Vampire: The Masquerade - DC By Night

[Nicolae]

DC by Night

"Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality." -- Emily Dickinson

I'm planning on running a favorite campaign of mine from the Classic World of Darkness, heavy on roleplaying and both character development and character interaction. Ultimately, I want interesting characters with hopes, dreams, fears, flaws, and if you want, even a fetish or two. That will keep the game fresh and alive (even though the character aren't!) and keep us coming back for more.

Before you read anything else: Don't post your Character Sheet here! I want you to send me a PM containing your character sheet, typed out. My next post will contain the format I want it typed in.

And another thing: Because of the nature of Vampire: The Masquerade games, players may occasionally work against each others' purposes. This means that occasionally, In Character actions may need to be performed in secret (a secret meeting with an NPC, a secret sabotaging of another player's efforts, etc.). We will handle this via PM between the player and me, the Storyteller. If some characters want to conspire in secret from the other player characters, that is perfectly fine, as long as they include me in their PMs. If I don't see it and am not given a chance to respond, it doesn't happen In Character. It goes without saying that metagaming is not allowed.

As for the details of the game setting:

Where? Washington, DC, and the surrounding areas.

When? The game will begin with its setting in early March 2012. (The actual game will start in a week or two when I get enough good applications.)

Playable Clans? Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue are fine. Any other clan, you'll have to pitch me the idea, and they must be either Independent or Camarilla -- no Sabbat or Giovanni at the moment.

Character Ages? Your characters will be neonates, so no matter how old they were when they were Embraced, they are relatively young Kindred (less than 50 years old) who are trying to establish themselves in vampire society. They're no longer under the direct supervision of their sires, but they're still newcomers to Kindred society.

Sourcebooks allowed? We'll be using the Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, also called V20. If you want a flaw or merit out of a different book, run it by me first. Rules for building a character using the V20 ruleset can be found here. http://www.thesubnet.com/portal/wod/vtm20/index.html I HIGHLY recommend you use it. (If you want to use a clanbook, let me know.)

Paths? For now, only Humanity is available. If you have a different preference, we can work toward it in character.

Disciplines? Clan disciplines only for now. If you want to learn other disciplines, that can be handled in character.

Character Backgrounds? This should include your character's life as a mortal, their Embrace, and the activities they have pursued in their unlife. If you have a dot on your character sheet, it should make sense when I read your background. Did your character go to college (Academics)? If so, what did he or she study (various Knowledge abilities)? Do they know how to find what they need on the streets (Streetwise) or can they win a fistfight (Brawl)? Essentially, what I'm asking is that your character sheet make sense with your backstory. Don't take four dots in Firearms and have no clue when or where your character was trained to be an expert marksman. If your character was a doctor in life (and maybe still is), you should have at least four dots in Medicine (nurses should have at least two or three dots in it).

Sexual Backgrounds/Preferences? I need to know what your character's sexual orientation or preference is, whether they have been intimate with another person in the past (your character would interact differently in some situations depending on whether he or she is a virgin, moderately sexually experienced, or very sexually experienced), any fetishes they may have, and anything else you think may be relevant, especially if it is relevant to how your character would act around NPCs. Did your character have a regular romantic partner or partners before your Embrace? Did your character ever had mortal children, and if so with whom? Does your character have other sexual kinks? Is he or she an exhibitionist or a voyeur?

Religion? Did your character have religious leanings before their Embrace? Religion plays a large role in the World of Darkness, and while I honestly don't care about my players' religious leanings, their characters' religious affiliation and beliefs are important. The World of Darkness has a strange approach to religion, which is sort of that for the purposes of metaphysical contemplation (True Faith, et al.), all religions are somewhat true. If we were playing in the Dark Ages, there would be Christian vampires (especially the Lasombra) and Muslim vampires (especially the Assamites), and virtually every character would accept as a given that a god or gods exists. In a modern setting, this is not the case, and while there is still the occasional religious vampire, the majority will be Deists, Agnostics, or Atheists, with the noteworthy exceptions being the Assamites, Followers of Set, and members of the Sabbat.

Moral Shortcomings? I expect your character's Humanity score to have an impact on how you roleplay your character. Consider what your character would be willing to do to achieve their goals, protect their loved ones (if they have "loved ones"), gain more power, etc. What vices do they have (gambling, booze, prostitutes, etc.)? What would tempt them to turn their back on their coterie, on their families, or on their clan/sect? For many of those, your character may never be tempted to those depths, but let your answer reflect (among other things), your character's personality. This will help to make your character feel more real and much more interesting.

Hopes, Dreams, Wishes, and Fears? Via a PM (not publicly), tell me what your character's hopes, dreams, wishes, and their fears are, and what YOUR hopes, dreams, and wishes for your character are, since they may not be the same. Concerning fears, take into consideration any family they may have, potential loneliness or ennui, and any traumatic experiences they may have had that still haunt their nightmares.

Anything else? Your character can be from virtually anywhere in the world as long as their backstory explains their reason for being in DC, and they must be able to speak English.

If I've forgotten anything, please feel free to ask about it. So is anyone interested?

[Nicolae]

Name:
Clan:
Player:
Nature:
Demeanor:
Concept:
Generation:
Sire:

STR:  DEX:  STA:
CHA:  MAN:  APP:
PER:  INT:  WIT:

Talents:
Skills:
Knowledges:

Backgrounds:
Disciplines:
Virtues:

Humanity:
Willpower:
Blood Pool:

Merits:
Flaws:

Freebie Points (15):

Age:
Apparent Age:
Date of Birth:
Date of Embrace:
Hair:
Eyes:
Race:
Nationality:
Height:
Weight:
Sex:

Send me your sheet without the freebie points added, for approval. Then we'll add your freebie points. (Remember, no Abilities can be more than 3 without freebie points added.)

[Nicolae]

Completed Character Sheets

AndyZ with Joanna Kyleson
RubySlippers with Altagracia Santiago
Finn MacKenna with Amara Lewis
Ebb with Norman Black
VonDoom with Sebastian D. Richter
Miroque with Ingrid Schwarzegeist
kckolbe with Robert Dwyer
Anon315 with Deitrich Anderson

[Florence]

INTERESTED.

Question: Can I play a Nagaraja?

They're my favorite clan, but given that they're extremely rare, I'd completely understand if you'd rather I didn't.

Otherwise, I'm not sure which clan I want to play, but I've got a few in mind. Maybe a Malk or a Brujah... or maybe a Ventrue, I usually don't like the Ventrue but it might be an interesting change of pace... maybe a Toreador.

[Nicolae]

I'd rather you didn't play a Nagaraja. They are rare and they'd have a harder time fitting into a coterie than most other clans.

[Florence]

Alright. Like I said, I totally understand.

I love Malkavians, but I'm always afraid I'll delve into 'fishmalk' territory if I make one, so I might do Brujah, Ventrue or Toreador. Tremere is a possibility too, but I'm not sure.

[RubySlippers]

Definitely interested but can I play a Caitiff?

I'm thinking she learned mostly from movies and take classic vampire powers.

1. Everyone knows vampires can take damage so Fortitude, come on Dracula and tons of vampires can get shot and stabbed with no real impact right.

2. Now vampires are super strong they can toss people around and punch peoples faces off so Potence fits.

3. Vampires seem to have powers over mortals so either Dominate or Presence depending if she went the classic Dracula vampire route or the female vampires are all hot and sexy route.

Her Sire didn't teach her much as in stay out of the sun, a little bit about vampire society and how to feed and not kill mortals and the Traditions but left before teaching her powers so relied on what she knows about them and she worked on those ideas.

[AndyZ]

Very interested but not sure what I'll play.

[Nicolae]

@RubySlippers: You can certainly play a Caitiff, though to begin with pick a maximum of two of those disciplines and give them one dot each. Being a Caitiff, her only real source of discipline discovery and use would be from instinct. (Ultimately, her sire had a clan, the blood of which runs in her veins, and which disciplines you choose will point us in the direction of which clan that was, for In-Character discovery.)

[RubySlippers]

Not necessarily Caitiff can make Caitiff, but I might be 14th Generation so may have a Clan Sire of some clan or another likely rejected or one not from the Camarilla.

I will go with to help hunting go with Dominate.

And basic survival with Fortitude.

Both should be easy enough to get from practice if over a few years, she is likely no more than 5 years old, leaving one to be found out which could be any clans unless something she would need to train in like Thaumaturgy. If something unusual pops up it would be fun.

[AndyZ]

Current plans involve a strip club owner, and if anyone playing would be interested in working there, by all means.  Will need a bit before the character is fully set up.

[Nicolae]

@RubySlippers: Gotcha, you've definitely got approval for your character idea.

Anybody who wants to make a stripper for AndyZ's strip club, feel free to do so!

[Nicolae]

Had someone just mention Blush of Health. It's a two point physical merit, and here's the description.

"You look more hale and healthy in appearance than other vampires, allowing you to blend with human society much more easily. You still retain the color of a living mortal, and your skin feels only slightly cool to the touch."

I'll rule that taking this merit would also allow you to engage in sexual activities (achieve and maintain an erection if male, become aroused/lubricated if female) without expending a Blood Point to do so.

Edit: Another thing I need to mention is the Eat Food merit, which is a 1 point physical merit.

"You have the capacity to eat food and even savor its taste. While you cannot derive any nourishment from eating regular foods, this ability will serve you well in pretending to be human. Of course, you can't digest what you eat, and there will be some point during the evening when you have to heave it back up."

Without taking this merit, anything that you consume (solid or liquid) that isn't blood is going to turn to ashes in your gullet, which forces you to cough it up along with a Blood Point worth of blood. If you succeed on a roll, I'll probably let you hold off until you can get to a private location if one is available, or I'd certainly let you roll to try to conceal the fact that you're only pretending to eat or drink.

[RubySlippers]

@RubySlippers: Gotcha, you've definitely got approval for your character idea.

Anybody who wants to make a stripper for AndyZ's strip club, feel free to do so!

You mean WORK?!?!  :o  Ah, no.

She is a trust fund baby with the Lazy flaw.   :D

[Florence]

Question I've never really been sure of.

Apart from the mechanical differences in how they regain will, what exactly is the difference between a Visionary and an Idealist in terms of how you'd roleplay them?

[Nicolae]

Ultimately, from what I read, the Visionary is a more evangelistic form of the Idealist. Other than that, they are very similar. The Idealist is more about defending the cause and pushing the cause's agenda, while the Visionary is more about getting others on board with the cause (i.e., creating Idealists).

[Florence]

Hmmm... I'm trying to figure out which sort of character I'd rather play.

Clan wise I think I settled on Brujah, though that's still subject to change xD

[Nicolae]

Well, do you want to be a Doer (Idealist) or a Talker (Visionary)?

Edit: Granted, that's a drastic oversimplification, but Visionaries only get their extra point of Willpower when they convince someone to act in accordance with your cause. Idealists get one when THEY act in accordance with their cause. One of those you have more direct control over.

[Florence]

Aye, I think she might be more of a visionary. I'm thinking I may play her as more of sort of an internet-age rebel. Hacker and charismatic activist type; rather than a brute punk brawler.

[Nicolae]

@Finn: VERY interesting! There's a favorite NPC of mine you may run into with a character like that.

[Florence]

Ooooh, I can't wait! :D

Edit: This is the first time I've seriously used V20 and oh my god the book is killing me. I love the modern references they threw in xD

An example specialization for "Computers" "The YouTubes" an example of who might possess "Intimidation" "Anonymous".

[Ghostwheel]

Big fan of the ruleset, let me think a bit about what kind of character to make... ;D

[Flana]

Oh my god, Vampire the Masquerade! I love this setting, but sadly have never had anyone to play with. Alas, sadly, my heart belong to Clan Malkav and its shattered mirror. I do have a couple questions though! (If you'd allow a heartfelt Malkavian roaming the streets.) First, is Dementation alright? Just want to make sure if you'd rather be in the Dominate bloodline, or if Dementation is open. Second, if it ever gets to the point where I grab the tier 3 Dementation (assuming it's open), would it be alright with you to rarely work in small or abscure hints to various babblings of the mind? Of course, I'd send whatever it is to you first for approval. Can't have it be too easy to decipher.

That or I just try to find a really elaborate way to rickroll anyone looking for a message. It'll be so worth it.

[kckolbe]

As much time as I've spent around tables, I actually have very little experience with this setting, or playing any kind of vampire.  I'd like to give it a shot, but I'd likely need some help with the flavor portion of character creation.  Anyone down for helping with that?  At first glance, Malkav, Ventrue, and Brujah seem the most appealing.

[RubySlippers]

I can help you. It will cost four pints of a rare blood type t body temperature.  :D

Seriously just ask me what you need help with.

[kckolbe]

Thanks.  I just bought the VtM book.  I had VtR, but wasn't sure how different they were.  It's still downloading, will be about an hour.

[Nicolae]

@Flana: Dementation is fine. (As someone whose introduction to V:TM was Bloodlines, I didn't even know there were Dominate Malks until I got into the PnP version.) Hints in tier 3 Dementation? Certainly!

@kckolbe: Sure thing. Just bounce ideas off of us and we'll be happy to help you.

[RubySlippers]

Oh mighty and wise Storyteller can I take this Merit?

Dual Nature: (2pt) (VPG)
You have two distinct Natures, both of which have an influence on your personality and behavior. When you pick these Natures, be careful to choose Archetypes that are somewhat compatible. Dual Nature does not mean schizophrenia (that is a Derangement).

And kckolbe when your ready PM me your questions and anything you need help with.

[Nicolae]

@RubySlippers: Yes, you certainly can.

[RubySlippers]

I sent the character I finished minus Freebie Points I will use those to tweak the character along role-playing lines, I don't min/max usually mostly need to flesh out her things to fit her background.

[kckolbe]

Still considering concepts, but had an idea for an old noble with a twist.  13th gen is the standard, right?  I was thinking he would be 12th or 13th, having been among the most thin-blooded back when he was sired. 

Cedric Cadigan was a minor noble who'd always preferred to bide his time.  He was a cautious lord, a tendency that remained with him.  He still considers himself too weak to be bold, even though I am sure our chars are stronger than many run of the mill types. 

I'm not sure whether he makes the most sense as Caitiff, Malk, Ventrue, or Toreador.  I seem to remember hearing that Brujah were once cultured.  He might have been sired by one of those and now be different than his fellow clan members.


Disciplines have me a bit confused.  Each Clan starts with 3 Disciplines, but it seems you can buy any Discipline.  What's the significance of the starting ones?

[AndyZ]

Thanks.  I just bought the VtM book.  I had VtR, but wasn't sure how different they were.  It's still downloading, will be about an hour.

There's some serious differences.  Nosferatu turn into actual monsters that have to stay in hiding, many clans have different flaws, vigor is called potence, celerity is actually useful, resiliency is called fortitude, no predator's taint, blood potency is called generation and doesn't go up with age, ghouls get their power just from blood and don't require any WP expenditure (and always get Potence), it doesn't cost a dot of Willpower to create a new vampire (but it is against the tradition of the current people in power in the setting)...

You're still using d10s, but the dice work differently as well.  It's not always difficulty 8 and reroll 10s; 6 is more common a difficulty.  1s always subtract, and if you get no successes but at least one 1, you botch.

There's a lot of difference.

Disciplines have me a bit confused.  Each Clan starts with 3 Disciplines, but it seems you can buy any Discipline.  What's the significance of the starting ones?

I recommend starting with one dot of each of your three starting Disciplines.  It'll help you get used to stuff.

[kckolbe]

I recommend starting with one dot of each of your three starting Disciplines.  It'll help you get used to stuff.

So do I have to start with points in Clan disciplines?  Could I spend them all in others?  Each Clan has at least one Discipline I could put a point in.

[RubySlippers]

For that concept I would go with Malkavian or Ventrue (if the Sire embraces family members) the others favor Bold in some way save Caitiff. Slow and Steady backed by a major clan and taking your time is a Ventrue virtue in fact.

As for Nosferatu I like them more in VtR you can opt for being unsettling in many ways, some not obvious.

And the ST said clan disciplines only my character chose two and the ST gets to pick the last one to pop up at some point save the scholarly ones like Thaumaturgy anything could creep in.

[AndyZ]

Yeah, Calrond wants us to start only with Clan Disciplines.

Basically, those are the ones that your Clan is good at and that you don't need a teacher to learn.  They're also cheaper to improve with experience.

Ruby is a Caitiff, which means Clanless, so her rules are a little different.

[Nicolae]

@kckolbe: A few quick things to go over.

Your characters will be neonates, so no matter how old they were when they were Embraced, they are relatively young Kindred (less than 50 years old) who are trying to establish themselves in vampire society. They're no longer under the direct supervision of their sires, but they're still newcomers to Kindred society.

The age of your character idea doesn't quite work in this case. Even if they were sired when they were 50 years old, they'd still be less than 100 years old total by now.

I seem to remember hearing that Brujah were once cultured.

Depending on who you ask, but this is usually referring the Brujah philosopher-kings of Carthage, which was sacked by the Romans under the Ventrues' direction. Again, too far back in history to really apply much to a modern character.

And yes, only Clan Disciplines.

[kckolbe]

Oh wow, my bad on that.  Scratch True Brujah then.  My download has failed twice now, both times over halfway done.  Fortunately rpgnow doesn't charge by the attempt.

I'll go back to the drawing board on the concept.

[kckolbe]

Question about Virtues.  According to the site, you start with one point in each, then get 7 points.  Is there a way to lower that and get something out of it?  Those numbers were just higher than I visualized his scores being.

[Nicolae]

To my knowledge, no, unless there is a Flaw that lowers one of them and gives you more Freebie points.

[RubySlippers]

You could be a noble just would have to be more recent a Scion of an Old World lineage for example would work you might be from Russian nobility who left when the Revolution was happening and an ancestor embraced you OR a noble from some other nation. There are options. In fact it would work well you could have a limited military background easily a stint at a Military Boarding School and a few years in the Royal Army if British as an officer comes to mind. Or if not military sided went to a University and work in Charity. There are options.

As for the Brujah not all are thugs in fact any kind of rebel would work an Academic, a Social Critic Writer, a Religious Leader, Blood Cult Leader, Hacker etc.

[Nicolae]

Ah, that didn't even occur to me. There are European nobles alive today, and a Brujah could be a very interesting direction for one of them.

[RubySlippers]

Outside the Box Gamers are fun, especially building budget CCG decks.

In fact there are nobles in Europe, in Asia, in the Americas (descendants of Portuguese and Spanish aristocracy or Eastern European nobles fleeing the rise of Communist Russia and those lands) so there are options its just more what approach is taken.

[zenpai]

I was look at the gangels coyotes And l know very few thing about there lore. So what would have to do play then.

[VonDoom]

Always interested in Vampire the Masquerade. For this, I might try a Tremere; since this may well pertain to others, this question is probably better asked in advance and this thread: is there any particular way you wish to handle Thaumaturgy paths and rituals?

I have a particular Tremere character in mind I have played before (but whose game died off all too quickly) and in that incarnation, he used a path from the Blood Magic book called 'Mastery of the Mortal Shell'. For a V20 game, it may need a bit of updating/nerfing, but it's simply such a stylish and frankly scary magic, so if you're amendable I'd rather enjoy reviving the character as he was (though would of course be willing to adjust the path if you aren't). Plus, I'm sure some here might enjoy having their bodies immobilized and played with like a string-puppet.  >:)

[Nicolae]

@zenpai: I'd recommend reading up on them and the game setting until you're more comfortable with how much you know about it.

@VonDoom: I'd rather stick to the V20 book for now. If it's in there, with very few exceptions, you can use it.

[Ebb]

Greetings, all. I've submitted a Nosferatu character to Calrond who looks likely to get acceptance. This looks like a fun group to be a part of.

[Florence]

Hehe, I'm putting some finishing touches on Amara Lewis, Brujah hacker :D

[RubySlippers]

@zenpai: I'd recommend reading up on them and the game setting until you're more comfortable with how much you know about it.

@VonDoom: I'd rather stick to the V20 book for now. If it's in there, with very few exceptions, you can use it.

zenpie I will list some movies/tv shows good for inspiring Brujah ideas:

Lost Boys (all three)
Blade (Frost)
Forever Knight (Main Character)

This they are rebels now like I said that can be Thugs, or Academics or Writers or Hackers or a Pimp or a Hitman and even Old World types that oppose the ideals of the others rebelling on their own clan in a way while supporting the Elders. If you want ideas what kind of concept do you have to start?

[Florence]

Can't go wrong with Lost Boys :D

-kicks Netflix for not having it anymore-

[RubySlippers]

Well idea is to rebel against something, this is a broad area for example look what impact some writers had on the American Revolution using the quill to cause rebellion and inspire others would fit.

[Nicolae]

Once you have sent me your updated sheet (Freebie points included), go ahead and post a picture of your character and a brief description of common knowledge about them. DO NOT POST YOUR CHARACTER SHEET HERE OR ANYWHERE ELSE.

[Florence]

Does it have to be any specific type of image and are images required? :o

I have no problem using an image, but sometimes I can't find one that fits my character and in those cases I prefer trying to describe them through text than going with an image that doesn't really fit.

[zenpai]

I was thinking the gangel form "kindred the embraced"

[Florence]

Kindred wasn't exactly accurate to VtM lore. I can't recall how accurate the gangrel were, since its been a long since I saw it, but I wouldn't base your character off things from Kindred unless you're sure it fits VtM as well.

[RubySlippers]

Altagracia Santiago
Reveler of the Night



Always wears this in silver and small rubies for the eyes: http://silverbiten.shop.textalk.se/halsband/bathomet-tennhalsband

Altagracia is a Caitiff in the city for some time once the Prince let her stay and is largely considered utterly harmless she spends her time largely enjoying her Unlife and as an active member of the Left Hand Path Religious Community as a Theistic Satanist. Of course this largely includes debauchery and lascivious means of worship so most assume its as much her pleasure as devotion.

One thing is known she is a Trust Fund Baby living on generous investments for income ,with various investment firms in Switzerland, and loathes work since she has no reason to do so, and she supports the Prince and Elders largely because they want to hold power and do all the work - fine by her. She meets her minimum obligations expected that is enough as far as she is concerned including sending 19.98% (6.66% x 3 representing the Unholy Trinity*) of her income to the Prince for use in his duties to the city. Its not she is not useful to have around however she is soundly for The Six Traditions and openly supports following them among the clanless and neonates supporting them as part of her moral code even more so than older vampires, being a fine example for others without being preachy about it. Overall is like more than a few vampires just not trying to make waves and leaving affairs of the city and wider world to the Elders.

Overall she dresses modestly and very femininely accenting her form, in public at least. And appears to be in her mid-twenties.

* Satan, The Antichrist and the False Prophet

[Ebb]

Norman Black
Nosferatu

Recluse. Trader in secrets.
From his home somewhere within the Metro tunnels he stalks the Net, making use of tools that older vampires do not comprehend.
He is considered harmless by most and useful by some, his loyalty available for a little coin or blood.
Rumors say that his Sire was extinguished for not knowing his proper place; Norman will surely not make the same mistakes.

[Florence]

If anyone's interested, by the way, the latest version of a really cool mod for Bloodlines is coming out April 4th.

http://www.moddb.com/mods/vtm-the-final-nights

With 7 completely brand new clans, 5 new disciplines, extra quests, new NPCs, new game mechanics and new music, the features seem endless. All of this is being built upon the Camarilla Edition series incorporating such things as the blood timer system, pedestrian blood dolls, and the new combat system.

[Nicolae]

@Finn: It can be any kind of image, and it's not required.

[zenpai]

Brujah  it is than so I want to make an ex-slave who help start the underground railroad, and help out in the freedom marches.

[RubySlippers]

Brujah  it is than so I want to make an ex-slave who help start the underground railroad, and help out in the freedom marches.

You can be no older than four decades for the ex-slave and former part won't work but being a freedom protestor would fit the age you can be.

[AndyZ]

Joanna Kyleson

Joanna runs the Cat's Eye, a strip club discreetly situated within the city.  Through time and effort, she's gotten the club recognized as her own domain by the Prince, even though others are welcome to feed and work there.  More than one new vampire has gotten a start working tables or as a bouncer with a strictly nocturnal schedule.

Although it's no real secret that she's a Follower of Set, she's worked hard to earn her place within the Camarilla time and again, even if the decadence so common to the Setites has clearly rubbed off on her.  Time and again she's proven her ability to offer all sorts of aid without judgment or disapproving gossip...at least, according to rumor.  It's not surprising that few Kindred have come forward to admit their need of her assistance.

[kckolbe]

Damn Andy...nice image choice.

[AndyZ]

Thank you.

[kckolbe]

Very welcome, and thank you.  I finally got the book!  One of these flaws seems to have an error:

Lazy (3pt. Flaw)
You are simply lazy, avoiding anything that requires
effort on your part. Preferring to let others do the hard
work, you lounge around. For any action that requires
preparation, there’s a good chance you didn’t properly
prepare. Difficulty rolls for spontaneous Physical actions
(including combat, unless it’s part of a planned
offensive) increase by one.

Shouldn't it be excluding combat?

[Miroque]

Still looking for an player?

[AndyZ]

Very welcome, and thank you.  I finally got the book!  One of these flaws seems to have an error:

Lazy (3pt. Flaw)
You are simply lazy, avoiding anything that requires
effort on your part. Preferring to let others do the hard
work, you lounge around. For any action that requires
preparation, there’s a good chance you didn’t properly
prepare. Difficulty rolls for spontaneous Physical actions
(including combat, unless it’s part of a planned
offensive) increase by one.

Shouldn't it be excluding combat?

Combat would be involved as a spontaneous physical action.  You really have to exert yourself with all the moving around and such.

[kckolbe]

Oh, I thought it was saying that he wouldn't plan.  The except for planned offensive threw me.

EDIT:  Would love to have you along.

[Miroque]

Who, me ? :)

[kckolbe]

Of course, you.  ~smiles~

[Miroque]

*blushes* nice to be wanted :) Lets hope GM shares the feeling.

I would love to play Tremere Neo, Apprentice of the year geekess, that has been transfered to DC from Old World, under the apprentice transferal the House Tremere has. (that way she need to make new contacts in the new enviroment, giving Neo things to do)

[Nicolae]

*thumbs up*

[Miroque]

Character on character blender... and Smoothy-character coming up....

[VonDoom]

Another Tremere, excellent! My character is coming together quite well and I should be able to send it by this evening (GMT).

[Miroque]

I jsut posted the first draw of teh application to Gm.. lets hope its not returned like an bumerang

[VonDoom]

Query, o generous and wise ST:

Do you already have a Tremere Regent worked out for the DC chantry? And if so, any information you're willing to share? Would they be available as a potential Sire?

[Miroque]

My Apprentice is here, by the Council's orders (part of the Apprentice exchange program the Clan has), and only NPC my char needs is her Handler (eg new mentor) Annice Maughn (Ancillae of some influence in DC politics circles) (( And name can be changed if need to be ))

[RubySlippers]

Combat would be involved as a spontaneous physical action.  You really have to exert yourself with all the moving around and such.

And its icky one can get soiled, break a nail, shoes scuffed or oneself hurt anyway the Sheriff and Scourge are supposed to handle security matters like that. She pays her voluntary tax and does her duty reporting unusual activities, and obeying the Six Traditions so she does her bit there are not other obligations one should expect from her.

Now she has a Satanic Orgy to get undressed for care to come?  >:)

[kckolbe]

Two sexy chars so far (possibly a third), one owns a strip club and the other a has satanic orgies.  Decisions, decisions...

[Florence]

I swear, apart from MAYBE the Nosferatu, I've got the least sexual character here xD

Poor Amara's just too busy being awesome :P

-gets to work writing up some info for her-

[kckolbe]

No worries, Finn.  In all my active games combined, I have been in 0 sex scenes.  I like having my character around characters that are sexually stimulating, but I don't go out of my way for my character to enjoy it.  I'm working on a paranoid oracle type, so probably not a lot of action in his future.

[Ebb]

I swear, apart from MAYBE the Nosferatu, I've got the least sexual character here xD

Poor Amara's just too busy being awesome :P

-gets to work writing up some info for her-

"I'm... too sexy for this sewer,
Too sexy for this sewer,
Like a rat on a skewer."

[kckolbe]

And I'm...too sexy for my clan,
Too sexy for my clan,
Yet I still use my haaaand.

[AndyZ]

Whereas I have an entirely different theme song...

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdaKwt5cHEk

[Florence]

xD!!!

Amara's themesong...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2AxpaH56WY

:D

[kckolbe]

PMed a first draft.  Progress is being made.

[Nicolae]

@VonDoom: I do have a Tremere Regent planned. Her name is Helena Taylor and she advocates maintaining strong ties with humanity. She's a part-time lobbyist and has at least two other childer in the DC Chantry: Cohn Rose and Pieter Van Dorn. If you want her to be your sire (and your Generation is correct), let me know. That would be a good plot hook.

[Miroque]

Soooo.. if we'r posting Themesongs for our characters....here's Ingrids...

Best themesong EVER!

http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x82a8p

[VonDoom]

I had some time off on my break during work and put an application together under the assumption that you wouldn't be up for it -- I'll send that over now, but I'm definitely interested, assuming my character is someone she'd embrace at all. It wouldn't be hard to make the necessary adjustments, I think.

[Miroque]

@Calrond : Have you got time to check my first draft ?

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: Just did. It's good! Go ahead and post your picture and description.

[Miroque]

Excelent... (said with my best(worse) mr.Burns imitation).... Working on it...

Question: How long would she have been in US of A then ? (I meen, I have not preferences, but you might have, and that time would be key, to how much I will write out, of how much others know of her at all)

[Nicolae]

Let's say she's been in the US for at least ten years, so she's integrated into the culture as much as she can.

[VonDoom]

Augh, I forgot to adjust the introduction text I had written up for my PM. Nevermind that bit about getting some info on the Sire, you already replied to that here, after all. Sorry!  :-[

Edit: Incidentally, yes, I hail from Tremere central IRL, if anyone took a look at my location entry. Shall I extend greetings to anyone?  >:)

[Miroque]

Name: Ingrid Schwarzegeist
Description:
Apparent Age: 25, Height: 165cm, Weight: 46kg, Eyes: Grey, Hair: Blond, Demeanor: Sensualist

Ingrid is known servant of Helena Taylor. Miss Taylor makes her do all her common chores in the Elysium events and more that ones she has shown her dominace over her, in more physical way. Ingrid wears leather collar with Tremere clan symbol on it. Ones you get past of her dubious relationship with Regent Taylor and her germanic heritage, Ingrid is good company and great conversationalist.

Special notes:
Alluring appearance (There is nothing fake or physically wrong at her.)
Enchanting Voice (There is just something in her voice, making you love to listen to her.)
Female Tremere (She gets picked on by her peers, so she likes the company of other kindreds.)
Staus 0 (She has not gone througth The Becoming.)

[Miroque]

I was thinking that Ingrid would be more of an newcomer, as 10 years is not an short time... (and me being non-US, it would give me an excuse not to know eveyrthing whats happening in there)

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: That works for me too.

@VonDoom: Do you want Helena Taylor to be your sire? Your generation would work for that.

[VonDoom]

Well, Generation would be easily adjusted, but I guess I'm glad it fits. If you think she'd work as his Sire, I'm all for it!

[Nicolae]

My Apprentice is here, by the Council's orders (part of the Apprentice exchange program the Clan has), and only NPC my char needs is her Handler (eg new mentor) Annice Maughn (Ancillae of some influence in DC politics circles) (( And name can be changed if need to be ))

@Miroque: Let's instead have her transferring to the DC Chantry at the request of Helena Taylor. Annice Maughn can still be her mentor, but this makes more sense in game.

[Miroque]

Fine by me, althou Regents rule their chantries by Councils orders... its the NWO baby..pyramid scheme of the Jyhad...gotta love tremeres :)

[Ebb]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/dead-chickens-roosters-found-in-rock-creek-park-police-believe-part-of-ritualistic-killing/2014/03/25/5f25a21a-b457-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html

No fair starting the game early, Calrond.

[Nicolae]

@Ebb: You guys weren't supposed to find out about the chickens yet!

@Miroque: Certainly, though the Council worrying about which neonate lives in which Chantry would be some incredible micromanaging on their part.

[Florence]

Thanks to Dragon Age, any time I hear "chantry" I think of priestesses and templars xD

[RubySlippers]

I swear, apart from MAYBE the Nosferatu, I've got the least sexual character here xD

Poor Amara's just too busy being awesome :P

-gets to work writing up some info for her-

A Nosferatu cold be an interesting lover, nothing like sex in the grim and muck in a disgusting way to offend god.  ^_^

[Ebb]

A Nosferatu cold be an interesting lover, nothing like sex in the grim and muck in a disgusting way to offend god.  ^_^

Plus Nosferatu are all hung like rhinoceroses. It's a side effect of the Embrace. True fact.

[RubySlippers]

Plus Nosferatu are all hung like rhinoceroses. It's a side effect of the Embrace. True fact.

I was thinking one male lover could be good in the game for my character, a Nos could be very amusing and interesting. Does he have issues with Caitiff?

[Miroque]

@Calrond: Thats why Council uses intermediates (like local regents to do their bidding, like day-to-day ruling, making use of the exchange program, initiating the Take over the World plans, etc.) I ment, that Prince was asking for an excemplary student, and (who ever is in charge of the exchange program in global scene) send one to her in DC.

What comes to Ingrids handler, Im good if its someone else aswell, if it suits to your game better that way. She was just someone that I invented to hold her lease.

[Nicolae]

Important Announcement

Someone recently asked me about players having shared history and shared resources. Here's my response to that thought.

"I've had people give out common knowledge about themselves and a physical description. If two players want to share history and resources, that would be fine with me. If they want to keep their character's history a secret, that's fine too."

And another thing...

If there is anything WELL KNOWN about your character, including any kind of social merit you took such as Influential Sire that everyone would know about, you need to mention that in a description of your character. I'll be putting a Character Thread together soon where those descriptions will be posted.

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: Helena Taylor would work reasonably well as a handler, and you can keep Annice Maughn as a mentor. (I always liked her as a character anyway.)

[Miroque]

@Calrond: Females are huge minority in clan tremere, so to have many female magus in town, is bound to bring notice... but if your cool with it.. so am I

[Nicolae]

The Regent of the Chantry is a woman, Helena Taylor. The former Prince of DC (until around 1963) was a Tremere woman, Prince Marissa. The DC Tremere are slightly more gender-balanced than most, but on the whole the Tremere are largely male.

[Miroque]

@Calrond: maybe thats one of the reasons, regent asked her... fill the ranks of like minded sisterhood :)

[kckolbe]

Are we all supposed to write our sires?  I am planning on taking Infamous Sire, and was going to leave said sire's transgressions up to you.

[Miroque]

and how do we post "inclan" secrets? as there are guite few "social" flaws that are only known to the close circle (like Ingrids case for instance, her sire)

[RubySlippers]

Well my characters Sire called herself Jane Doe, and is gone likely not in the city. Not though unusual for a Caitiff.

[Nicolae]

@kckolbe:  *Reads that sentence, realizes it says "INFAMOUS Sire" instead of "Famous Sire", checks the clan you chose, rushes to his DC By Night sourcebook, points at a page and laughs maniacally.* Put down "Stephen Norton" as your sire. The clan and generation fit perfectly, as does the "Infamous".

@Miroque: Don't post anything that wouldn't be common knowledge among all Camarilla vampires.

[kckolbe]

Put down "Stephen Norton" as your sire. The clan and generation fit perfectly, as does the "Infamous".

I'm okay with him having been a traitor, diablierist...lots of other things.  But if he developed Norton Anti-Virus...that's just too evil.

[Miroque]

@Calrond: Thought so, and didint.

[AndyZ]

I can't wait to start.  This is going to be awesome.

[Florence]

Amara Lewis

Amara Lewis is very much a modern breed of Brujah. Her weapons of rebellion are not a baseball bat and a shotgun, but a smartphone and a computer that she built from scratch. She has been a ghost haunting the web since its very conception; finding information that was not meant to be found, breaking websites just to prove that she could, and most importantly, using her skills to knock some people down a peg when they deserve it; and sometimes just for pissing her off.

Her sire, Adena Martell, is well known among the kindred, a medieval elder who has earned her share of respect for thrashing against the chains of society, both mortal and kindred, and continuing to live her unlife well into the modern day. She's fought with pen and sword both, and found them each mighty in their own regards. While Amara is not her only childe, she did seem to take an unusual interest in her; speaking happily of the potential she had found.

Amara stands at 5'7 and weighing 130 pounds, with dark brown skin; though with that telltale bloodless tone of undeath, brown eyes and braided black hair. She has a thin, but soft face, and full lips, from which emits a voice that can enchant and rally those who hear it. Amara often dresses in loose jeans with one of various t-shirts, often displaying some witty phrase or another. She has a hoodie, of which she also owns several, generally thrown over that, and tends to wear black fingerless gloves as well. Her preferred shoes are a pair of black and white converses, though she has heels for those extra-special occasions. Over her eyes, she wears a pair of black thin framed glasses, completing her look.

[RubySlippers]

Remember, remember!
    The fifth of November,
    The Gunpowder treason and plot;
    I know of no reason
    Why the Gunpowder treason
    Should ever be forgot!

Amara if you want to promote a Guy Fawkes Night in DC, my character might find it amusing toss a little anarchy and good old fashioned fun into the mix. As a hacker you could promote it with a web site and get it into the various corners of the internet. Maybe even drop some Guy Fawkes face and message viruses around that come and go on that day as a pop up. My character would drop some funds to help this, she is also not bad with computers but is no expert like Amara is.

[AndyZ]

@kckolbe:  *Reads that sentence, realizes it says "INFAMOUS Sire" instead of "Famous Sire", checks the clan you chose, rushes to his DC By Night sourcebook, points at a page and laughs maniacally.* Put down "Stephen Norton" as your sire. The clan and generation fit perfectly, as does the "Infamous".

@Miroque: Don't post anything that wouldn't be common knowledge among all Camarilla vampires.

So for those of us who never followed the metaplot really well, what will the common knowledge about Stephen Norton tell us?

[Nicolae]

Stephen Norton is known for being eccentric, as though he believes that he's starring in a spy movie. He rides around on a motorcycle with his cat, and it's well-known that he is not on good terms with the Prince, though it's not common knowledge exactly why. The Prince would see any of his progeny as "more trouble."

[RubySlippers]

Oh shouldn't our havens if known be in the character descriptions to?

[Nicolae]

No, because I doubt it would be common knowledge where each of you live. And it DEFINITELY wouldn't be common knowledge where a Caitiff lives, or that Caitiff might not have a long, happy existence. ;)

[VonDoom]

Sebastian D. Richter
Apparent Age: Mid-Fifties
Height: 6'0
Eyes: gray
Hair: black, silver streaks
Demeanor: Scientist
Clan: Tremere
Sire: Helena Taylor

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

A refined man seemingly just past his fifties, Sebastian has a pale, rather severe face with a strong jawline, a hawk-like nose and piercing gray eyes that give the impression that the man rarely if ever misses anything.

His apparent age has left a mark, with small  wrinkles prominent around the eyes and around the edges of his lips. His graying black hair is combed back and cut short, allowing for a prominent view of the man's widow's peak, only slightly enhanced by the creeping specter of potential baldness; a clean-shaven face completes the well-kept image.

The man's usual attire can be described as formal but understated; gray suits, brown jackets -- slightly old-fashioned, but well within the range of what a man of his age might conceivably wear without standing out.

Further demonstrating the ravages of advanced age, Sebastian obviously favors his left leg and usually carries an expensive-looking, black-lacquered walking stick for support. Despite or perhaps because of this, he possesses a certain natural dignity that most other neonates struggle to maintain.

One of the three Tremere sired by Helena Taylor, the Regent of their DC Chantry, Sebastian appears to be an up and coming neonate among their ranks. He strongly evokes the classic image associated with the clan as scholars and mystics, with his gaunt and strict appearance, but is still often seen at Elysium and has demonstrated an interest in affairs of politics and business.

In his affairs, he always demonstrates excellent manners, though these rarely conceal the coldness about his person. Sebastian doesn't appear to have a warm or pleasant bone in his body and clearly isn't out to make friends.

He is usually thought to reside exclusively in the Chantry, but maintains a new age shop he owned in his mortal days. His ghoul, one Katherine Tremaine, handles its business and will take messages for him during the day. The store is recognized as his own small domain and he will often receive visitors there at night. The merchandise consists mostly of geegaws to satisfy mortal superstitions, but rumors claim that he uses it as a front to purchase real material for occult rituals.

[RubySlippers]

Does the New Age Shop do rare book searches and handle special orders?

[VonDoom]

But of course, and very discreetly! Though if people start to inquire about works of actual magical worth, they might get a friendly visit ... to make sure nothing nefarious is going on, of course. >)

[RubySlippers]

No, she actually doesn't have Occult as a knowledge area so would get OOP books rather common not real books on magical theory. But she might like to take some classes in the Occult to add a dot to that, the kind of common things mortals might study.

[VonDoom]

Of course, and we have some wonderful recommendations for the enterprising knowledge seeker, too. But that is probably best discussed in game. ;)

@Miroque That reminds me, as a native German speaker and Austrian, your character's last name would likely be Schwarzberg or Schwarzenberg if you want to go for accuracy. :)

[RubySlippers]

I know she will come in asking for an OOP copy of likely books on Left Hand Path sexual rituals and the like.  O:)

[kckolbe]

All right, char sheet submitted.  Will post up some details if he is approved.

[Miroque]

@VonDoom: I know. But trick is its not her real name. Just a an wordgame. Btw im from Finland so lets hope timezones will not hinder the flow too much.

[VonDoom]

Wow, I seriously need to stop posting from work ... I pointed out German name accuracies and managed to get the last part of your character's name wrong, even. Sorry about that, Miroque. :-[

(Schwarzgeist sounds like the most natural language-accurate version to me, just to correct myself.)

[Miroque]

@VonDoom : no worries. Good to know my 3years of language studies were correct :) And im at work aswell.. friging nightsift..

[kckolbe]

No worries about time zone, Miroque.  I know you are active and I am GMT+3, nor am I a daily poster.  Here's my char, by the way.



Name: Robert Dwyer
Clan: Malkavian
Sire: Stephen Norton
Apparent Age: 35
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: US
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 180
Sex: Male

Robert fervently believes that the Greek pantheon is real.

[Miroque]

Question about the setting: How much of DC by nights is viable? How big is DC kindred population, witch clans are the most numerous and who's who among the starlight Jyhad?

[Florence]

Question about the setting: How much of DC by nights is viable? How big is DC kindred population, witch clans are the most numerous and who's who among the starlight Jyhad?

Any how many politicians are literal bloodsuckers instead of just figurative ones? :D

[Miroque]

To hold public office is dire violation of masquerade.. but ghouling one is okay.

[Ebb]

To hold public office is dire violation of masquerade.. but ghouling one is okay.

I'd also imagine it would be almost impossible to hold public office and not be able to go outside during daylight hours.

[AndyZ]

I'd be leery of even ghouling them, due to the age thing.  Politicians can stay in office for decades, and even the ones that leave often stay in the news.  Better to stick to blackmail and Disciplines.

[Miroque]

@andyD : true that but with ghouling i ment more than giving them immortality.. bloodbond is far superior to any blackmailing.. ghoul for an week and keep him o  the juice say ones a mo th or even less to keep the cravings on...make them come to you with gifts :) no need for disciplines there..

[Florence]

... well... I was joking xD

[VonDoom]

Bloodbond without Ghouldom does carry a greater risk of causing a potential masquerade breech, when the person obsessed with you figures out you're a vampire. Or attracts the wrong sort of attention. Good old traditional blackmail, with neither Discipline nor Blood bond, is always the safest bet from the Masquerade angle, if perhaps not the fastest or most effective.

[RubySlippers]

I'd also imagine it would be almost impossible to hold public office and not be able to go outside during daylight hours.

Not really find a medical condition that might explain your condition, get a verification and invoke the ADA and you can work only at night. You just need the background Alternate Identity 1 or 2 for the paper trail.

[AndyZ]

Schere's Disease

http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Schere's_Disease

[Ebb]

Not really find a medical condition that might explain your condition, get a verification and invoke the ADA and you can work only at night. You just need the background Alternate Identity 1 or 2 for the paper trail.

I'll grant a small chance of that working for some professions. For politics, where you have to get elected and you can't show up at campaign events during the day? Not a prayer. And not being able to show up to committee meetings, or scheduled votes, or meet with constituents?

[RubySlippers]

I usually took it as a cover so a vampire can go shopping or ask for special accommodations but in the modern nights with on-line shopping its less necessary.

[AndyZ]

Well, there are various jobs at the Cat's Eye if a vampire is worried about getting a job and wants to make sure they aren't expected to do daytime.

[RubySlippers]

She likely will be a customer over an employee.  ;D

[AndyZ]

Customers are great too ^_^

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: The DC Kindred population, at least from Camarilla and Independent clans who are known to the Camarilla, is around 100-125. The most numerous clans are the Ventrue and probably Malkavian or Nosferatu, but with most of the other Camarilla clans close behind. The exception is the Toreador, which still have not recovered from an event in which the late Prince Marissa purged those in the Toreador who she perceived to be "dissidents" about sixty years ago.

Interestingly enough, it's also frowned upon to even go near most members of Congress, let alone to ghoul them. Prince Marissa drew ire from the Camarilla in Europe for the way she would try to directly manipulate national politics to suit herself. It's suspected that it may be part of the reason the Giovanni had her killed, and since then, the Camarilla has had a ban on anyone ghouling or embracing anyone on the scale of Congressman or higher. You want a ghoul on their staff? Cool. You want to meddle in city politics? Cool. But nothing on the national level.

[AndyZ]

Well, Jo certainly can't help it if they come to the Cat's Eye or request girls for dances >.>

[RubySlippers]

@Miroque: The DC Kindred population, at least from Camarilla and Independent clans who are known to the Camarilla, is around 100-125. The most numerous clans are the Ventrue and probably Malkavian or Nosferatu, but with most of the other Camarilla clans close behind. The exception is the Toreador, which still have not recovered from an event in which the late Prince Marissa purged those in the Toreador who she perceived to be "dissidents" about sixty years ago.

Interestingly enough, it's also frowned upon to even go near most members of Congress, let alone to ghoul them. Prince Marissa drew ire from the Camarilla in Europe for the way she would try to directly manipulate national politics to suit herself. It's suspected that it may be part of the reason the Giovanni had her killed, and since then, the Camarilla has had a ban on anyone ghouling or embracing anyone on the scale of Congressman or higher. You want a ghoul on their staff? Cool. You want to meddle in city politics? Cool. But nothing on the national level.

Suggestion form a PAC and use the common tools of mortals to get things moving focusing on local DC politics, they are so common in DC it would be ubiquitous.

[kckolbe]

Or ghoul a congressional staffer.  They influence the votes significantly.

[RubySlippers]

The down side wouldn't any ghoul in important parts of government be the dominion of a major elder maybe even the Prince they find out you could be in trouble.

[Nicolae]

It would probably be most effective to ghoul and finance a group of lobbyists, especially for Ventrue who can teach their ghouls Dominate. That could cover the most ground for the least amount of effort. A few Ventrue ghouls at your disposal, deciding whose reelection campaign to help fund. Essentially, a ghouled-up PAC.

I'm looking at starting this game tomorrow evening (EST/EDT), so anyone who hasn't submitted a sheet, get one in!

[Nicolae]

It's also not too late for newcomers! You've got about 24 hours to get me a sheet, but they don't take long to make!

[Nicolae]

In the meantime, check out the character portraits and sights around DC I've posted over here to help acquaint you all with the city and its inhabitants.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=199938.0

[AndyZ]

As a strange question, are gun laws and such the same in DC as normal, or have Kindred managed to eke out some sort of exception?

[Ebb]

In the meantime, check out the character portraits and sights around DC I've posted over here to help acquaint you all with the city and its inhabitants.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=199938.0

Nice pictures, Calrond.

In case it's of use:
Map of Washington DC, with points of interest
Map of the DC Metro (subway system)

[Nicolae]

@AndyZ: Kindred kind of fly below the radar on most laws, especially because plenty of them have ways of manipulating the police force, the job of which is to enforce laws. Gun laws don't exactly apply to kindred, so they would have ways of getting them and keeping them. Just don't get stopped and frisked and you'll be fine.

@Ebb: Awesome, thanks!

[Ebb]

I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming that our fictional DC is the same as real DC in any particular regard. Obviously having a bunch of supernatural creatures around for the last few hundred years is going to change stuff. So if I point out things about DC please know that they could easily not be true in game.

That having been said, I'll note that DC has an exceptionally high number of buildings with metal detectors around the doors, including (I believe) all of the Smithsonian museums. Also a lot of x-raying of bags. So if you're going to carry a gun, careful where you carry it unless you've got a workaround.

[Miroque]

And who needs guns anyway? They are mostly useless vs anything treatning. Use car as weapon . They are nicely availlable and cops tend to sshrugh the roadkill investigations where shot targets allways raise an eyebrow or two.. or better yet.. have someone else do your dirtywork for you with an car :)

[RubySlippers]

I thought security of the city is the Prince's responsibility anyway?  ???

One question which domain of the great clans are best for a Caitiff to ask to stay in with her tastes I'm thinking Brujah or Malkavian but she needs some group tolerable to her presence? She had no status yet I figure the Prince okayed her staying conditionally and she needs to prove she is at least barely acceptable for a formal court acceptance.

[Nicolae]

@Ebb: That's definitely true. The World of Darkness is not quite our own world. It's darker with more corrupt officials, more crime of all sorts, less reliable law enforcement, and somehow even more shady, behind-the-scenes dealings to fix prices or manipulate and control the masses. And that's beside the fact that there are undead, cursed beings behind many international corporations, a corrupting god-like entity behind others, mages with utopian-level technology who dole it out painfully slowly to keep everyone else from killing each other, angry spirits seeking vengeance in the afterlife, and the remnants of fairies from legend manifesting as fae souls in human bodies.

@Miroque: Clever girl. ;)

@RubySlippers: In theory, yes. In reality (or CWoD "reality"), if you want a place to be secure, you better be able to secure it yourself. As for which clan's domain she'd be best to stay in, that's going to depend greatly on whose drudge work or dirty work she's willing to do. As a Caitiff, even with her money, she's at the bottom of the Camarilla's social ladder. Their nickname is "Trash" for a reason; that's how the capes in the Camarilla see them. Unless she can be "adopted" by a clan, sect, or faction of some sort, she'll be able to take herself as far as her money will go in the world of kine, but be an outcast from Kindred society. She needs sponsorship, and that will probably be her #1 priority until she gets it.

[Ebb]

@Ebb: That's definitely true. The World of Darkness is not quite our own world. It's darker with more corrupt officials, more crime of all sorts, less reliable law enforcement, and somehow even more shady, behind-the-scenes dealings to fix prices or manipulate and control the masses. And that's beside the fact that there are undead, cursed beings behind many international corporations, a corrupting god-like entity behind others, mages with utopian-level technology who dole it out painfully slowly to keep everyone else from killing each other, angry spirits seeking vengeance in the afterlife, and the remnants of fairies from legend manifesting as fae souls in human bodies.

I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, fun trumps reality.

[Nicolae]

Here are the completed sheets I've gotten so far.
AndyZ with Joanna Kyleson
RubySlippers with Altagracia Santiago
Finn MacKenna with Amara Lewis
Ebb with Norman Black
VonDoom with Sebastian D. Richter
Miroque with Ingrid Schwarzegeist
kckolbe with Robert Dwyer
Anon315 with Deitrich Anderson

I'm still expecting around 3 more to come in, hopefully soon, because they're three interesting ideas for characters!

As you can tell from a cast of 8-11 characters, this is going to be highly roleplay-driven, and more specifically, driven by roleplay amongst player characters. Keep everything in character and there should be no problems. Don't hesitate to PM me for clarification on a description, an action you want to keep hidden from everyone else (as long as it CAN be secret), any PC-on-PC conspiring or PC-on-NPC conspiring, etc.

Of course, having said that, even if something is posted publicly, if your character isn't informed about it one way or another, they don't know that it happened. But I know that you ladies and gentlemen can handle that, and won't be metagaming.

[Anon315]

Deitrich Anderson
Loyal Merchant
Deitrich Anderson is a new arrival to the city, a magnate after a fashion. He carries the very finest in Swiss watches, German cars, and Russian Kalashnikovs. His reputation is impeccable, which is to say that anyone who speaks ill of him seems to meet a grisly demise. There are rumors that he had to flee a previous location due to disagreement with the Prince of said demesne. Little enough is known about him save that his blood is pure and his money green; the giant otherwise remains a mystery.

[Nicolae]

Just want to point out a typo on the website I sent you guys. It gives the list of Talents as follows:

C. The Talents available are: Alertness, Academics, Awareness, Brawl, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Leadership, Streetwise, and Subterfuge.

Instead of "Academics", it should say "Athletics."

[Miroque]

Q: About your DC cammies (and in some retrospect Indies) :

Who if anyone, holds the list of denizens in the Prince's domain? (and if said list exist, is it open knowledge) I meen, atleast kindred with status 1+ should be known to the populance, and maybe even those of status 0 (freshly embraced, as their sires have been given the right to embrace reacantly.).

[Nicolae]

That list would likely be kept by the Prince's Seneschal, Monica Black. It is not open for perusal (except to the Prince, Primogen, Seneschal, and Harpies), though presumably anyone who came to enough Elysiums would be able to compile a nearly complete copy of that list. If you had a question about it, the Seneschal could answer it.

By the way, I just added a new NPC to the list, Sheriff Sofia Reyes.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=199938.0

[AndyZ]

I will offer that Joanna Kyleson comes to a lot of Elysiums (Elysia?).

[VonDoom]

Sebastian is also a regular, though probably not quite as much as some of the more social-centric folk.

[kckolbe]

Robert is not a regular.  He comes only when required or has a personal reason to be there, as he is uncomfortable in large groups.  By the way, imaginary points for knowing who Robert Dwyer is in real life.

[Miroque]

Ingrid is elysium regular only if her handlef is as she is not aknowledged yet

[RubySlippers]

I'm a Caitiff here me roar - *makes squeaky sounds* - well Altagracia might show up at Elysium as a wall flower but not talk to anyone unless talked to first she knows her place. But at least she supports the Traditions and is not an Anarch that is something. But she needs a Patron can't find one hiding.

The Nosferatu always need face Kindred that might be a good option say what you want their clan is respected. Might be worth some face work for them for Patronage.

[kckolbe]

How does patronage work?

[RubySlippers]

Well a Caitiff tries to find the best Elder they can hopefully with fair expectations and hopes they vouch for them in Court. The Prince is more likely to accept a Caitiff if backed by say head of a clan like the Nosferatu. But well Caitiff can't be choosey any Elder would do in a pinch.

[kckolbe]

And in true quest chain fashion, I imagine that for a Clan Primogen to vouch for you, you first have to have other, less significant members of the Clan vouching for your char as well?

By the way, anything I should know about the Malkavian Primogen?

[RubySlippers]

Likely she will help a Clan because she wants to, she is to immature to plot.

[VonDoom]

Nosferatu patronage has a pretty big disadvantage later down the line, in that no one will ever mistake her for one and even if she is actually adopted later, her appearance will stand out. The usual go-to clans I've seen for patronage are largely Malkavian, Toreador and Brujah - though any will work if the Caitiff in question is desirable enough as an asset for an Elder, of course.

[RubySlippers]

She is happy being a Caitiff so adoption into a Clan is no biggie but she does want City Status.

[Nicolae]

@kckolbe: She's a flapper from the 1920s named Cassandra because of her penchant for occasionally slipping into a prophetic trance.

[kckolbe]

Another oracle, huh?

[AndyZ]

Any special rules for Elysium?  For example, are Disciplines outright banned, or no bringing ghouls, etc.?

I can't remember if there's any sort of standard for it or not, but if there is, I can't find it.

[Nicolae]

@AndyZ: Disciplines banned, ghouls are fine if they come with their master or mistress (and are kept on a tight leash), no weapons or electronics allowed in the building during an Elysium, and be on your best behavior or the Sheriff will bounce your ass into the street after she takes her pound of flesh.

[Ebb]

@AndyZ: Disciplines banned, ghouls are fine if they come with their master or mistress (and are kept on a tight leash), no weapons or electronics allowed in the building during an Elysium, and be on your best behavior or the Sheriff will bounce your ass into the street after she takes her pound of flesh.

The notion of a roomful of Washington power brokers denied access to their cellphones and just getting bitchier and bitchier over the course of the night is an incredibly great one. Of course the older vampires won't understand what the problem is, while the younger ones are becoming increasingly stressed that they might have missed something on their Twitter feed.

[RubySlippers]

Good, no ban on Caitiff sullying up Elysium. She will be a Wall Flower and not talk unless talked to first.

[kckolbe]

She's attractive and can easily arrange orgies.  She'll make friends.  ~smiles~

[RubySlippers]

Not Orgies religious rites to Satan, that happen to cover generally have vice driven excesses as the main form of worship.  >:)

[Ghostwheel]

<snip snip>

[RubySlippers]

Nice character, now I saw South Park where is his pouch of Jew Gold and the fake pouch of Jew Gold to protect the real Jew Gold.

Just kidding of course. South Park is not the best source of information.

[Ebb]

I agree it's a cool character. I think Calrond wanted characters PM'ed to him rather than posted publicly, though. Once the character's accepted he's been okay with us posting the bare minimum of public information here.

[Ghostwheel]

Whoops. Will send it to him then, what's the "bare minimum"? He's basically already okayed the concept...

[Ebb]

Whoops. Will send it to him then, what's the "bare minimum"? He's basically already okayed the concept...

I'll let Calrond answer that. There have been a couple of examples in this thread though -- scan for pictures.

[Nicolae]

Go ahead and post a physical description and anything about the character that is common knowledge among the Camarilla vampires. Not a complete history, but enough to give people a clue of what is going on in game when they meet you, and to give the illusion that your characters have possibly known and interacted with each other for years. "Hey, it's that guy, and I know a brief paragraph about him."

[Nicolae]

I'll try to get the first post up tomorrow. If you guys haven't finished your sheet, that's fine. We'll begin at an Elysium which EVERYONE is attending at the JFK Center for the Performing Arts. ;)

[Ghostwheel]

Name: Barir bin Yasha

Clan: Assamite (anti-tribu)

Appearance: Barir bin Yasha appears to be a dark-skinned man of arab descent just a hair below six feet, though his bright blue-green eyes mark him as having some ancestor of probably English descent when the Middle East was controlled by the British Empire. He often seems to walk with a cautious gait, almost as though he were expecting trouble at every turn, and his eyes constantly scan dark alleyways and patches of shadow for unseen assailants.

Demeanor: The caution that marks Barir's every step also infects his tone and voice when he converses with others. He does his best to stay reserved and quiet, and could easily be seen as almost aloof and arrogant if not for the haunted gaze that flickers at times behind his eyes.

Age Apparent: 25

Time in DC: Barir has been a very short time in DC, relatively. One night during the witching hour he showed up, the local prince appearing to be expecting him. Set up with a very small apartment and almost no living expenses to speak of, Barir has recently been ingratiating himself with the Prince's sheriff by taking on dangerous tasks or join in the more life-threatening missions. From all accounts he's done well for himself on the missions thus far, and there's a rumor that the sheriff has blood-bonded the young Assamite--though that might be simple hearsay.

Theme Song:
www.youtube.com/embed/ktvTqknDobU

[Nicolae]

The game's afoot.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=200315.msg9784607

If you haven't got your sheet in, get it to me before you post in the game thread. If you have sent me your sheet and gotten approval, you can post your entrance into the game!

[VonDoom]

Woo! Looking forward to meeting everyone! Do we get an OOC thread, as well?

More IC-relevant question, when approximately was sundown?  :-)

[Nicolae]

Yep, you guys will have an OOC thread shortly.

Sunset was at 7:15 PM that evening, so two and a half hours before the present time.

[Miroque]

@Calrond: Should we discuss about Ingrids handler.. private or open, I dont care, as the Handler will play big part of unaknowledged kindred's life.

[kckolbe]

Safe to assume that there will be a lot of humans at Elysium for feeding, serving, etc? 

[VonDoom]

I'm writing my post (soon to be finished!) under the assumption that a walking stick is fine to bring in, he'll of course hand it over if it's considered a weapon and walk inside favoring his left leg.

[RubySlippers]

I suspect some posts will be longer and some shorter, my character decided not to be an Autarkis so ignoring Elysium and the authority of the Prince is not proper.

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: Sure!

@kckolbe: The only humans there will be ghouls. Feed on them at your own peril. Also, there's not a lot of serving of refreshments going on, mainly since Kindred don't trust each other not to try to slip some of their own blood into the mix and begin the process of blood bonding everyone at Elysium.

@VonDoom: A cane/walking stick is fine as long as it can pass through a metal detector. They know about sword canes, which are fine to carry elsewhere, but won't be allowed in Elysium.

@RubySlippers: This isn't a mandatory Elysium for the Kindred. My saying that you were all going to be there was for the sake of sanity from a storytelling perspective and to get you all together to begin interacting with each other, your Primogen, the Harpies, etc.

[kckolbe]

@kckolbe: The only humans there will be ghouls. Feed on them at your own peril. Also, there's not a lot of serving of refreshments going on, mainly since Kindred don't trust each other not to try to slip some of their own blood into the mix and begin the process of blood bonding everyone at Elysium.

I am completely okay with his honeyed cakes being viewed with suspicion and confusion.  He has a reason for doing it.

[Miroque]

@Calrond: Sooo... how you wanna do it ? Or do we need to talk about it now.. or can I just post their entrance? (both of them coming in at the same time).

I know we need to have their relationship shorted out, it being quite important on Ingrid's story.

[Nicolae]

@Miroque: I just PMed you to talk about it. ;)

[Miroque]

Replied :)

[Nicolae]

And though I didn't mention it, we'll assume that you're all at a full Blood Pool for the sake of convenience.

[VonDoom]

Aw, and here I specifically took a nibble off of my ghoul to be all flush and such.  ;)

Should I edit the part about it being one where a lot of people received invitations, then? I also kind of assumed it was a mandatory thing, or at least a special gathering.

And no, it's not a sword cane, so it should be fine.

[AndyZ]

I'd personally expect people to be more worried about a wooden cane, since you break it over your knee and suddenly have two very nasty weapons against vampires.

Still, you can't deprive an old wizard man of his walking stick...

[RubySlippers]

In Elysium and not even an Elder, he wouldn't last long if he attacked anyone.  ;D

[AndyZ]

Natch, but by that logic, let people keep their weapons and they just won't get away with jack.

[kckolbe]

Is generation somewhat common knowledge?  I imagine the elders are pretty keen to boast on their strength, and you can kinda figure some out from there.

[AndyZ]

Not really.  If you know someone is lower generation than you, they become a target for diablerie, which is something everyone fears even though it breaks the Traditions.

[Miroque]

Actually, in introduction to domain, its common to introduce oneself by sire and grandsire. Ventrues go far enought to boost their lineages to their founder. I would assume, Toreadors and Nosferatus doing something similar (as they hold traidions in great degree)

[Nicolae]

@VonDoom: No, by all means, let's keep the flavor in that it's going to be a well-attended Elysium. It certainly will, it's just not feasible to have a mandatory Elysium. The Prince would have to spend the next two weeks tracking down and punishing everyone who didn't show up, undermining his authority and making him look like a petty tyrant.

If you know someone is lower generation than you, they become a target for diablerie, which is something everyone fears even though it breaks the Traditions.

Actually, in introduction to domain, its common to introduce oneself by sire and grandsire. Ventrues go far enought to boost their lineages to their founder. I would assume, Toreadors and Nosferatus doing something similar (as they hold traidions in great degree)

Funny thing, you're both right. If you think you're at high risk of being diablerised, it may be best to keep your generation to yourself. If not, then you can feel free to divulge it and reap the social benefits it may bring you. (Game theory!) The Ventrue are proud of it and more likely to brag about it than other clans (often claiming to "know" their heritage going back to Caine, if such a being ever existed), and they also support the "system" that criminalizes diablerie and to some extent protects them from it. There are other safeguards, too, such as the ability to see diablerist auras using Auspex (which I seem to recall lasts two years from the date of diablerie), and other disciplines that can tease out that information, and then the Final Death can be dealt out.

[Nicolae]

The link to the OOC thread! https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=200351.new#new

[SGTDan]

Howdy folks, I am hoping I get to play with ya'll as long as Cal approves of the character of course.