Awakening VSS
From CamMelbourne
Venue Style Sheet
Contents |
[edit] Venue Data
Date of VSS: 2007-07-13 Genre: Mage: The Awakening Venue Name: Ruins of Eternity (Fragminis Infinitio) Venue Number: [?] Venue Location: The So Bar - 270 Russel Street, Melbourne 3001 Venue Times: Every 4th saturday, 1pm till 6pm Domain Name: Mysterium Magnum Domain Number: AUD02
[edit] Storyteller Chain
Venue Storyteller: Laura Shearman Camarilla number: AU2006100003 e-mail: melbourne.mage.vst@gmail.com
Assistant Venue Storyteller: Luke Kimpton Camarilla number: AU2005100686 e-mail: luke_kimpton@hotmail.com Duties: Narration Report:
Assistant Venue Storyteller: Evan Johnston Camarilla number: AU2003100609 e-mail: melbourne.mage.vc@gmail.com Duties: Narration, Thursday night RTR's Report:
Domain Storyteller: Andrew Stewart Camarilla number: AU1997100191 e-mail: dstvic@gmail.com
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Mood
The mood of the Melbourne Mage game is one of constant struggle. Mages struggle within themselves, they struggle with each other, and now they are struggling to find where they fit in a reshaped city. Everything is changing, and people need to cement their place in things.
[edit] Theme
The dominant Theme of the venue is that of Duality. Mages are aware of and stand between two worlds, the fallen world of mortals and the purity of the supernal realms. Awakenings shine bright light upon the darkness of the mundane that can engulf us, but in all things, there must be balance. Where do you draw the line? Inside all Magi is both a fragile human being and the mythic being of his Atlantean birthright.
Duality is shown in the two consili to be found in Melbourne as well. The Consilium of the Tower, which is found in the City, represents stability, having been well established, and having spent the last 13 years under the rule of Silver Ladder Heirarch, Lucius Aldermann. The Consilium of Tranquility, or the country consilium, as it is sometimes called has a theme of discovery, everything is new, and alot of things facing these Magi are very sink or swim.
The secondary theme is that not everything is as it seems. That which seems evil may not be detrimental to society. Decisions made rashly can often prove to follow the wrong path. Sometimes to do what is right, one must tread the path of the monster. Things are rarely what they seem to be in the real world, and adding the layers of the supernal to that, makes things even less clear cut. Very little of the world makes sense, and we are left to do the best we can, and pray that it is enough. The worst of intentions can sometimes reap the greatest benefit, and heroes are often left villafied. Gratitude is rare in the World of Darkness.
[edit] Ratings
| Physical conflict: | 3 |
| Social conflict: | 4 |
| Mental challenges: | 4 |
| Degeneration: | 4 |
[edit] Setting
The most important thing to note about the Melbourne mage game is that it has 2 consiliums. Games alternate between the two Consili.
[edit] Domain
[edit] Consilium of the Tower
- The Concilium chambers inside Eureka Tower.
- Hierarch Lucius' Manse - Brighton
- The Athenaeum - CBD
- Various other locations in the CBD
[edit] Consilium of Tranquility
- White Stone Manor
- Lilydale Cemetary
- Other locations outside of central Melbourne.
[edit] Timeline
[edit] Public History
The City
Melbourne truly became a city in 1850, when it gained independence from New South Wales as the Port Phillip District. The Gold rush made the founders of the city quite wealthy and germinated the growth of Melbourne until it became the nation’s capital for many years just after federation.
But we already know that. Our city has a hidden history, buried by the mist of the Quiessence , hidden in signs and omens within the very brick and stone of Melbourne.
[edit] The Foundation ( The Chariot Reversed)
The Early days of the Awakened in Australia were days of strife and chaos, much shameful bloodshed and the black taint of the purging gave the founding of all of the colonies a martial bent. Melbourne was founded by the Silvered Eon cabal, who determined that the colony was in fact near the site of an ancient Atlantian colony before the fall via channeling and the text of ancient tomes. And indeed the shaman of the local aboriginal tribes knew of the standing stones that were hidden in cave and tunnel around the city site. The Silver Eon found one of these sacred sites and saw to establish themselves with access to it. Their lodge founded on the basis that the city would be a fortress against the enemies of the Atlantian orders , a new golden city that would echo the great cities of old. The Silver Eon gathered many Sleepwalkers to guard their haven, 16 Masonic lodge men each with various degrees of influence in the sleeper world were inducted in 1858 with the purpose to defend the Lodge and guide the city’s creation along the holy and enlightened design of the Eon Magi. Many clashes with the existing Traditional Magi of the region over Hallows as well as the politics of setting up a new consolium gave the cabal a bad reputation. New Atlantian Magi clashed with the Eon Magi over the Hubris of their declaration of a new Atlantis and a cold atmosphere of conflict tainted the city’s first 30 years until the Eon hierarch was disposed by a Free Council Cabal who quickly seized control of a large chunk of the Eon Magi’s influence network.
[edit] Influence (The Five of Staves , Reversed)
Strife was that emotion that bore the Melbourne Consolium. The Free council grabbed a strangle hold on the local council at about the turn of the centaury. The other imported Cabals scrambled for the remains of the Eon Magi’s influence and several small conflicts occurred around the possession of the valuable Harrows of the region. The remaining Eon Magi fell to Hubris as well as the other mysteries that lurk in the night. The Masonic network that they cultivated fractured between many parties, some Awakened some not.
[edit] The Obstacle. (The King of Coins)
The Free Council influenced the new colonies development after Federation , many council Cabals made their sanctums in the city during the early boom period of the twentieth century. The Council Cabals embraced the new Modernist methodologies , art and political movements. The end of the first world war gave a foothold for the enemies of the Magi to gain foothold in Melbourne. The Seers of the Throne made their presence known to the Council Magi in the 1920s as it directed “secret armies” of sleepers against free council assets. These armies were usually Right wing extremist groups populated by ex servicemen with pro-white or even (later on) pro Nazi Agendas. (Though many think that the Guardians of the Veil may have indeed been behind some of these groups as well. Especially those of the more Occult variety) The Seers were able to disrupt the council’s hold on the city and gained a great degree on Influence in sleeper society during the 1940s and 1950s. By 1960 the seer’s power had reached it’s zenith and a coalition of Guardians and Free Council Magi were able to wage a campaign of Psychedelic spiritualism and Sleeper decent that helped disrupt the Seer’s mundane powerbase. (This even involved a partially successful attempt to disrupt the power of the Seer’s Profaine Urm with mind altering substances.) The seers’ influence died down during the last half of the century and it was from their ranks that the first victims of the Tyrant came. The Seers came under savage attack by an unknown foe in 1985, one entire Pillar of the Exarch’s servants were destroyed by this assault, and the ruins of their sanctum was taken. The Seers counter attacked against the Atlantean orders, but both groups quickly found that the foe was not the other when an Atlantean Cabal was attacked by the same forces. Little was learnt about the assailants, only that they were indeed Mages and that they wielded a twisted version of Atlantean magic. The foe, the Cabal of a Mage known only by his Shadow Name of Tyrant, carved a slice of territory in Melbourne’s west over the next ten years. Several Cabals were eliminated and more than one Mage crossed sides and joined with this fiend. Rumors that the Tyrant steals souls and replaces them with his own soulstones, or that he binds the souls of defeated Mages to their rotting corpses abound, but the true extent and nature of the tyrant’s power is unknown. It is known that he is a potent Moros Magus, and that his servants , his Harvesters, benefit from the magic of Stygia and seem to be able even to survive Death.
[edit] Downfall. (Death)
The Tyrant was met, and bested in a Abyssal fortress of his own devising.
The Tattered King fell and was reborn from amongst the magi of Melbourne.
Memories of the past have returned to haunt the living.
The claim of a life owed was presented and has yet to be paid the bill that is due.
[edit] Silver Ladder Rule (The Emperor)
Melbourne has seen 13 years of Silver Ladder rule under Lucius Aldermann. This has seen ups, and it has seen downs, but at the end of the day, the Consilium has always remained standing. Lucius has risen through the political ranks, and now we find ourselves in 2008. He is running for state Premier. Can he balance politics and the supernal?
2008 Saw:
- January - Gambit and Butterfly were held by Guardians.
- April - It saw the end of the Tyrant, or so some believe.
- May - The Cabal of the Five Pieces Arrived
- June - Flux was killed by one of the Cabal of the Mad.
- August - The Mad were put in the care of Madeline, except the killer of Flux, who was remanded to the Guardians.
- The second consilium was formed.
- October - Madeline, one of the few mages to truly ascend the ladder of wisdom was killed in a house fire started by Jack.
- Gemini was shot by an unidentified marksman
- Wolfe has been returned from realms unknown.
Mages have grown, mages have died.
[edit] Present Day
[edit] It is the Choices We Make (The Lovers)
Melbourne now finds itself on the brink. There are choices to be made. Which side do you stand on? Do you stand with the tower, or do you stand with Tranquility? Do you stand alone, or do you stand with your order? Do you stand with those who do what is right, or do you stand with those who do what they must?
[edit] Characters
[edit] City Consilium
[edit] Silver Ladder
- Lucius Aldermann - Played by Andrew Stewart
- Atunis - Played by Duncan Harris
- Paris - Played by Jennie Casey
[edit] Adamantine Arrow
- Takase Yurei - Played by Luke Kimpton
[edit] Mysterium
- Shai - Played by Chris Benton
[edit] Guardians of the Veil
- Wolfe - Played by Nick Crowhurst
- Abel - Played by Symon Geanellos
- Doktor Bedlam - Played by Simon Boot
[edit] Free Council
- Racer Ex - Played by Laura Shearman (Please note, as this is the ST's PC, the PC is rarely contactable at games)
- Butterfly - Played by Alicia Cameron
- Gambit - Played by Simon Boot
[edit] Apostates
- Liz - Played by Jessen Dittmer
- Gemini - Played by Jarrod Georgesz
[edit] Country Consilium
[edit] Silver Ladder
- The Mad Hatter - Played by Luke Kimpton
[edit] Adamantine Arrow
- Yang - Played by Jarrod Georgesz.
- Zane - Played by Jessen Dittmer.
[edit] Mysterium
- Mordecai Jones - played by Simon Boot
[edit] Free Council
[edit] Guardians of the Veil
- Mathrias - Played by Bruno Marquez
- Vision - Played by Oliver
- Jeeves - Played by Daniel Anderson
[edit] Apostates
[edit] Non-player Characters
Lillith - Member of the law firm, Shearer, Horne and Slaine.
The Shade of the Tyrant
The Cabal of the Five Pieces, comprised of:
- Mother Mary - Mastigos, Guardian of the Veil
- Spin - Acanthus, Free Council
- Veritas - Obrimos, Silver Ladder
- Gazer - Moros, Mysterium
- Eagle's Grace - Thyrsus, Adamantine Arrow
[edit] Player Characters
Magical items such as Imbued and Enhanced, as well as familiars, guardian ghosts/spirits, all retainers must be constructed with ST participation.
Characters should be associated with one of the two Consiliums in Melbourne.
Characters are expected to have at least a brief character background.
Characters must define the nature/location of any Sanctum, Hallow, Mentor or Thrall they have.
Players should preferably have another player portray Thralls.
Players are encouraged to form cabals.
Players are encouraged to make seperate PCs for each consilium, their second being either a second primary, or a secondary. These PCs will be subject to all the rules pertaining to such a PC as in the addendum. Players can make the choice to play just the one character in both games.
[edit] XP Awards
[edit] Attendance Awards
| Attendance: | 3XP |
| Costuming: | 1XP |
| Exceptional Roleplay: | 1XP |
[edit] Downtime Awards
| Downtime Report: | 2XP |
| RTR Scenes: | Maximum of 4XP - These are the Thursday night sessions. |
[edit] Other Awards
Available until 4 weeks after character enters play.
| Submission of Character Sheet: | 3XP |
| Submission of Character Background: | 3XP |
Available any time after entering play.
| Detailed Sanctum and other property details: | 2XP |
| Detailed information on Cabal structure | 2XP |
These are one time only awards.
[edit] Venue Rules
These are the rules specific to the Melbourne Mage Game
- PC's can not be teleported against their will. It takes choice for someone to pass through a portal. The exception to this rule is PC's under the influence of Psychic Domination.
- Mana is calculated using a base of the PC's Willpower, + any relevant merits + any relevant downtime actions.
- Mages may have more than 1 magical sight active at a time, they are at a cumulative -1 to all perception tests for each additional sight.
- All hung or precast spells must be given to the ST in writing before the game starts.
The ST tries to encourage as few card draws/or dice rolls as possible in her games. Creative thaumaturgy is encouraged, within believable limits. Narration is the preferred method of dealing with conflict, but players ALWAYS have the option to say they wish for things to go to draws. Cards or dice are ALWAYS used if there is a real risk of PC death.
[edit] Considerations
[edit] Proxies
Anyone traveling to and from melbourne via proxy must have an appropriate method of transportation planned. People who use magical forms of transportation are expected to supply their exact destinations.
[edit] Visitors
Full mechanics for imbued/enhanced items and artifacts must be disclosed to the supervising ST and approval numbers must be displayed for perusal.
