Brisbane Requiem CofD History

Brisbane | Requiem CofD | Awakening · Requiem · Lost | Camarilla · Sabbat

Brisbane 2017 Chronicles of Darkness: Take Back the Night

Brisbane, the city of the spike, is thriving metropolis of chrome and steel. A giant monolith stretching from the Gold Coast in the south to Caboolture in the north and encompassing all of Ipswich. A sprawling energized metropolis fuelled by the hopes and dreams of the ten million people the live in the shadows of the glittering skyscrapers. Always looking forward, never backward.

Organised! Efficient! Industrial!

Those were the slogans that put Brisbane on the map in the 70’s and continue today. A sprawling well organised industrial capital city, designed and built on the crushed dreams and held together with bands of commerce flowing from industry. Designated business hubs serviced by efficient public transport to nearby high density housing alongside old growth forest and protected green and sacred spaces. Pulsing entertainment precincts revitalize the population add a gossamer to the chrome and steel, an industrial city that has not lost touch with her soul.

Big Brother is watching

Yet beneath the glitz and the perceived powerhouse capital lies another city, one of iron control, and fear. Starting in the 70’s the city embraced an era of ‘reconstruction’ under progressive governments, the shattering of dreams, the crushing of hope, and the building of the bright new future. Three decades of ‘restructuring’ under various governments always towards an Organised, Efficient, Industrial city has seen Brisbane become stratified city. There are designated social zones and their immediate area of employment that contain all but the most determined. Swaths of defined zones struggle for funding for maintenance beyond the bare minimum, while others fight against rezoning. Amid this are still large swaths of land zones ‘for future development’ that are the battle ground for industrialists, environmentalist, and entertainment and real estate alike. The city is stratified socially, bound with red tape of zoning and transport. An efficient police force keep the peace with swift brutality, and everyone knows that Big Brother is watching you, and that someone is watching Big Brother. Big Brother is always watching. People disappear, just don’t think too hard about it. Ask too many of the wrong questions and suddenly you don’t have a job, rent is due. Then you are on the unemployment queue then shortly on a train or a flight to a new job in an internet black spot, or worse a mining job on a 12 month contract somewhere near. If you like your comfortable apartment and a normal life, don’t ask too many questions or dig too deep.

Fear of the Dark

It is a unspoken acceptance, below the façade of iron control lies fear. Fear of the dark. Fear of what came before. Fear of what cannot be contained by zoning, or by population, or by designated zones. Beneath the zoning of green zones for environmental protection, heritage and sacred spaces, lies the fear of the unknown. The fear of the unknown permeates everything and lies like an ignored splinter in the mind. For the most it is contained by the constructed structures, zones, roads, social control. Yet One Tree Hill, Boggo Road Jail, the Mayne heritage, Mt Gravatt the Place of the Echidna among many places have been zoned as ‘sacred sites’ or ‘areas of historical importance’ and then studiously avoided by a population that feels the connection to the unseen, but fears it.

Vampire Specific:

Tall Poppy Syndrome: Brisbane defines it, Brisbane embodies it.

Searching through the scattered annals of kindred who have visited Brisbane comes the disturbing pattern that few care to think about, blinded as most seem to be by the promise of the glittering tomorrow. Brisbane has hosted three powerful courts, each built from the ashes of the last.

First Court of the Invictus 1860-1899

The First Court of the Brisbane under the ancient Lord Orion, a revered elder, fought a bloody turf battle through the 1890’s across the field of politics, power struggles, unions, black markets and smugglings rings before succumbing to the younger energised Acolytes. Almost none remain who remember these days and records are scant.

Second ‘court’ of the Acolytes 1900-1959

The Second ‘court’ of the Acolytes, predominantly younger blood who eschewed the established western power structure hunted down the ‘elders’, the more established kindred until none contested their power and ferocity. Age was a liability, traditional structure was a crutch, pompous titles of pointless functions were a hindrance, desire to grasp the future was all that counted then. For nearly five decades the Acolytes ruled uncontested with savage brutality and instilled the ingrained fear of the night into the city itself. Indeed few mortals wish to dwell on the past, so mired is it, in fear, and some say is what paved the way for the city to become what it is today. A city mired in fear of the past, refusing to look back, always looking forward for fear of the past. The Acolytes grew in number and power, and their presence stained forever the night with fear that stays to this day.

Then in 1959 came the owls, few at first, but potent and terrifying. They emerged from the temple at Mt Cootha having twisted and fed upon the strongest. And the court began to tear itself apart as kindred turned on kindred. [BBEG1] was the foremost Owl who delighted in twisting kindred against each others and for a decade the kindred fought a losing battle against an ever growing Parliament of Owls. The battle between the kindred and BBEG1 spilled slowly into the mortal world, already rife with half a century of fear of the monsters in the dark. Into this disaster came Mahyar al-Sahand, a young Mekhet, a Middle Eastern priest of the Lancea Sanctum who brought with him the weapons to fight the Owls. With his teachings the priests of the Lancea Sanctum were able to repel the owls. But it was not enough, and never when on Mt Cootha. The Owls were too many. Inexplicably in 1969 the Owls vanished along with the most powerful of the Lances Sanctum and almost all the mekhet, leaving behind a city ruined by fear, irrevocably damaged by fear, almost all the powerful kindred dead or in torpor and a mortal world terrified of the dark. Even to this day few dare to go near Mt Cootha for the malevolence still hangs there like an arid stench and the sanctified feel their power drain away.

Third Court of the Invictus – 1969- 2010

Out of the ashes of the Acolyte court of [Prince 2] a vibrant young survivor [NPC Prince 2], cobbled together an alliance and dragged the Invictus to power, but not without influencing and being influenced by the city. Fear set in, there was something out there and the kindred of the Third Invictus Court vowed never to be caught unprepared. With a tentative agreement from the other supernatural beings, the city moved forward towards a bright new tomorrow never looking back. The Brisbane Plan that set the part for city ever since, part supernatural agreement, part industrial development, part social control, part preservation, who knows who had the most input? Was it the kindred or other supernaturals, or the mortals who desperately sought the safety of predictability and mundane banality? Who knows but it forever shaped the city. For four decades the Third Court under [Prince 3] grew as did the city. Slowly at first, then faster after the dreams and hopes of all alternate futures had been crushed. The Prince 4 the Younger barely in his 90th year was replaced in a bloodless coup in 2000 by their sire, and once again the city prospered under firm leadership. However in Brisbane success and age in office seems to bring complacency and the court grew in power and decadence.

In 2010 at the heights of power and decadence came the quiver of doubt, had the court grown too proud? Too powerful? Too complacent? Yet few listened. Fewer prepared. It was not enough. With fire and sword the court was purged in a single bloody night. The survivors, the lowest of the low, they fled the night taking naught but their lives. Shortly afterwards the same fate befell the other supernaturals. And all others that came to investigate for the first half a decade. The city continues, looking towards a bright future, never looking back. Always knowing that Big Brother is watching, always afraid of the Dark. It’s been almost a decade, it must be safe to return surely…

Themes:

Paranoia: Big Brother is watching. Always watching. People disappear. Bad things happen to people and kindred and supernatural alike that seldom have a palatable reason.

Fear: A better tomorrow (don’t think about the past). The city is focused on the future, building a brighter future, and few wish to dwell on the past. It is an aversion that none can u0-876nderstand. In the past there was uncertainty, terrible crime, rampant corruption. Now there is the fear to returning to the past, of losing the protective insulating structure that keeps out the

Turf War: The city zoning creates areas that are more desirable than others, designated high density housing offers different opportunity to 24/7 industrial zones, and protected sacred spaces.

Social Control: The city zoning creates control, a vigilant police force keeps crime down but also regulates entertainment, transport charges to the closest business hub are minimal travelling further is exponentially more expensive. The majority of housing serves one industry hub and population does not flow freely. And of course, everywhere, Big Brother is watching, it’s so ingrained that people accept it as normal.

Practical Considerations:

1. No kindred (or other supernaturals) have lived in Brisbane for the past 6 years so there are no established super naturals in the area (that anyone is aware of).

2. Any supernatural that visited the city longer than a month after 2010 has disappeared.

3. There are very very very few surviving supernaturals in the city at the start (this can change)

4. Survivors from Brisbane are exceedingly rare (1-2) and subject to VST approval.

5. Tall poppy syndrome is explicitly manifest: the older, the more unique, the more powerful, the more influential you are; the wind blows harder at the top of the mountain. Prepare for lots of challenging plot and play. If you dont like big scary plot, dont draw it's attention.

6. Mortals/companies/holdings can start at a max tier 2 at creation. There are too many other established companies to 'start' at a higher rating.

7. There are areas/items mentioned that specifically favour or hinder some clans/covenants, discovering them is part of the fun.

8. There is something big and bad out here, or maybe it’s the city itself is hostile.

9. There will be a limited amount of Elders in the game at the start, 1:10 ration. Elders do not risk their unlives, thats what minions are for. Elders will be expected to actively create and drive plot.

10 Plot Stick: This will apply to all elders, bloodlines, anyone unique or different. The city will lovingly craft a place for you and shunt you to the Tall Poppy Syndrome category. So careful payers only as this is a high risk area of play.

Tier	Company	Description
5	ISU Foundation	Charitable foundation : Medical
5	Nickle Qld	Mining
5	Allied Construction	Infrastructure builders
5	Melson & Nurdoch	Legal Vultures
4	MineTech	Mining software and support
4	MineTech	Mining software and support

Tier	Crime Organisation	Description Tier
5,4,	None
3	Ivory Lotus Triad	Triad gang that deals mostly in prostitution and heroin.
1	Dogs of War Gang	Bikie Gang based on the southern end of the Gold Coast, dealing mostly in drugs and small arms.
1	Mafia

-Tier	Police Divisions	Description
5	Internal Investigations	DST Only
5	Crime Command	Everything crime related, forensics, dog squad, etc
5	Ethical Standards	Everything relating to internal organisation.
5	Road Command	Everything Transport
5	SERT	DST Only
5	Commands: Northern, Metro, South, Eastern, Western	All commands (except Internal investigations/SERT) for one of the city divisions.

-Tier	Prominent Mortals	Description
5	Mayor/ Premier etc	DST Controlled
4	Mr Nugent	Industrialist CEO of Mining QLD
4	Deputy Mayor Mayne	Deputy Mayor
4	Garry Vandergast	Councillor for Transport

Documented Progress

Items: Designated Person Stage

1. DSS DST with input from Requiem/Mage/Changeling

2. VSS Aaron Review

3. World Building/ Brain storming Jag to document, Input from membership First Draft 1/7/2016

4. City Background Jag to create based on brainstorm sessions, Aaron to review. First Draft 1/10/2016

5. City Background 2 Jag to created for revieve Second Draft 21/10/2016

6. Chronicle History Once VSS and background history is sorted. First Draft,

7. DSS – Zoning DST w/ Input

8. DSS- Sacred Spaces

9. DSS- Mortals Tier 4 & 5 companies, Tier 4 & 5 Mortals VST’s to have input into what antagonists they want set up as background. :DST ?

10. DSS – Mortal Groups/Antagonists/ Crime / Unions/ Industry VST’s to have input into what antagonists they want set up as background. DST ?

11. DSS- Supernatural Overlay Hedge, Astral, anything else? Mage/Changeling

12. VSS – Necropolis Aaron to overview, but this can be built by PC’s as they explore the city. VST Requiem once we have Nos

13. Intro Plot Aaron – Split city into groups

Still Required:

1. Stratified city into social zones however with scope for Social and Industrial struggle of zones of development for people to capitalize on. Zoning to be done by DST in concert with other Genres.

2. Organised Industrial City. Big Brother is watching you, and someone is watching Big Brother.

3. Organised and brutally efficient Police force with only a smattering of organised crime.

4. Current Physical locations eg One Tree Hill, Boggo Road Jail, Dreamtime sacred places that tie in with past history and reveal an interesting aspect of Brisbane that will impact on the game.

5. Well defined mortal lay out of city viz Tier 5 companies, Tier 4, Big Mortal Names

6. Defined status groups with flavour text for who they are and what the do, same with names NPCS and the unwashed masses. (ripped off blatantly from Perth )

7. Defined places of importance/Ongoing Effects: Mystical/sacred to each group, and to groups longs past.

8. Supernatural Brisbane: Defined Threats/Obstacles Well defined cross genre history (up to the bit when everyone suddenly dies/disappears)

9. Well documented Hedge/Necropolis/Supernal overlay to city

10. Shared City Background: Secret plot to be unravelled as the chronicle continues. Same plot for Changeling/Mage but with different alternatives. Plot can be ignored by anyone who is uninterested by the