The gardens of the School of Pleasure allow youth to flower. The students gather in groups under fruiting trees to discuss philosophy, and giggle when the juice of a freshly picked fruit runs down their hands. They dance with bells around their hips, learning how to move by the gentle chimes. At the School of Pleasure, they are taught about bodies, about how they change and how they can change. They're taught to speak without words, to lead and to follow, to take a stand and to surrender.
The School of Pleasure is an institution of learning from
Venus. The aim of the School of Pleasure is to teach how to live a good life, rich in experience and enjoyment.
From Courts to Courtyards
The Schools were founded in the ariellic era. At the time beauty, leisure and philosophy was the sole domain of the wellborn. Only the most beautiful and talented of the peasantry were allowed to serve in high society, elevated by the patronage of an aristocrat. The courtesans and entertainers organized as the House of Muses. The muses gathered at public bath houses, and began to realize who it was they really had most in common with.
In these bath houses the aristocracy would never deign to visit, the House of Muses taught their arts to the public. They proved that a refined mind was a product of culture rather than birth. They unravelled the secrets and the allure of the aristocracy, and empowered the people to meet them as equals. The teachings of the muses spread throughout society and eventually contributed to the downfall of the aristocrats. They, too, were but human.
Type
Educational, School/Academy
Notice: This article is a stub. It may be expanded later!
Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2025
Answering: "
An organization rooted in controversial principles"
Cover image:
Veils of Venus (Detail)
by
Annie Stein
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Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025
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Solaris -— a sapphic space opera
Creator of World of Worlds | Camp Chill | Comment Carolers