[Other] Washington by Night (Vampire: the Requiem)

[ProjectMoon]

Applications are now closed. Thank you.

Washington by Night One century ago, the Carthians set up a vampiric democracy in Washington, D.C. as an experiment. They believed that, like mortals, the Kindred could put aside their differences and unite to form something great. This experiment lasted for 50 years before devolving into a democracy in name only. Today, the Invictus control the government in a feudal manner, as has been the way of the Kindred for hundreds of years. There is a government formed of a President (Prince), Vice President (Seneschal/Herald), and the Cabinet (Primogen/other offices). Additionally, there is the House of Representatives (regents). Unofficially, there is also what has come to be known as the Senate, composed of the leaders of each clan (Prisci). The Senate isn’t actually part of the government, but they are very influential. Since the city’s founding, the Invictus have held the true power in DC. Originally, the vampire society there was feudal. In the early 1900s, Carthians began to flock to the city as the target for a democratic society of vampires. The Carthians started, for lack of better terms, a revolution. The feudal society was ended and democracy took its place around 1910. The Invictus played things smart and twisted the democracy to their advantage. Today, they have regained power. The last time the President changed was when the previous one mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s. The allegedly democratic government has passed a series of laws to keep themselves and their allies in power and deny others the opportunity to rise up in Kindred society. This is not to say that there aren’t powerful personalities from other covenants. The Lancea Sanctum has a powerful presence as tenuous allies of the Invictus. The Carthians command much popular support as they call for the return of true democracy. Why doesn’t the government just oust the Carthians? They must maintain the appearance of democracy. To kill off or exile the Carthians would break that illusion. The Invictus of DC prefer to remain in power through underhanded means, keeping a tenuous peace, rather than risk all-out war. But that peace is unraveling. The Carthians spread propaganda against the Invictus-controlled government. The government puts out propaganda calling the Carthians a threat to the stability and safety of the domain. The characters were Embraced because of this political unrest, but each character’s sire has his/her own motives for doing so.

This is a Vampire: the Requiem game in the New World of Darkness. The game will primarily focus on the conflict between the Invictus and Carthians. VII and the vampires of Baltimore are a large secondary plot. There are any number of tertiary plots, such as werewolves, the Circle of the Crone, and Belial’s Brood.

Quick info:

• Starting at neonate (i.e. no bonus experience points).
• Characters will be starting the game just Embraced.
• The setting is nWoD (Vampire: the Requiem), not oWoD (Vampire: The Masquerade).
• Books allowed: Only the core nWoD book and VtR book. I do not have any other books.
• Bloodlines: Bloodlines are allowed, but if it’s something that doesn’t make sense for the DC area, then you need to come up with a good reason as to why that bloodline has presence there.
• Prelude: Each character will have a prelude detailing the last moments of their life up until their Embrace. While the preludes are going on, it will give us time to sort out coterie, motivations, etc.
• Sires: I would prefer players leave sires mostly undefined. If you really want to, you can define some qualities of your sire.
• Roleplay/combat ratio: My d20 games on this site tend towards heavy roleplay, and with the White Wolf system, this will be even more true. There will be combat of course, but expect a lot of interaction.

Questions/Answers:

• Am I willing to take on players with low post counts? Yes, if you have a good application (same as any other player).
• What if I have never played Vampire/nWoD/White Wolf? Yes. I am willing to work with people who have never played VtR or White Wolf. The rules are pretty simple.
• Can I be part of the Circle of the Crone? Yes, but don’t be surprised if your character gets executed if you’re discovered!
• Are bloodlines from the bloodline books allowed? Only bloodlines from the core VtR book are allowed, as that's the only book I have.
• Can I decide my clan during the prelude instead of putting it on the application now? Yes.

Applications:

• Name
• Gender
• Clan/Bloodline
• Covenant
• Age
• Religious Beliefs
• Personality
• Region: where your character lived before the Embrace. Do you live in DC or one of the surrounding areas? Are you a tourist who got unlucky?
• Occupation (before Embrace)
• Immediate Family/Friends: doesn’t need to be detailed. Just names, ages, and possibly (very) short physical descriptions.
• Current events at time of embrace: what was your character doing when he/she was Embraced? This is in a general, overarching sense--projects or conflicts your character was involved in. This isn’t “I was sitting in McDonald’s and a vampire attacked me.”
• Background: needs to be detailed enough to give me a sense of your character, but I don’t need your character’s life story.

Setting:

 

Most of the setting info is in the introduction. But here is some more specific stuff.

Population
Total Area Population: 1,076,522
Vampires / Mortal Ratio: 1 : 10,000
Total Vampire Population: 107 permanent residents, 50 - 70 visitors at any given time.

Regions
DC and the surrounding regions are dominated either by the Invictus or Carthian covenants. Each neighborhood and town falls under their sway. The balance of power is delicate, and though the Invictus control the presidency and most of the vampiric congress, they cannot simply kick the Carthians out or revert back to the previous form of government. Democracy, or at least the illusion of democracy, must be maintained lest an all-out war begin.

Each region is represented by a congressman in the House of Representatives. These congressmen are effectively regents in their regions. The current set of laws gives each representative great leeway in how they control the area they represent. They can control feeding grounds, prosecute criminals (with the help of a local Sheriff), etc.

DC Regions: Wards 1 - 8.
Other Regions: Bethesda, Arlington, Fairfax, College Park, Bethesda, Wheaton, Suitland,. Potomac

 

The Lancea Sanctum believes vampires are creatures ordained by God. Their divine origin gives them the right to prey upon mortals.

DC and Maryland have traditionally been dominated by the Lancea Sanctum when it comes to religion. When Maryland was but a colony, the Lancea Sanctum ruled with the Invictus. That allegiance has become more tenuous over time, with the Lancea Sanctum power base moving to Baltimore.

Bishop Robert Lawrence is the Secretary of Religious Affairs in Washington and the leader of the Lancea Sanctum in the domain. He is effectively a regent like the congressmen of the House, controlling the territory around the National Cathedral. 70% of Vampires in Washington officially claim to believe in the Lancea Sanctum, although only about 50% of those regularly attend Midnight Mass.

The Lancea Sanctum constantly reminds the Invictus in power that they are the only true vampiric religion. The Sanctum barely tolerates the existence of the Ordo Dracul in the domain, and is in outright war with the Circle of the Crone. The Sanctum’s influence has caused members of the Circle of the Crone to be banned from the domain.

Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore exerts great influence over the actions of the Lancea Sanctum in Washington, with Bishop Lawrence reporting directly to him. Baltimore is controlled by the Lancea Sanctum, with the official name of the domain being “the Diocese of Baltimore.” They have strong ties to the Invictus of DC, dating from Colonial times.

 

The Ordo Dracul is the second largest religious group in Washington with a minority presence, espousing the belief that vampirism is a condition that can be understood and overcome. The covenant claims they have about 20 adherents among the permanent residents in DC. The Lancea Sanctum tolerates the covenant’s presence, although they do not get along. Their presence is tolerated because of a few benefits they have brought to the domain in furthering the understanding of the vampiric condition.

 

Because of Lancea Sanctum influence, the Circle of the Crone is outright banned in DC. The propaganda of those in power paints the Circle as heretics that have strange beliefs and stranger powers. They are said to be a part of Belial’s Brood. This propaganda has spread throughout the DC and Baltimore areas, ensuring that members of the Circle of the Crone almost never get to the nation’s capital. Those that do and are discovered are executed.

 

Belial’s Brood is a loose group of satanists and devil worshipers that believe vampires are creatures straight from hell. In the DC area, this covenant is often confused with the Circle of the Crone because of propaganda. The Brood come to the forefront every few decades before being stomped out of existence again. Tonight, there is a growing influx of Belial’s Brood vampires in the DC region. Many are fleeing the Lancea Sanctum in Baltimore.

 

VII has a minority presence in the domain as basically a sleeper cell of terrorists. They proclaim to be bringing about salvation, believing that the Lancea Sanctum are the real heretics and that God’s plan is to exterminate vampirism from existence. VII is not the name the group gives themselves, but rather the name given by the rest of vampiric society. No one seems to know where VII comes from or their true motives.

Current Applications:

• Donovan Spencer - Mekhet - Security guard unsure of his future.
• Calvin Norris - Unknown - Introverted PI willing to take illicit jobs.
• Max Decker - Nosferatu or Malkovian - Unlucky paralegal from Boston.
• Finn Heinlegen - Mekhet - Self-Destructive tattoo artist.
• John Wickham - Unknown - Aspiring author who works as a night auditor.
• Valerie Robinson - Ventrue - Ambitious political assistant who masks insecurities with ruthlessness.

[Anon315]

Interest. Posting it. Application to come after I dig my book out and read it. You said bloodlines allowed, but only core books. Are bloodlines from the bloodline books allowed then?

[ProjectMoon]

Only bloodlines from the core VtR book are allowed, as that's the only book I have.

[Stormhammer]

I got excited for a moment hoping this was a Masquerade game. Shoot.

[sammichweasel]

Modern world... mind if I do a Boston import? I don't want to try a native of D.C., as I don't have the time to sit down and research local culture and the like.

[ProjectMoon]

Originally Posted by Stormhammer

I got excited for a moment hoping this was a Masquerade game. Shoot.

Unfortunately, I don't have the Masquerade books. I had never even heard of Vampire before Requiem. But you're still welcome (encouraged, even) to apply. If it's an issue of not knowing the rules for Requiem I can help you with that.

Originally Posted by sammichweasel

Modern world... mind if I do a Boston import? I don't want to try a native of D.C., as I don't have the time to sit down and research local culture and the like.

You could be a Bostonian visiting DC and then get turned into a vampire. That way it would give you a way to discover DC (Internet RPGs about blood-sucking creatures of the night = reliable source of information).

[sammichweasel]

Hey, my only other source of knowledge on the city is Fallout 3. This might be better.

[Anon315]

Originally Posted by ProjectMoon

You could be a Bostonian visiting DC and then get turned into a vampire. That way it would give you a way to discover DC (Internet RPGs about blood-sucking creatures of the night = reliable source of information).

They are actually, I learned quite a bit about Seattle while playing in a nWoD cross-platform game. We had a regular "being human" thing going on. Mage dating a werewolf, room mates with a... I forget what my roommate was. Not a mage or a werewolf. Maybe a vamp but I doubt it. Might've been a vanilla mortal.

[c12sprint]

Name: Donovan Spencer
Gender: Male
Clan/Bloodline: Mekhet
Age: 22

Religious Beliefs: Raised Christian, but is currently unsure of how he feels about it

Personality: Donovan loves to solve crimes. That's what he tells himself anyway. Most crimes he solves are on tv shows or in books he reads, but he is sure that given the right chance he could do that just as well as they do. Donovan likes going out with friends on occasion but sometimes finds that he has matured a bit faster then they have. They like to go clubbing, and he feels that it's just not his thing.

Region: Bethesda
Occupation (before Embrace): Security Guard

Immediate Family/Friends: Naomi Harrison (21)- Donovan's love interest. They went to high school together and Donovan has always secretly had a crush on her. She currently sees Donovan as the big brother type.
Derrick Spencer (26) - Donovan's older brother. Thinks his brother is wasting his time and will never be anything more than a security guard.
Hannah Spencer (17) - Donovan's little sister. In her last year of high school. Has always looked to Donovan to as an adviser and protector.
Joseph and Julie Spencer - Donovan's parents. Try to be supportive of all their children, but believe that Donovan needs to find his own way

Current events at time of embrace: It was another quiet night at the Air and Space Museum. Donovan's company had been lowest bidder this year and had secured the rights to staff the night security. Donovan had done everything there was to do. Seen everything there was to see. That left the boring part. Hourly foot patrols were to be done by one of the crew of 3 assigned to watch that particular building. As luck would have it, Donovan drew the next watch. He sighed as he adjusted his belt and put on his official security hat. "I'm starting to think you guys rigged the watch drawings. I've drawn the last 3." He shook his head as he left the room, their laughter behind the closing door let him know he'd been right.

Background: Life after high school wasn't what Donovan expected. His parents asked him to move out before the next January. Something about a life lesson and needing to learn to live on his own. It hadn't mattered though. He had tried to sign up for the Criminal Justice courses at George Washington University only to find that he couldn't afford to go. Not yet anyway. Naomi wouldn't let him give up though. She told him that things would come in time if he just stayed the course.

Following a tip from a friend of his father, Donovan signed on with a security group in Bethesda. His background was completely clean and they were hiring a bunch of people. Their plan was to put in a bid for a museum in D.C. within a couple years and they knew they needed a solid group of individuals that they could trust. Donovan has worked with them for 2 years now and is starting to wonder if this job is really going to get him where he wants to go.

[sammichweasel]

One last question before digging into the meat of my app - newly embraced, right? So we don't really have a handle on the vampiric political scene yet? IE, pick bloodline, but leave affiliation for later?

[ProjectMoon]

Originally Posted by sammichweasel

One last question before digging into the meat of my app - newly embraced, right? So we don't really have a handle on the vampiric political scene yet? IE, pick bloodline, but leave affiliation for later?

Yeah, probably. I mean, you can formulate where you want to go but in the beginning you won't have any idea about the politics.

[ProjectMoon]

Originally Posted by Anon315

They are actually, I learned quite a bit about Seattle while playing in a nWoD cross-platform game. We had a regular "being human" thing going on. Mage dating a werewolf, room mates with a... I forget what my roommate was. Not a mage or a werewolf. Maybe a vamp but I doubt it. Might've been a vanilla mortal.

It was more sarcasm than anything else. I'm familiar enough with the DC area that it should be fairly realistic. Although admittedly I haven't lived inside the beltway in at least 15 years.

I actually considered a cross-system game for a bit, but I think focusing specifically on vampires for this go-around is the best. A Being Human-type game does sound pretty fun though. It just has to be pulled off correctly.

[Anon315]

Teehee, I came up with my idea. In the wake of a recent scandal, my character will have been dismissed from an organization that rhymes with "secret service", and subsequently embraced Daeva.

EDIT: And yeah, it's kinda funny when your girlfriend shifts to combat something, and you look at her and go "Oh, well that's new" instead of fleeing like a normal human. It kinda helped that I had Huge Size and was a life mage, so I could hold my own in a fight.

[saratek187]

You wouldn't have been saying that with oWoD with its lack of balance.

While I would normally apply to this, I sold my WoD/VtR books recently for some extra cash given the absolutely lack of interest such games seemed to have here. I knew something like this was going to happen, so its just ironically humorous now.

Good luck with your game, Project. You do good stuff and I know whoever makes it into your game with enjoy it.

[Anon315]

I would have, Saratek. I simplified, my Celestial Chorister mage was dating a Bastet. :P And I was living with a Gangrel, now that I recall it.