A Little Help From My Friends: the Assistant Roles in Dark Metropolis

Dark Metropolis is deliberately an NPC-heavy game in which the players are the little fish in a big pond filled with sharks. We’ve made it clear from the start that player characters are unlikely to achieve certain roles in the city such as Hound, Priscus or Harpy (let alone the more powerful roles) because the game we are running is Low Court focused. However, we have set up the possibility of Assistant roles, where a player character has a direct line of influence to the people who hold the overarching roles of Hound, Priscus or Harpy. These are intended to be competitive and active roles that are what the player makes of them, but we realised they may be a little vague from the outside. So here are our ideas of what those roles entail and the potential opportunities they give.

If you still have questions about any of these roles, please e-mail the Shades of Norwich ST Team.

Minions: annoying and easily disposable

Assistant Harpy

The Murder of Harpies have busy unlives, and even with five of them (perhaps because of the five of them) assistants are valuable. There are multiple Assistant Harpies in the setting but one clearly stated opportunity for a PC to become one.

What are the duties of the Assistant Harpy? Reporting to the Harpies on what happens in the Low Court, since the Harpies only rarely have the time to turn up at Low Court gatherings. This would usually be done between gatherings, with a brief few sentences on anything you want to tell the Harpies (note that this does not have to be what actually happened, or can be biased, but also that your character is not the only source of information for the Harpies, so outright lies may be caught). From an OoC perspective, you can feed information and reports back to the Harpies by putting it at the beginning of your downtime. Be aware that they will no doubt have multiple sources to corroborate or deny particularly scandalous information, as they have their reputations to think about as well, so any outright falsehood is likely to be ignored in favour of more accurate information.

What opportunities does this role give me? The chance to shape what the Harpies, and therefore the High Court, hear about the Low Court events and characters. The Harpies do have their own agendas and choose how to use this information. It’s a good way of interacting with more social and political aspects of the game, as well. If you feed good information back to the Harpies and prove yourself to be a good agent, you may be able to gain Status in the city, or you can make sure the right people come to their attention.

How do I become Assistant Harpy? There is currently a PC Assistant Harpy, with the other roles held by NPC Assistants, so the best way would be for one of these positions to conveniently become empty. Of course, you could also prove yourself a better person for the job than either the PC or one of the NPCs and see how that goes.

Dead-eyed expression recommended but not a must

Assistant Hound

The Hounds of the city oversee a group of other Kindred who are enforcers of the Prince’s laws. There is currently one PC Hound’s Assistant and a number of other positions that help the Hounds (not all deputised in the same way as an Assistant) which are currently occupied by NPCs. They also maintain some other trusted teams to deal with specific matters, but these are often not publicised.

What are the duties of the Assistant Hound? Supporting the Hounds in their duties, reporting any disturbances or matters of interest to them, enforcing the Prince’s laws and investigating minor matters to see whether they’re worth the Hounds’ time. From an OoC perspective, you can feed anything back to the Hounds that you want them to know at the start of your downtime, and you will probably be given investigations and duties to carry out.

What opportunities does this role give me? A chance to interact with more investigative and physical aspects of the game. You’ll be an authority in investigations and potentially given limited deputy power to enforce the status quo (though overstepping bounds is potentially dangerous). While the credit for your work will probably go to the Hounds, they are known to reward loyalty. If you make a name for yourself as reliable and trustworthy, you may be able to gain Status in the city, or make a quick buck if you're corrupt.

How do I become Assistant Hound? Due to the size of the city, there’s a lot of potential for extra hands in the Hounds’ office, so you could investigate the support teams the Hounds use or prove your usefulness directly, to the Hounds or the current PC Assistant. Of course, it’s also a role that can have a high turnover during turbulent times...

Assistant Priscus

The Assistant Prisci have only recently been introduced. The Priscus Council is the other major power in the city besides the Prince - they appoint certain roles such as the Keeper of the Low Court and have a lot of sway, as they are supposed to be the voices of the clans in the city. The Assistant Prisci are not a Council but they act as aides and helpers to the Council, who are often too busy to deal with the Low Court directly.

What are the duties of the Assistant Priscus? Act as aide to your Priscus over minor matters, be the eyes and ears of your Priscus in the Low Court, bring any matters to the Priscus that your clan wishes to be escalated and keep the Priscus clued in on anything that urgently requires their attention (such as breaches of the laws by other clan members). The Assistant Prisci do not have regular meetings scheduled, though if players of the Assistant Prisci wish to discuss things, that is up to them. There may be rare occasions when a Priscus will tell an Assistant to go and sort out their clan mates or investigate a clan matter. From an OoC perspective, at the games you can talk to your clanmates and gather any thoughts, concerns or issues, and then anything you want to feed back to your Priscus should be at the start of your downtime. This does not need to be truthful, but blatant lies will likely be caught out - a heavy dose of spin is entirely acceptable.

What opportunities does this role give me? A chance to represent your clan in a more direct way, be the direct line to your Priscus and make sure the voices of often overlooked members of the clan (especially the Low Court) are heard. You will be more involved in the political and social aspects of the game, and can potentially influence NPCs or use your position to extort favours from them in return for passing things along. It would be a reasonable justification for buying Status 2 in your clan or possibly the city (though that may require more work).

How do I become an Assistant Priscus? The Assistants are voted in by the clan in the same way as the Prisci themselves, so the role does have to become vacant before you can step into it. If the role is vacant, we’d recommend talking to other PCs and NPCs to drum up support. From an OoC perspective, more weight is given to the votes of player characters, so it’s well worth using the games to build your platform.

Character Profile: Steven Garrett

Morally flexible but fiercely loyal Hound

"I gotta say, kid, you’ve got some nerve. Would have been great if you'd got away with it. Problem is, you didn’t."

Clan: Nosferatu
Covenant: Invictus

Titles: Hound (City Status 3)
Court: High

Steven Garrett’s promotion didn’t surprise anyone. After years of paying his dues as an Invictus enforcer, Sheriff Walker recognised Garrett's usefulness and rewarded it. Garrett started out as a Nosferatu who was useful but not pretty, and he’s rumoured to have built up some boons with important members of his clan. You know, for a rainy day. He had it all figured out, that is until he was saddled with a newbie Carthian Hound, Jules Mendel. However, they quickly formed a resilient partnership and have become an effective discouragement to anyone who might try to advance themselves outside the Prince’s laws.

Steven is grumpy but a softie deep down (or so people who have seen ‘deep down’ say), and while he might be more accepting of the grey areas of the law than Jules (and not above profiting from them) his true loyalties aren’t well known. Mainly because no-one wants to try it and see. He usually only ends up at Low Court parties when there’s trouble, but he’s a reassuring presence in the city, usually found in a skeevy bar late at night. He’s known to have links to Kine law-enforcement agencies and criminal elements.

Likes: Things to go smooth (they never do), ‘mutually beneficial arrangements’, cats, artsy foreign films
Dislikes: Critics of his fashion choices, collateral damage, people dissing the Sheriff

Rumours:

• Garrett’s Embrace was illegal, but it was to cover an Invictus scandal, so the First Estate brushed it under the rug. After all, that’s what they do.
• He’s going Carthian. That’s the only explanation for why he hasn’t killed Jules yet. Watch him.
• The whole ‘gruff and uneducated’ thing is just an act to make people underestimate him.
• Ermenrich Fowler’s got something on him. That’s gotta smart.

Character Profile: Jules Mendel

Tough-as-nails Hound with a bad attitude

"Let them run. It won’t help."

Clan: Mekhet
Covenant: Carthian Movement

Titles: Hound (City Status 3)
Court: High

Jules Mendel was a surprising appointment to the position of Hound, a Carthian who would no doubt have to police rebels and dissenters as part of her job, but her initially rocky partnership with Steven Garrett, the other Hound and an Invictus, rapidly turned into a strong friendship that only an idiot would underestimate. Jules has since proven herself loyal and tenacious, and as long as the High Court are willing to let her unapologetic attitude towards authority go by, she seems to be quite happy being the strong arm of the government. Is this truly the Invictus meritocracy in action, promoting even a competent Carthian through the ranks?

A stunt driver in life, Jules is still a bit of a legend amongst racers in the city. While she doesn’t race any more, people who try to evade the Prince’s justice quickly discover that she’s definitely not out of practice. I wouldn’t try to get too close to this Kindred, though - she’s known for being blunt and antagonistic, and attempts to turn her against the Prince or the Sheriff are met with very little patience. Plenty of Kindred still don’t trust her, but they have her to thank for keeping them safe, and you can almost hear their jaws clench as they do it.

Despite mostly spending her time around the Low Court, Jules is High Court by virtue of her position.

Likes: High-speed driving, biker bars, classic rock, dogs
Dislikes: Snobs, bribes, posers

Rumours:

• Garrett’s only been paired with Mendel because the Prince wants her watched at all times. You wouldn’t want someone like that behind your back, right?
• The reason Jules isn’t driving any more is because she’s sworn an oath not to drive again until she has avenged her sire.
• Jules is secretly an Invictus plant in the Carthian Movement. Why else would they have promoted her?
• Jules uncovered a scandal right under the Prince’s nose, and that’s why she was made Hound. To shut her up.

Character Profile: Anika Lyle

Note: Since the publication of this profile, Anika Lyle was revealed to be a traitor against the Prince and the Kindred of this city, involved in blackmail, corruption and a direct attack upon the Arcology. She was arrested but died in her cell. The Keeper of the Low Court position has been reassigned.

Philanthropic Keeper of the Low Court

"You’re not talking about murdering Kine, are you? That’s not very nice at all!"

Clan: Ventrue
Covenant: Lancea et Sanctum

Titles: Keeper of the Low Court (City Status 3)
Court: Low

Anika Lyle’s dramatic rise from relative obscurity to the position of Keeper of the Low Court has impressed many Kindred, Low and High, and her ability to keep the Low Court in line without breeding resentment makes her a valuable asset to the city. She took over the role when the previous Keeper could no longer fulfil his duties, but if anyone had doubts about her suitability, she quickly dispelled them by proving herself competent and approachable. It is well known that she prefers to try and deal with minor infractions on an individual basis rather than passing people up the chain for punishment, and has made pleas for clemency in the past for Low Courtiers.

Like many of her clan, Anika is publicly involved in many philanthropic projects especially in and around the Arts and Theatre District in Tombland. Her flagship is the Brighter Futures Arts & Community Centre. She works with ex-convicts and disenfranchised people to help them get a start in life, and works with many arts and community organisations to provide opportunities in the art world. Her ethical approach has led many to re-evaluate their stereotypes of Clan Ventrue.

Likes: Helping people, pina coladas, Pride and Prejudice
Dislikes: Rudeness, cruelty, Internet memes

Rumours:

• Too good to be true? You betcha. I heard she only shows mercy to people she likes, and she sent someone to the Hounds for insulting her.
• If you think she sees her charity cases as people rather than pawns, you’re fooling yourself. She blackmails ex-cons into working for her, just when they think they’re respectable again. Blood will out.
• She had a very public spat with Carmilla Fitzgerald at the Blood Bank many years ago. Interesting how that all went away, huh?
• She deals drugs through Jack Snagsby, and keeps her public face and her secret life separate with the identity ‘Flyte’. Obviously, Brighter Futures is just a front.