The Broken Crown: Introduction

[Carthrat]

It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things...

...This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.

For humans, the feudal system was brought to a close centuries ago. No longer to terms such as 'vassalage' have meaning. Independance is the watchword of the day; to many it may seem a lie, but the tales of daring status-climbers are so common that they become tiresome.

Vampiric society has not evolved so well. The pacts sworn centuries ago force them to adopt a veneer, but in all cities of the Camarilla, there yet remains a throne, and all power stems from it. The neonates cry foul, and in the recent nights, it has seemed to many that not only are the old ways obsolete, but dangerous to maintain. The ancillae fret, debating which side will grant them the greatest security, but are torn in half over their own obligations. And the elders rouse themselves and lash out with heavy hands, for the stakes for them are so, so much greater than any youngling could know.

Can change come? Should change come? And will the fight for it consume any hope of Caine's get being free to stalk the night in future times?

And if so, is that, in itself, wrong?

The streets will surely run red before answers are reached.

<->

The Broken Crown will be two games in one.

The first game is the simple existence of unlife. When a person becomes a monster, they must find new ways to survive and thrive. For some, the struggle for existence is the hardest thing they will ever know. Others may become accustomed, but none ever escape the constant thirst. Some find it simple to leave behind their lives; others cling to them at all costs, heedless of what ill they must inevitably bring. Dealing with one's new existence is a story in itself.

The second game is one of intrigue, mystery, and politics. Undead society is feudal, and has been for as long as any recall. But modern neonates are unused to such ideas, and almost instinctively strive against them. Some repress this urge and find a place in the existing order. Others strive ever-harder to carve out their own niche. Sides are inevitably taken, and for many, their plots, plans, alliances and the sheer desire to survive cause them to forget their original reason and focus only on the game of thrones itself. One thing is for certain- upheaval is coming, and nobody wants to be left at the bottom when the dusts settle.

<->

Character Generation is mostly handled as normal. You are not vampires at the start of the game (and thus will have no vampire-related background), but you can pick your clan-to-be and disciplines ahead of time. You can break stereotype with clan as much as you want. See house rules for special limitations.

The game will begin during the evening in the city of Reno, Nevada, of which all your characters should be residents. All characters are on a bus headed out of the downtown district to the metropolitian area. This may be a useful resource for figuring out some background details. (Detailed knowledge of the city is hardly necessary, though.)

Your lives will be changed forever upon your transformation. I'd like to have a decent background for each character, detailing a few of the following...

-Moral lines they tell themselves they will never cross.
-One bad event from their past.
-One good event from their past.
-One thing they never, ever want to lose.
-One thing they have always wanted.

Anything that would help in creating an interesting dilemma or story upon vampiric transformation is highly approved. I will do my very best to work in at least some of your background elements to the story. You might not get to interact regularly with elements from your past simply due to circumstance, but I will always keep it in mind (and so should you!)