Vampire
Overview
My Lord,
It has been some time since our last correspondence. I’ve been keeping my eye on New York City as you ordered, and the situation has drastically changed.
As you know, more than 20 years ago the Lancea Prince Kincaid cloistered the city, and for roughly 15 years no Kindred who entered the city was ever heard from again, and all have been assumed to have met their final deaths. That was until Mab, their Coterie, and their hangers-on marched in and declared it their own. They kept the city cloistered almost as well as Kincaid had, but those who followed didn’t disappear like those who came before them. Messages in and out of the city began to flow anew, petitioners could arrange an interview with the Prince if they wished access to the city, and even those who were turned away lived to tell the tale.
Prince Mab was very selective in who they allowed into the city and, unfortunately, I was never given permission to come and go… officially. Nevertheless, you know I have my methods.
My sources tell me that the city had fallen into the grip of a cult of some kind, plucking kindred right off of the streets, launching daylight raids on their havens, and turning their ghouls against them in secret. It was secretive, well-funded, and had some occult power I still do not understand. They may have been Kindred themselves, as they seemed adept at utilizing the powers of the blood and were unusually well-informed.
It brings me great pleasure to report that this threat has been extinguished by the highly capable, if unconventional court that has built up in these past few years. What’s more, Mab has relinquished the Princedom of the city and their coterie has moved on to points unknown. In their wake, the Invictus have claimed the city as their domain, conquered by the newly announced Prince, Duchess Natasha Arroyo.
The city remains cloistered, but the Prince has expanded the demesne to include New Jersey. The boroughs are divided amongst the five covenants that have established themselves within its borders. The Invictus have the lion’s share of power, though they are collaborating loosely with the Circle, Lancea, Ordo, and Carthians. Petitioners no longer meet with the Prince directly, instead working through intermediaries to gain access to the city. It is the dawn of a new age for Kindred in New York City.
And from what I can see, it looks ripe for the taking.
~ Your humble servant.
Theme
"None of us really changes over time; we only become more fully what we are." - Anne Rice, The Queen of the Damned
Playing a Vampire among this venue we'll be facing the following themes:
- Life in the All Night Society and Final Death
- Trust and Treachery
- Nature vs Nurture
- Unity and Discord
- Enterprise and Turmoil
- Sovereignty and Independence
- Violence and Aftermath
This sphere is built for heavy thematic RP including politics and violence.
This sphere takes itself seriously. If you do not take it seriously, we will remove you from it. Warnings have been explicitly placed and they are all you will receive. Your actions, should you miss or ignore the warnings, will have the consequences we feel are appropriate.
- Timeline: A timeline of recent events.
Inspiration
- The Underworld Trilogy
- Dracula
- The Lost Boys
- Interview With A Vampire
- Salem's Lot
- Daybreakers
- Blade Trilogy
- Being Human
- Castlevania
Society: The Danse Macabre
The Traditions
- THE FIRST TRADITION: MASQUERADE
Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so forfeits you your claim to the Blood.
Even obliquely revealing yourself as a vampire or revealing the existence of kindred society at all to any but the kindred or ghouls will absolutely get you killed, it's just a matter of who gets to you first.
- THE SECOND TRADITION: PROGENY
Sire another at the peril of both yourself and your progeny. If you create a childe, the weight is your own to bear.
The siring of a childe without the permission of the Prince is not allowed, and you will always carry equal culpability for any action your childe takes. Final Death hangs over both heads.
- THE THIRD TRADITION: AMARANTH
You are forbidden from devouring the heartsblood of your Kindred. If you violate this commandment, the Beast calls to your own Blood.
Diablerie is strictly forbidden, on pain of death.
Natasha’s Law
Prince Natasha has largely modeled their rule after that of Prince Mab before them. She wants her city to thrive, she is also keenly aware that the reason for its previous failure was treachery from within. Therefore a healthy amount of suspicion remains the most prudent course of action. If you’re not here to benefit the city and its inhabitants, then why are you here? If you have no speakable motives and nothing to lose, why should you be trusted? Those that are actively contributing are given far more leniency than those who shuffle with no direction in the night. This city can not afford bottom feeders. And the court is watching closely.
- You must announce yourself.
- You must be providing the city with a service. Do not come empty handed.
- You must be part of a Covenant, or if you’re Unaligned meet with the Seneschal regularly for oversight.
- Sharing the Kiss among Kindred is no longer punishable by death or unlawful, though it will continue to be treated with the highest order of skepticism, and blood bonds can and will be broken if they compromise the integrity and safety of the Domain, or the security of the Traditions.
- The final step of vinculum is not to be administered to one of the Blood without their consent. To do otherwise, or to circumvent the spirit of this boundary, is a violation of the Law, and the transgressor's punishment will be determined by the Prince. This Law protects Kindred only.
- All ghouls and thralls will be reported. Unreported ghouls and thralls will be removed from custody or destroyed.
- Leaving and returning to the city requires an entrance and exit interview.
- Breaking the Traditions is grounds for death.
Prince Natasha Arroyo has a Council made up of up to five Councilors -- one from each Covenant. Councilors vote on how to handle issues within the City. The Prince retains veto authority and ultimate discretion on matters of Court.
The Covenants
Prince Natasha's reign is not all that dissimilar from Prince Mab's – grow the city, make it thrive, and fortify it. So long as those within their walls show promise, value, and loyalty they are allowed to stay.
The Ordo Dracul
Territory: Staten Island
The Dragons of New York are not the center of power that they once were, in the absence of Mab and their coterie. They are left to their own devices in the grander scheme of things, but one thing is abundantly clear: Should chaos arise they had better be ready.
The Invictus
Territory: Manhattan
Who better to run a city such as New York than the First Estate? Their efforts were supported and encouraged by the previous Prince, Mab wanted complete control, and the Unconquered retain it in their wake. New Conspiracy members are openly welcomed and encouraged towards enterprise.
The Carthian Movement
Territory: Brooklyn
The Firebrands were welcomed in the city by the previous Prince, and thus far have respected and aided in the mission and direction of the court. Never a powerful faction in the city, their minor rebellion and political maneuvering resulted in more of a shifting of power than a revolution. Prince Natasha has allowed them to continue their experiment, but remember who is really in charge. If you distract from the ultimate goal, you’re replaceable.
The Circle of the Crone
Territory: Queens
The Circle's expertise was put to great use during Mab's reign, and it has earned them a position of considerable weight in the new administration. While the Invictus have strict patterns that govern their brutality, the Circle of the Crone use their liberty to destroy anyone who steps out of line. How “stepping out of line” is defined, however, can change from night to night — sorry.
The Lancea et Sanctum
Territory: Bronx
The Lancea et Sanctum have something of a checkered past in New York, to put it lightly. Their reign under Prince Everston ended with the death of every kindred who could not escape the city, followed by 15 years of silence, the city lost to Kindred altogether. When Mab reopened the city, the Lancea were deeply disfavored and mistrusted. This would ultimately prove wise, as the Lancea Primogen, Daniel Graham, was a traitor to the court who had worked with its enemies all along. As Mama Jackie entered the city, proving pivotal in the sealing of the great threat it had faced for so long, they may finally find their place in the city under Prince Natasha's more welcoming rule. Fool me thrice, however...
The Unaligned
Territory: Jersey City
Not quite Autarkis, the Unaligned swear no allegiance to any Covenant, but remain active members of the court, swear fealty to the Prince, and are beholden to the Laws of the city. Prince Natasha has secured Jersey City as an official part of her domain and marked it as home to the unaligned. The unaligned were already relegated to feeding and havening in that area even under Mab's rule, with fewer protections, unless they secured some goodwill from any of the city's Covenants, but as an official part of the domain it is safer in these nights. The Unaligned are less a coherent group and more a rabble of outsiders looked upon with suspicion and generally watched closely by members of the established Covenants as potential recruits... or enemies.
The Cast
| Invictus | Circle of the Crone | Carthian Movement |
| Active PC's | Active PC's | Active PC's |
| Active NPC's | Active NPC's | Active NPC's |
| Locations | Locations | Locations |
| Lancea et Sanctum | Ordo Dracul | Unaligned |
| Active PC's | Active PC's | Active PC's |
| Active NPC's | Active NPC's | Active NPC's |
| Locations | Locations | Locations
None Active. |
| Ghouls | Coteries | |
| Active PC's | Umbra | The Red Hook Crew |
| Active NPC's
None Active. |
The Crone'Rads | |
| Locations
None Active. | ||
Prince
Natasha Arroyo - Mekhet, Invictus
Seneschal
Moira Reverie - Mekhet, Circle of the Crone
Primogen
Amahle Ellis - Mekhet, Circle of the Crone
Pepper Morrison - Daeva, Carthian Movement
Eli Dupree - Gangrel, Ordo Dracul
Mama Jackie - Gangrel, Lancea et Sanctum
Councilors
Mama Jackie - Gangrel, Lancea et Sanctum
Eli Dupree - Gangrel, Ordo Dracul
Moira Reverie - Mekhet, Circle of the Crone
A.G. Silverwood - Daeva, Invictus
Julia Raymonde - Daeva, Carthian Movement
Sheriff
Eli Dupree - Gangrel, Ordo Dracul
Priscus
A.G. Silverwood - Daeva, Invictus
Herald
Johnny Reines - Mekhet, Carthian Movement, Invictus
Alexis Donovan - Mekhet, Circle of the Crone
Deputy
Ayda Anwar - Ventrue, Ordo Dracul
Nuria Crossler - Mekhet, Invictus
Scourge
A.G. Silverwood - Daeva, Invictus
Jessie Carlisle - Gangrel, Carthian Movement
Lilia Lacoste - Daeva, Invictus
Sasha Ivanov - Gangrel, Carthian Movement
Master of Elysium
Rhett Townsend - Nosferatu, Invictus
Natasha Arroyo - Mekhet, Invictus
Oggie Pryor - Ghoul, Carthian
Arthur Wayland - Ventrue, Invictus
Master of Coin
Joseph Oliver - Daeva, Invictus
Harpy
Hamish McGregor - Gangrel, Carthian Movement
Kevin Starkweather - Daeva, Circle of the Crone
- See the full character list here.
Status & Titles
Where titles are assigned status, assume that to be the minimum viable status required to qualify for the title. It is perfectly valid for a Harpy to have higher status than one might expect, for example.
RP Hooks
RP Hooks for the Kindred of New York.
Rules and System
We are playing Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition.
Please closely review our Vampire Sphere House Rules.
Please review Dark City's specific rules on Bloodlines.
Joining the Sphere
Vampire is currently not accepting applications.
- You can find the full Approval Guidelines here.
- Custom Materials for player use.
- NPCs Mentor List for player use.
- Use the Vampire Sheet if making a Vampire.
- Use the Ghoul Sheet if making a Ghoul.
Capped Concepts
See The Full List Of Capped Concepts Here
How To Get the Most out of Gameplay
- Discuss NPC ties with your ST, and request NPC scenes when they are relevant. For instance, requesting to meet with an NPC to ask them to Mentor you, or teach you a ceremony that they know, or convince them to switch sides on a critical issue are all great reasons for an NPC scene. If you'd like to establish that you know an NPC, that might be better handled as a hand-wave or downtime action.
- Let your ST know what your objective is when you put in a request. They probably know something you don't about how to connect you from Point A to Point B, so give them all the information so they can make it easier for you.
- Let your ST know what you've been up to. While we don't require justifications, it's a great idea to include a brief reason for why your PC is adding another dot in Athletics, for example, or from where they learned a new power. It helps the ST know what you've been up to. While we'd love to read all the scene logs, there's simply not enough time! So help keep us informed.
- RSVP for plots and plot scenes by adding yourself to the Count Me In section. This signifies that you and your PC are taking an active interest and role in the plot, and will make it easier for others to find you, and helps the ST manage scene time by knowing approximately how many people to expect.
- Proactively follow-up on plots and clues in ticket requests. Once they're out there, they're yours to make a move with. Don't expect plot answers or resolutions to come to you and land in your lap.
- Let your ST know what you enjoy. If you're in the game for all combat all the time, or perhaps you're more story driven, if you let the ST know your preferences (so long as the games stay within a reasonable volume), they can accommodate your requests when possible.
- Give Details. Share logs with STs or personal moments you want noted (any why you want them noted), so STs might include those details in your personal plots.
- Find Your Purpose. These are things that should be considered during character creation but can always be added to afterwards. Why is your character part of the Danse Macabre? Why urges them to continue on? Why are they in the city? What role do they play towards its success? How do they benefit themselves or their coterie mates?
Team Lead
Assistant ST
Vampire Plots
Metaplot
Foreign Courts will be a greater part of the developing metaplot within the Vampire Sphere.
