A World in Darkness

Author's Note: I want every and all suggestions you have. Period.
If it's unclear, let me know. If I missed something, let me know. If you disagree with something, let me know. Also, some of this is written vaguely in character, so excuse those slips. I've been doing this since the game came out, so I do make some leaps of logic.

Opening Shot, For Experienced WoD Players: While we do run our game in White Wolf's books and worlds, it ain't identical. Thusly, don't assume something you read in such-and-such book applies in our game. And, as with all other things: ask the Storytellers if you have the least doubt.
(Conversely, as we are changing things to fit our preferences, you may not want to use facts learned in our Larp as canon in other Larps. Quid pro quo.)

The Camarilla: The political and social body to which most vampires of the New World belong. Formed almost 600 years ago in Europe, it is based on a system of laws to hide vampiric existence from the eyes of mortals; these laws are known as The Traditions, the system of hiding their existence is called the Masquerade.

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Clan Brujah: This clan was once comprised of philosophers, scientists, and learned men. No longer. Centuries of supression have turned them into rebels and punks, anarchic upstarts who rebel for the sake of rebelling. The Brujah often get the short end of the stick in the Camarilla, blamed for the Anarchs, the Caitiff, the Sabbat, and many other problems. Some of which were even their fault. However, they are full Camarilla members, and even bear the cross of responsiblity with their natural opponents, the Ventrue.

Clan Gangrel: This is a Clan of loners, people more at home in the wilderness in the midst of nature's lap than in the cities attending conclaves and meetings. They have been called the backbone of the Camarilla, a sly comment contrasting their social reluctance with their stalwart natures. Normally, very few can be found in a city, and that number is in a constant state of flux. However, they are almost without exception on great terms with their clan members, and have allies on command that cannot be ignored.

Clan Malkavian: There's no nice way to say it: the Malkavians are insane. The madness carried in their blood affects each differently, and combined with their propensity for embracing deranged humans, this makes any generalization of the Malkavians automatically invalid. They can only be dealt with as a group of strong-minded and, um, "diverse" individuals.

Clan Nosferatu: While most vampires carry their inner monster nature inside and wear a pleasing countenance, the Nosferatu suffer the reverse. Most have completely horrible faces, that even hardened Brujah dare not look at. (This is mostly covered up by their talents at Obfuscation. Mostly.) Probably as a result of their shared outcast state, they clan has the best infrastructure, and all of them are very loyal to each other. Very very loyal.

Clan Toreador: The perennial oppsite of the Nosferatu, the Toreadors pride themselves on their looks and their art. This socialite clan has set itself up as the purveyors of the art (and artists) of the world. This clan, is second only to the Ventrue in their support of the Camarilla, especially its prestation system of boons. They usually embrace only the most beautiful of mortals. They are also one of the most cutthroat of clans, dealing in society morays instead of fighting on the streets like ruffians.

Clan Tremere: This group of sorcerous vampires was founded when mortal wizards seeking immortality diabolized another clan and completely destroyed them. The newly founded Camarilla declared war on them, but made peace later when they needed the Tremere's strength to stop the Anarch revolts. They are tightly-knit and loyal, two traits only surpassed by their secretiveness and their knowledge of all things magical.

Clan Ventrue: Every sect must have its leaders, people willing to take on the responsibilites of being in charge in exchange for the power that is the reward. This is the job of the Ventrue, the vampire aristocracy. A job they have held since the forming of the Camarilla, and they are likely to keep it. The majority of Princes come from this clan.

In population, the clans run something like this, from largest to smallest: Brujah, Toreador, Ventrue, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Tremere.

Now this is a bit of a sticky wicket. The Camrilla is very hierarchical, very structured, but just as with American government, it's often a question of local versus overall jurisdiction.

Let's start small: The city. The Prince is the ruler of a city, usually the oldest or most powerful vampire in the area. All owe her respect and deference, for she is the law and the face of the Camarilla.

The Prince is ideally supported by the Primogen Council, a group of the eldest or most powerful vampires, one from each Clan. I say ideally because there is a strange power balance between the Prince and the Primogen, one that varies from city to city. In some, the Prince is in command, with the Primogen as de facto servants enforcing her will. In other places, the Council acts like a board of directors, with the Prince as their enforcer. Again, everything depends on the current situation. In any circumstance, the Primogen are usually the heads of their Clans as well, and therefore responsible for those members as well. They are also due a certain amount of respect for their position.

Other offices have been created to aide the Prince's grip on the city. The Keeper of Elysium, or more vulgarly, the Sherriff, is charged with the enforcement of the Masquerade, and also aiding the Prince in such matters. A Regent or Seneschal is charged with ruling the city while the Prince is out of town. But all of these titles are optional, things left on the books until needed.

When the Prince needs help maintaining order, the Camarilla has provided recourses for help. There are seven Justicars of the Camarilla, one for each clan. These ancient and powerful kindred are not bound by the Traditions (except The Masquerade) and charged with one thing: defending the Camarilla from all threats, internal and external. However, the Justicars cannot do it alone, so they have a number of Kindred helping them. These Archons, while not as powerful as their Justicars, still hold more status than most vampires, and can freely travel, as well as being partially free from Kindred law (though again, not as much as the Justicars.) Archons act as enforcers as well as point men, scouting out an area to see if further help is needed.

The entire Camarilla itself is ruled by The Inner Circle, a council of seven vampires (yes, one from each clan.) They make decisions in their power seat in Europe. These are the only people that the Justicars need answer to. They are the ones that make the grand policy decisions, and rule from their old castles in seclusion.

The structure changes greatly over the Atlantic ocean. In America, someone with creativity and energy can get ahead geratly. But as one moves up the Camarilla ladder and closer to Europe, things get harder. There age rules instead of energy, and there is little hope of advancement past one's station.

So the Camarilla system works, for the most part, as the Prince decides to run it. Most kinderd never deal with the Camarilla outside their city, and have no reason to. Should higher-ups be called in, it is time to clean up and look nice, lest you get noticed.

The Sabbat: Well. Where to start. The Sabbat formed out of the seeds of the Anarch revolt. On October 23, 1493, the Convention of Thorns was signed, ending the war between the anarchs and the older generations. However, some refused to accept what seemed to them as surrender. They declared war on the Antidiluvians and their pawns (i.e., everyone else, especially the Camarilla.) The war between the Camarilla and the Sabbat has been fought on every continent and in every age since.

One of the key tenets of the Sabbat is freedom. They refuse to accept control by anyone. This issue has many facets, and for every problem it appears to solve, a few more questions are raised.

Rumored features of the Sabbat: It is pretty common knowledge that the Sabbat has a few of the older clans that did not join the Camarilla; also, many Sabbat bloodlines are unique. The Sabbat has a military fanatic wing called the Black Hand, a group of assassins without peer.

The Others:

The Assamites: A clan of assassins from the Middle East. After they turned their talents against the Elders in the Middle Ages, the nascent Camarilla punished them by having the Tremere put a curse on the Assamites, who have never since been able to drink Kindred blood.

Clan Giovanni: The Giovanni are remarkable, if for no other reason, then that they only embrace members of their own family, their own mortal descendants. Very little else is actually known about these Italian businessmen, other than whispers about their powers of necromancy, the path of the dead.

The Followers of Set: The Setites are one of the Clans who do not believe themselves descended from Caine; instead, they believe their progenitor to be Set, the God of Darkness. This claim aside, they dedicate themselves to evil and corruption, in both the Kindred and mortal worlds alike.

The Anarchs: Not actually a clan, or a sect, but rather a movement. The Anarchs oppose the Sabbat and the Camarilla, rejecting rule by a select few and basically believing in a self-supporting anarchy. This view is embraced by the Caitiff, the Brujah, and other lower members of society with very little to lose. The Anarchs have made one stride in America, founding the Anarch Free States in California. They are marked by the Camarilla as a threat not as serious as the Sabbat, but always something to be watched and opposed.

The Inconnu: The Inconnu exists as much in conjecture and rumor as it does in reality. It is purported to be a collective of powerful Elder kindred who have broken free from the Jyhad war between the Camarilla and the Sabbat. They cloak themselves in silent secrecy, and are supposed to have watchers in most major cities, keeping track of Inconnu interests and looking for prospective members. Another commonplace rumor is that they follow a part seeking to unify their vampiric and their human natures, and thusly achieve some sort of peace. This last bit causes more Inconnu searches than anything else; the promise of peace to eternally tortured souls is a powerful one.

Caitiff: And finally, the Caitiff. Every society has those outcasts that do not fit in, and that it where the Caitiff lie. They differ from the Anarchs in that the Anarchs want to change things, want to break down the Camarilla and the Sabbat. The Caitiff know that neither side cares about them, and they return the favor. These clanless nobodies are usually abandoned by their Sires, and live without the protection of the Camarilla. Thsoe that survive for long do so by their wits alone.
There are some powerful kindred that, believing their personal power surpasses their clans, declare themselves seperate from their clan. These pretenders usually do not last long, and very few people mourn them, for fear of association.

The blood is the life...
Nothing is more essential to the vampire than its blood. It is their source of power, their food, drink, and air. But it is also their drug, feeding the beast within.
One of the rumors amongst the Kindred is that as a vampire gets older, it cannot support itself on just human blood (just like try as they might, most vampires cannot feed solely on animals.) And as a vampire gets more and more ancient, Kindred blood is the only thing that will sustain it.
While feeding from humans is usually a safe bet, does pose certain problems. For instance, drinking from an intoxicated or high person will produce the approximation of the same condition in the vampire. Humans have potential in their blood, and this potential can also do weird things to the unwary kindred that feeds off of it. For instance, some reports say that feeding off a human possessing psychic powers can induce an LSD-like hallucinogenic state. But feeding off one of the Werewolves can transfer some of the beast's rage and power into the vampire's heart often more than the vampire can handle.

When a vampire suffers the Final Death, its body will turn to dust when the next sunrise happens, regardless of where the body is. This evolutionary supernatural edge has helped maintain the Masquerade throughout the centuries.

Bloodlines: While the number of Clans is fixed (not quite known, but definately fixed,) there are countless bloodlines. These vampires can trace themselves back to one ancestor who, somehow, managed to set themselves apart from their progenitor clan. Some do this by the development of a new discipline: the Daughters of Cacophany raised their vocal talents to supernatural levels, for example. Their children all contain the propensity to learn the new discipline. Others simply act in a manner in contradiction to their clanmates, and are eventually set apart. The Tremere in the Sabbat are a drastic example of this (as are most of the Sabbat lines with Camarilla counterparts.) The rarest classification, however, are the leftovers from Clans that were in the past destroyed. Those final few members of the Salubri Clan, long ago supplanted by the Tremere, stand as examples.

The Blood Bond: When a vampire drinks the blood of another vampire three times, a Blood Bond will form. The thrall (the one who is bonded) will feel something close to love for their regnant (the one who has bound the other.) They will want to protect the regnant, and see that the regnant is happy and served well. Note that this may not always be obvious. And the thrall will not cross the regnant, and will never attack them.

The Blood Bond is one of the mainstays of Kindred society, because it is almost unbreakable. It is virtually the perfect form of control; hard to detect, and hard to eliminate when discovered. There are rumors that there are high level Thaumaturgical rituals that can accomplish it, but the only one that most people believe is that the Sabbat can break the bond. No one knows how, and most people don't want to. The threat doesn't seem worth it.

There is a line of thought concerning the 'mutual' Blood Bond, that two people can drink each other's blood three times, and thereby be free from any other blood bonds. However, this is rarely effective. It would have to be done at the exact same instant, and even if it was timed perfectly, there are a multitude of minor factors that could interfere (Generational difference, bloodline potency, etc.) And that is all before considering if the person you are bonding with is trustworthy enough (if they are already bonded to someone else, for instance.) And there is also the thought that you might not want to be tied to this person for eternity. Things change, and rapidly.

The Sabbat claim that the Blood Bond is one of the worst forms of control that the earth has seen. They believe that the Antidiluvians are using ancient bonds to control the Clans and the Camarilla completely, even into the present day. Whether or not they're right will never be known.

On Ghouls: If a vampire gives its blood to a mortal, and the mortal drinks this blood, the mortal has become a Ghoul. The Ghoul is more powerful than the average human, and as long as it has a constant supply of vampiric blood, will not age or die. The ghoul is also stronger and more powerful than the average mortal, and can, with time, learn Kindred disciplines as well. (Animals can also be ghouled, but this is an uncommon occurance, usually done only by Gangrel or Nosferatu.)

Diablerie: The ultimate vampiric sin. Diablerie consists of drinking another vampire's blood to the point of death, then finishing the job by consuming their souls. It leaves black stains on the vampire's aura, which can never be removed.

Neonate: These are newly-made kindred. Not yet fully versed in the rules and structures of the Camarilla, they have one advantage: their sire is held responsible for their actions, not them.

Ancillae: Once a Kindred has proven themselves to the other Camarilla of the city, they are accepted as peers and equals (well, that's what they say, anyways.) The vampire is now responsible for their own actions, and expected to do their part in supporting the Camarilla and upholding the Masquerade.

Elder: There is no set age when one becomes an elder. It's almost a function of maturity as the passage of time. However, it is also represented in the respect that the vampire is accorded by their peers and younger neonates.

Methuselah: These powerful vampires for the most part are so old that they cannot sustain themselves on human blood alone, and must feed off of Kindred. Having existed for over a thousadnd years has given them vast powers, but at a price: they cannot stay active consistently, and must sleep in torpor for the majority of their lives. But when one awakens, all who hear of it hide from the wrath of the sleeper.

Antidiluvian: These are the most ancient of vampires, the founders of the clans. Whispers say that they manipulate their descendants in some vast secret war against each other; this is the Jyhad that the Sabbat claims as its opponent (though the truly conspiracy-minded simply say the Sabbat are all part of the Jyhad too.)

Werewolves: The Werewolves are a very real threat. They rule the wilderness as the vampires rule the cities. And their physical power is much greater than their average Kindred counterpart. This doesn't mix well with the fact that all werewolves seem to hate all vampires. They keep us in our cities as we keep them in their wilderness, with very little crossing over the battle lines on either side.

The Mages: Contradictory reports surround the mages. Elders remember the Houses and traditions of the Middle Ages, but history stragely remains silent. But despite the gaping holes in the theory, seemingly average humans have been performing magic, in secret and in groups, throughout history. And hunters have been aided by mystical backup as well, if from a seemingly hermetic background or from holy sources. As with most things supernatural, the Tremere are the experts here, considering their history is a direct link to it.

Ghosts: Enough evidence has been gathered by the Giovanni and other such mages to point to some sort of life after death. Ghosts are usually tied to a place or a thing that meant something to them in life. (It is unknown whether or not a vampire can be the grounding for a spectre, but it is possible.)

Spirits: Not to be confused with ghosts, these are the embodiement of natural forces. This is even more suspect than the ghost theory of course. But some powerful mages can call on the power of the land itself, sometimes as elementals, sometimes as totems, to acheive something in our material world.

Faeries: And the last is the real problem child. Every now and then, some being comes along claiming to be a faerie from days of old and wreaks some havoc before departing. Whether or not this is a faerie is never determined, and may defy examination. More likely these are insane mages with too much control of the environment. If faeries, as these being claim, left this world for their true home, then there would be some record, or the ancients would have remembered such an event. but no such evidence exists.

The particular migratory habits of the Kindred are easy to predict. Vampires feed off humans, humans congregate in the cities, ergo, vampires follow the food source. To preserve the Masquerade, vampires must also spread out their eating habits, so the more humans there are around, the better. This applies even to Gangrel, who are depressed the worst by being forced to stay in or near cities. The other factor keeping the Kindred in the cities is the Werewolves, who rule the wilderness. Any Kindred planning on extended travel must take extra precautions if they value their unlives.

The United States:
"All of Gaul is divided into three parts..." and the same holds true for the United States. The majority of the nation, including the political power, is held by the Camarilla. The notable exceptions are the northeast, which is almost entirely Sabbat-controlled, as is the Mexican border, and the west coast, which was lost to the anarchs towards the beginning of this century. Exceptions do apply, and the Sabbat are always on the move, while the anarchs constantly hide in the dark alleys of every city. New York has been under Sabbat control for almost a half-century now, much to the Toreador's dismay. And after the fall of Boston, Washington DC, the most valued city, has become the last stronghold for the Camarilla on the border.

North America: The rest of North America is pretty easy. Mexico City was taken decades ago by the Sabbat, and now the rumors hold that it has become their capital. Most of Northern Mexico is either non-Camarilla or Sabbat-controlled. Canada's major cities are held by the Camarilla, for the most part, but that leaves a lot of territory. Some theorize that this is where the werewolves are centered, in the vast uninhabited lands. The Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean is controlled by no one; there is no foreign force strong enough to unite them, and the Setites, the most powerful group in Haiti, seems to feel no need to overtake the rest of the islands.

Europe: The cradle of Western civilization. The current situation (the history would take too too long) is that the Camarilla is in complete command of all of western Europe. France, long the flower of the Toreadors, is thought by most to be the cultural center of the undead. England, long contested between countless clans, was wrested by the Ventrue. Germany is much more cosmopolitan in nature, seemingly handed over to younger generations after the occupation was ended. One of the most known cities abroad is Vienna, the headquarters of the Tremere; no one enters Austria without their knowledge (if not their written permission.) Russia, long under Camarilla control, has suffered under much turmoil for the past ten or so years; the upcoming elections will have ramifications in our world as well. Camarilla power erodes as you head south and east; Eastern Europe is held by the same elders that ruled it before the founding of the Camarilla, and they're not likely to go anywhere anytime soon. Italy, for example, is still broken up into small city-states, much like the Middle Ages, most held by the Camarilla, but more than a couple (including Rome) under Giovanni control. As one gets closer to the Mediterranean shores, things get a little more hectic, also.

The Middle East: Constantly torn by conflict, and no one can ever explain why. Just as the Middle East is the cradle of humanity, it is also the cradle of the Kindred. Ancient Carthage once stood on these grounds, and Nod lies to the east. Now war rules, and this has kept any large sect from ruling the area. Many independant groups are found here, and ghouls war during the day while their masters do at night.

Africa: Until this century, vast expanses of Africa went largely unpopulated; this kept the vampires at bay, having no ready feeding grounds. Northern African Camarilla Princes never made headway into the dark heart, being pushed back by Kindred who retreated to have their privacy as well as the werewolves and their allies. The constant infighting has left a lot of the continent like the Middle East, with the real rulers being whoever has the biggest gang in this area.

Asia:Much like Africa, the majority of Asia has remained free from Kindred influence, simply for its lack of signifigant population. Soviet ports like Archangelesk may boast one or two kindred, but usually little more than this. The unveiling of Russia after the revolution of the early 90's showed vast tracts of land ruled by kingly werewolves, and with little reason to fight for them, the Camarilla has simply maintained its grip of the military installations and cities, and left the rest of the frozen north to their opponents.

The Orient: No sect has successfully penetrated the Silk Curtain. The Camarilla and the Sabbat have both attempted, but the setbacks they have mutually suffered implies that the mysterious supernatural forces at work in the Far East are actively resisting their intrusions. The Camarilla stronghold in Hong Kong will most likely be forced out next year when the nation returns to the protectorate of China. And Japan, one of the most capitalistic and Western of the oriental nations, has proven slow going. The greatest Kindred chronicler in that area, the Malkavian Ahab, has not been heard of in almost fifteen years. Accustaions of him "going native" are silenced by his faithful children.

Australia: As Australia is growing, so is its Kindred population. The Camarilla has the greatest influence here, but the Sabbat maintains a covert presence in almost every city. Both sides suffer the predations of the Werewolves that have travelled there also. The first Kindred who came there with the British prisomers eliminated the indigenous werewolf population, and that has left a bad image for the werewolves that came there to avenge their cousins...

Mytho-history

One fault of Kindred record-keeping and history is that being immortal, they try to hold onto the past, but the older you get, the more you idealize your youth. There seems to be a certain limit that you can trust the memories and writings of ancient vampires. The true past is lost in a swirl of dust, and covered up with lies and altered records. On with the show.

Most Kindred believe that they are descended from Caine, the cast-out son of Eden and the first murderer. Cursed by God to live outside the world of Man, he fed off the life of the living, and became the progenitor for all vampires. The generation system is a reflection of this: the Second Generation was the childer of Caine, the Third Generation (the Clan Founders, incidentally) were the grand-childer of Caine, etc.

Now this is all very nice, but it's also completely unprovable. There is no independant evidence linking all Kindred back to one all-powerful Father. Often, claims of a mystical book, The Book of Nod, surface; it's something of the missing Bible for vampires, purportedly written by Caine himself (in parts.) Again, none of these rumored works have been authenticated, despite the fact that many many kindred have dedicated their unlives to it.

Carthage, The Second City: Where to start, what to say... The First City was Caine's, a mythical time when vampires rules over humans and everything was peaceful (yeah right.) The Second City was founded by the Antidiluvians' children, who wanted to reshape the world in their progenitor's true vision. The founders were mostly Ventrue, Brujah, Malkavian, Lasombra, and Toreador. But it was the Bruha who had the dream, the vision that drove the city. It was their utopia. Now, it all worked well for a while, and the City became a place of culture and learning. That is, until the collective personalities of the clans began to clash. Most stories point to the Ventrue and the Malkavians betraying the Brujah, but regardless of the start, the result was the same: humans warring during the day and their masters at night. Either way, the city ended in flames, flames which burn in the hearts of the Brujah to this very day.
So, is this history, a fable or myth? Who can tell? It really doesn't matter at this point. Just another story.

The Anarch Wars:

Dracula: No other figure is as controversial as Vlad Dracula. Every group claims him among their number. But a few facts remain. Aside from his mortal life as a warlord and defended of the Christian Church, he was reportedly embraced. He fought for his independence from his sect (The most common belief is that he was a Tzimisces, one of the Sabbat Clans.) After years of living seperately, spending time in and out of Torpor, he joined the enigmatic Inconnu. He is noticeable as the most famous vampire because after his betrayl of the Church was uncovered, rumors began to fly, and a few hit on the truth. And if you ever try to cover up the truth, it only comes back time and again.
In the late 1800s, Dracula performed one of the greatest acts to defend the Masquerade. He convinced a museum curator to talk to Bram Stoker, thus inspiring the novel Dracula. By insinuating the ancient legends of the vampire in the thoughts of every day people, Dracula ensured that wild reports of supernatural creatures that would be sure to travel in the upcoming information era would not be believed, and to this day, we have authors like Poppy Z. Brite and Anne Rice continuing the legacy.

WoD: The World of Darkness. The worldview and paradigm in which the White Wolf Games are set. Creatures of the imagination are real, and live in a world hidden from the eyes of the masses, where politics and dark emotions are contrasted by violence and supernatural mystery.

IC: In Character. How you act in the game, portraying your character.

OOC (or rarely, OC): Out Of Character. When you are talking as a player, not a character. Usually when talking to the Storytellers.

NPC: Non-player characters. Usually portrayed by the Storytellers.

College Park By Night

Paul M. M. Jacobus (vampire@access.digex.net)