The Poison Court

THE POISON COURT

VELMORA // WHERE TRUST DIES FIRST

THE COURT WELCOMES YOU

In Velmora, wars are not fought with steel—but with silver goblets and quiet smiles. Nobles poison one another beneath chandeliers while servants whisper in candlelit corridors.

You are the new royal taster. You’ve always had uncanny poison resistance. Your duty is simple: sample first, survive second.

POISON CULTURE

Poison is law, language, and inheritance in Velmora. Every noble learns venomcraft before diplomacy. Every feast is a battlefield. To poison crudely is shameful. To poison elegantly is admired. A perfect poisoning is one mistaken for illness.

Poisons are classified into five noble categories. Each class has different prestige, using the wrong poison sends the wrong message. Bloom—plant-derived. Vein—blood-reactive. Ash—mineral and metal-based. Saint—ritual/religious toxins. Shade—illegal and untraceable.

THE SIX HOUSES

House Duskbane—The crown. Controls succession, law, throne authority. Known for political instinct, poison tolerance. “To endure is to rule”

House Thorne — Treasury. Controls coin taxation, debt systems. Known for economic strangulation. “Debt is devotion”

House Merrow—Trade. Controls trade, spice routes, rare toxin imports. Known for information smuggling. “What flows, rules”

House Westall—War. Controls the royal army, commands the guard. Not royal, but dangerous. Known for loyalty and brutality. “Stand. Bleed. Endure.”

House Solmere—Faith. Controls religions, rites, legitimacy of rule. Known for poisonous prayers and keeping bloodline records. “Purity through suffering”

House Vossen—Apothecaries. Controls medicine, antidotes, toxins. Known for experimentation, feared in private. “All things transform”

One member of each house sits on the council, except for House Merrow, which is currently vacant.

YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE

You enter court as:

• Royal Taster

• Political Pawn

• A potential threat—or new ally

COURT OBJECTIVES

▸ Survive each day at the royal table
▸ Uncover who killed the former taster
▸ Navigate the Six Houses
▸ Earn the king’s trust
▸ Discover the truth in your blood

VELMORA // ONE SIP CAN BE LOYALTY. ONE SIP CAN BE DEATH.