PANTS Requiem 2.0 VSS

Requiem 2.0 VSS

== PERDITION: A NOCTOURNE TO SIN ==

Domain: Swan River Colony, Perth.

Venue: Perdition: A Nocturne To Sin.

Game: Vampire: The Requiem 2.0

PROLOGUE This VSS is coupled with and exists under the DSS (Domain Style Sheet) for the SRC Domain. All history, settings, themes and rules contained therein apply to this VSS. The intent at the beginning of this chronicle is to emphasise the core themes of Requiem 2.0, whilst highlighting the changes between this, and Requiem 1.0. There will be a lot of education in the early days. This will be a game of story, and genuinely collaborative storytelling. OOC competition, cheesemongering and play-to-win tactics should be left at the door. You’ll notice later in this document, that a big chunk of your monthly beats (XP potential), is based on what you do for the game OOC, up to and including running recurring NPCs, and plots for other players. Be rad and awesome to one another. Understand that it is just a game, but that like with all games, it’s less fun for everyone if someone isn’t enjoying themselves. Everyone should, at all times, keep the enjoyment of every other player in mind. I want to know as soon as you’re not having good time, or suspect someone else may not be, and we’ll fix that right up.

HISTORY: The Native Kindred: Perth’s oldest Kindred are, without doubt those native to Western Australia. Decended exclusively from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, they are nomadic, traditional, tribebased and deeply spiritual vampires. They have existed alongside the native mortals for as long as either can recall. The Gnoytj-Ngoon, are equal parts bloodline, pack and covenant. They have nothing but disdain for the cities of men and the Kindred that inhabit them. They give such places a wide berth. Their history with Western culture, both kindred and mortal, is neither pleasant, nor peaceful.

The Gnoytj-Ngoon, as word has it, had a more amiable relationship with the mortal populace than the Western Counterparts. That relationship began to break down with the introduction of Western Kindred and their destructive appetites, causing the Gnoytj-Ngoon a considerable amount of trouble with their food supply. This tension escalated quickly and ended in many bloody conflicts that, contrary to the mortal battles, saw the colonists fare poorly. So poorly, in fact, that any survivors were driven into hiding for decades, waiting in squalor until the city grew large enough to shield them.

Westerners that survived these early, turbulent years are usually regarded as cowards and turncoats by both sides. Those that cowered under floorboards, in squalid start-up townships, feeding upon rodents or the occasional drunk, barely staving off torpor. Those that stood and fought and died for their place, were treated with a reasonable amount of dignity as they met final death. The legacy of this era is that Kindred still know all too well that the wild places, the rural lands are owned by the Gnoytj-Ngoon – and they are older, more numerous and stronger than we are.

The First Western Presence: Western Kindred presence in the Perth area actually pre-dates the regions colonization, though none can say by how many years. The historians of Lance, and the Ordo Dracul, have posited that the kindred in question most likely arrived in the early 1700’s, likely aboard one of the many exploratory vessels that visited the region at the time. Like these many vessels, the Kindred could have originated from any number of regions.

Ship manifests, old-world records, the scientific dating methods all corroborate the stories of local Aboriginal tribes and the Kindred that existed alongside them. Most accounts describe a human-like beast with horns and a maw full of barbed fangs that would steal away the tribes’ men in the night. The original Kindred Elders of the region, on those rare occasions, describe the Moorn-Ngorlak, a term that is now used as a derisive term to describe Western Kindred. For whatever reason, those that have attained information regarding this Kindred pioneer have been kept secreted away for many long years, at the insistence of the Bishop, and the Inquisition. Naturally, their policing of this information is the cause for much speculation amongst the Kindred of Perth.

Colonization and Early Years: Beyond this early, mystery settler, kindred history in Perth predominately shadowed that of Perth colonization. Things started small and steadily grew. There were considerable conflicts with the original inhabitants of the region most of which ended poorly for the kindred colonists. Despite this, progress continued at a steady pace, the kindred that managed to survive forming an uneasy, paranoid co-existence.

In the late 1800’s, the city’s mortal population was large enough to support a sizable number of kindred. The few crafty (or cowardly) vampires that had gained a foothold in the city’s early years were able to come out of hiding, whilst new blood arrived every year from Fremantle Harbour. And so the city, having grown large enough to shield the kindred from the perils of an untamed land, began to take on a new, but all too familiar menace, in the guise of Kindred civility. The All Night Society had gathered; a court had formed.

Recent History: The Court of Perth progressed the way young courts did. Power was gained and lost. Favours were exchanged and lives both saved and extinguished. The rulership of the city stayed predominately with the Invictus. Their roots in the seedier element of the city ran older and deep than any other Covenant, and their influence was difficult to combat. Their rule was ruthless, and as corrupt as it comes, but it was stable and secure for those who towed the party line. They were challenged only by The Circle of the Crone.

The Circle, locally, was comprised of a number of cults, forming the usual bloody alliance. The Circle’s political potency, however stemmed from one in particular, “The Seed of Bones”. Their doctrine was one of indulgence, of sensation and bloody stimulation in reverence to Dark Mother. The cult was not one to indulge in the messy, bloody murder of a terrified victim so frequently attributed to the covenant so much as an ecstatic, drug-addled assisted suicide. Their collective charisma and predication for vice seduced the beast of many a young vampire into their ranks over the decades. It was often suggested, quietly, that the only thing that stopped The Seed of Bones from usurping the praxis of Perth was, ironically, a lack of desire. Their leadership were often quoted, deriding the pursuit of political power as “a mere flame amidst the inferno of Her ecstasy”.

A lack of apparent ambition aside, The Seed was a considerable power that used their potency as a vehicle for their orgies and sacrifices more than anything else. Their parties were the stuff of legend, during which even the most sceptical of guests would find themselves enraptured, buried in naked bodies, and tripping balls. These parties took place underground, often over the course of several stimulant fuelled nights. It was not unusual for Kindred to report experiencing the touch, sight, or indescribable “presence” of the Dark Mother during the apex of these events. Of course, every witness was high as a kite for the duration, but still… there were rumours that there were old photographs taken during these parties, photographs that can’t be explained. Photograph’s that have since been confiscated by the Inquisition and The Library. The Seed’s legend thrived from decade to decade, consistently growing until, that is, 1959. No one knows for sure what happened, let alone why, but the cult was all but annihilated. Those present, and moderately lucid, describe a dreadful pain. A pain of the soul that swept in and filled the space the high had filled, then a sudden, desperate emptiness. In the nights following, The Seed of Bones entered a frenzy of activity. The city was in chaos until in one, bloody night, they all disappeared. Something had murdered them, 32 Kindred in all, and almost twice as many ghouls. The assailants were gone without a trace, leaving behind only token reminders of their passing, the numeral “VII” etched in blood.

The reaction was strong, but tentative. Many of the cities powers were secretly relieved that the cult has vanished, but at the same time the massacres clearly rattled them. The law of the land changed. Security was tripled. Events were cancelled. Naturally, rumour was abundant. The Lancea et Sanctum grew in strength, as those seeking faith were left too timid to test the Crone’s waters. The Carthians reared their head at this time, their new age charisma and flare for media let them capitalise on the cult of celebrity that had been left in The Seed’s absence. Things appeared to stabilise. Perth went from strength to strength. The city has sprawled enough that the nomadic Gnoytj-Ngoon were no longer a threat to those who didn’t go looking for trouble. Each Covenant had found their niche. Even the Circle of the Crone had recovered into smaller, albeit marginalised cults.

In 1975, unlife was good for the most part. Then The Owls came. Of all the hardships, intrigues, horrors and oddities that have influence the modern court of Perth, none have sculpted the landscape so much as The Birds of Dis. The Strix. They were few, at first. Potent, immortal and terrifying. Their introduction to the court was during Black Mass of Christmas Eve. As most understand it, the guys up on those crosses were apparently touchstones to some of the cities elders. What happened to them next, made even some of Black Blood’s spew vitae. One of the three stood out, its eyes burned bright, staring into the exposed souls of the congregation. Its name was Mr Finch. A small of small stature, but of a malefic nature so palpable even the other owls would shy away from him. Mr Finch was a being of pure spite. Not content to simply hunt and feed in his own twisted way, he set about making the Kindred suffer, however possible. His preferred method, it seemed, was to possess revenants of the city, and commit the Amaranth upon their coteries and allies. The Owls under his command were just as vicious and spiteful, they were just less refined. They were often seen, perched upon a Kindred body, taking it’s time pecking at the body of the still conscious victim, tearing away long strips of vitae soaked flesh, relishing in the torment. Mr Finch and his small parliament began to grow. The Owls grew in number, and some, in strength. The kindred began to fight back, but Finch was potent and cunning. City leaders began to fall, one by one they would succumb to trickery, possession or outright assault. Kindred were turned upon one another. It was difficult to tell friend from foe. Once again, the domain fell into chaos and the Kindred population began to fall.

Seemingly from no-where, emerged Mahyar al-Sahand. A kindred-warrior of middle-eastern heritage and an apparent command of the same darkness the as the Strix. His assistance was at first refused by the city’s leadership. al-Sahand was a barely known member of the Lancea et Sanctum, and of clan Mekhet. His faith was rooted in the Testament of Longinus, but viewed through the lens of Islamic scripture. Much more than this is not known about al-Sahand, at least not publically. What is known, is that he took the fight to the Strix directly. He had some means of combatting The Owls, and he shared this knowledge. Many of the cities Mekhet of sufficient strength were adopted in al-Sahand’s bloodline in secret, and trained to combat the Strix. After a few brief years, and the Strix’s growth had been stymied by a combination of al-Sahand’s Asps, and ruthless law laid down by the cities rulers, law that decreed all revenant’s be brought into the fold, as one of al-Sahand’s Asps, or be executed.

Finch has not been seen in some time, but this was a time of war. Kindred and Strix alike met final death on what seemed like a weekly basis. The smaller Strix were frequently eliminated by the Asps, but their fellow Owls would just as regularly devour the Kindred. Eventually, and some might say inevitably, Mr Finch resurfaced. He resurfaced in the skin of Harrison Brandt. Elder of Clan Gangrel and Inquisitor of the Lancea et Sanctum.

The damage was beyond measure. Brandt, with Finch behind the wheel, dispatched a coterie of bodyguards before sending the Prince to meet his final death, via the Amaranth. The rampage continued, until the Asps arrived. Many kindred met their end, or worse were devoured by the marauding beast. al-Sahand eventually cornered and confronted Finch, with a half-dozen hardened Asps by his side, all of whom met their end. Finch also met his end then and there, only to resurface mere minutes later.

As the story goes, al-Sahand requested he be left alone for in the temple for one last prayer in private, before setting off into the Strix heartland of Northbridge. Neither Finch, nor al-Sahand were heard from again. Finch’s parliament still existed, still functioned, but they seemed without direction. They began to prey upon one another as much as the kindred, but stranger the Lancea et Sanctum were no longer subject to the Strix’s attacks. It happened seemingly overnight. al-Sahand disappeared, and the presence of the faithful began to repel the Birds of Dis. The Bishop saw The Owls violently expelled from his domain entirely. An immense radius of sanctuary for the dispossessed kindred of the city. Clearly, the Almighty had witnessed the sacrifice, and extended his protection to those who conducted their Requiem’s in His name.

Present Day: The Owls still prey upon the Kindred of Perth. Finch’s legacy of spite and violence still plagues the domain on a nightly basis. In particular, the Owl’s now root out and hunt Kindred of clan Mekhet. Even orchestrating great schemes to end the lives of those Mekhet protected by magic of the church. No doubt, at some point the Strix had come to realize that the greatest threat to their vile existence, ran through the Shadows’ veins. So it is that the Mekhet in Perth are an endangered species. al-Sahand’s bloodline, his legacy, is gone and with it, the means to combat The Owls directly. The Lancea et Sanctum established control of the city, under The Bishop’s rule, on that fateful night, long ago. Since that time, their numbers have swollen dramatically. The Lance make up well over half of the cities Kindred population at any one time. The divine protection afforded by their faith, coupled with the greatly reduced risk of having their souls consumed by Strix-maddened revenants is all the convincing most kindred needed.

Those not of the church, either pay a considerable sum to enjoy tenancy within the domain of a ranking member of the Lance, or they live with the constant threat of being devoured by malicious owl monsters. The Ordo Dracul, ever the domain’s quiet observers, sit by the Lance’s right hand in a prominent advisory and administrative capacity, equipping the more studious Lance with the tools of the modern age. These Covenants are even rumoured to share a secret facility of considerable size and importance.

SETTINGS: Each clan and Covenant have a unique local flavour. One or two thematic items that give them a little more character that the templates in the book. The below themes are not things you necessarily need to adhere to, but you can expect that the vast bulk of the NPC vampires in the city will. Taking this on board when building your PC will help give you common ground amongst your peers.

Lancea et Sanctum: The Lance of Perth are not your fire, brimstone and witch-hunt kind of Lance. The Lance have nothing to prove. The inherent rightness of their faith is obvious to any that have seen The Owls retreat from their clergy’s presence. They practice tolerance, humility and charity: within reason. Records are littered with examples of belligerent Black Blood’s or indignant nomads that served examples of biblical judgement after crossing that line. The Lance are protected from the Strix. Since al-Sahand’s disappearance, the strength of one’s devotion to the church has served as a shield from the Owl’s assault. Those of particularly potent faith allow this protection to extend to others. For reasons unknown, this protection does not extend to Northbridge. Members of the Lancea et Sanctum benefit from the following effect, which scales with their covenant status. 1. Strix cannot possess or use powers upon you. Strix cannot physically touch you. 2. The Strix are driven from any area less than 2m from you. 3. The Strix are driven from any area less than 20m from you. 4. The Strix are driven from any area less than 200m from you. 5. The Strix are driven from any area less than 2000m from you. The Lance of Perth take the traditions extremely seriously. They are God’s law. The Church maintains three sub-sects, each responsible for maintaining one of the traditions. Members of these sects are well trained, and well resourced, but are unable to ascend to Covenant leadership roles beyond their sect. Each of the following may take the “Professional Training” merit. For the skills specified in their description.

• The Lucian Institute (Masquerade): The youngest and most modern of the sect’s, The

Lucian Institute monitors and maintains complex webs of information and media to safeguard the secrecy of Kindred, under the guise of an IT Consultancy. They retain predominately tech-savvy individuals, and investigators whose primary function is to detect, intercept and “correct” any potential breach to the Masquerade. (PT: Investigation + Computer, Subterfuge. Contacts: Media, Street, Health or Police.)

• St Henry’s House (Progeny): A genuine charity for both the mortal world, and the Kindred.

Dispossessed or desperate kindred are their primary charges, with acknowledged kindred are seen to first and foremost, but all are welcome to feed discretely upon the mortal charity cases. This sect also maintains record of Kindred lineage, and the management of revenants and orphaned ghouls. Their humble building serves as one of the cities Elysium. (PT: Persuasion + Academics, Politics. Contacts: Health, Academics, Bureaucracy or Religion)

• Eustachius Abbey (Amaranth): This strange sect is monastic in nature. “The Abbey”

houses and trains some of the domains most dangerous kindred. The monk’s purpose, is to interrogate and extinguish any rumour of the most heinous of crimes: diablerie. Doubling as the Lance’s martial wing, stone cold enforcers, steadfast security guards and unrelenting hunters. They are an entire sect of deadly zealots, dedicated to the role of the Hound. (PT: Melee + Stealth, Survival. Contacts: Underworld, Police, Religion or Occult)

• The Inquisition: Such is the size and power of the Lancea et Sanctum in Perth, that

heresy and treason are bound to arise. Such crimes are the domain of the Inquisitors. They are the Internal Affairs of the Lance. There are always two, and only two, Inquisitors. The pair rarely get along, and many suspect that this is by the Bishops’ design. Each Inquisitor has the other under constant scrutiny. The Inquisitors act as the city Sheriff, where necessary, dispensing the Prince’s personal justice.

The Ordo Dracul: The Dragons of Perth are secretive, even by Ordo standards. Covenant business is discussed with code-names, clearance levels, and “need to know” covert operations. Their apparent structure is reminiscent of cold-war era spy agencies and secretive intelligence organisations. The Ordo Dracul are neat and efficient. Thorough and organized. Their effectiveness wherever they choose to direct their attentions, has earned them their place of the right hand of the Praxis. The Ordo is rumoured to own a number of “secret” bases across the city. Guests that have broken their confidentiality agreements describe immense scientific facilities of varying kinds. Tanks of boiling purple chemicals, table after table of still-moving body parts and stranger are common rumours. One of the more famous, was that a Kindred once clearly heard the cry of whale from a secret facility under the hills of Kalamunda. Sadly, he was lost during the Strix war. Their reputation for unconventional science has been exaggerated over the years, and they are often mistakenly credited as being the cause of any and all usual events or disasters the domain experiences. The emergence of the Strix, the mass-execution of the The Seed of Bones, and the “Flesh Ferry” incident of 1973 are but a small sample of the grand conspiracies they are accused of orchestrating. Of course, the Ordo never have never really denied any of these accusations. Most of the Perth chapter prefer to use more modern, or professional terms for many of their sects and positions. The Kogaion, is The Director. The Sworn of Mysteries, Operations. The Sworn of the Dying Light, Research and Development. The Sworn of Axe, Security. New Recruits, Interns, and so on. Each full member is granted a clearance level, granting them access to staff, useful facilities, resources and most important of all, secrets. Many Dragons have aspired to higher clearance, only to regret it once they learn the unfortunate truths. As characters earn status in the Ordo Dracul will have some of Perths secrets revealed to them. For each dot of status, the players can discuss one topic with the Lead ST about kindred history, an NPC, an event, or another relevant topic and gain some information. The VST will give them information that will be relevant to the Dragon's interests in some way. The higher the status, the more complete and probably disturbing the secret. Dragons may also elect to come into play with one extra vitae, by feeding from the inhabitants of the Beta-Cells. These are discarded mortals (and other entities) that are too interesting or valuable to let go. They are experimental subjects, with all manner of afflictions. Using this strange Herd, will earn you a random condition (or one applied at ST discretion) until the blood leaves your system, or the next game.

The Invictus: The First Estate have been synonymous with the underworld trades of Perth since the cities infancy. They present as the polite, civilised model kindred one expects from the First Estate, but closer inspection reveals an operational culture not unlike many organised crime families. Their internal politics are ruthless, and cut-throat. Full of back room deals, internal betrayals and power struggles. Corrupt unions, black markets, smuggling rings and extortion rackets are all the province of the Invictus of Perth. Though it’s true they are deeply entrenched in a criminal empire, they are likewise know to take their word, and business exceptionally seriously. If sworn enemies come to them in trade, and the price was right, you can know without question that The First Estate will put their personal matters aside, and see that business concluded to the letter. They will trade in anything. Anything, and they know better than to ask questions. Politically, the Invictus know they can’t hold Praxis. Not with the Strix issue the way it is. They are also, however, well aware that nothing lasts for ever. Their efforts are directed towards trying to maintain as much political strength as possible, in preparation for the inevitable day when the wind shifts and the church falls back into its proper place. This plan naturally puts the Invictus at odds with Carthian Movement, whose energy and modern methods have seem them grow to nearly challenge the Invictus for sheer control of the populace. At creation, only Invictus PCs can have social merits greater than 2 dots related to the following categories: Underworld, Police, and Transportation.

The Carthian Movement: The Revolution in Perth is bold, and it’s loud. Though the Carthian’s here aren’t marching in the streets with banners and molotov cocktails, they’re on the air, and on your computer monitor. The Carthian’s wield the cult of personality like a sword, and public opinion as a shield. The control the radio, the TV, newspapers, the internet advertisers, and the billboard companies. They have the ear of the news anchors and the radio hosts. They can make or break careers, and they will, just as soon as they’re done with you. They were fragile in the beginning, almost invisible in their impact. Such is the scale of their influence. That many kindred insist they must have been present well before their public emergence in the 60’s, but the city elders insist otherwise. Regardless, the information age has been an enormous boon to The Movement, and it has propelled them into being a significant player, albeit a player the elders of other covenants just can’t understand. Like the Invictus, The Movement knows that the writing is on the wall for the current Praxis and they’re positioning themselves to capitalise. They know the Invictus are doing them same, and undermine them at every opportunity. They are playing the long game. They aren’t going to war and killing off the competition, instead, they’re changing the battlefield. By the time they’re done, the city’s populace won’t be a place the other covenants are able to comprehend, let alone navigate with any level of efficacy. They’re throwing parties. They’re hosting media conferences and art exhibitions. They rub shoulders with athletes and TV stars to cultivate celebrity, and then, gradually, they’re using that celebrity to influence the hearts and minds of the populace. The Carthian’s’ decide what’s cool, and what’s not. This drives where the populace congregate and, therefore, where the feeding is best. At Creation, Only Carthian PCs can have social merits greater than 2 dots related to the following categories: High Society, Media, and Telecommunications.

The Circle of the Crone: The Acolytes are a tragic bunch. Once a grand, albeit, disconcerting power in the city, reduced now to a handful of obscure cults with a political voice barely heard, let alone considered. “The Seed of Bones” were legendary in their popularity and impact, some say their exit was the only fitting end. Regardless, their destruction is a loss still keenly felt by not only the Circle, but the domain whole. Covenant affiliations aside, many kindred lost friends and relatives during those awful nights. The remaining cults in the modern nights, and largely considered the bottom of the political chain. Kooks, psychopaths and street rats. Granted they still engender a great deal of sympathy from those that recall the culling, but when their backs are turned, they are the subject of merciless, and the butt of every joke. Beneath the surface of those scathing social attacks, however, is more often a very real fear. The Crone of Perth may be wacky, but that kind of dedication to pagan-blood cults is both disturbing, and worse, unpredictable.

The Crone have two cults of significance, each with an established faith and reputation. They are tight allies, the only thing they can be relied upon to do, is have each other’s back.

• The Eternal Deluge: They may be the largest of the modern Circle Cults, but precisely

what or who they worship is difficult for those outside the cult to understand. No one ever really seems able to explain it. The Divers will refer to it alternately as an actual person, force of nature, element, sometimes even a place. The only constant is a dark, cold madness. In reality, what they worship is one of the Dark Mothers children, The Eternal Deluge, still in its infancy. Her form on the mortal plane. As much a semi-tangible force as an entity in its own right. By understanding it, honouring it, feeding it and surrendering to its embrace, they grow closer to the divine. The Divers seem to be afflicted a kind of collective madness that both grows and changes with time. This collective madness is not seen as a problem by the Divers. On the contrary, they insist it is divine, and beautiful. Divers can buy up to their Crone status in unique retainers that exist on, or in, the vampire’s body. Gifts from the Deluge itself. These take many forms, but are universally horrible and strange. Further, both these retainers, and The Eternal Deluge itself, are affected by a kind of occultation. Genuine knowledge of the Deluge, it’s “gifts” or the faith itself are quickly confused, mis-remembered or forgotten entirely. Only the Diver’s themselves are immune to the effect.

• Black Bloods MC: Of all the varieties of undead monster in Perth, the Black Bloods are far

and away the most dangerous. Comprised of, and backed by a small but fearsome biker gang of the same name, behind closed doors, they’re sacrificing snitches to old Gods one piece at a time. Whilst all Crone cults are monstrous, the Blood’s push the Circle of the Crone’s principals to their limits. Their street-level witchcraft is bloody, merciless and brutal. They see the power that stems from serious worship of the Dark Mother, no matter the form, and they figure that if violence and sacrifice are what She rewards, then it’s best done right. That is to say, violently and thoroughly. Their disinterest in political power, and their penchant for violence has establish the Bloods as the go-to mercenaries for Kindred who need something dangerous done fast, and keeps them sufficiently invested in the Court, so as to shield themselves from persecution, and clean up the occasional mess. In spite of their many detractors, the Black Blood’s methods work. Their skill with Cruac is unparalleled in the domain, despite their apparent lack of academia or training. Black Bloods will always have an easier time learning Cruac. Further, they can purchase the Black Bloods MC: Mystery Cult Initiation Merit, detailed below: o Purpose: To attract the Dark Mothers favour through blood and violence. Relic: The Heart of a Dead God. Doctrine: (As Black Bloods Description above) 1) Touchstone x1: The Black Bloods MC. New recruits are taught to rely on the mortal Bloods to help keep them from losing touch. 2) Merit: Altar x1: The Black Bloods take their Cruac seriously and are bound to a potent altar once they’ve earned enough trust. 3) Merit: Street Fighting x2: By the time a Black Blood hits this rank, he’s seen his share of combat, and learned from experience. 4) Merit: Staff: Intimidation x1 and Merit: Shiv x2: Ranking Black Bloods have a lot of enemies. They are always armed, ready to kill, and regularly flanked by lower ranking thugs from the Black Bloods MC. 5) Merit: Mentor 3: Mystery. Something guides and protects the Black Bloods leadership. Things just kind of get done when they need it. (Politics, Larceny, Intimidation)

Gangrel: The Savages of Perth, are all about the hunt. The tracking, the stalking, the chase and the kill. When a member of the clan goes hunting for a new animal form, it’s a whole clan affair. They gather to watch, to measure and to judge. To consume a captive or injured animal is seen as a sign of extreme weakness. You are what you eat after all, and if that’s a neutered piece of shit, then so are you. As many have learned, coming back from this tarnished reputation isn’t easy.

Ventrue: The most tightly knit clan in the city, the Lords take the family, even extended family, very seriously. Ghouls, thralls and even touchstones are invited to attend gatherings of the family. The loss of a touchstone takes a terrible loss on a Venture, so these mortals are introduced to the family, and watched closely from that point forward. They look out for one another’s interests and property. A touchstone known by and protected by dozens of Lords is far less likely to meet and unfortunate fate. Of course… sharing such things also leaves one vulnerable.

Mekhet: The Shadows are constantly under siege. The Strix are forever perusing their destruction, and have done so for decades. The sheer number of Mekhet in the city hasn’t been in double digits since the late 80’s. This state of affairs has meant the clan whole has become exceptionally paranoid. They trust very little, and spend countless hours and resources ensuring their personal security. On the other hand, such rarity has ensured that the clan’s gifts are in much higher demand, and the price, is steep.

Daeva: The Succubi of Perth have refined hedonism to an art form. Many attribute it to a lineage that traces its way back to The Seed of Bones. They live the rock star lifestyle, of drugs, sex, drugs, alcohol and more drugs. Getting high is par for the course. “What’s the harm?” They argue, “When you’re dead, you’ve got no real risk of addiction or overdose.” Kindred able to handle substancelaced blood, are well regarded. They are unparalleled hosts, priding themselves and tailoring events to the tastes of any crowd, but with that special little something extra.

Nosferatu: The Haunts, as a whole, seem collectively… preoccupied. For a long time now, they’ve felt a deep sense of unease, emanating from beneath the earth. Blood Sympathy calls to them. They can feel something down there. They say it feels like a terrible hunger, and suggest it can probably feel them too. Many Nosferatu have gone missing over the years, without a trace, always when they’re braving the underground alone, so the clan whole tend to live up high these days. As high as they can. The further from the ground they get, the less hunted they feel.

CHARACTER CREATION

Histories: Feel free to ask about making changes to the city setting and history if you have an idea. The things we’ve created are there for inspirational purposes to give you a feel for the city. I actively want player participation, and will try to accommodate your ideas.

Leadership: Feel free to ask about being a leader or founder or “special guy” of any group you’re interested in. I’d much prefer those stories belong to you, than to NPCs.

Bloodlines: I’m not likely to approve any Bloodlines not written explicitly for the 2.0 Chronicle. The 1.0 Bloodlines aren’t thematically compatible with 2.0.

Age: Try to keep your age down, if you can. By all means, apply for any age you feel is necessary, but try to avoid making your character super old for the sake of being old. Read the city history carefully, being the old guard here has baggage you may not want.

Elders: If you’re looking to play an elder, make sure it’s thematically appropriate, and conforms to the setting. Be prepared to play the Elder game. Scheme, control and guide the fate of other kindred, but don’t expect to be in much of the action/investigation side of the game. I’m completely open to elder concepts, but think hard about what you’re aiming for and why you want it.

Flaws: Please, make your character a flawed being. In any given situation, I should be able to ask, “How could a random person defeat you, or change your mind right now?” and you should have an answer. Make it a flaw you’ll enjoy playing, knowing it’ll set you back.

Covenants: Keep in mind the settings and special benefits associated with local covenants when making new characters (listed in the Covenants section of this document.)

THE UNWASHED MASSES

The PCs represent only a small portion of the vampires in the city. There are over 100 other vampires, spread throughout the clans and covenants but they don’t hold any individual significance or importance. These are the rank and file members of the various groups, are overwhelmingly neonates, and rarely have disciplines or status higher than 1 dot. They will never be of individual prominence; that is what distinguishes the PCs. When encountering one or more of the unwashed masses, a successful Intelligence + Politics test is used to identify them, and gain basic information such as clan, covenant, sub-faction and associates. TUM can influence status, if the dozens of your clan think you’re lame, expect to have difficulty retaining higher status. By the same token, if you can court, impress or buy the adoration and respect of your clan, then they will help your status go up. Characters may do social RP and rolls to impact the TUM. TUM can also be influenced by status. If you’re a status 4 Invictus, you can call upon the Invictus of the city to look out for your ghoul for a night, join your fancy Invictus school, or rally to attack a Strix nest. TUM will usually defer to those of higher status, and rarely act outside of the expected way for their group.

DOWNTIME

This is not going to be a downtime heavy game. Downtime is for submitting XP spends, characters, approvals and asking questions. Decent game reports will earn you beats, but downtime itself will not. Downtime actions and such aren’t something I’m interested in doing. If you’re looking for between game plot, look to your fellow players, or see an ST at the game.

STARTING VITAE AND WILLPOWER

Refer to Blood system attached. Willpower regenerates at a rate of 1 per week

XP Gains

Refer to the Domain Style Sheet for potential Beat awards.