your ven body.
Knowledge
There’s a reason the old cliches stick around. They’re true. Especially this one.
Knowledge of the world around you. Knowledge of your enemies. Knowledge of your allies. For the ven, knowledge is not only power, it is commerce, and all these things fill your purse.
When you invoke Knowledge, you seek to further your understanding of the world… and all the benefits that come with it.
Revenge
To the ven, revenge is holy. Sacred. Those who seek revenge do so with the deepest convictions, the most serious intentions. Do not think you can invoke this Motivation lightly.
If you invoke Revenge, you do so with the sole purpose of cleansing a stain on your honor. Any other reason is sacrilege.
Romance
Like revenge, the art of romance is a deeply spiritual and personal matter. Only invoke this Motivation when you seek to persue the forbidden art.
