Desert of Shadows: Endgame setting 2019 (03/20/19)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/352006878143511/permalink/2337667379577441/ 

Setting Document:

Desert of Shadows: Endgame

Theme: Revelation 
Mood: Mysterious 
Scope: Las Vegas 
Setting: Camarilla, with Anarch and Independent Alliance players on a limited basis

It was the best of times.

The peaceful transition of Las Vegas from the Independent Alliance to the Camarilla serves as a shining example of cooperation, a symbol of what is possible between Sects of Kindred. Of course, some know the darker truths of the arrangement, but for most it represents a future night untroubled by war. The city of Las Vegas thrives under the rule of Prince Eric Falkenhayn and his coterie of veterans of the Sabbat wars. A steady stream of Anarchs making their way south to the front lines of the Revolution sweeping Baja California depends on Sin City as a way station and supply point.

As part of their agreement with the Ivory Tower, the Independent Alliance begins to establish recognized embassies with expanded domain rights within North America and the great Camarilla capitals of Europe.

Kindred begin to speak of a Pax Camarilla, a lasting and enduring global order that could see a night fall free of the Sabbat.

It was the worst of times.

Even with the Anarch Revolution threatening Northern Mexico following the Camarilla's Edict of Dominion, the Sabbat in Mexico roils under the threat of civil war. Little is known about the so-called Cobata Incident, but what scholars outside of the Sabbat believe is that whatever event unfolded at the Olmec archaeological site caused a great turmoil within the upper echelons of leadership of the Sect. Only the brutal methods of the Black Hand and Inquisition have kept the Sect from entering its fourth iteration of civil conflict.

Within the parlors of the Camarilla, a new round of purges of the Caitiff have begun in more conservative minded courts. Refugees of these purges spill into the slums and streets of other Camarilla cities, searching for safety and some semblance of normalcy. The position of Scourge has become ever more dangerous, as the desperate Caitiff join together in protective coteries, some of which have become quite savage in their struggle for survival.

And of course, there is the correspondence. For the Elders of Las Vegas it starts slow. A small uptick in missives from distant acquaintances abroad. Half forgotten childer of friends. The communication begins to increase, and it isn't long before the Ancilla and Neonates of Las Vegas see a gradual but obvious exodus of Luminary and True Elders of the Sect from the city. The Elders do not cite any common reasons for leaving, but within six months ,most of them have left.

There is no mystery to those few Elders who remain. Once you live long enough, you see something like this happen, or hear of it. A flood of attention from persons with no discernible interest in the domain.

Something is watching the city. Something old. Something powerful. All of which means something dangerous.

Rarity:

Common:

Brujah, Caitiff, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue, Assamite (Vizier)

Uncommon:

Giovanni, Followers of Set, and Ravnos. Assamite (mainline clan)

Rare:

Cappadocians (Samedi), Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Lasombra, Salubri, and Tzimisce (Carpathian).

Sect adjustments:

Anarch: Ventrue (Uncommon), Tremere (Rare) 
Independent Alliance: Lasombra (Uncommon)

Restricted: Tzimisce, Baali

XP is 30 character creation + 70, representing a major center of Camarilla interest.

Mechanic changes:

More XP will be available through achieving Objectives in the chronicle.

Generation is capped at 3 unless a player is willing to play your childe, then generation is capped at 4. For five dots of generation, you must have a player willing to be your child, must provide a write up for your character and your lineage to STs, and have the character approved.

Storyteller notes: This story focuses on two elements; the Restoration of Camarilla authority to Las Vegas and surrounding areas and the Jyhad around which that Restoration occurs. The game will focus on high politics, both in the Camarilla and outside of it. Warning: This is a game of adult themes.

Desert of Shadows: Endgame Overview 2019 (03/22/19)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/352006878143511/permalink/2350859551591557/

Another issue we discussed was the length of the chronicle. We are planning on several experimental things in DoS: Endgame, such as the Objective system we discussed, in addition to some others elements we have not yet discussed. As such, our initial plan is to run the game 10-12 months, and discuss whether or not we continue. Jamie mentioned that if people are enjoying the chronicle, we will not wind it down, which is probably a good rule of thumb for any chronicle. ;) We'll have a community discussion once we hit the 10 month mark and see where we're at with the players experience.

The game will have Floor XP at a level 1/3rd the amount of the steady earned XP of the game (The maximum monthly XP earned at the point of that PC's creation).

Price for game will be $10, which will include website maintenance, our gaming site fee, multiple sets and props that will change as the game progresses, and a few extras we're working on as a surprise for the player base.

We discussed clan caps, and currently we are not applying clan caps. We'd like to see where players sort, generally, and we recognize that there is some inflation in clan size due to our lineage arrangement. We do reserve the right to impose them, though, if when Brett puts the website up we see the first 12 characters inputted as Brujah. :p We will, of course, notify everyone about the caps.

One thing we did not discuss but I wanted to touch on is what players can expect from the setting. We do plan on enforcing concepts in the Camarilla setting. Players teaching Rare Disciplines who are not careful could have a backlash, potentially a lethal backlash, from their clans. Caitiff can expect varying levels of hostility from Camarilla NPCs, etc.

But also some positive things! For example, a Nosferatu player can expect to receive snippets of information every now and then from outside of the city that will only be given to them, and is theirs to sell or keep. Tremere players can expect to receive orders and demands for reports periodically. A Malkavian player can be assured that they will have a bout of visions accentuating their madness at some point.

Another element we're emphasizing is this section of the book on page 376:

"The Courtesies of a domain determine exactly how a Primogen is selected."

In cases where there is more than one person who seeks to be the Primogen of a clan, the decision will be made through the following methods:

At the start of the game, the Courtesies of the domain give deference to the Kindred who hold the position to define the method of succession. This has led to a variety of different methods the Primogen are selected, which reflect the spirit of their clan. For the pillar clans of the Camarilla, these are as follows:

Ventrue: The Clan of Kings balances its belief in hierarchy with the nobility of their blood. Ventrue vote for succession, but the weight of their vote is tempered by Generation. A Luminary Elder's vote thus has the weight of 5 votes, a True Elder has the weight of 4, a Pretender Elder 3, and so on.

Tremere: The Tremere clan has no use for the democratic process. The Tremere Primogen is appointed by the Regent. The Tremere Primogen will also not receive either Clan Objectives nor Primogen Objectives; those will go to the Regent. During the initial night, the Regent will be chosen by their relative ability as a Thaumaturgist.

Toreador: The Roses pride themselves in their ability to navigate the waters of social grace, and so among themselves, expect a mastery of political gamesmanship. The Toreador engage in a simple vote; but the vote must be unanimous.

Nosferatu: The Primogen of the Nosferatu will often act as a broker for the Clan in its dealings with the leaders of the city, and needs to be able to dangle the information in a delicate balance between maximizing interest while preserving the secret until payment is made. Every Nosferatu will be given a piece of information, and candidates will "pitch" that information to their fellow clan members. Clan members will then vote on which piece of information they would like to learn, The secret with the most votes is then revealed to the clan, and its owner ascends to the Primogen council.

Malkavian: Candidates are seated facing each other, and a six chamber revolver loaded with a single incendiary round is placed between them. The candidates are given three minutes to say whatever they please to the Clan. The members of the clan gather around them, and counter clockwise,the Malkavians decide whose "turn" it is. The candidate whose "turn" it is may then place the revolver to their temple and pull the trigger, or offer a trivial boon to the Malkavian who assigned the turn to "change" the turn. They can do this once with a trivial boon, and once with a minor boon. The Primogen is the candidate without a bullet hole through their temple at the conclusion.

Gangrel: Rival Candidates are presented with a challenge, or enemy to the clan. Candidates are allowed to outline a plan for addressing that challenge. After all candidates have outlined the plan, individual Gangrel will join the "pack" of the candidate whose plan they feel has the most chance of success. The largest pack elevates the 'alpha', who serves as the Primogen of the clan.

Brujah: The Brujah will select their Primogen democractically, as is appropriate to advocates for equality.

Once a player has ascended to the rank of Primogen, she'll have a window of two months where she may change the method of selection of future Primogen for her clan, with the approval of the Prince.

What are the Courtesies and Intrigues of the Domain (05/01/19)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/352006878143511/permalink/2461292797214898/

What are the Courtesies and Intrigues of the Domain

First, for everyone's clarification, we quote the book on page 382:

"Interpretation of the Traditions and customs on how a Prince enforces these laws in a local domain are informally called the Courtesies and the Intrigues."

On page 384:

"A Prince has the right to interpret how the Traditions will be enforced within her domain. These interpretations are often treated as lesser traditions and are referred to as the “Courtesies,” from the tradition of French courts describing various rules and etiquette required to survive in Versailles. The common euphemism for navigating the murky intersections between the Courtesies and the Traditions is the “Intrigues.” Kindred must understand the Courtesies and the Intrigues to survive in the cutthroat world of Camarilla society.

It is expected that visitors to a domain will quickly learn the local Courtesies and Intrigues of the court. A Prince will set certain expectations, and those that come under her protection are expected to know her laws. Ignorance of these customs is not an accepted excuse, and Kindred who complain too much will find punishments for violating unknown Courtesies and Intrigues to be especially harsh.

Traditionally, it is the Primogens’ job to explain the Courtesies and Intrigues to visitors and new arrivals. Should a Primogen fail to properly educate a clanmate before bringing her before the Prince for Acknowledgement, she is usually considered to be equally at fault in the eyes of society."

So the Courtesies are the local laws of the Prince, usually in someway related to the Traditions, and the Intrigues are the "murky navigation" of the intersection of Courtesies and Traditions. At the start of Game 1, all Vampires present at that Gathering are considered "Recognized" or "Acknowledged", with one notable exception. ;)

The following are the Courtesies of Prince Eric Falkenhayn, Ventrue Sovereign of Las Vegas

1. The Clans of the Primogen council will select their representative in ways reflective of their clan's nature, as approved by the Prince,

2. Members of the Anarch Movement and Independent Alliance, as well as Independent Kindred of good standing with the Court, shall be considered Recognized inhabitants of the city and entitled to safe and fair treatment in the domain as long as they follow the Tradition of Hospitality and seek to be Recognized in the manner outlined. Those who do not will be brought to the Prince in torpor.

3. Those seeking Acknowledgement or Recognition, in the case of those outside of the Camarilla, have a grace period of announcing themselves to the Prince or the Seneschal by the time of the next Gathering. Those newcomers who do not do so by the end of that Gathering are considered to be violating the domain of the Prince.

4. In cases where a Kindred has been accused of violating the Traditions and the Prince is not available to adjudicate the matter, a trial shall be held to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused. The Primogen of the accused shall act as their Advocate, or in the case of a Primogen being accused, their Whip shall act as their advocate. The Seneschal shall appoint a Prosecutor from the other members of the Primogen council. The rest of the council will sit in judgement of the trial as jury, with the Seneschal serving as presiding Minister.

Both sides of such a case will have one Gathering to assemble evidence and witnesses, with the trial to be held the following Gathering. At the end of the trial the Primogen who sit in judgement will send a finding of guilt or innocence to the Prince, along with a recommendation of punishment, which the Prince will take into consideration.

5. In deference to the age and wisdom of the Primogen council, the Primogen are granted the privilege of proposing Courtesies to the domain that the Prince will take under serious consideration.

6. All Kindred of the domain are expected to respect the Edict of Succession, a recognition of the Anarch Movement's ties to the Ivory Tower. Disrespect of the Justicars will not be tolerated.

7. The Gathering is a time of reflection and repose among Kindred. As such, there is no need for the mortal servants of the city to attend, other than those who serve the Praxis and protect the Gathering from intrusion of the outside world. These appointed guardians are the Jaegers, the personal military of Prince Falkenhayn.

What are the Status Bans? (05/01/19)

per the Camarilla setting in the book.

Is there an Elysium in Las Vegas? (03/22/19)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/352006878143511/permalink/2395096050501240/
One of the things we've talked about leading up to the game is the highlighted importance of Elysium in DoS: Endgame. We will be using Elysium to explain some of the regularly cited "gaps" in Kindred society. A Kindred arriving in the city at any port of entry will see unmistakable symbols of Vampiric culture in graffiti, advertising, and even traffic signs leading them to the location of the city's Elysium, which is at the Smith Center.

It is here that a Kindred of the Camarilla learns of the location of Gathering, where they may present themselves to the Prince.

What kind of person is Prince Eric Falkenhayn? (03/24/19)

He is stern. A Ventrue Prince minted from the battlefields of Eastern Europe. He's the childe of a great Camarilla Prince, Wilhelm Waldburg of Berlin, and thus grand-childe of a great Camarilla power in the form of Gustav Breidenstein, former Prince of Berlin.

The Rome Accords between the Camarilla and the Independent Alliance (05/23/19)

January 14th, 2016, Rome

In recognition of the necessities of these Modern nights, we gather in the Catacombs of the Capuchin Friars to formally acknowledge this Accord of understanding between the Camarilla and the clans of Govanni, Followers of Set, and Lasombra antitribu. It is here, in the shadow of the Inquisition, that we demonstrate our dedication to peace and comity, in the hopes that future dis-harmony between Kindred might similarly be resolved through negotiation.

This Accord, bound in the ancient Traditions by sacred vow, represents an unyielding, vigilant truce between the Kindred known unto themselves as the Independent Alliance, and the free-standing Kindred bound under the title of Camarilla. Henceforth, the parties shall be recognized by faction as the Independent Alliance and the Camarilla.

Each of the parties agrees to the reponsibility of maintaining peace. Each shall lay its censures upon any who breech or oppose this sacred Agreement. Accounting will be made of all parties for violations by them to either the letter or the spirit of this Agreement. This document is legally binding under the accepted Lextalionis of all Kindred as it has passed through the ages. All Kindred are entreated to accept and gain pleasure from this peaceful accord.

Let this agreement stand upon the following pillars of understanding.

1. In recognition of the importance of the territorial integrity of the Camarilla provinces of the American Southwest for defense against the infernal and profane, the Independent Alliance cedes the domain of Las Vegas to the Ivory Tower, freeing all parties of the obligation of Prestation.

2. The Independent Alliance is granted the right to establish embassies within the great capitals of London, Berlin, and Paris. Further, the Alliance is granted the privilege of petitioning the Princes of any Camarilla domain to establish similar embassies, and if granted such domain, are welcome to practice their laws and cultural orders within them without interference from the Camarilla.

3. When establishing an embassy within a Camarilla domain, the Independent Alliance shall choose among their leaders one to serve as Speaker for the Independent Alliance. The Speaker is authorized to negotiate for the safety and well being of any member of the Independent Alliance within the Camarilla, with the exception of a violation of the Masquerade.

4. The Prestation of members of the Independent Alliance is to be considered in good standing, despite the violation by the Giovanni of the Promise of 1528

5. The Independent Alliance pledges to abide by the Tradition of the Masquerade, and recognizes the Justicariate as the ultimate enforcers of the Masquerade.

We, the signatories to this agreement, do so swear to it's witness and acceptance.


Signatories of the Camarilla

Her Grace Dona Manuela Bolívar, Malkavian Justicar
Her Grace Madam Guil, Toreador Justicar
Lord Grimgroth, Clan Tremere
Lady Meerlinda, Clan Tremere
Prince Wilhelm of Berlin, Clan Ventrue
Prince Villon of Paris, Clan Toreador


Signatores of the Independent Alliance

Andreas Giovanni, of Clan Giovanni
Lucretia Giovanni, of Clan Giovanni
Julietta Putanesca, of Clan Giovanni
Ezuli, of the Followers of Set
Qufur am-Heru, of the Followers of Set
Josue Pagnol, of the Followers of Set

Le Chevalier Lord Imriel de Aragon, of Clan Lasombra

Witnessed by

Mathias, of Clan Ventrue
Durga Syn, of Clan Ravnos