Sydney By Sundown - A (Remixed) World of Darkness [Signups and Interest Check]

Welcome to Sydney By Sundown

So yeah I'm doing a World of Darkness RP, taking lore from across multiple books and putting it together into a possibly odd melange set in my hometown. This will be entirely narrative so don't worry about mechanics and just focus on world and character when you're coming up with signups. In terms of sources, I've picked up bits and pieces primarily from Chronicles but also various interesting details (and a few larger chunks) from what I know of the main World of Darkness lines. I'm open to being consulted on improving my blending, adding new interesting details and of course the big one: incorporating fanlines because I know that I've got a few I will insert if given the opportunity to. So without further ado, some opening options for supernatural type and some details about how they fit into Sydney.

This is not a prescriptive list so if you've got something outside it you want to play, hash it out with me in private messages and we'll see if it'll fit.

Another thing I am willing to toy with for characters is the option to start already as a supernatural or as a mortal with about 1-3 options for a supernatural type you'd like to maybe befall your character. Naturally this won't work for all supernatural types but I'll try and give the opportunities and work with you on a suitable story beat for it.

Character Sheet

• Character Name:
• Splat: (Your supernatural type. If you're going with the mundane option, say so and then put your shortlist of preferred types to possibly transition to in-story in brackets.)
• Backstory: (A bit of their personal history. If you're starting as supernatural then you'd cover the way they became such here. Additionally, stuff like why they're in Sydney and what their usual routines are.)
• NPCs: (Some brief blurbs of side characters related to your own. Let me know whether you'd prefer I play them or you, and what kind of connection they have to your character (if you know how Merits and Flaws work, that's a good way to summarize).
• Personality: (The usual stuff. General temperament, their hobbies and hatreds, the ways they deal with their nature and the threats that come from it.)
• Appearance: (The usual, a link to a picture or a descriptive paragraph.)
• Skills and Abilities: (For most supernaturals, this is going to be a brief summary of what they get from their powers, Disciplines for Vampires, Arcanum for Mages, ect. However, mundane talents are also good to include here and probably form the backbone of this section for mundanes, Hunters and half-kin.)
• Gear: (The stuff your character generally has to hand, whether carried on their person or easily retrieved from their home. To note: Australia's gun laws are fairly tight, requiring both a valid license/permit and for the firearm to be registered. That isn't to say there isn't ways to obtain one illegally, but just know that such a firearm is a risk to possess.)
• Knives: (Extra pieces of info that don't cleanly slot into other categories.)

Edited by Pentigan on May 18th 2024 at 6:26:26 PM

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Do we need (or is it preferable) that we know much or something about the World of Darkness?

It's preferable that you know a bit about at least your own supernatural type. Stuff like capabilities and the basics of how it functions.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Tentative interest. Orbiting around a Toreador concept.

"Doctor, I did say look for the Spymaster. Or should I say Spy....Master?"

Interest as well. Working to build a character now, as we discussed.

I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.

Possible interest.

I've expressed my interest elsewhere but putting it here for the record.

"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."

Possible interest. I was considering a Toreador, but might alter it.

Haven't had a chance to play (rather than run) a WoD/CofD game in years. Interest, and I have just the character in mind.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

WIP

• Character Name: Hanna
• Splat: Werewolf
• Backstory: Hannah doesn't remember much. Her first memory was a cold cell deep within an underground laboratory, bound and chained. A silver orb shone from the ceiling, simulating the moon as she basked in its glow. Men in labcoats swarmed around, poking and prodded with silver tools and machines, thoughts getting fuzzy. They never spoke to her directly, but it didn't take much to learn she was a werewolf. The missing guards were chasing after the one who bit her, but now they had a proper specimen on their hands. They wanted to know what made her people tick. Learn their secrets. Their motives weren't clear, but the pain was.
  • She wasn't sure what happened next. One minute she was in her cell, the next she was in another world. She had entered the Gauntlet, but she didn't know it's name. She wandered in a daze, strange visions filling her head, blood and bones strewn across endless fields as she howled. She ran and ran, desperate for an end from her torment. At last she found it. When she ran through the crimson gate she thought she'd found sweet release. Only to land smackdab in Australia.
  • She had no home, no place to belong. She fell in with the Children of Gaea, a sect devoted to keeping the peace, but did most of her hunting in the Gauntlet. She felt more home there than anywhere else, (re)learning her place in the world. But it didn't ease the pain. Or the dreams. Since then bits and pieces of her memory have slowly come back, but she doesn't have the whole picture.
• '''NPCs:'''
• Personality: Hanna is troubled. On the surface she's sweet and earnest, always putting others before herself and giving her all. As sweet as she is she's incredibly nervous and shy, barely getting a whole sentence out without stuttering or changing direction. When she's not indulging her instincts she doesn't have a shred of self-confidence, belittling or-demeaning herself in front of others. She obeys orders to a fault even when it's not in her best interests. On her worst days she doesn't even consider herself a person, just some mangy beast. The labcoats screwed with her head and she may never be the same again, but isn't sure she wants to be.

—But that's only part of her personality. In her default state she's total pushover, but the more she transforms the more dangerous she becomes. As a wolf she has a temper, a killer instinct and bestial rage, but she's more assertive. She's less cautious and more reckless, but can make her own decisions without pulling an about face. Her hatred of labcoats and corporations come to the fore, born out of lingering memories and a deepseated hatred she can't explain.

• Appearance:
• Skills and Abilities:
• Big Bad Wolf: As a werewolf, Hannah can switch between a human or a wolf and anything in between. In her half-wolf state, her strength and speed are increased and her senses are enhanced. The closer she is to a wolf, the more powerful she becomes. Her instincts become stronger, alerting her to danger and serving as a sixth sense. As a full wolf, her abilities reach their peak. She can hear a pin drop in the distance, smell a drop of blood yards away, run as fast a cheetah and crunch metal between her jaws. She can see in the dark, talk to animals and heals a little faster than normal. Thanks to the labcoats it's harder for her to stay in human form, but not impossible.
  • In The Pale Moonlight: As a werewolf, Hannah has a natural connection to the moon and it can affect her werewolf state. During a new moon her strength decreases, but it's easier to control herself. She can even become human for a few minutes if she concentrates. During a full moon, all her abilities reach their peak but she's at her most feral. She's nearly unstoppable, but as a tradeoff it becomes harder to think. It takes all her concentration not to slaughter everything in sight. If the moon is somewhere in it still effects her, but the consequences are more subtle. The more accustomed she is to being a wolf, the easier it will be to control herself and draw from the moon's power more efficiently.
  • Nightmare in Silver: As a werewolf Hannah is fairly durable, but has a few chinks in her armor. Silver bullets easily pierce her skin, but anything silver has a chance of causing her harm. It can also cancel out her regenerative abilities making her easier to damage. Wolfsbane is less detrimental, but it can sap her strength and leave her weak if she's not careful.
  • Mother’s Touch: Hannah channels spiritual power through her hands, mending the wounds of any other living creature. This Gift may not heal the werewolf herself, spirits, or the undead. Learned from a unicorn spirit, it was the first gift Hanna learned as one of the Children.
• Gear:
• Knives: Hanna enjoys fairytales, low comedies, romance and arts and crafts. Knitting in particular is a talent of hers. Has a strong taste for meat.

Edited by kkhohoho on May 20th 2024 at 2:29:31 AM

We discussed my character pretty thoroughly over Discord, and here's what I've come up with for this game.

• Character Name: Kelsea Taylor
• Splat: Siren
• Backstory:
  • From a young age, Kelsea was interested in two things— the sea, and helping people. As such, she spent much time on the beach, and grew to have a fondness for undersea life. She knew she wanted to help sea creatures, so she began to study to become a marine biologist. However, over time, her natural empathy led her to switch to veterinarian science. She got a job at the Sydney Aquarium as an intern, eventually rising up in the ranks to be trusted to care for the sea life, including the dugong, Pig. While she was studying in medical school, she began to blossom into a beautiful young woman, and she began to attract attention. One young man named Curtis, who was also in one of her classes, decided to sweep her off her feet. The two instantly hit it off, and a whirlwind romance began.
  • After a while, Kelsea had really grown to care for Curtis, but one night she overheard him talking to another girl— he had been seeing her behind her back! Heartbroken, Kelsea confronted him, and he callously revealed he had been dating around for the better part of a year without her noticing. Kelsea immediately and tearfully broke up the relationship, and she dropped out of the class she shared with Curtis.
  • Kelsea began to succumb to her despair, wondering if there was anyone who truly loved her or simply liked her for her body. In the depths of her anguish, she began to Drown, then Surfaced as a siren. She was determined not to let anyone take advantage of her again, to not let herself be hurt by a man again.
  • As she became more comfortable with her new abilities, she let her friend Emily know about them, and came to test out her abilities in various ways. One day, on Bondi Beach, she was testing out her magical songs when she was spotted by a beachgoer. Her magic Refracted and she entered her Diluvian form. In a panic, she escaped the beach via the sea, but not before word began to spread around about "the mermaid of Bondi Beach".
  • Shortly afterwards, she was intercepted on her way home by a representative from the Celestial Consulate, who explained to her all that being a Siren entailed and warned her not to let normal humans see her abilities.
• NPCs:
  • Curtis Marsden: The ex-boyfriend who cheated on Kelsea. Quite shallow and mostly sees women as a prize to be won, but capable of putting on a show of civility. He feels entitled to Kelsea's affections.
  • Emily Grey: Kelsea's best friend since childhood, and is the only ordinary human that knows Kelsea's deep-sea secret. Emily has an outgoing and sometimes forceful nature, often pressuring Kelsea to do things she wouldn't otherwise do, but never in a malicious way.
  • Jack Dugan: Kelsea's direct superior at the Sydney Aquarium. Though he can come off as firm, he is incredibly passionate about both his employees and the welfare of the animals on display.
  • Pig: Pig is a dugong at the Sydney aquarium. Being a non-intelligent animal, Pig is simple-minded, caring mainly for food, but is gentle and patient enough to act as a sounding-board for Kelsea's concerns.
• Personality:
  • Kelsea is sweet, but somewhat shy and introverted. She is self-conscious about her beauty, especially the attention that she gets from men. After the messy breakup with Curtis, she has made up her mind not to let herself get taken advantage of by men again. Nonetheless, she does desire a romantic relationship, and she often wonders if anyone truly likes her for who she is rather than her body. She is very empathetic, willing to listen to others in their problems, and she has a soft spot for animals. She has a habit of confiding in animals, such as Pig the dugong, even if they can't understand her.
• Appearance:
  • In her human form, Kelsea is stunning. She has long blonde hair that she mostly keeps in a ponytail in her human form, as well as when she goes diving. She has an athletic body with toned arms and legs, a beautiful curvaceous figure, a heart-shaped face, large blue eyes, and full lips. She usually wears starfish earrings and a necklace with a pearl on the end of it. She usually wears tank-tops and shorts in the summer, with sweaters and long jeans in winter.
  • In her Diluvian Form, she looks much the same. Her hair is mostly let loose in Diluvian form, and she wears little except a pair of seashells covering her ample D-cup breasts. Her tail is sleek with brown scales and a tailfin that resembles fronds.
• Skills and Abilities:
  • Kelsea is a Siren, having drowned and surfaced in the mystical waters of the Freshwater ocean. Kelsea has the ability to transform into a mermaid at will, though she is forced to transform into a mermaid when ordinary humans witness her abilities. Sirens have the ability to weave spells using magical singing. In Kelsea's case, she can affect living beings with spells involving water, humanity, and fate, restoring or calming her target in some fashion.
  • Apart from her Siren abilities, Kelsea is a fantastic swimmer even in human form. She has medical knowledge from her veterinary training, mostly knowledgeable about animal medicine but having a background in human medicine as well. She trains her body in swimming, as well as takes karate classes for self-defense.
• Gear:
  • Kelsea doesn't carry much on her most of the time. She has her purse, where she carries her money, keys and cell phone. Her bag isn't waterproof, however. She also carries around a couple of water bottles in case she enters her Diluvian form far away from a body of water.
• Knives: Not much else comes to mind.

Edited by AllHailThrall on May 24th 2024 at 8:58:31 AM

I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.

• Character Name: Persephone "Sephi" Azulai, Shadow Name "Song".
• Splat: Awakened (Mage).
• Backstory: Sephi (she doesn't like her first name) is a Mizrahi Jew from the town of Silver Rapids, Michigan, USA. She's spent her early life as an outsider, having few friends aside from her sister Shoshanah. She also argued constantly with her mother Hannah, whom she found overbearing and suffocating. Her life felt like a prison.
  Then, on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, she Awakened to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn. It was not, however, a relief. Her mother and father, it turned out, were Mages too — her father was a Guardian of the Veil (explaining his uncommon disappearances) while her mother was Orvanit, the Adamant Sage of the Silver Rapids Consilium; what's more, she herself was named after Nyx, a Cabalmate of her parents' who achieved Archmastery. Now in addition to worsening feelings of estrangement, she had to deal with Alethians hounding her — Awakening running along family line is very rare — and being targeted, not only by the Seers of the Throne, but also by her parents' rivals. So when she chanced upon an opportunity to study abroad in Australia, she seized it with both hands.
  Arriving in Sydney, she quickly ingratiated herself both with the Adamantine Arrow (by swearing oaths to, and performing tasks for, Orlando, the local Adamant Sage) and the Free Council (by showing up to their Assemblies and lending aid to their Minutemen from time to time). She's not found a Cabal yet, though, and has issues trusting most of Sydney's Mages, whose Consilium is more traditional than the one back in Silver Rapids.
• NPCs: Go wild with these — they're NPCs not secondary PCs.
  • Orlando is the Adamant Sage of Sydney, a Thyrsus with a world-weary demeanour and a penchant for shapeshifting. They're proud but even-handed. Song swore an oath of loyalty to their office (not the person — Serve Mandates, Not Individuals) so as long as she stays in Sydney, and carried out some tasks for them. They also gave Song some tutoring in the Life Arcanum.
  • Gearstick is the Syndic of the Free Council, a somewhat-old Moros with a "seen it all" and "get off my lawn" attitude. He happens to be wheelchair-bound, but it doesn't mean that fighting him is a good idea. Song struck a friendship with him mostly by being polite to him and putting up with his grumpiness.
  • Chaya is a Jewish woman Sephi met while checking out the Great Synagogue. She's older than Sephi — roughly the same age as her mother — and took it upon herself to provide Sephi with someone to turn to if things turn pear-shaped.
  • Catherine "Coffee" is a friend Sephi made in university. Unbeknownst to the Sephi, she's a Ghoul used as an assassin by her domitor.
• Personality: Acanthus are often stereotyped as carefree-looking tricksters. Sephi isn't one. Like her mother, she's stoic, meticulous and risk-averse. Unlike her mother's hidden anger, though, Sephi's stoic facade hides a hopelessly romantic personality. Under her mommy issues, stoicism, and feeling of estrangement, Sephi does feel wonder at the (relatively) new, wide world that her Awakening showed to her, and (like her mother, though she'd be caught dead before admitting it) she's incredibly loyal to, and protective of, those she considers friends.
  She takes Arrow philosophy seriously, especially the parts about honour and self-improvement, and sees giving her word as sacred. "Est Sularus Oth Mithas," she often says, and only half jokes. (Yes, she's a nerd.)
• Appearance: Like her sister, Sephi is short and fit. She's brown-skinned and black-haired, preferring short braids. Due to her tiff with her parents, she's averse to modest clothing, weather permitting.
• Skills and Abilities:
  • Song is a Disciple of the third degree, practicing the Arcana of Fate, Time and Life. Aside from the associated spellcasting ability, the most relevant abilities this confers are the ability to counterspell spells of those Arcana (but not other splats' abilities that fall under those Arcana's purview); the ability to impose an ending condition on a spell to make it last longer; making healing herself using Mana better (and Scouring herself for Mana less detrimental); the ability to cast on subject's past selves; the ability to use her Arcana and Mana to protect herself (Mage Armour); and the ability to summon Supernal Entities of the relevant Arcana.
  • Song is proficient in Adamant Hand, a Supernatural Martial Art that lets her use combat techniques — specifically, unarmed strikes and staff techniques — to help her spellcasting. She's a generally adept fighter.
  • Sephi is, as mentioned, pretty fit and practices parkour in her free time.
  • Even without Life magic, Sephi is pretty good with animals, corvids in particular. She cares for Valravn, a raven originally from the conspiracy her ornithologist of a mother researched (and magically bonded as part of her Legacy).
  • Sephi is a musical person, playing the piano and guitar; Song sometimes uses music in her spellcasting.
• Gear:
  • A long, engraved wooden staff, inlaid with silver and decorated with feathers Valravn had shed. Ostensibly a walking stick, in truth it's both a weapon and Song's Dedicated Magical Tool.
  • A smallish apartment in an out-of-the-way part of town. Fate magic was involved in the acquisition (though all of the legal stuff is taken care of). It's decorated with a large amount of musical instruments from around the world, particularly woodwinds.
  • An old, battered guitar, a gift from her sister.
• Knives: Nothing comes to mind.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground