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DamningTheHeavens
Star
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2010
If you have not already done so, before starting to play, please post in these two threads:
Character Profile
Rules Set Up
Also, here is OOC Chatter
100 years ago, an orbital bombardment from a Russian satellite threw most of North America into chaos. The secret energy weapon mounted on RS201 collected and focused enough energy that it unleashed a bombardment strong enough to carve a new valley across almost the entire United States starting from Southern California and ripping its way to Pennsylvania. The ensuing earthquakes, shockwaves, and the intense heat from the weapon itself caused most of the cities of North America to crumble, and the entire central area of the US uninhabitable. Thankfully, the Satellite exploded as the weapon was discharging, making another volley impossible and making the threat of the weapon disappear.
This was far from the end of the horror though. In panic, the last of the decision makers left in the U.S. decided to retaliate. They did not know that the cannon had obliterated itself, and so they launched every intact nuclear warhead at Russia, pointed at each major city. This attack didn’t just crush Russia, though. The destructive force of all those warheads and the subsequent nuclear fallout turned most of the continent of Asia into a wasteland, with radiation reaching out to the Scandinavian countries, and Europe as far west as Germany. The effects were felt as far southward as Saudi Arabia. The world was lucky that all-out nuclear war hadn’t erupted. Thanks to the total nuclear disarming of Russia after their short-lived war on Ukraine, no one retaliated immediately after America’s response.
The population centers of America that hadn’t been completely wiped out soon started to rebuild. City governments stood in place of what had once been state governments. The Federal government had started to become less able to regulate anything, and only in recent years have they been able to re-establish ties with the new super-cities scattered about the coasts and the Midwest. Out of the rubble of New York arose Enmerkar, named for an ancient builder of Sumeria who, legend tells, reigned for four hundred years. In the center of what was once Brooklyn now stood a bright, lavish tower. For the mortal citizenry, it stood as a beacon of man’s perseverance. However, the tower had truly been built by the Giovanni vampire clan. After the city fell, the clan used their considerable wealth to help rebuild the city around a tower of their design. They shaped the initial city government, and kept the old ways of trade like money for goods and services to retain their position of power within Enmerkar.
Over time, more and more of supernatural being called Enmerkar home. The Vampire clans started to encroach upon both the north and south sides of the city. The south is home to the Camarilla faction, the north is home to the Sabbat. The Camarilla have a Prince, and the Sabbat, a Bishop, vying for control of the city. However, the streets of the city were already home to Glasswalkers and the slums home to Bone Gnawers, many families of whom were descendants of the Garou already living in New York when it fell. Normally not ones to work together, the Glasswalkers and Bone Gnawers have put their differences aside in order to keep the Vampires from gaining too strong a grip on the city.
Civilization in Enmerkar has become similar to life as it was before the destructive events. Night clubs are home to partiers, both human and non-human. The Glasswalkers and Bone Gnawers took good care of the Caerns that they still had access to, and maintained their relationships with the city spirits. It is thanks to them that the city still has any spirits that did not disperse upon the destruction of the old city. The darker parts of the city are home to cults that summon forth demons. And the Changelings make their home anywhere they can. Mage Chantries dot the city, with an all-Technocracy Chantry masquerading as a research and development building where the city of Newark once stood.
Where there is profit to be made, there is Pentex. Upon hearing of the rebuilding efforts, the corporate head sent some of the more sane members of the Black Spiral Dancers to the city to help with the reconstruction. One of the first buildings to go up under their oversight was the regional Pentex building. Kinfolk of both homid descent and lupus descent started to slowly disappear from the City and the area around it that nature was starting to reclaim. Deep under the Pentex building, they are housed as mate-slaves in order to produce as many Dancers as possible.
The presence of Pentex has had some unexpected benefits to both the human and supernatural populace of Enmerkar. Pentex took notice of Mages wearing bits of technology that enhanced them, and they decided to take that for themselves. Some corrupt Mages as well as Black Spiral Dancers were able to identify the magical properties of these bits of technology. Working together with some well-payed scientists, they were able to figure out how to apply these cybernetics to humans, Garou, and Vampires, engineering them into pure technology rather than anything mystical. It wasn’t long before Pentex started selling these products on the general market at extremely high premiums. This didn’t stop the populace from gobbling them up. Which in turn, lead to Pentex realizing they’d made a mistake. There was no one to enforce patents or copyright anymore. And every tech business in Enmerkar had their own cybernetics, putting them into more hands of Pentex’s enemies than they could have ever accounted for.
The Sabbat, fearing the coming of Gehenna, has forbidden anyone of the 13 generation from embracing new Kindred, but the Camarilla has no such laws. As a result, the Camarilla controlled sectors of the city are home to many Thin-bloods and a growing number of Dhampir. These are seen as a sign of Gehenna and they will often be murdered by Sabbat members, especially Brujah antitribu. The Sabbat numbers have grown thin, however, as the years go on and the Final Nights never came. The remaining members of the Sabbat are convinced that the Final Nights are still coming, and that their efforts are the only thing that has kept them from happening thus far. The Sabbat numbers have grown thin, however, as the years go on and the Final Nights never came. The remaining members of the Sabbat are convinced that the Final Nights are still coming, and that their efforts are the only thing that has kept them from happening thus far.
Vampires aren't the only ones to have seen a thinning of the blood, however. Some years before the disasters, a pack of Bone Gnawers uncovered the Rite of Adaptation, and knowing that their numbers were dwindling slowly, decided to use the right on the descendants of wolves, common dogs. The result was something that went against the Litany, and earned the scorn of the rest of the Garou nation. Common dogs became able to bear the young of Garou, and while the nation was loathe to call them that, they had all the trappings of the Garou. Well, aside from the fact that they were usually a little weaker and far more out of touch with Gaia than their cousins. These became the Debased. Some Garou see them as a sign of weakness, desperation, wyrm-taint, and the coming Apocalypse. They are not respected by most Garou, and have a tough time in any social situations regarding them. Some more open minded of the nation believe these new Garou to be a potential blessing. The number of Debased have grown enough that they have even formed their own pseudo-tribe and befriended some city spirits. They even have a totem, Sirius, which has recognized their tribal status. The great Dog-spirit that the brightest start of Canis Major was named after has taken an interest in this loose tribe as a companion to the Garou, as he himself serves as a companion to the Greater Totems.
Within the last 40 years of the city, a new task force made of humans, mages, and disenfranchised supernaturals has sprung up. The Supernatural Threat Response Team , stylized as START, is responsible for investigating and exterminating any supernatural entity they find to be a threat to the human and benign supernatural population. This often finds them in alliance with the Garou nation, though not officially. They will often help friendly Garou attempting to weed out Wrym corruption. They have, however, had some run-ins with the Garou who are less respectful to humanity. The organization is also very well-funded, but no one knows by who or why, nor is the organization known to the general populace. Their AI systems and spy networks are what keep START informed of potential supernatural threats, and they operate away from the eyes of humanity as often as possible.
Elizabeth sat in a recliner looking out her window into the night. Her heart ached for the son she had so recently lost. Her child was taken from her and it seemed like it was only a week ago. As the tears rolled down her cheeks her thoughts drifted to the man she had loved, the child who bore his name, his eyes, and his hair color. She was kinfolk of the Fianna lineage, and her lover had been a Fianna Garou. She’ll never forget that night when her mate was murdered and child was taken. He had told her to hide and close her eyes. She knew why. He was going to enter Crinos form to defend her and their son from what he could sense was an impending threat. She hid in her closet and Shut her eyes tight, clutching her baby tight. She cried as she could hear his war howls and several unfamiliar voices in their home. The sounds of struggle followed, cries and howls of pain shook the house for what seemed an eternity. Once the sounds stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had told her to wait until he opened the closet door, but to her horror, it wasn’t Malcom that opened it. It was an unfamiliar and pale man holding a club. He yanked her from the closet and planted a blow on the back of her head only hard enough to knock her out. When she came to, her son was gone and she was in an unfamiliar place. It was an apartment, clean and fairly stark. She didn’t know why she was here or what had happened to her child. The only thing she really knew at the moment was that her love was dead. She was wearing the same clothes as the night before, so perhaps they had spared her the indignity of stripping her. She reached into her bra, and sighed happily as she pulled out her phone. A lifeline. She started dialing numbers of friends, relatives. All were busy. The only line she could get through to was her doctor, who agreed to see her immediately. He listened to her story and never once made her feel crazy, but he did tell her to keep the information as secret as she could, because it seemed to him if her story was true that being too outspoken about it would put her in great danger. He prescribed her some stress relievers and sent her back to her new apartment. That had been her week, and as she sat watching the city go by, she couldn’t help but think she needed to do something. So she got out of her chair, and stormed into the city, determined to find her baby.
Malcome, a 20 year old Fianna, had just undergone his first change last week. A bit of a late bloomer, but his adoptive parents were happy to see that. His “adoptive parents” were actually brother and sister, also members of the Fianna. The child had been born to a Garou and kinfolk 20 years ago, but his mother and father were slaughtered mercilessly and the child almost kidnapped. They didn’t know what the vampires who had taken him wanted with him, but they recovered the child and the two raised him since. Though they didn’t mention the Garou in that time, not knowing if Malcome had bred true. As the years went on, they believed he was merely a normal kinfolk, and even allowed him to get a normal job and his own apartment. They were jolted out of contemplation one night as they heard a howl from a park. They rushed there, and from the shadows, witnessed Malcome’s first change. They were delighted. The change was short but the sounds of Gaia filling Malcome with his Rage were fiery and resplendent. His adoptive father carried him back to the apartment, and when he awoke, told him all about who and what he was. Who his parents really were, he was taught enough of the Garou language to greet elders. Malcome was then taken to the tribe at a recovered Caern. Almost as soon as he arrived, a rank 4 Garou noticed him. Kayne saw that Malcome looked exactly like his departed best friend, and realized exactly who they had just brought into the tribe. Kayne clapped Malcome on the back and said “Young one, I have much to teach you. Not just about this tribe, but about your father, your legacy. You’re going to be trained and taught here. But at nights, come to me. I’ll share stories with you of your father and me. I live on the east side of Enmerkar when I’m not out here in the woods with the tribe. You’re welcome to stay at my place when you need.” As the week went by, Kayne made good on his promise. He regaled Malcome with tales of battles against the wyrm’s corrupt followers, of fights to protect land from both Camarilla and Sabbat vampires. Weaklings, those bastards sent to fight their battles for them. Just a week on, and Kayne was noticing some odd things about Malcome. He seemed homesick. It was understandable, considering how long he had lived in a world where monsters weren’t a real thing, and then being thrust into it. Not only that, but being one himself. It could certainly take a toll on a young man. They discussed Malcome returning to his old world for a few days, and as much as Kayne didn’t want to allow it, he already had a soft spot for the boy. So he talked to the elders for Malcome, and was allowed to take him from the tribe for a short while, but under close watch. Kayne of course volunteered to be that watch. The two wandered the streets, Malcome talking to Kayne of his old life as they lazily made their way to his apartment. “Well, this is it. Come on in and and order a pizza or something. I’m starving.” Kayne laughed and nodded. It had been awhile since he’d eaten something so processed and unwholesome. But fuck it. This could be his couple days away from the trappings of Garou life as well.
Joe had gone from an angry, bored, insignificant little man to an ambitious Brujah Camarilla full of fire and drive. It wasn’t long after earning Neonate status that his mentor Gwen took him straight to the fight. Blood, fire, and the stench of dead on all sides filled the night of his first battle. It took place in a warehouse in the business district of a disputed part of the city. Sabbat clansmen and Camarilla began filing in, weapons and Disciplines at the ready to determine who would drive who from the feeding grounds of the upper west side of the city. It was the first time he met Brujah antitribu, and the first time he bashed one’s skull in on a concrete support. The battle itself gave him no rush, no excitement, but the feeling of knowing he was doing this for a cause he had actually come to believe him gave him the greatest feeling he’d had since he was young. He might be undead, but he felt alive and full of purpose. After he was done slaughtering what was, in vampire lineage, a distant cousin, he pulled the knife from the dead man’s hand and pounced upon another. He got a bit of tunnel vision as the blood and the screams drowned out his thoughts, so he didn’t see the new threat that had emerged in the darkness. He snapped back into rational thought as he felt himself get tugged off of the body by Gwen, and as his hearing returned to normal he could hear her shouting at him. “God damn ball-licking motherfuckers crashing the party. Fucking Bone Gnawer pieces of shit. Might as well be in the sewers with the god damn Nosferatu!” She shoved him into the adjacent room, tossing a molotov cocktail at a lumbering Crinos form Garou as she slammed the door, shoving her back into it. “Fuck the Sabbat for now. Take this. Silver bullets. We’re gonna fuck up any puppies that make their way through that door.” She handed him a tactical machine pistol, set with an extended mag of silver bullets. She pulled out one of her own, and chambered a round. “No fucking spray and pray, Joe. Got it? Silver is god damn expensive and we can’t afford to miss much.” The door jumped forward a bit, but she pushed harder against it. This was a lot to take in, but Gwen hadn’t steered him wrong yet. He chambered a round and nodded, signifying he was ready. “Okay. Let’s put them down.” Gwen stepped away from the door and dropped to a knee in front of Joe. If something bad went down, she could take a Garou hand to hand easier than Joe could, so she’d engage the beast first. Seconds later, the wood exploded under the strike of a Garou’s claws. He laughed as he stepped forward, but both Gwen and Joe emptied a short burst into him, and his expression turned grim as he felt the silver tear through everything he was. The puppy went down, shifting into the form of a human as he slumped down. More and more Garou tried to pour through the door, more valiant than intelligent. After downing 4 more beasts, the rest ran off, knowing they weren’t getting into that choke point. Gwen sighed in relief, taking the gun back from Joe. “Fun night?” Joe laughed and nodded as Gwen got to her feet. “Fuck. That went sideways real quick. I doubt any of ours that stayed survived. Come back to my place for the day. We’ll talk to some Camarilla leaders tomorrow night, yeah?” Joe walked beside his sire, his mind still reeling from what had happened, but feeling happy about how and what he’d done.
Adon sat across from his sire and mistress, Ahmose Seth (no relation to the Followers of Set. Those crazy bastards.) They’d been together for hundreds of years. They’d seen the world change, burn, and stumble forward together, all the while finding new clients to ply their trade. Adon was her favorite childer, and as his assassinations became more methodical, brutal, and sadistic over the years, she’d grown even fonder of him. Every time he made a kill, she’d have him bring back as much blood as he could from the moment just before his target’s death. When the blood was filled with the fear and sadness of the nearly departed is when it tasted its best. She’d drink first, then have him drink the blood off her nude body before making love. The ritual never got old, as it was usually weeks or a month between assassinations. Sometimes more. Those were her favorite nights. She was glad that she found this precious little man-whore in Egypt all those years ago and decided to make him hers. And being in an independent clan, and being so aged herself, didn’t have to ask anyone permission to turn him. She just did it with his consent. She smiled as she handed him a slip of paper. “Apparently your next target is one of the Kindred. The head of the Giovanni clan here. He helped build this city after New York crumbled, but he’s been throwing his money around too much. He hasn’t given anything any real room to grow in this city. We’re all stagnating. I don’t care if Vampires, mages, Werewolves or humans become the dominant power of this city. But someone other than this fat piece of waste needs to be. Get invited to his parties. Go live it up for awhile. Come back to me with as much of his potent blood as you can. But be careful. He didn’t get to his position by being weak.” Adon smiled and kissed his mistress once more before venturing out into the night. Time to make an impression. He bought the most expensive home he could find outright, which definitely piqued interest from the Giovannis. Adon was awoken one night by a knock on his door. As he answered it, he was greeted by a smiling face. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sergio Giovanni. I’d like to welcome you to the neighborhood!” Adon smirked as he let Sergio in. These people were so easy.
Monica sat in her apartment, knowing exactly what she wanted to achieve, but not exactly how to go about it. She’d been so inundated to her father’s faction for so long, she didn’t really know how to go about what she wanted to accomplish. “Some Ascension warrior I am. What to do, what to do…” She sighed and sat in silence for a moment. Then she was struck with an idea. There was a Virtual Adept chantry in the city, and if anyone’s views aligned with hers, it would be them. She grabbed her car keys and raced down the stairs of her building. A little exercise doesn’t hurt, right? She clambered into her car once she reached the parking structure. It wasn’t until she had already travelled a mile from home when she realized she was still wearing her steampunk attire. She had been excited and forgot to dress for more normal company. She shrugged and figured “Eh, whatever. I’m gonna go talk to a bunch of people that believe unicorns once existed. What’s this gonna hurt?” Meanwhile, Baron Armond of received word that his enemy, the biggest obstacle he’d encountered to his vision of reality, had a mortal daughter. Armond was a Marauder that embodied Clarity. And in his single-minded focus to bring down anything that didn’t fit his vision, he had crossed paths with Monica’s mother. He could never seem to get leverage on her. But now, maybe. Just maybe. His sleeper assistants had had their minds so twisted by him they were willing to do anything for him. Even kidnap a girl who was barely of adult age. “Bring her to me. Alive. Whatever the cost. Kill anything and anyone in your way.” Five of his assistants bowed and left his chamber, heading to pile into a van in the parking structure of the building. Within ten minutes, they were trailing Monica. They knew where she was going, and they decided to set and wait for her to leave the chantry. There was nothing they could have done inside.
“Hey! Got another one for you! CAW!” Bright eyes said as she flew in through the window of the building START was using as a base. Unassuming from the outside, but filled to the brim with tech ranging from computers to cybernetics workbenches. Sarah sighed and turned away from the computer she was working at. “Would you quit it with the bird noises? It’s so unnecessary. We all know you don’t have to make them.” As she touched the ground, Bright Eyes shifted to homid form, already pouting. Being the youngest in the group, she could be a little obstinant. “You big nerd. You’re never any fun.” Sarah grinned and stuck her tongue out at Bright Eyes “Oh I’m lots of fun. Maybe you’ll find out how fun after you turn 18. But whatcha got for us?” Bright Eyes rolled her eyes at the comment. She still had no idea if Sarah was serious with her flirtation. Bright eyes sat down at a stool and said “Well I saw some weird wolves coming out of a building. They were all mangy and… well they’re wolves. In a city. So that’s weird. But anyhow I followed them a ways, and I saw them shift to human! There was something really wrong with them. They definitely seemed off. They might Black Spiral Dancers. It might be worth checking out.” Tonder, a mage formerly of the Technocracy, and at this point a person who was more machine than man, spoke up. “Black Spiral Dancers. Yeah. Bad news, the lot of them. Is that all you saw? Not a lot to go on.” The large dog in the corner let out a yawn, and then everyone heard over their comm-link “Not a lot to go on, no. But you know I can sniff out the Wyrm. Get me anywhere close to them and I can figure out what they are.” Alice groaned and scratched her head as the dog’s voice came through her comm. “I will NEVER get used to hearing a dog in perfect English. I mean I know that’s what her voice sounds like in human form too, but fuck me it creeps me out and kind of makes my brain itch!” The dog whimpered sadly and Alice gasped. “No no I’m sorry I’m not mad at you.” She walked over to pet her, and the dog refrained from saying anything, but looked quite content with the affection. She was Tonder’s partner, and a Debased Garou. She had played a pivotal role in many take downs by START, and no one in the unit wanted to disrespect her. For the investigation, however, Alice would be taking her out in the field to investigate the possible Black Spiral Dancers. A Warhammer 40k-esque cyborg mage in power armor isn’t exactly the stealthiest thing in the world. No cars and no flying, Alice had to walk the hard way to the location that Bright Eyes sent to her GPS. “Okay hun. Go see what you can smell.”
Character Profile
Rules Set Up
Also, here is OOC Chatter
Shadows in the Neon Night: A Cyberpunk World of Darkness
Background of Enmerkar
100 years ago, an orbital bombardment from a Russian satellite threw most of North America into chaos. The secret energy weapon mounted on RS201 collected and focused enough energy that it unleashed a bombardment strong enough to carve a new valley across almost the entire United States starting from Southern California and ripping its way to Pennsylvania. The ensuing earthquakes, shockwaves, and the intense heat from the weapon itself caused most of the cities of North America to crumble, and the entire central area of the US uninhabitable. Thankfully, the Satellite exploded as the weapon was discharging, making another volley impossible and making the threat of the weapon disappear.
This was far from the end of the horror though. In panic, the last of the decision makers left in the U.S. decided to retaliate. They did not know that the cannon had obliterated itself, and so they launched every intact nuclear warhead at Russia, pointed at each major city. This attack didn’t just crush Russia, though. The destructive force of all those warheads and the subsequent nuclear fallout turned most of the continent of Asia into a wasteland, with radiation reaching out to the Scandinavian countries, and Europe as far west as Germany. The effects were felt as far southward as Saudi Arabia. The world was lucky that all-out nuclear war hadn’t erupted. Thanks to the total nuclear disarming of Russia after their short-lived war on Ukraine, no one retaliated immediately after America’s response.
The population centers of America that hadn’t been completely wiped out soon started to rebuild. City governments stood in place of what had once been state governments. The Federal government had started to become less able to regulate anything, and only in recent years have they been able to re-establish ties with the new super-cities scattered about the coasts and the Midwest. Out of the rubble of New York arose Enmerkar, named for an ancient builder of Sumeria who, legend tells, reigned for four hundred years. In the center of what was once Brooklyn now stood a bright, lavish tower. For the mortal citizenry, it stood as a beacon of man’s perseverance. However, the tower had truly been built by the Giovanni vampire clan. After the city fell, the clan used their considerable wealth to help rebuild the city around a tower of their design. They shaped the initial city government, and kept the old ways of trade like money for goods and services to retain their position of power within Enmerkar.
Over time, more and more of supernatural being called Enmerkar home. The Vampire clans started to encroach upon both the north and south sides of the city. The south is home to the Camarilla faction, the north is home to the Sabbat. The Camarilla have a Prince, and the Sabbat, a Bishop, vying for control of the city. However, the streets of the city were already home to Glasswalkers and the slums home to Bone Gnawers, many families of whom were descendants of the Garou already living in New York when it fell. Normally not ones to work together, the Glasswalkers and Bone Gnawers have put their differences aside in order to keep the Vampires from gaining too strong a grip on the city.
Civilization in Enmerkar has become similar to life as it was before the destructive events. Night clubs are home to partiers, both human and non-human. The Glasswalkers and Bone Gnawers took good care of the Caerns that they still had access to, and maintained their relationships with the city spirits. It is thanks to them that the city still has any spirits that did not disperse upon the destruction of the old city. The darker parts of the city are home to cults that summon forth demons. And the Changelings make their home anywhere they can. Mage Chantries dot the city, with an all-Technocracy Chantry masquerading as a research and development building where the city of Newark once stood.
Where there is profit to be made, there is Pentex. Upon hearing of the rebuilding efforts, the corporate head sent some of the more sane members of the Black Spiral Dancers to the city to help with the reconstruction. One of the first buildings to go up under their oversight was the regional Pentex building. Kinfolk of both homid descent and lupus descent started to slowly disappear from the City and the area around it that nature was starting to reclaim. Deep under the Pentex building, they are housed as mate-slaves in order to produce as many Dancers as possible.
The presence of Pentex has had some unexpected benefits to both the human and supernatural populace of Enmerkar. Pentex took notice of Mages wearing bits of technology that enhanced them, and they decided to take that for themselves. Some corrupt Mages as well as Black Spiral Dancers were able to identify the magical properties of these bits of technology. Working together with some well-payed scientists, they were able to figure out how to apply these cybernetics to humans, Garou, and Vampires, engineering them into pure technology rather than anything mystical. It wasn’t long before Pentex started selling these products on the general market at extremely high premiums. This didn’t stop the populace from gobbling them up. Which in turn, lead to Pentex realizing they’d made a mistake. There was no one to enforce patents or copyright anymore. And every tech business in Enmerkar had their own cybernetics, putting them into more hands of Pentex’s enemies than they could have ever accounted for.
The Sabbat, fearing the coming of Gehenna, has forbidden anyone of the 13 generation from embracing new Kindred, but the Camarilla has no such laws. As a result, the Camarilla controlled sectors of the city are home to many Thin-bloods and a growing number of Dhampir. These are seen as a sign of Gehenna and they will often be murdered by Sabbat members, especially Brujah antitribu. The Sabbat numbers have grown thin, however, as the years go on and the Final Nights never came. The remaining members of the Sabbat are convinced that the Final Nights are still coming, and that their efforts are the only thing that has kept them from happening thus far. The Sabbat numbers have grown thin, however, as the years go on and the Final Nights never came. The remaining members of the Sabbat are convinced that the Final Nights are still coming, and that their efforts are the only thing that has kept them from happening thus far.
Vampires aren't the only ones to have seen a thinning of the blood, however. Some years before the disasters, a pack of Bone Gnawers uncovered the Rite of Adaptation, and knowing that their numbers were dwindling slowly, decided to use the right on the descendants of wolves, common dogs. The result was something that went against the Litany, and earned the scorn of the rest of the Garou nation. Common dogs became able to bear the young of Garou, and while the nation was loathe to call them that, they had all the trappings of the Garou. Well, aside from the fact that they were usually a little weaker and far more out of touch with Gaia than their cousins. These became the Debased. Some Garou see them as a sign of weakness, desperation, wyrm-taint, and the coming Apocalypse. They are not respected by most Garou, and have a tough time in any social situations regarding them. Some more open minded of the nation believe these new Garou to be a potential blessing. The number of Debased have grown enough that they have even formed their own pseudo-tribe and befriended some city spirits. They even have a totem, Sirius, which has recognized their tribal status. The great Dog-spirit that the brightest start of Canis Major was named after has taken an interest in this loose tribe as a companion to the Garou, as he himself serves as a companion to the Greater Totems.
Within the last 40 years of the city, a new task force made of humans, mages, and disenfranchised supernaturals has sprung up. The Supernatural Threat Response Team , stylized as START, is responsible for investigating and exterminating any supernatural entity they find to be a threat to the human and benign supernatural population. This often finds them in alliance with the Garou nation, though not officially. They will often help friendly Garou attempting to weed out Wrym corruption. They have, however, had some run-ins with the Garou who are less respectful to humanity. The organization is also very well-funded, but no one knows by who or why, nor is the organization known to the general populace. Their AI systems and spy networks are what keep START informed of potential supernatural threats, and they operate away from the eyes of humanity as often as possible.
The Stage is set, now on with the show.
Elizabeth sat in a recliner looking out her window into the night. Her heart ached for the son she had so recently lost. Her child was taken from her and it seemed like it was only a week ago. As the tears rolled down her cheeks her thoughts drifted to the man she had loved, the child who bore his name, his eyes, and his hair color. She was kinfolk of the Fianna lineage, and her lover had been a Fianna Garou. She’ll never forget that night when her mate was murdered and child was taken. He had told her to hide and close her eyes. She knew why. He was going to enter Crinos form to defend her and their son from what he could sense was an impending threat. She hid in her closet and Shut her eyes tight, clutching her baby tight. She cried as she could hear his war howls and several unfamiliar voices in their home. The sounds of struggle followed, cries and howls of pain shook the house for what seemed an eternity. Once the sounds stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had told her to wait until he opened the closet door, but to her horror, it wasn’t Malcom that opened it. It was an unfamiliar and pale man holding a club. He yanked her from the closet and planted a blow on the back of her head only hard enough to knock her out. When she came to, her son was gone and she was in an unfamiliar place. It was an apartment, clean and fairly stark. She didn’t know why she was here or what had happened to her child. The only thing she really knew at the moment was that her love was dead. She was wearing the same clothes as the night before, so perhaps they had spared her the indignity of stripping her. She reached into her bra, and sighed happily as she pulled out her phone. A lifeline. She started dialing numbers of friends, relatives. All were busy. The only line she could get through to was her doctor, who agreed to see her immediately. He listened to her story and never once made her feel crazy, but he did tell her to keep the information as secret as she could, because it seemed to him if her story was true that being too outspoken about it would put her in great danger. He prescribed her some stress relievers and sent her back to her new apartment. That had been her week, and as she sat watching the city go by, she couldn’t help but think she needed to do something. So she got out of her chair, and stormed into the city, determined to find her baby.
Malcome, a 20 year old Fianna, had just undergone his first change last week. A bit of a late bloomer, but his adoptive parents were happy to see that. His “adoptive parents” were actually brother and sister, also members of the Fianna. The child had been born to a Garou and kinfolk 20 years ago, but his mother and father were slaughtered mercilessly and the child almost kidnapped. They didn’t know what the vampires who had taken him wanted with him, but they recovered the child and the two raised him since. Though they didn’t mention the Garou in that time, not knowing if Malcome had bred true. As the years went on, they believed he was merely a normal kinfolk, and even allowed him to get a normal job and his own apartment. They were jolted out of contemplation one night as they heard a howl from a park. They rushed there, and from the shadows, witnessed Malcome’s first change. They were delighted. The change was short but the sounds of Gaia filling Malcome with his Rage were fiery and resplendent. His adoptive father carried him back to the apartment, and when he awoke, told him all about who and what he was. Who his parents really were, he was taught enough of the Garou language to greet elders. Malcome was then taken to the tribe at a recovered Caern. Almost as soon as he arrived, a rank 4 Garou noticed him. Kayne saw that Malcome looked exactly like his departed best friend, and realized exactly who they had just brought into the tribe. Kayne clapped Malcome on the back and said “Young one, I have much to teach you. Not just about this tribe, but about your father, your legacy. You’re going to be trained and taught here. But at nights, come to me. I’ll share stories with you of your father and me. I live on the east side of Enmerkar when I’m not out here in the woods with the tribe. You’re welcome to stay at my place when you need.” As the week went by, Kayne made good on his promise. He regaled Malcome with tales of battles against the wyrm’s corrupt followers, of fights to protect land from both Camarilla and Sabbat vampires. Weaklings, those bastards sent to fight their battles for them. Just a week on, and Kayne was noticing some odd things about Malcome. He seemed homesick. It was understandable, considering how long he had lived in a world where monsters weren’t a real thing, and then being thrust into it. Not only that, but being one himself. It could certainly take a toll on a young man. They discussed Malcome returning to his old world for a few days, and as much as Kayne didn’t want to allow it, he already had a soft spot for the boy. So he talked to the elders for Malcome, and was allowed to take him from the tribe for a short while, but under close watch. Kayne of course volunteered to be that watch. The two wandered the streets, Malcome talking to Kayne of his old life as they lazily made their way to his apartment. “Well, this is it. Come on in and and order a pizza or something. I’m starving.” Kayne laughed and nodded. It had been awhile since he’d eaten something so processed and unwholesome. But fuck it. This could be his couple days away from the trappings of Garou life as well.
Joe had gone from an angry, bored, insignificant little man to an ambitious Brujah Camarilla full of fire and drive. It wasn’t long after earning Neonate status that his mentor Gwen took him straight to the fight. Blood, fire, and the stench of dead on all sides filled the night of his first battle. It took place in a warehouse in the business district of a disputed part of the city. Sabbat clansmen and Camarilla began filing in, weapons and Disciplines at the ready to determine who would drive who from the feeding grounds of the upper west side of the city. It was the first time he met Brujah antitribu, and the first time he bashed one’s skull in on a concrete support. The battle itself gave him no rush, no excitement, but the feeling of knowing he was doing this for a cause he had actually come to believe him gave him the greatest feeling he’d had since he was young. He might be undead, but he felt alive and full of purpose. After he was done slaughtering what was, in vampire lineage, a distant cousin, he pulled the knife from the dead man’s hand and pounced upon another. He got a bit of tunnel vision as the blood and the screams drowned out his thoughts, so he didn’t see the new threat that had emerged in the darkness. He snapped back into rational thought as he felt himself get tugged off of the body by Gwen, and as his hearing returned to normal he could hear her shouting at him. “God damn ball-licking motherfuckers crashing the party. Fucking Bone Gnawer pieces of shit. Might as well be in the sewers with the god damn Nosferatu!” She shoved him into the adjacent room, tossing a molotov cocktail at a lumbering Crinos form Garou as she slammed the door, shoving her back into it. “Fuck the Sabbat for now. Take this. Silver bullets. We’re gonna fuck up any puppies that make their way through that door.” She handed him a tactical machine pistol, set with an extended mag of silver bullets. She pulled out one of her own, and chambered a round. “No fucking spray and pray, Joe. Got it? Silver is god damn expensive and we can’t afford to miss much.” The door jumped forward a bit, but she pushed harder against it. This was a lot to take in, but Gwen hadn’t steered him wrong yet. He chambered a round and nodded, signifying he was ready. “Okay. Let’s put them down.” Gwen stepped away from the door and dropped to a knee in front of Joe. If something bad went down, she could take a Garou hand to hand easier than Joe could, so she’d engage the beast first. Seconds later, the wood exploded under the strike of a Garou’s claws. He laughed as he stepped forward, but both Gwen and Joe emptied a short burst into him, and his expression turned grim as he felt the silver tear through everything he was. The puppy went down, shifting into the form of a human as he slumped down. More and more Garou tried to pour through the door, more valiant than intelligent. After downing 4 more beasts, the rest ran off, knowing they weren’t getting into that choke point. Gwen sighed in relief, taking the gun back from Joe. “Fun night?” Joe laughed and nodded as Gwen got to her feet. “Fuck. That went sideways real quick. I doubt any of ours that stayed survived. Come back to my place for the day. We’ll talk to some Camarilla leaders tomorrow night, yeah?” Joe walked beside his sire, his mind still reeling from what had happened, but feeling happy about how and what he’d done.
Adon sat across from his sire and mistress, Ahmose Seth (no relation to the Followers of Set. Those crazy bastards.) They’d been together for hundreds of years. They’d seen the world change, burn, and stumble forward together, all the while finding new clients to ply their trade. Adon was her favorite childer, and as his assassinations became more methodical, brutal, and sadistic over the years, she’d grown even fonder of him. Every time he made a kill, she’d have him bring back as much blood as he could from the moment just before his target’s death. When the blood was filled with the fear and sadness of the nearly departed is when it tasted its best. She’d drink first, then have him drink the blood off her nude body before making love. The ritual never got old, as it was usually weeks or a month between assassinations. Sometimes more. Those were her favorite nights. She was glad that she found this precious little man-whore in Egypt all those years ago and decided to make him hers. And being in an independent clan, and being so aged herself, didn’t have to ask anyone permission to turn him. She just did it with his consent. She smiled as she handed him a slip of paper. “Apparently your next target is one of the Kindred. The head of the Giovanni clan here. He helped build this city after New York crumbled, but he’s been throwing his money around too much. He hasn’t given anything any real room to grow in this city. We’re all stagnating. I don’t care if Vampires, mages, Werewolves or humans become the dominant power of this city. But someone other than this fat piece of waste needs to be. Get invited to his parties. Go live it up for awhile. Come back to me with as much of his potent blood as you can. But be careful. He didn’t get to his position by being weak.” Adon smiled and kissed his mistress once more before venturing out into the night. Time to make an impression. He bought the most expensive home he could find outright, which definitely piqued interest from the Giovannis. Adon was awoken one night by a knock on his door. As he answered it, he was greeted by a smiling face. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sergio Giovanni. I’d like to welcome you to the neighborhood!” Adon smirked as he let Sergio in. These people were so easy.
Monica sat in her apartment, knowing exactly what she wanted to achieve, but not exactly how to go about it. She’d been so inundated to her father’s faction for so long, she didn’t really know how to go about what she wanted to accomplish. “Some Ascension warrior I am. What to do, what to do…” She sighed and sat in silence for a moment. Then she was struck with an idea. There was a Virtual Adept chantry in the city, and if anyone’s views aligned with hers, it would be them. She grabbed her car keys and raced down the stairs of her building. A little exercise doesn’t hurt, right? She clambered into her car once she reached the parking structure. It wasn’t until she had already travelled a mile from home when she realized she was still wearing her steampunk attire. She had been excited and forgot to dress for more normal company. She shrugged and figured “Eh, whatever. I’m gonna go talk to a bunch of people that believe unicorns once existed. What’s this gonna hurt?” Meanwhile, Baron Armond of received word that his enemy, the biggest obstacle he’d encountered to his vision of reality, had a mortal daughter. Armond was a Marauder that embodied Clarity. And in his single-minded focus to bring down anything that didn’t fit his vision, he had crossed paths with Monica’s mother. He could never seem to get leverage on her. But now, maybe. Just maybe. His sleeper assistants had had their minds so twisted by him they were willing to do anything for him. Even kidnap a girl who was barely of adult age. “Bring her to me. Alive. Whatever the cost. Kill anything and anyone in your way.” Five of his assistants bowed and left his chamber, heading to pile into a van in the parking structure of the building. Within ten minutes, they were trailing Monica. They knew where she was going, and they decided to set and wait for her to leave the chantry. There was nothing they could have done inside.
“Hey! Got another one for you! CAW!” Bright eyes said as she flew in through the window of the building START was using as a base. Unassuming from the outside, but filled to the brim with tech ranging from computers to cybernetics workbenches. Sarah sighed and turned away from the computer she was working at. “Would you quit it with the bird noises? It’s so unnecessary. We all know you don’t have to make them.” As she touched the ground, Bright Eyes shifted to homid form, already pouting. Being the youngest in the group, she could be a little obstinant. “You big nerd. You’re never any fun.” Sarah grinned and stuck her tongue out at Bright Eyes “Oh I’m lots of fun. Maybe you’ll find out how fun after you turn 18. But whatcha got for us?” Bright Eyes rolled her eyes at the comment. She still had no idea if Sarah was serious with her flirtation. Bright eyes sat down at a stool and said “Well I saw some weird wolves coming out of a building. They were all mangy and… well they’re wolves. In a city. So that’s weird. But anyhow I followed them a ways, and I saw them shift to human! There was something really wrong with them. They definitely seemed off. They might Black Spiral Dancers. It might be worth checking out.” Tonder, a mage formerly of the Technocracy, and at this point a person who was more machine than man, spoke up. “Black Spiral Dancers. Yeah. Bad news, the lot of them. Is that all you saw? Not a lot to go on.” The large dog in the corner let out a yawn, and then everyone heard over their comm-link “Not a lot to go on, no. But you know I can sniff out the Wyrm. Get me anywhere close to them and I can figure out what they are.” Alice groaned and scratched her head as the dog’s voice came through her comm. “I will NEVER get used to hearing a dog in perfect English. I mean I know that’s what her voice sounds like in human form too, but fuck me it creeps me out and kind of makes my brain itch!” The dog whimpered sadly and Alice gasped. “No no I’m sorry I’m not mad at you.” She walked over to pet her, and the dog refrained from saying anything, but looked quite content with the affection. She was Tonder’s partner, and a Debased Garou. She had played a pivotal role in many take downs by START, and no one in the unit wanted to disrespect her. For the investigation, however, Alice would be taking her out in the field to investigate the possible Black Spiral Dancers. A Warhammer 40k-esque cyborg mage in power armor isn’t exactly the stealthiest thing in the world. No cars and no flying, Alice had to walk the hard way to the location that Bright Eyes sent to her GPS. “Okay hun. Go see what you can smell.”
