Requiem CofD GSS

Chronicles of Darkness Requiem (2.0) Genre Style Sheet

Approval Number: TOPAUS0287
Country: Australia
Genre Storyteller: Sara Hastings
Genre Storyteller Email: gst.requiem.cofd@beyondthesunset.org.au

Venues covered under this GSS:

• Toowoomba CofD Requiem SOCKS;
• Reaffiliated Perth CofD Requiem characters;
• Canberra CofD Requiem;
• Adelaide CofD Requiem;
• Southern Cross CofD Requiem;
• Brisbane CofD Requiem Characters as part of their Cross-Genre Game;
• All other Australian CofD (2.0) Requiem venues if and when they come into play within Australia which are affiliated with Beyond the Sunset.

Setting: Darkness and Fear

• The world of vampires is similar to the world we live in, but from a much darker standpoint. It is a game high in violence, decay, torment, horror and atrocity.
• Gangs are fiercer and often have no other options. Aristocracy are more ruthless, hiding their fear behind blank poker faces, the police force is corrupt, but not all of it. Disparity between rich and poor is immense.
• The world itself is full of monsters. Shadows jump out at you, the beautiful become the hideous when the lights go out, your own fears come to life before you, and that’s while you’re awake. When you sleep, they’re in your dreams. You can’t escape the terrors, do you try anyway, or do you give in, and join them?
• The histories contained in sanctioned books listed within the 2.0 VtR addendum contain the history of the Chronicle, and while these may not reference Australia in their entirety, and characters wishing to interact with those histories must ensure they are consistent with that.
• Each year there is a National Gathering where clans and covenants gather to discuss threats to the nation as a whole.
• PvP can be ruthless. Players who participate in the game are expected to understand this.
  • PvP is possible but it is recommended that those who do not wish to engage in PvP do not entice people into it nor engage with it.
  • If someone creates a PvP environment with someone that they have not interacted with before, it is recommended that they provide an opportunity to the other player to retract their last action or statement so that PvP is not initiated.
    • This is not essential, merely a recommendation.
  • PvP is not on an opt-out basis. If you opt-in, you are expected to not back out. If you find yourself too overwhelmed, speak with the VST chain to find a resolution.

A (Brief) History of Australia

• In 1788 Sydney is founded
• In 1804 Hobart is founded
• In 1824 Brisbane is founded
• In 1829 Perth is founded
• In 1835 Melbourne is founded
• In 1836 Adelaide is founded
• In 1849 Toowoomba and Armidale are founded
• In 1869 Darwin is founded
• In 1913 Canberra is founded

Pre European settlement ( pre 1788AD)

• Feeding is difficult, vampires who reside in the country generally only feed from the wildlife, and enter torpor when supply runs low or their BP creeps too high.
• Very few fixed human settlements. Only aboriginal populations. Have their own beliefs about the vampires.

Colonisation by the British (1788 – 1822)

• British start to settle, creating permanent areas of human settlement. This provides more opportunities for feeding and some vampires create herds. This is very uncommon, and feeding off humans is viewed as a luxury and treated as such.
• It becomes a symbol and entitlement of status to be allowed to feed off mortals.

Expansion of the Country (1822 – 1850)

• Many cities are founded. Vampire numbers skyrocket.
• There is still shortages of blood, and systems are introduced around the country to adapt to and account for these shortages.
• Many kindred enter torpor at low BP.

The Early Modern and Modern Years (1850 – current)

• Cities continue to expand and come into their own. Systems become unique to cities for managing vampiric numbers and blood supply.
• The gold rush begins in 1851. The population balloons, the restrictions on feeding are relaxed, and kindred populations thrive.
• The Unseen Pact is entered into where Canberra will be located by the supernatural representatives, as part of an agreement to not influence the politics of the country.
• Sydney's population booms in the 1900's before dropping inexplicably again in the 1950's.

National Non-Player Characters and Factions

• This section is subject to change at GST discretion
• The full list of NPCs, CPC's and Factions will be completed at a later date and this dot point removed.

National NPCs and Custodial NPC’s:

If you are interested in ties to any of the below characters, please contact the GST. These NPC's would love ties to you! They do not count as PC ties for the purposes of Elder Applications but do count as fun times!
More details will be added as they are fleshed out:

• Ylva Hall
  • A Nosferatu Circle of the Crone.
• Grandfather Roe
  • A Ventrue Invictus.

Enemy Factions:

• The Strix
  • The Strix are enemies of kindred society and are believed to be the original providers of Cruac. Due to this, some believe the Dark Mother was a Strix.

Approval Requirements

Approval Form

• The Approval form to be used is the standard Approval Form. This can be accessed here.

Throw Away and Secondary Characters

• Secondary or throwaway characters are to be approved at the GST’s discretion. This is unlikely to occur however, unless there is a very good reason.
• Players are encouraged to only have one character per genre and to play this character consistently until its death or retirement.
• ‘Throw Away’ or ‘One Time’ characters will not be approved on the GSS.
• Secondary characters will be approved only under exceptional circumstances.
  • Merely wanting to try something different or a range of characters is not sufficient justification.
  • Wanting to retire a character at the next Conclave and creating a character so that they can put beats on that instead of the retiring character is an acceptable justification.

Characters on the GSS

• Players are welcome to have characters on this GSS (if by-laws of the club at the time allow). However there are several requirements that must be met.
  • This is for primary PC’s only.
  • This is only for PC’s that do not have a home venue (for example: Toowoomba has a game, and thus no player from Toowoomba can have their PC on this GSS).
    • In the case of the GST wanting a character on the GSS, an assistant will be appointed and the GST will not at any stage alter their own sheet. Only the assistant can.
  • This is being done primarily so a player who is earning volunteer beats can have a PC to put those beats on.
  • Downtimes will only be done as very basic downtimes with no IC actions being approved.
    • Claims and Spends will be processed however there will be no downtime questions and no downtime actions. Claims and Spends are subject to the GST's discretion.
    • Soft roleplay with other players is acceptable. Hard roleplay or rolepay involving dice rolls will not be allowed. Characters will not be able to participate in any plot except when visiting venues.
    • If a player wishes to go to a game in a domain, they must request for their sheet to be sent a minimum of one week before the game is to be run. If any less than 7 days notice is provided there is no guarantee that the sheet will be sent. More time is ideal.

Additional Approval Requirements

Elder Characters

• Elder characters are required to conform to the CofD Elder Ruleset.
• Those who wish to play Elder Characters must read the CofD Elder Ruleset and comply with the requirements listed under Elder Approval Requirements in order to be considered for approval by the GST.
• Elder NPC's are HIGH Notification.

Strix

• Strix NPC's are allowed as part of a globally sanctioned plotkit. The plotkit must go through normal approval channels through to global.
• Any and ALL Strix NPC sheets MUST also be approved by the GST regardless of whether they are specifically labelled under plotkit or subsequently involved because of it.
• Any player character possessed by a Strix immediately becomes an irretrievable NPC under the auspice of the GST. If agreed prior to the time of possession by the GST and VST, the character can become an irretrievable NPC, under the auspice of the VST. This agreement must take place no less than one week before the date of possession.

The Unseen Pact

• Participation in this is Mid Approval with High Notification. It requires approval from the Canberra DST in addition to all other levels.

Bloodlines

• In order to promote in-character and in-game connections and play, approvals for bloodlines will be viewed more favourably if the character is linked through the bloodline to another player-character.

Custom Rules and Addenda

Transfer of Characters Between Domains

• Mid approval of both domains affected with High Notification.

Merits, Disciplines, Devotions, and Covenant Specific

• Herd – This merit does not travel between cities. Where a character travels to another city through play or proxy, it is assumed the Herd was fed from prior to travel.
  • The Lancea Sanctum Merit Flock also does not travel between cities. Again, it is assumed the kindred fed before leaving.
  • In the case of proxies in which a vampire visits the city for longer than a week, the player will gain blood as per the visited city rules for any period post the first 5 nights. All blood gained in those first five nights is assumed expended, and so their starting blood on the sixth night will be as per VST ruling within the city.
• To clear up confusion about Dual-Covenant and Honorary Member Merits:
  • Dual-Covenant Status is MID approval. Single-Covenant Status with the 'honorary member' Merit (Casual User, Chorister, Independent Study, Laity, One Foot in the Door) is low approval.
  • It is HIGH approval to have the ability to have knowledge of, use, or benefit from disciplines, rituals, devotions, merits or otherwise of more than one covenant.
    • Exception: Participation in a Circle of the Crone ritual where the benefit is not provided to a non-member.
    • Exception: Attending Lancea et Sanctum Mass.
    • Exception: SOME Invictus Merits, where the non-Invictus is the Vassal (as per rules).
  • It is HIGH approval to be an infiltrator of a covenant.

Invictus

• All oaths sworn by/involving any non-Invictus are High Notification.

Game Systems:

• Oath of Matrimony - The rules on this oath are:
  • This oath cannot be used to gain access to any unique bloodline powers. This includes Obtenebration, The Three Heads of Kerberos, and others.

For example, if one participator in the oath is a Kerberos, then the other party will get access to Majesty from the bloodline, but not to the Three Heads of Kerberos.

• In addition, as the Ordo Dracul powers are not disciplines, they are not eligible to be obtained under this oath. Cruac and Theban are able to be obtained, as they are disciplines themselves. However, the rituals cannot be purchased, as the character is not a full member of the covenant. They are a respected member of the covenant in name only, as they are attached to the other member through matrimony, rather than through genuine choice.

A good way to think of this is to imagine that an atheist has married a devout catholic. The members of their church respect the partner, but they would not be able to teach the atheist as the atheist does not believe in their ways.

• These rules exist to prevent the overpowering of characters through use of this oath, and to prevent the dual covenant powers from being used without appropriate approvals).

Written By

Sara Hastings
Beyond the Sunset
AU2014040010