Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

the shadowy refl ection • general features chapter one: of the society world of of the darkness
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in your story and how you can use what space you have reserved for your game to
represent these places.
Most live-action stories are limited by what real-world space a Storyteller and the
staff has to work with. Some folks are blessed with a sizable game location and plenty
of free space that is away from prying eyes. Most have to make do with what they
have at hand, however, especially in urban areas where games can be held only in
apartments or townhouses.
If you fi nd that none of your players are interested in any kind of occult themes in
their story then don’t waste the space on converting the living room into a mysterious
arcane library. If your players seem like they are not going to traffi c the local sewer
systems with any kind of frequency, do not designate a room for the sewer warren
or forgotten subway system. Not every typical facet of a city populated by vampires
needs to be represented in your setting — especially if you are greatly limited in your
playing space.
Find out what types of places your players’ characters would frequent and see how
these places fi t into your game setting. A compromise can be reached and you can
use these locations to your best advantage when planning out spatial relations with
your staff. If it’s not going to be used, don’t bother even mentioning it.
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
As a guiding principle, keep the ambience of the World Of Darkness in mind as you design
your setting. For the Kindred, this world is even darker and deadlier than it is for the mortals.
Vampires are not the only predators out there. There are dangers and threats that the mortal
world is completely ignorant of that hungrily wait in the shadows for hapless vampires as well.
Also, one of the largest sources of antagonism may come from the self-destructive nature of
the characters themselves. Consider these following guidelines for setting the tone of your
chronicle:
• The Death of Virtue: People in the World of Darkness know they live in a decaying,
vice-riddled world. They learned from centuries of greed and lies from leaders in business,
government, religion and every other institution. Cynicism and despair saturate the culture,
from the tags on the walls to the movies in the theaters. Everyone knows that virtues such
as compassion or charity mark you as a sucker, ready to be victimized, while justice and faith
are words used by scoundrels to hide their sins. True selfl essness, love or honor is more rare
and precious than diamonds.
• No More Good Guys: Did they ever really exist at all? Modern mortals certainly have
no one to inspire them. The media caught them in sex scandals or taking bribes, or maybe
destroyed their reputations just to make a good story. Local community leaders sold out or
died in the endemic urban violence. The precious few people who genuinely seek to make
the world a better place remain voices in the wilderness, their good works obscured by the
torrent of cynicism and sleaze.
• Violence and Fear: Crime is omnipresent and life is cheap, especially for the young.
The poor lash out from frustration and greed, with well-heeled criminals as their anti-heroes.
Bored rich kids look for thrills through violence and drugs. At every level of society, people
fi nd no shortage of other groups to blame — other races, other classes or just people who
like other things.
• Isolation: Many families and neighborhoods adopt a siege mentality against the rest
of the world, convinced that they live surrounded by enemies who want to strip them of
whatever they have. The well-to-do hide behind walls, gates and security systems, sending
their children to private schools, careful to avoid anyone outside their class. The less affl uent
watch out for gangs and stay away from windows, especially at night, lest they become