So, this is technically my second quest, but when I wrote the first one I only got a few chapters in before I realized that my writing quality was horrible and stopped. This was quite some time ago and I believe that I have a better grasp of the English language now than I did back then, but some things can only be improved by actually doing the thing you are trying to be better at, so here we go. As to be able to put all my efforts into actually writing, I thought of using a system and world that I am already familiar with and whose rules I can use. For me this would be Vampire: The Masquerade, 20th Anniversary Edition.

Personally I believe that there are a lot of different game ideas-, or in this case quest ideas, that can be created in the World of Darkness (the world in which Vampire is set), and all of them could be fun. Luckily I have you guys here to decide for me what this quest will turn into. In the following you will choose a time, faction, place and character, probably in this exact order. But first I will give a general idea of what the Vampire the masquerade setting is all about, in case you are not familiar with it.

In Vampire: The masquerade you assume the role of a Vampire, go figure, in a world very similar to our own. The only real difference is that The World or Darkness is.. well, darker. Crime rates are up, the nights are just a little bit longer, buildings might have just a few more gargoyles and everything is generally a tad shittier than our world. It is often described as a Gothic-punk setting and for the most part I agree. Of course with all the different books that came out over the years you can also make some very different games. The Dark Ages book expands on what Vampires were up to during the middle ages for example, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Vampires are divided along so-called Clans or Bloodlines, meaning that those vampires belonging to the different lineages carry different gifts and curses, though a lot of things apply to every vampire. The sun burns you, fire hurts real bad and you've got to sleep during the day being just a few examples of such similarities. Your Clan or Bloodline is something the vampire can't choose as the Lineage of your "Sire", the vampire who turned you, will be your lineage as well. In our case you will be able to choose your Clan later on.




There are a lot more things to go over, but most of these can be brought up during dialog in the quest as well, so I won't bother with it for the moment. Without further ado, here are the choices for the different times the game could be set in.

[ ] The Modern Nights:
From around 1980 to the current day, Vampires in the western world are largely aligned with either the Camarilla or the Sabbat, two organizations fighting for supremacy while hiding away from mortal eyes. The supernatural is unknown to the wider population and cameras, guns, explosives and computers are all added to the vampire's repertoire. Politicking and infighting often go hand in hand with open conflict between the two sects.

[x] Vampire Noir:
Not technically its own time period in the vampire sense, but I just like the idea of having a vampire game set in this setting. The vampire world is not much different from the modern nights, but the feel will be a bit different, more mysteries, less action and of course more Noir themes. Probably set sometime after the second world war.

[ ] First Anarch Revolt
Around the 15th Century during the times of the Inquisition, when the children rose up against their ancient rulers. This eventually culminates in the founding of the Camarilla and the Sabbat as formerly independent clans and city rulers flock to a greater cause.

[ ] War of Princes
A time that began with the fall of Constantinople in 1204 during the fourth crusade and ends with the First Anarch Revolt, the war of princes refers to a great many conflicts for territory that the titular princes fought over. In this case prince refers to the vampiric leader of a city regardless of their gender, don't ask me why they are called that, I don't know.

[ ] The Long Night
A time period that began with the fall of Rome in the 5th century CE and ends with the Fall of Constantinople in 1204. A great many things happen in this period that are lost to mortal history, including the creation (or some would say usurpation) of a new vampire clan for the first time since Pre-civilized history.

Well that vote was pretty clear, i always thought that the two settings would fit well together, but I never really had the opportunity to try it out.

Noir themes usually include, but are not limited to: The presence of organized crime, ultimate loss, surviving day-to-day, desperation and struggle, paranoia, gritty urban settings, morally compromised protagonists, dark mysteries, a bleak outlook on humanity (or in this case vampires), underlying existential philosophy, intricate plots, flashbacks, cynical heroes, loneliness and alienation, as well as purposelessness and a confrontation with one's own dark past.

So yeah, pretty on brand for Vampire.




Character creation part 2: For whom the blood is spilled. I started listening to some noir music, especially The Wolf Among Us soundtrack and I already got some ideas for plots, but before I can go any further you will need to decide your allegiances:
Your choices are:

[ ] The Camarilla
Also called the ivory tower, is one of the two largest vampire sects in the western world and by far the most organized. Founded in the fifteenth century as a response to the first Anarch Revolt, the Camarilla is a staunch advocate of tradition and control. All members are to uphold the six fundamental vampire laws, called the Traditions, who serve as the backbone of the sects conduct. Chief among them the Masquerade, which decrees that vampires are to hide from mortal eyes and only influence from a position of obscurity. The command structure of the camarilla resembles feudal european system, with a prince at the head of every city, who holds the last say in pretty much anything that happens there. Intrigue, politics and bending the Traditions as much as possible to favor yourself are common practices and a rigid hierarchy of "do what thy elder commands" means that positions of power, even within a city, dont change hands very often. Unless, of course, one of the aforementioned intrigue plots comes to fruition…

[ ] The Sabbat
Whereas the vampires of the Camarilla tend to cling to their crumbling humanity, the Sabbat exalt in their undead nature. Founded by the perpetrators of the first Anarch revolt, the Sabbat went through several civil wars that changed the sect into what it is today. Perhaps the most divided of the sects, its ranks are made up of hardcore loyalists who advocate for the absolute freedom promised by the anarch revolt and Ultra-Conservatives who believe that the end of the world is right around the corner and only their devotion to Caine, the mythological father of all vampires can save them, as well everything in between, with a handful of allies of happenstance, like the harbingers of skulls, thrown into the mix. The sect could be described as a chaotic doomsday cult, only held together by magic blood rituals and a common enemy, but even that fails to describe the sheer insanity that is the monstrous Sabbat.

[ ] The Anarchs
Not to be confused with the original Anarchs, who have since fashioned themselves into the Sabbat, these young rabble-rousers reject both the Camarilla and the Sabbat, rejoicing in both freedom and humanity, or at least that's the idea. In truth the second Anarch revolt was much less organized than the first and most Anarchs are simply small gangs of vampires flocking to a so called baron in a weird facsimile of a Camarilla Prince, although most of these gangs can't even hold a few city blocks. As it so happens, most Anarchs are nominally part of the Camarilla, as the Ivory tower claims all vampires in its domain as subjects to its laws, indifferent to the opinion of said individuals, and most organized Anarch cells aren't powerful enough to gainsay the Prince of a city. The one exception to this rule are the free states of California, where a large group of Anarchs have managed to oust the ivory tower from their cities.

[x] Autarkis
A fancy way of saying you are independent, either because you are beneath notice or because you are strong enough to not need a strong organization as backing. This kind of existence can be both a boon or a curse, depending on the individual situation of the vampire in question.

[ ] Independent Clans:
A few Clans, and a variety of bloodlines have managed to largely stay out of sect politics and instead organized around a common heritage. The Followers of Set, who claim to be descended from the god of the desert himself or the Venetian Necromancer families of the Giovanni who are involved in the Mafia and global finances in equal parts, to name a few examples. Not sure how I would turn this into a noir themed quest so unfortunately this option is not available.




Personally I think the Camarilla would work best with the theme, but I think I could make the others work. They would simply focus on different aspects of the genre. An Anarch game for example would be good for the compromised morality thing, while a Sabbat game would likely focus more on the mystery aspect with a bit more combat, but I think the location plays a big part in that as well, we will see.

Oh, and if you find any grammar mistakes don't hesitate to point them out.