Seattle is a city of booms and busts. The timber industry, the gold rush, World War 1 and 2, the tech industry and all the spaces in between. Change comes in sudden surges and the supernatural realm is no different, though whether it is the source or subject of this phenomena is a matter of perspective and opinion.
From resting in the hands of the Anarchs to the Tower and back again, from the Ventrue to the Brujah and the rise of rival empires of human sorcerers and soul-stealing Fae clashing over old wounds and new crimes, change came fast and rarely without conflict.
After months of back and forth, the city now splits between the Tower and the Movement, separated by the namesake legacy of Yesler. The Fae Monarchs have risen and then fallen; destroyed or disappeared. Their courts scattering with them, leaving behind echoes of corporations existing solely on paper and stories melting away beneath the summer sun like a castle made of ice. The Mages, who dug so deeply and expended so much in pursuit of power were left with only hallow caverns in exchange, slinking away to study and regroup, puzzling and arguing over what was learned and who was to blame. The Garou have drawn back to the wild lands, seemingly content to let the Kindred oversee the city so long as their borders are respected, or at least so it would appear.
The world shakes as ancient titans clash through puppets and proxies and Seattle is not immune to the tremors. The Camarilla Praxis has slipped from the grasp of Clan Brujah into the hands of a most unlikely candidate, the Elder Carpathian Tsinna, now seeking to groom and cultivate the Tower as he might his beloved arboreal gardens. Meanwhile, the Anarch Movement strives to create a new form of governance over their sprawling southern territories, only to find themselves challenged as much from within as without, as differing viewpoints and visions for the future among their ranks clash together. Since December, they have surged in membership, yet still remain but a third of the Camarilla’s size. Outnumbered, yet holding onto their expanded territories stubbornly regardless.
It is August 17th, 2019.
The Camarilla has just held its Grand Conclave in Tombstone, Arizona. The Justicar of the Nosferatu, Warwick, faced censure before the Inner Circle. Rather than stand before their judgement, he fled, and now occupies a space on the Red List reserved for the Sect’s most vile and dangerous foes. The once unthinkable powers of Viscissitude and the long-condemned clan of the Salubri no longer bear the death sentence they once did, and while it is an overstatement to claim they are welcomed into the Tower with open arms, the door is now open for those willing to brandish such powers and affiliation in public.
The sub-sect of the Anarch Movement known as the UFS has now gotten what it wanted. Complete independence from the oversight of the Tower, but at what cost? Will the rest of the Movement still accept them as siblings in arms? The Phoenix Society seems to say no, having struck out and murdered former Justicar turned Anarch turned UFS supporter Theo Bell just before the evening’s vote could occur.
Complicating this further are the newly re-signed Blood Accords. Extended in the face of greater conflicts. The Sabbat and the Tower holding one another at arm’s length, uneasy allies against the extremist… even for the Sabbat… Unblinded Brotherhood, and now perhaps, the Independent Alliance, while the Anarchs share no such protection. At least, not in Seattle.
And what of Seattle? A great ritual between a group of varied supernaturals seems to have repelled doomsday for the city. A group of hunters willing to spawn droves of new Kindred and unleash them on the city, untrained and ravenous, in the name of exposing the undead menace to the world was put down at last, with dozens of newly spawned vampires and those they in turn created either fleeing the city, put down by the Camarilla forces or taken in and smuggled elsewhere by the Anarch Movement. Or perhaps meeting even darker fates when none were watching.
Quiet returns to the city. The Fae have seemingly dispersed with the death or departure of their leadership, once again vanishing within the population of the city. The Mages, seeking to harness the power of an ancient nexus and willing to risk apocalypse to grasp it, found themselves coming up empty handed and with little else worth contesting for, have departed to turn their interests and attention elsewhere. Leaving the Kindred, for better or worse, in control of what remains.
It’s an uneasy quiet though. Seattle has been through a lot in just a few years, with escalating rates of crime and death and violence within the city. While just about anyone you spoke to would laugh off the possibility of the supernatural existing, especially vampires, they might do so with a strained tone to their voice and a shifting of the eyes to warily watch the shadows around them. What is said in public in bright, crowded places may not be the same thing said while alone on a dark night, or while rechecking the locks on an apartment door.
The Masquerade still holds, but the strain is showing. The Occult industry is having a bit of a boom of its own, with sales of protective talismans and charms popping up more noticeably in farmer’s markets and struggling independent bookstores. Religious attendance is up, as are gun sales and firearm licenses.
Areas particularly in disarray are:
(ANARCH TERRITORIES) Chinatown (20%), Renton, Sodo, Tukwilla, Burien
(CAMARILLA TERRITORIES) Chinatown (80%), Ballard, Capitol Hill, Downtime Commercial, First Hill, Fremont, Lakecity, Northgate, Queen Anne, Roosevelt/Ravanna, South Lake Union and the U District.
To greater or lesser degree, an exceptional amount of violence and supernatural activity, mortal crime, institutional corruption and/or a high population of resident Kindred have all taken their toll on these neighborhoods. The mortal residents are warier, the police forces more strained and underfunded, or content to allow themselves to be bought off by any one of the dozens of hands tugging their strings, and local government has limited resources or political will to attempt to repair the social damage.
Mechanical Impact: Feeding in these neighborhoods is more challenging. The kine are not as oblivious and careless as they ideally should be; Two downtimes rather than one must be spent to feed undetected if doing so in these neighborhoods. Feeding from Herd is unimpacted.
Cover Up actions and Influence actions regarding the Police in these neighborhoods have an inherent Level 1 Block to overcome. This is not from any one singular source, but just a level of increased difficulty in affecting these troubled areas.
Other portions of the city are far more secure. Whether because of lower population density, lower Kindred and other supernatural activity, more affluent residents or other factors, the following neighborhoods are considered highly stable and comfortable for Kindred habitation. These include the following:
(ANARCH TERRITORIES) Alki, Claremont/Rainier Vista, Columbia City, Harbor Island, Genesee, High Point, Hillman City, Beacon Hill, New Holly, Delridge
(CAMARILLA TERRITORIES) Eastlake, Kirkland, Madison Park, Mercer Island (Ventrue), Miller Park, Montlake/Portage Bay, Phinney Ridge (Brujah).
Mechanical Impact:
Kindred havening in these areas gain the ‘Location’ merit on their Havens without cost, if not already present.
Kindred without Herd can feed from these areas without needing to expend a downtime action. They must still note that they are doing so in their downtimes however, and doing so will eventually degrade the status of the area.
All other neighborhoods in King County are considered ‘neutral’, with no particular benefit or negative impact at this time.
These effects will be in place between August’s game and September’s. These ‘stability ratings’ can be affected positively or negatively by influence actions, downtime actions, and in game events. For example, Ballard and Issaquah are both improving, as is Renton. Shoreline, Central Seattle and the U-District are decreasing in stability. Other areas are only seeing marginal positive or negative change, not overtly noticeable to casual observation. If a character is interested in a particular neighborhood, put in a Patrol action and they will receive its general status.
City News and Rumors:
The violent wave of attacks, believed to have been sparked by noxious batches of designer drugs spread through the city, has finally begun to wane. Nightmarish attacks by berserk individuals driven to attack even armed police officers with little more than their bare hands and teeth, but to a level of ferocity that cost several officers their lives or put them into critical condition, along with other unfortunates caught alone and vulnerable over the last few months. The Narcotics unit of the Seattle PD believes they have stemmed the flow of the responsible compound, but remain on high alert for any remaining amounts.
There were a remarkable amount of reports of nightmares, seizures and other psychological trauma and psychic phenomenon occurring over the course of the last month. While this declined dramatically after the mid-point of July, it was a topic of disturbed conversation throughout the city. The populace feels distinctly unsettled, especially coupled with the recent violent outbreaks and random killings and both church attendance and concealed-carry license applications have spiked noticeably.
The homeless population has shifted and flowed through the city. A portion is navigating to the Renton area, where word is that generous donations are available, much more significantly than other areas of the city. Rumor has it that several of the homeless and disenfranchised have received counseling and guidance that have led to miraculous turnarounds in their life in short order, though this is but a drop in a large bucket.
Other homeless populations have been flowing upwards into Central Seattle, above the Yesler line, drawn by new changes in library operating hours, bolstered shelters and more lenient patrols and officers tolerating their presence. This will make feeding in the Central Seattle area more precarious due to the higher populations, along with increasing potential crime rates and violence surrounding the already densely packed heart of the city.
The City Council primaries were last week, with many shocking upsets or turnovers of expected fortunes. Some scandalous, last minute revelations regarding a few of the candidates and dramatic shifts in the donor bases led to some very surprising results as dark horse candidates picked up wins and those previously considered guaranteed victors suddenly left struggling either due to scandal or an evaporation of their campaign funds. Now begins the election season heading into November.
Rosalynd Smith, the only child of Mark and Sarah Smith, has recently gone missing. This has made local news headlines as Mark and Sarah are quite wealthy and high placed executives at Microsoft, attached to many local charities and events, serving on various Board of Directors in the area, and are highly connected to the ‘political and social elite’ within the county. Rosalynd was taken from the Smith’s home while they were away at a fund-raising banquet for one of the City Council nominees.
Some strange graffiti has been popping up throughout the city, primarily in southern Seattle, with a rash of ‘third eyes’ being featured prominently on street art, or affixed to public sculptures, posters and advertisements. Police are not terribly concerned and chalk it up to being, quote -Stupid millennials- endquotes.
Rumor is in the Kindred communities that notorious Prince-Turned-Anarch Blackburne will be holding quite the event off the docks of Harbor Island on their extravagant and unmistakable restored antique Frigate, an exact replica of the Queen Anne’s revenge. Guests are advised to be on their best behavior. The cannons work, after all.
As a logistical note, this will be my first formal game as VST. I will be modifying my approach as the months go along based on feedback and response, so please let me know anything you significantly do or do not enjoy.
Downtimes and Influence Actions will refresh at the start of each month’s game, rather than on the first of the month. I prefer this as it encourages players to use up all their assets rather than having to sit on some for use during or immediately after a live game. Note that Allies and Contacts refresh on a Per Game/Session basis, rather than being tied to a monthly refresh cycle.