Brisbane
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Domain Staff
For all 'Out of Character' or real world enquiries contact our Domain Coordinator. All game related enqiries should be directed to the Domain Storyteller, who will either assist you directly or put you in touch with the appropriate Venue Storyteller.
- Domain Coordinator (DC): Dan Tranter
- Domain Storyteller (DST): Owen Sillence
The New World of Darkness
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In 2013, the city of Brisbane - as we know it - has continued to expand until it resembles a decadent, hedonistic metropolis filled with vice and crime. The sprawling cityscape has burst its borders with non-stop urban hubs that flow into the Gold Coast to the South, the Sunshine Coast to the North and Ipswich to the West. The sunshine, the surf and the glitz and glamor of Brisbane's nightlife presents a ritzy lifestyle to outsiders, but the promise of a good time is only skin-deep. Beneath the surface is a world of corruption and decay that clings to the city's foundations. In Brisbane, everything and anything can be acquired for the right price. The city isn’t in any kind of chaos or disarray, of course. It churns onward at a steady pace. But progress is always limited by the money that fuels the fires, and the hottest fires are those of industry and crime.
The political powers in Brisbane rest on their laurels, happy to balance in the middle instead of taking sides. They are neither conservative, nor are they liberal. They take few risks, avoiding the gamble of rash action that might halt the flow of money. They fear the mistakes made by the previous administration (whose actions are still fresh in the minds of anyone that values their job.)
The previous political group was the one that bit off more than they could chew. They hoped to rid the city of crime and lead the city into the modern era, with a multi-billion dollar transport system, hundreds of new public buildings, and more room for the thriving corporate monoliths. The Deen Brothers demolished half the city under the cover of darkness, heritage buildings were supposed to be replaced by shiny new beacons of an industrialized, modern, and efficient future.
But before long, the money ran dry. Instead of a silky, slick web of subways zipping about the corporate complex, they got grungy warrens, infested with the scum of society that cowered like rats in the shadows. Instead of shimmering skyscrapers and testaments of modern engineering, they got scarred and shattered shells of buildings, littering the skyline like the husks of an apocalypse. Instead of a new and powerful police force, armed with weapons to deal with the underworld, they got more corrupt cops, and deadly armaments in the hands of criminals.
For more details see the Brisbane's Historical Timeline and Key Locations for the New World of Darkness.
The Classic World of Darkness
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Brisbane's in game history mirrors that of the real world up until the mid 1980's. From there it deviates merely by a matter of degree. There are supernatural interferences, undercurrents and secrets both historical and current but by and large the result is a city that is very much the same as you experience today.
NOTE: What follows reflects darkly the recent political history of Queensland. Historical figures have been replaced by fictional ones, and while the former inform the later in the broadest of broad strokes they are just fantasy constructs. The intent is never to denigrate anyone's beliefs - political, religious or otherwise.
A Brief Mundane History
In the mid eighties Queensland politics and police were rife with nepotism and corruption. A series of newspaper exposes lead to the formation of the Fitzgerald Inquiry and ultimately the fall of the incumbent National Party after 32 years in power.
In the political turmoil that ensued emerged the voice of Peter Dunn, a young Labor backbencher and former Anglican Priest. Peter's calls for genuine reform across all areas of government and beyond was at first derided as naivety but he struck a chord with the public and eventually rode a wave of popular support into the office of the Premier. He then surprised both his critics and supporters by actually enacting his campaign promises.
The police force and state bureaucracy were ruthlessly cleansed of corruption. Where in 1985 it had been difficult to find an honest cop in Queensland, by 1990 it was almost impossible to find a dirty one. The police force underwent a massive change. Heavy recruiting saw it expand despite losing so many to corruption charges, serious money was put into modernising and improving efficiency and efficacy. Quietly Queensland became a police state, with no objections raised as the public sentiment was that the government and the police had moral authority.
Other areas of the State and City were also heavily invested in - Infrastructure, culture and the arts. As a former priest Peter Dunn also consulted with religious leaders of many denominations and promoted the church's place in his vision for a healthy society.
In 2009 Peter Dunn announced his retirement from politics. His successor, Susanne Wolfe, continued his legacy but never achieved the popularity or reputation of Dunn. In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis and a series of natural disasters the electorate turned against Wolfe and elected the Liberal Carter Burke in 2012.
Carter Burke ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility and strong family values. His campaign tried to invoke the moral values and certainty that took Peter Dunn to power 20 years before. However once in power the public learned Carter was a very different animal.
Public service, infrastructure and cultural spending were slashed. The Police Ethics Board was disbanded and in mid 2012 police were used to meet a protest by union workers on the streets of Brisbane. While there was no reported violence, there were three police officers for every protester present. The show of overwhelming police force was demoralising to the protest and confronting for the public.
Carter's family values also turned out to be of a more fundamentalist bent. Church leaders, formerly welcomed into political discussions, were suddenly marginalised.
As is stands now:
Politics: After twenty years of stability Queensland has been put into new hands. A whole generation has grown up with no need to question the honesty of their leaders, now they are confronted with a stereotypical politician. Whether Carter Burke will lead the state back into the bad old days of corruption, or that his radical conservatism is what is required in these times of uncertainty has yet to be decided.
Police: The Police force is massive and well funded, with 20 year history of being incorruptible. However recent across the board pay cuts for officers and the disbanding of the Police Ethics Board may allow corruption a new foothold in the force.
Underworld: For the last twenty years the police have been powerful and efficient. Open crime has been eradicated. What organised crime still exists is underground, vicious and efficient. Criminals with any hope of longevity cannot afford mistakes and do not suffer fools. It is rumoured that most organised crime in the state is managed from inside prisons.
Street: The gap between rich and poor has never been wider, and the life on the street never harder. The police have perfected the moving along of the destitute and homeless to keep city streets neat. The poor have been herded into industrial estates where they are out of sight and mind. With social services recently being slashed and the police becoming more forceful, pressure is building in these ghettos. Where it will be released nobody knows.
High Society: The rich have benefited greatly from decades of prosperity and the latest regime promises to continue that prosperity, at least for the one percent. They relax in their riverside apartments, meet at their exclusive clubs and dine at $10,000 a plate fund raisers. Still the economy is not what it once was, who knows what the rich might be forced to do to stay on top.
Church: The church has enjoyed great prominence over the last twenty years but now they are on the outer with the state. Do they throw in with the black and white, fundamental conservatism of the new government, or do they oppose them as a moral alternative? The churches need to choose a side and make a stand or risk becoming irrelevant.
Finance, Industry and Transport: Finance and industry are shrinking. Unions are reacting and meeting resistance. Brisbane is a transport hub for the state and that will not change in the near future, still the economic downturn and rising fuel prices places pressure even here.
Information for New Players
Rules of the Club
Beyond the Sunset is an Incorporated Not for Profit organisation. The Club is governed by a set of Articles of Incorporation, By Laws and Policies. It is highly recommended that all members familiarise themselves with the rules of our club. Below are some of the policies that frequently come into play.
Jargon
We love new players. Come along and we will do our best to make sure you have a fun night. Whether you're new the Club, new to roleplaying, new to Live Action Role Playing (LARP), or an old member that has decided to come back and take a look at what's new and what's stayed the same, we are trilled to have you along!
The Club has some jargon that can be daunting to new people, so here's a quick run down of some of the things you might come across:
| Jargon | English |
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| IC | In Character |
| OOC | Out of Character |
| MET | Minds Eye Theatre. The LARP rules printed by White Wolf. The Camarilla use all printed MET rulesets. As there is no MET book for Forsaken at present, the Camarilla uses the MET World of Darkness book with the Table Top Werewolf: the Forsaken book. Players should check the Camarilla Addenda for any custom rules that have been created to tweak to rules for the Camarilla's Global Chronicle. |
| MST | Master Storyteller. Global Storyteller at the top of our Storytelling chain |
| GST | Genre Storyteller. They manage all the games of a given genre across the country |
| DST | Domain Storyteller. The person that brings all the VSTs of all the genres run in Brisbane to ensure that there is continuity between each of the games. |
| VC | Venue Coordinator. The person that organizes the venue, collects the money, is responsible for making sure everything is clean and locked up. If you have a real world issue - such as where are the toilets, or having concerns about game, the VC is the person to go to |
| VST | Venue Storyteller. The person that runs the game! |
| AVST | The VST's Assistant |
Character Creation Guidelines
Here you will find various fun things to help you design a PC for play in the sanctioned chronicle. We encourage well thought out concepts which create story and are inclusive and active in nature. The ST's and other players would love to hear about your ideas and you never know how your idea may take on a life of its own and suddenly plot is born! Why write a solitary character when you could have an entire family?
Concepts which are disruptive are not necesarily discouraged, although please DON'T write in your background that you are a Diablerist/Pure Spy/Servant of the Abyss unless you don't mind getting caught and whacked by PC's.
Character Development Document This document has a list of short answer questions that are designed to help you refine you concept and bring to life your new persona. You don't have to use it all, but there are some damn fine ideas and questions in it. The more work you put in the more you get out!
Due to the work involved with completing this document, you will get extra XP awarded to the character you complete it for.
This is not to say you must be a master wordsmith, rather attention to detail and consideration of a fully rounded persona rather than a 2D Archetype. Remember no one is good at everything and characters with flaws are much more interesting than a perfect "ubermench".
Background Links
If you would like your character to have visited Brisbane or be a part of its history this is welcomed and even encouraged. Please contact the VST with your ideas and suggestions and we'll work to make your character part of our history. There are many roles and "events" which would be far more entertaining if they were populated by player characters. If you wish to have a background link with one of the characters listed here, don't hesitate to contact the player and/or the VST. The aim here is to bring the city to life and create fun inter-character links world wide. There are a couple of caveats.
- 1. What do you want/need and why ?
- 2. How will this come into game and create fun?
There's not much point to it, if it's hidden. What's the point of painting a picture then hiding it. The aim is to create fun plot and character driven interactions for our chronicle either now or in the future.
The VST, DST and players welcome you to approach us and offer suggestions to improve and enrich the chronicle for all of us.
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