Other Domains

[DrDog]

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Cleveland was settled by the kindred community in 1852. 2 years later, the Lancea et Sactum seized power, forcing out heretics and sqauatters on their domain. After the Civil War, the migratiging former slaves brought with them witches of the Circle, who began a subtle campaign to secure for themselves a sanctuary.
The Lance fought back skillfully, keeping the Circle suppressed, until 1941, when the Invictus opened a second front, seizing industrial and trade centers away from the church's control. This war continued until the Miracle of the blessed flame in 1969, when the Bishop called down a column of fire from the sky upon the river, burning the floating Haven of the Judex. The two sides swiftly declared peace, and the Circle followed, bowing their heads in submission, but keeping their beleifs. In the late 80s, Carthians and Ordo Dracul began appearing; the former bringing cultural expertise, while the later focusing on medical supplies and hospitals.

Since the 40s, Cleveland has seen an almost 60% decline in its human population, the kindred population is now feeling that stress.

The Lancea et Sanctum controls the city, either directly or indiretly through the other covenants. That control is tenuous at times, especially with the infighting over dwindling resources.

The Invictus retain control of the fading industrial centers, but are swiftly migrating their power towards commercial and cultural control, which is causing friction with those who claim Carthian leanings.

The Circle of the Crone controls many of the ethnic neighborhoods, putting them at odds with the more Law and Order Invictus and the Families of the Lance.
The Carthians and Ordo Dracul have recently seen a stagerring growth in power, thanks to wise investments. This development is viewed suspiciously by the others, who look for cracks to seize control from the upstarts.

[West]

Houston, Texas, USA

An afterthought.

A city built on a goddamn swamp who's only saving grace was access to the Gulf of Mexico. A place where old men went to die and young men left for greener pastures. A haven for Carthians and Crone, a place to call their own that none of the other Covenants cared about.

Oil changed all that.

Overnight the city exploded in a black, sticky Frenzy of derricks, offshore rigs, drilling, and pipelines. The money brought the Invictus, but they found what they had neglected, the Carthians and Crone had cultivated and taken root to. Where Dallas had neat, clean lines drawn, Houston had illegal immigrants and zoneless construction.

A fortune was spent in money and favors to bring NASA to the Bayou City, in hopes that a strong federal presence would tip the scales. It only highlighted that this was still the Wild West: the Invicus could erect outposts of civilization, but they couldn't tame it.

The Carthians have their fingers in everything, supporting the ethnic sectors and orchestrating controlled chaos and building and toppling small regimes, never letting any of the groups gain a solid foothold -- nothing for the Invictus to sink their fangs into.

The Crone quietly take advantage of the city sprawl, with plenty of opportunity in the rural areas to conduct their rituals and fertile ground to sow their seeds in the diverse lower class ethnic groups.

The Invictus take the role of gentleman ranchers, sitting in their glass towers with their backs pointedly ignoring the gleaming gem of the DFW Metroplex: unable to abandon the opportunity, yet unable to bring the rebels to heel.

The Lancea Sanctum are in worse shape than the Invictus, and have all but given up. Everywhere they turn, home-brew hoodoo greets them. It's a city that just doesn't give a fuck about religion. After Anne Richards legitimized the Universal Life Church, can anyone blame them?

The Ordo Dracul quietly laugh behind their books as they diligently chronicle the socio-political tides, looking for patterns and enlightenment even as they walk the thin line of neutrality and indifference.

[SrsBsns]

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

In 1847 Brigham Young and his followers founded the Great Salt Lake City.

The Carthians, ever ready to co-opt something new, tried to beat the other Covenants to the new city. They succeeded only technically, giving them the cache of being the official oldest Covenant in the city because of official Domain records. The existent rural Crone oral tradition is most often ignored. The Dragons came following dragon lines and wyrms nests and they hit jackpot with the Great Salt Lake. The transcontinental railroad and rise of industrial banking brought the Invictus and the rise of the LDS church brought the Lancea Sanctum in response.

Tensions between the Ordo Dracul, the Crone and the Lancea Sanctum were mostly cold for the duration, letting the Carthian/Invictus differences occupy most Kindred attention. In the 60s the Dragons generally withdrew themselves from the greater Danse Macrabe, all but vanishing overnight causing the three way balance between the Crone, the Sanctum and them to topple, causing the Crone and Sanctum to erupt into outright sorcerous warfare that fractured the political landscape. The Crone seemed beaten and the Sanctum triumphant as the Archbishop took control of the city. The Invictus weathered the troubles admirably and countered the attempts of the Carthians to stage a coup using the 2002 Winter Olympics to gather support by bringing media attention to the various scandals perpetuated by the Movement during the games.

Then six years ago the Domain found out that the Crone was not as defeated as was believed. Overnight blood sorcery struck out at the Sanctum and hungry Acolytes assaulted the sanctified time after time for five years. Now the Circle rules Salt Lake City with sanguine claws. It turns it's gaze on those that abandoned it in the past.

The Circle spent the last 40 years quietly surrounding the city in a noose of polygamist cults that resemble Fundamentalist Mormon families only in the most superficial manner. The old Hierophant was slain and eaten by her Childer and blamed the murder on the Sanctum to cause such a rage-filled reaction.

The Lancea Sanctum is a shattered remnant of what it once was. Those with more prudence than faith sought shelter in the wings of the Ordo Dracul, leveraging what sorcery they know for their safety and continued survival. Those with more faith than prudence have fallen to the Claws and fangs of the Acolytes. The few that have survived in spite of this have either left the city or added their voices to the Movement.

The Movement is paralyzed by it's own fervor. Unable to reach a consensus on anything of substance, there are two new Prefects every month. There were no cooler heads to council barring acceptance to the remains of the Lancea Sanctum and it is widely believed that this acceptance has painted a target on the back of the Movement.

The Invictus have made a tactical withdraw from the city at large, moving up into their mountain palaces disguised by the tourist trade as ski lodges. They look down at the glittering lights of the city and plot to move in and take the city for the Unconquered. Finally.

The Ordo Dracul is widely blamed for the state of the domain now. No one knows that they have been in control of the Genealogical Society of Utah almost since it's creation almost one hundred and fourteen years ago. No one suspects that that they have been behind the fortification of the Granite Mountain Record Vault, let alone that they have been behind it for the last 60 years. No one knows how deep they dug, or what they found.

[Khalvin]

Orlando, Florida, USA

The dire sun of Orlando. A city the bane of the Masquerade for centuries. Whispers spread of fearsome creatures that hunt the Beast and Daylight warriors that raid Havens without remorse.
But, if you are skilled at keeping your head down, and with a bit of luck, Orlando is the most fertile hunting grounds for any Requiem. An endless bounty of Kine the come to stay and leaves to forget their nightmares.

History:
The Civil War has ended and the Slave Baronies of the South are decimated, whole plantations burned to the ground. The Requiem in the south seems doomed. But mortal kind is to make a mistake. They begin to rebuild, showering money and power for the taking. Enterprising Kindred steal what they can and what might have been extinction becomes expansion.

Roads opened up into the heart of Florida, and one known simply as the Blood Baron planted himself in a tiny trading post in the heart of the swamps. With his guile and influence the town grew and so to did his daring. One night he happened upon thieves in his orange grooves, wayward wanderers without names. He took them to be a part of his herd and found these mortals held secrets he had never heard before. For one month he drank deep both knowledge and Vitae. A glutenous feast that would be his last. The thieves belonged to a strange cult, and in the break of dawn, that cult came with fire and fear.

That night the Masquerade in tiny Orlando was broken. The city has never recovered. To this day the cult's descendents hunt the dawn. Some whisper the Cult hides among the Damned, learning secrets through toture and spies. How else can they be so effective?

The Crone:
A Crone Witch named Isabella Cortern sought to make the City her own. The vacation spot in 1918 was lively and here she could have the space to work her eternity. She believed she could wrangle the mere human cult to herself through power. She sought arcane secrets and made dark pacts with beings that should not be. In her vanity she attracted something old and terrible, an ancient Kindred fully thrown to the beast. Unable to withstand its might, she was consumed. And the Beast now hunts as twilight breaks. Today the Crone seeks to ratake what has escaped, some thinking it a demon, others a god.

The Lancea:
The Lancea Church holds vigil here, keeping an eye out on the darkness and ever wary of the dangers that hunt the Hunters. They huddle as largest Covenant. But that does not say much. The Lord's work must be done, these evils will conquered. The Tiny congregation of Undead hold their mass and count the faces missing each night. THey warn the new with muttered tones and fervent eyes. The Crow Bishop preaches about a bold move to hunt down the Cult. But he can find little support for any new operations as past fights ended poorly.

Gangrel:
One old Clan has managed to hold on and flourish. A Gangrel line known as the Gators Teeth. The swamp is theirs and they do not like visitors. They avoid the City and it's trouble, willing to keep to themselves and the suburbs growing around them.

Daeva:
Orlando is attraction. The newest Golden Prince deems he can turn Orlando's fortune against it's terror. Holed up in the Attractions of the city, he masses his power in silence. A fading kiss his only trail. The Dawn Cult raided his club, Blood Orange Groove and the Golden Prince narrowly escaped. He remains in the shadows of the Domain and even his messengers are unable to say where he stays. He favors his Clan and able pretty vain Kindred quickly become powerful in his Court. His word is to hold back and stay hidden. His plan is to draw the Cult out and let it make the first mistake.

All in all:
Orlando's large transient population of Kine make it a gem buried in thorns. But the Thorns are sharp as daggers and any Kindred who has survived the City and fled will have stories to tell. The locals are reclusive and fervently wary of discovery. The Cult and Beast are faceless and without numbers the Domain can do little to fight back. Orlando is the reason you never break the Masquerade.

[Jag]

Washington, D.C. USA

The capital of the United States; some would argue it is the capital of the world due to the political power that lies within the city. It is also a huge melting pot of different cultures, and host to many members of the high society. Formally, the District of Columbia, but commonly referred to as "Washington," "DC" or "the District." Yet, a more unsavory, yet perhaps more accurate moniker has been given to it by Kindred that roam its streets during these modern nights...

...welcome to the Dark Capital.

History

DC was actually split into two separate domains shortly after the Kine established it as the nation's capital. The Domain of Georgetown, which was run under a traditional Invictus Praxis, and the Domain of Washington, which was run under a democratic government of sorts, which was established by a powerful Carthian. As is only natural, these two domains found themselves at odds with each other for much of the late 1700s and early 1800s.

With the "Organic Act of 1871," the Praxis holder of the Domain of Washington decided to follow in the footsteps of the Kine and attempted to bring the Domain of Georgetown under the same Praxis. However, his attempt was thwarted by the Invictus Domain, who were supported by the Lancea Sanctum--who had a stronghold near the National Cathedral--during the battle. After the long and bloody war between both domains, the Domain of Washington fell prey to the superior power of the Domain of Georgetown, which resulted in both domains being brought under one Praxis led by the Invictus Prince of Georgetown; officially forming the Domain of Washington, D.C. in 1890.

Since becoming one domain, the District has seen its share of both Invictus and Carthian Praxis holders. Both Covenants hold much power within the city and its metropolitan area, which keeps them in an eternal struggle for control of the domain. During the Civil Rights era, the domain saw not only much growth within the local Carthian Movement, but it also witnessed an influx of new Acolytes in the city. This raised many red flags amongst the local Sanctified, who had held a tight grip over the city's religious community.

However, to avoid another bloody war, the Invictus and the Carthians came to an agreement and lead a series of meetings with both the Lancea Sanctum and the Circle of the Crone, which had very positive results and prevented the possibility of a large scale conflict between both Covenants.

Throughout all of this, members of the Ordo Dracul have mostly kept to themselves and have managed to avoid the bloody affairs of local politics in the domain. Instead they have focused their time on their studies, and growing their influence within the many local academic institutions found within the city and its surrounding areas.

Demographics

The Dark Capital prides itself in its diversity, both amongst Kindred and the Kine. All five Clans are represented in the Domain of Washington, D.C. and appear to have a reasonably equal amount of power. The Prisci Council has in many cases rised up against unreasonable and/or unstalbe Praxis holders when necessary. The most populous of the Clans happens to be the Gangrel; but Clan Ventrue seems to have the largest amount of influence and political power, with many of the domain's Princes coming from their ranks. Both the Mekhet and Daeva have equal numbers in the domain's population. The Nosferatu, while being the smallest group, are also the most tight-knit of all the Clans, and rule in their own right from their massive Necropolis found in DC's underground tunnels.

The Carthian Movement has a great amount of influence in the Domain, with its numbers constantly growing during these modern nights. They have their hands in many mortal organizations, and use the influence they have with the local Kine population to their advantage in keeping the First of State at bay. Even though the Domain is currently under an Invictus Praxis, there have been many Carthian Praxis-holders in the past, and the Movement is successfully running their own socio-political experiment--based on a democratic-style government--in the Regency of Anacostia (Southeast DC).

The Circle of the Crone saw an influx of new members in the past few decades, and while they do not hold much political power within the Domain, they have established many independent Temples in the outskirts of the city. Acolytes have had much successes in forming many blood cults amongst the local Kine population due to a resurgence of paganism, and interest in ancient and foreign religions amongst the mortals during these modern nights.

The Invictus has had much power within the Domain, being the Covenant to formally establish it in the first place. Even though their numbers are not as great as they used to be, they have many elder Kindred amongst their ranks, who also happen to be very well-connected amongst the local Kine population. Regardless of the constant struggle for power they have going on with the Carthians, the members of the Covenant have pledged to remain Unconquered, and granted their rivals the Regency of Anacostia in the early 1970s, to keep them from meddling further in the Domain's political affairs. Surprisingly enough, this tactic has proven successful, and the Praxis of Washington, D.C. has remained in the hands of the Invictus since then.

The Lancea Sanctum still has a strong presence in the Domain, even though their influence amongst the Kine population has seen a massive decline over the past couple of decades. However, they remain strong supporters of the First of State, and thus they keep a decent amount of political power within the Domain due to this alliance. Their largest stronghold remains the National Cathedral, but they also hold some power in Georgetown University in Southwest DC and Catholic University in Northeast DC.

The Ordo Dracul has mostly kept to themselves and their studies since the early history of the Domain. No one but themselves know how many members they actually have amongst them, which sometimes is a cause of concern for the other Covenants. However, the Dragons have managed to keep their neutrality when it comes to the domain's political affairs; focusing their efforts in growing their influence amongst the several universities found in the area, and other academic or more esoteric organizations. Rumor has it that they have been spending much of their time studying the ley lines of the city, and that they plan to use this knowledge at some point in the near future. For what purpose? No one really knows but them; but those are only rumors of course...

[Vassagon]

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Home of Robocop, or at least a statue of him, a laughable reminder that Hollywood warps even the most dilapidated of cities into some beacon of hope and American pride and industry. After decades of poverty and the wearing away of civic structure and stability, the infamous Black City has finally caved to these illusions of grandeur and begun seeing the presence of filmakers and celebrities. With the tax breaks offered to the entertainment industry new businesses have poured into the abandoned ghettos and streets, turning Woodward Avenue into the new Hollywood Boulevard.

The Gangrel have the strongest presence here, represented by the Prince, known by Duke Blues Jones or affectionately The Blue Duke. He rules through fear and class, and frequents his favorite dive, Cliff Bell's Jazz Club every night. Every gang leader in Detroit is wrapped around his finger and he's made sure to keep the streets lively and crime-ridden, a perfect hunting ground for his charges. With the coming of the hipster movement, however, times are changing fast. The streets are more empty now than ever and the only hope of keeping the Domain alive is to change as the city changes. And that means dissolving the gangs and giving way to the young philanthropists and investors.

The Carthians
The Carthians have risen in strength as a more popular alternative to the present system. Having lost faith in Duke Jones's leadership they work to assist the growing businesses in their success by fending off the gang presence, feeding on the tools of chaos instead of the new blood.

The Crone
A weak presence currently, having found little comfort in the urban sprawl and pitiful existence, save for the rural Belle Isle Park and its observatory. They hold their rituals in the hollowed out buildings and crumbling ruins, overgrown with undergrowth, hoping new life return to their once proud city, that had long ago held as a beacon of innovation.

The Invictus
Having had enjoyed the few years of turmoil, the economic situation and dwindling population of Detroit has even soured the taste of the MotorCity Casino's usual draw and liquidity. The elders that exploited the Duke's rule now fumble with uncertainty, watching from their place at the Detroit River waterfront.

The Lancea Sanctum
Still strong in their beliefs, the decay and turmoil only give cause to renew their faith. The beautiful churches lay as a bastion of hope in the burghal cesspool. Many believe that their cause isn't given enough support by their Prince and wish to see their message more widespread among the kindred.

The Ordo Dracul
Unaffected by the changes Detroit has faced, the Dragons continue their internal search for enlightenment. Yet even they must consider taking sides in this changing tide of blood political agenda. They gather at Wayne State University, a singular source of academics.

[wibblywobbly]

Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

Erie Pennsylvania is a small city that sits right at the coast of Great Lake Erie. For most of its existence Erie has been a major hub for Trade, and industry. However in more recent years Erie has spiraled into a depression as business and industry have left Erie leaving it with no major exports.

Erie is a shell of its former self, and the people who live there know this. On almost every street corner one can find at least one store front that has been abandoned because of poor business. Most young people, when they get the chance, leave Erie.

However, despite this Erie is also consider one of the safer cities to live in. It also has three very reputable colleges that make their home there.

For some they believe there is unlocked potential in the city. For most however, they feel that they must resort Erie to its former glory as place of industry.

Erie is an Invictus Domain who are not exempt from the ongoing argument between change v.s. restoration, but it was not always this way. For most of its time as a city it has been under Sanctified rule. It was not until the Great Depression when an Invictus Regent named William Talon took the power from his Sanctified predecessor. Sense then Duke Talon has been one of the greatest supporters of the belief that Erie should return to Industry and trade rather than change with the tides. his greatest opponent is the Carthian Movement. Both sides of the argument have a lot of Influence over the mortal world which has caused a stalemate. Because of this there has been a slow trickle of kindred leaving the city to find more suitable domains where they may have a greater chance to flourish and create a name for themselves.

The Carthian Movement
There are few Carthians who reside here, most progressive young blood tends to leave the city as soon as they can get the chance giving Kindred very little time to Embrace them into the fold. The Carthians who do make of residence here tend to be old union workers and run the Movement in that manner. However, there are some forward thinkers who have a lot of Influence over mortal society, and have scored some minor victories in getting Erie to change rather than fall back into its old ways.

The Circle of the Crone
The Crone have an even smaller presence than the Carthians of this domain, considering most of the Domain is made up of either Invcitus or Sanctified, members of the crone are often viewed as “Lost souls who must be shown the light.” Though not outwardly hostile toward the Crone the other Factions tend to quietly oppress those who claim loyalty to the old faith, not allowing them to gain very high titles in the domain or restricting the amount of territory they can own. Because of this, the Movement has been trying to work their way into the hearts and minds of the Crone, so that they can have more bodies to support their cause.

The Invictus
The Invictus has a strangle hold on Erie, no new business goes up without their permission, The Invictus mentality of maintaining the status quo is strong here, So much so where it has even hurt them in some ways. Because of their refusal to change with the times they have lost valuable income, which only strengthens their resolve to turn Erie into a more industrial city.

The Lancea Sanctum
Many Kindred of Erie would say that The Lance is in the Invictus’s pocket, which is pretty much true. Erie has always had a strong Catholic Influence and that carries over to the Sanctified of the domain. Where the Invictus tends to the business and political end of things the Lance focuses more on the spiritual using their own influence among the local perish to further the Invcitus’s goals.

The Ordo Dracul
The Ordo has stayed rather quiet in the ongoing argument between the Carthians, and the Invictus, though there has been rumor that they secretly support the Carthian’s cause. The Ordo tends to haunt the three local colleges of the city, quietly interacting with the students and professors. The Lance is not exactly happy about this considering two of the three colleges are Catholic colleges and they would prefer not to have Ordo influence over good catholic students, but despite the Lance’s protests the Ordo already has strong connections with each of these colleges which intend to stay for a very long time.

[Mykel]

Hampton Roads, VA, USA

Hampton Roads. The Seven Cities. The 757. Whatever you call it, the south-eastern corner of Virginia would be the seventh largest metro area in America if the various city governments could pull together and form one cohesive entity. Most mortals believe they haven't because the seven city's politicians realize one city means 6 of them lose their jobs. The true reason lies with two very different groups of Kindred; who have waged a secret war for dominance over the past fifty years.

The Kindred history of the area is unknown before the Civil War. Those vampires who did not flee the fighting were killed by fire and shell, the bloody conflict ravaging populations as deeply as it did as the once beautiful Virginia countryside.

For almost a hundred years, only Newport News with its shipbuilding and Norfolk with it's ports had any sizable human population; the entire area watched over by Prince Hawkings, the elder Ventrue holding Court with his fellow Invictus in the restored Governor’s Mansion in Williamsburg.

All of that changed in the 1940's. With America gearing up for war, the Military–industrial complex brought prosperity and population to the area overnight. And where there are people and money, the Kindred follow.

By the time the 1950's came, a competing Court had been set up in Virginia Beach. Prince Nastas had used economic and government contacts cultivated during the war to lure a power base of political and military influence to the South Side. The ambitious Nosferatu and his fellow Carthians quickly carved out a domain for themselves from Norfolk to Virginia Beach. Backed by the fiery Preacher Freeman and his breakaway group of Lancea Sanctum faithful, the battle lines were drawn for a conflict that lasts until this night.

The decades of war have ravaged parts of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth; the two sides desperately fortifying their areas of influence while letting this No Man's Land degrade into a cesspool of mortal and Kindred suffering.

The battles still rage to this night. Gangs of mortal pawns fight the ground war, while businesses and politicians wrangle for influence for their respective sides. Each night the pace become more heated and frantic; the Masquerade barely holding over a war that threatens to explode all over the evening news at any moment.





Invictus: Prince Hawkings and his fellow Unconquered rule the Peninsula, holding sway over an area from Williamsburg to Hampton. Here, surrounded by Colonial architecture and artifacts, the Ventrue wages a war against his rivals on the South Side.

The First Estate controls much of the material wealth of the area; investments ranging from the military to technology and commerce. The money that flows through these businesses and into the Invictus' pocketbooks funds the continued war between the two sides.



Ordo Dracul: In an area with over two thousand years of human habitation, there are mysteries and secrets enough to keep the Dragons busy for centuries. Led by the beautiful Deava Anya Ivaniva; the Ordo Dracul is squarely behind Prince Hawkings and his rule.

While the more blood thirsty Dragons spend their nights patrolling for any enemy stupid enough to cross into Prince Hawkings' Domain alone, the Elders pour over the area's history. Sponsoring archeological digs, rummaging through the collections of private individuals and museums; the Dragons are desperately looking for something from the past. Only time will tell what it is and what the Dragons will do when they find it.



Carthians: Ruling from Virginia Beach, Prince Nastas watches over his domain from a penthouse suite overlooking the beautiful beaches that slip into the Atlantic Ocean. The Carthians' areas of influence include the military bases and expansive entertainment industries of the area; keeping moral high with nightly doses of sex, drugs, and blood.

Those in Prince Nastas' domain have their basic needs taken care of by the Carthians. In return for free blood and shelter, they are expected to tithe a part of their earnings and herd to the rest of the city's Kindred; and fight when they are called to.



Lancea Sanctum: The Faithful of Hampton Roads are a house divided. Two factions have split the believes apart along political and theological lines; each denouncing the other as heretics worthy only of the eternal damnation of Final Death. Encounters between Kindred of these two factions are among the most bloody and violent confrontations of the war.

On the Peninsula, Bishop O'Hara and his orthodox church stand with Prince Hawkings' rule and the traditions of his domain. The Irish Mekhet is a quiet man, his sermons delivered with a cold, terrifying conviction; both to the righteousness of his beliefs and the war against the heretics of Bishop Freeman.

On the South Side, Bishop Freeman leads his sermons with fire and brimstone, the corpulent Nosferatu punctuation his messages with all the fury and sound one expects from a Southern Baptist Preacher. A former slave in life, Bishop Freeman well remembers how he was once treated by the rich and powerful, and that hatred fuels his support of Prince Nastas and his war against the Invictus.



Circle Of the Crone: Officially, there are no Crone recognized within either domain. Unofficially, the Kindred of Hampton Roads whisper terrifying rumors of vampires that hunt the rural areas of Smithfield and Suffolk. Undeveloped and feral, the area is spawning rumors of a bestial Gangrel and her Coven that live in the dark woodlands to the west.

No one knows for certain if the whispered stories are true, or what political agenda the hidden Crone may have, if any at all.