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.

Word on the Street: The Cacophony and You

Vampire society has had a network of communication since long before the Internet, a semi-mystical discussion space where Kindred could share warnings, instructions, invitations and gossip. It is an inherently vampiric system, so only Kindred can read and interpret the Cacophony.

Many groups of Kindred claim responsibility for the Cacophony: the Circle claim that it is based in blood magic, but no-one can be certain.

Not all Kindred can interpret the Cacophony. It takes effort to tune in and you need to know how to read the signs, and once you’re in, you have to keep up to date with the constantly-shifting symbols, messages and memes. The Cacophony does not give without taking, and you must feed it to benefit from its knowledge.

We will sometimes drop plot into the Cacophony or give hints about current events in it, as well as it being a great resource for rumours, scandal, alliances and feuds. However, if you have heard about something through the Cacophony (or second hand through someone who can read the Cacophony), there are likely to be other ways of investigating it.

Mechanics

The Cacophony exists within Dark Metropolis independent of players viewing it, but to tune in, you must buy the Cacophony Savvy Merit with Experiences. This conveys its own benefits, to do with drawing out information about the city (see the Blood and Smoke book for more details) but it also allows you access to the Cacophony board on the Dark Metropolis forum. People without the merit can be told information from members of the Cacophony but cannot read it directly from the Cacophony.

So how do you buy into it? Well, any character can buy the Cacophony Savvy merit just by trying to interpret the signs. Maybe they’ve been told where to look, maybe they’ve heard rumours and are hunting for it, or maybe it’s just the right time for them to have a flash of understanding. Using the format covered in our downtime blog post, give us your justification or description for buying the merit, spend your Experience and away you go! You may not be put on the Cacophony board until after the downtimes are returned, but if you haven’t been put on the board by the game, shoot us an e-mail.

The merit has 1-3 dots which must be purchased in order. Once you have a single dot of Cacophony Savvy, you must start contributing to the Cacophony and can read the Cacophony board. This means that in the downtime period you need to send an e-mail to the Dark Metropolis ST address with a subject like ‘Cacophony Contribution’ containing the information you are putting into the Cacophony. Don’t worry about style: everything is fed through the Cacophony anyway, so the STs will rewrite it as others will perceive it. This is partly because we may well end up with half a dozen versions of the same rumour, so we will rewrite things as we want to.

You only need to contribute one thing per downtime to the Cacophony – if you have more Cacophony Savvy (say, three dots) you may want to consider finding more interesting things that fewer people know to contribute. You can add more contributions if you want, but there is no requirement to do so, even as you buy more Cacophony Savvy (and you cannot ‘bank’ contributions – you must still contribute every downtime). All that is required is one e-mail with one piece of information in it. The important thing is that we as STs know a) which character is contributing b) what you are trying to put into the Cacophony c) if it is unclear, what the contribution pertains to. If in doubt, go for clarity. If you want to make it super mega clear, copy the e-mail into the end of your downtime to show you have contributed, but please also send us a separate e-mail.

E-mails make it easier to keep track of who contributed what and it's clearer when someone is not contributing. If you miss a downtime cycle of contributions, you lose access to the benefits of the merit for that month (though not to the board, as that would be a faff). If you continue to miss contributions, we may remove the merit from your character sheet (because of the Sanctity of XP rule, you will get the Experiences back but you will have to re-buy the merit) and your permissions from the board.

The reason players can’t post directly to the Cacophony board is so that the rumours can remain anonymous, which adds a level of mystery to the whole thing. Players are not required to tell other players that they contribute to the Cacophony (and if they do such knowledge is to be treated as out of character until confirmed in character) but since Dark Metropolis is a collaborative game, there is not any particular reason not to tell others.

Style

The Cacophony is more than the words that players see on the board: it is information gleaned through lots of little moments, hints and symbols, passed through dozens of whisperers who all put their own spin on it. However, there are certain common threads that can be recognised by those who know how to interpret the Cacophony, and you may be able to see the styles of certain contributors showing through.

People who can read the Cacophony don’t know who else can inherently. However, voice does begin to show through and it is possible to track down who is contributing to the Cacophony with a bit of detective work. After all, the Cacophony mirrors the Kindred who contribute, and from the perspective of the game, it should be risky to spread dangerous rumours or information.

It would be useful if you could give us an idea of how your character contributes to the Cacophony (anything that leaves a mark on the city is acceptable, though it can’t be through people or animals). Do they put up neon posters for concerts that give no time or place? Do they conceal their messages in Banksy-like meme graffiti or spray-painted tags that convey more than just a signature? Do they write their messages on bathroom stalls or program the signal interruptions of a TV shop’s display models? The crosswords of the local paper? It doesn’t matter how weird and obscure the medium is, because the Cacophony interprets and reposts, and the messages spread like a virus to those who know how to read them.

The Cacophony is only really interested in Kindred news – Kine news is boring, but news of other supernaturals or weird and wonderful things of the world might pique the interest of some members.

Lying to the Cacophony

The Cacophony has no inherent truth-telling device. It can repost a lie if a member of the Cacophony tells it first. However, if your character regularly lies to the Cacophony, they risk being found out (or attracting the attention of someone who can discover who they are).

Some Kindred make the mistake of assuming the anonymity of the Cacophony means there are no consequences for lying. This is untrue. If your character is lying to the Cacophony, make it very clear and tell us what the true facts were. We want to make it fun to play with the limits of truth, scandal and the social games of Kindred, but if your character consistently lies to the Cacophony, they may well provoke unwanted interest from others with Cacophony Savvy and potentially other injured parties.

Norwich Landmarks

Kindred Landmarks

These are areas of the city that are used by particular groups of Kindred but are large or obvious enough that they are well-known within the city. There are plenty of other smaller landmarks associated with clans, covenants and particularly influential Kindred, but these are the ones all characters will know about, even if all they have seen are the ‘keep out’ signs. In addition, there are structures and places that are within particular Districts, such as the Two Towers - see our posts on the Regencies of the city for more information.

The Arcology

The Arcology is a secure gated community of Kine owned by Prince Lockwood, located to the north of the city. It is a highly desirable place to live, filled with modern houses and flats, good healthcare and school facilities and a high level of safety.

Access is not only for those rich enough to buy their way in: there is a set of Housing Association schemes and outreach charities that anyone can apply to for a chance at living in the Arcology. However, as might be expected, it is highly competitive, and the qualities that increase the chance of success are far from clear. They generally focus on pro-activity and potential, with the implication being that everyone there has earned their place.

Despite the lengthy application process and the small chances of success, it is worth it for many people, especially if they are experiencing financial troubles (for which assistance is available).

The Necropolis

The Necropolis is the traditional home of the Nosferatu of the city. However, where most Necropoli are creepy tunnels and sunken buildings, the Nosferatu of Norwich have taken a rather different approach. When large parts of the city were rebuilt following World War II, the Nosferatu remade the Necropolis to their specifications, creating a custom-made space for themselves to express their twisted creativity in safety.

These days, the Necropolis resembles less the dark remnants of an old city and more the luxury follies of eccentric millionaires. The Necropolis is as rich and fabulous as the Haunts who thrive in Norwich. It is an eclectic collection of structures built at the whimsy of the personalities involved. It is said that you can find everything from luxury apartments filled with mod cons to decor more suited to a nineteenth-century gentlemen’s club than an underground lair. There are even rumours of ‘Lord Farthingdon’s Underground Imax’.

The Necropolis is off-limits to all but Clan Nosferatu and their guests, and it is somewhat rare that they invite anyone into anything but the rooms considered to be public facing, so many never see the architectural creativity of Clan Nosferatu at full force.

The Storm Tunnels

The Storm Tunnels are the collective name for any of the tunnels, service corridors, forgotten passages, abandoned train tunnels, sewers and other liminal underground places that the Daeva have taken as the heart of their clan presence in the city.

When the Daeva fell from grace, many lands that were rented by the Daeva were taken back by their Regents and several of the really influential Elders went into torpor. Barons turned Daeva out of their Districts and they were left with nowhere to go. The storm tunnels were their refuge, a place not in any Regency, but the clan refused to simply exist down there. They fought hard for it, shaped and defended it, and made it their own. The Daeva don’t like people trash-talking the Storm Tunnels, because it’s a sign that they remained unbroken.

Entrance to the Storm Tunnels is only admitted to members of the clan and their guests. The Daeva claim no domain over these tunnels, but they have unofficial rules and the ability to enforce them. While the Storm Tunnels are not part of any Regency, they are still the Prince’s lands and the Daeva must be seen to acknowledge the Prince’s laws. They will remove any interlopers with a minimum of fuss and violence, even if they aren’t very polite about it.

The Racks

There are three Racks in the city, attached to different Districts but not counted as rentable territories. They are neutral territory though still fall under the Prince’s law and are monitored more closely than most other Feeding Grounds in the city, so any trouble-makers are likely to be noticed quickly.

The Bus Station Rack in Lakenham is available to any Kindred, but it is typically only used by those who have nowhere else to feed. It has abundant but still limited blood supplies and anyone found to be relying on it when they do not need to is likely to be discouraged by the Kindred authorities. No-one feeds there if they can avoid it.

The Bank Plain Rack in Tombland is the mid point between hanging around the Bus Station and living it up in Old Norwich - the clubs and bars in this area provide vessels that most Kindred would find acceptable. However, as with the other Racks, it implies that you cannot feed yourself, and regulars may find themselves ridiculed in the Harpies' reports. Add to that the competition for Vitae, and it is definitely a sub-optimal option.

The Old Norwich Rack is only available to High Court Kindred and those found without being granted the right to feed face harsh punishment. It is primarily used by high-ranking visitors or by those who temporarily cannot use their own Feeding Grounds, for whatever reason. Use of this Rack by residents of the city is likely to cause some snide comments and is considered a shameful sign that the Kindred can’t feed themselves or protect their territory.

Kine Landmarks

Many of the Kine landmarks are considered neutral territory, even if they technically fall within a Regency.

The Train Station
Located in the Regency of Tombland, this is the primary public domestic transport route in and out of Norwich. It has good links to London. It is not a place where Feeding Grounds can be obtained, and neither is it a Rack: strictly, Kindred are not meant to feed here and it will likely be noticed if it happens regularly.

The Docks
Located in the Acle Straight Regency, these used to be part of Great Yarmouth before it was subsumed into Norwich. It is the best place for import and export, though anyone engaging in illegal activities round here will need to contend not only with the law but also with the other smugglers and dealers.

Norwich International Airport
The airport is strictly under Prince Lockwood’s control and any Kindred in the area should expect to be heavily monitored.

The Police Station
The Police Station is in the Regency of Lakenham, placed there to keep a presence in one of the more troublesome areas of the city. The police forces are stretched thin due to lack of funding, though, and their grip on the area is only growing more tenuous.

The Wastes

These are strictly no-go areas, forbidden by the Prince's decree. However, they are some of the few areas that have not yet been claimed as Districts, so many enterprising Kindred have tried to stake their claim. None have yet been successful.

The Village of Wymondham
Bordering the Regency of New Eaton
From a Kine perspective, Wymondham is just lovely: the richest of the rich live there, have fun on the golf course, shop at the Waitrose. However, the village has been formally cordoned off by the Prince for thirty years.

There is no official story, but of course there are rumours: uncontrolled Kine cult, insane Elders, unfathomable darkness, something in the water. All that matters is that both Kindred and even their Kine agents do not venture there. 

Elysian Heights
Bordering the Acle Straight Regency
Designed in the early 1970s as a utopian social housing project, Elysian Heights almost immediately failed to live up to its aspirational name.  Tenants were moved in while construction was still ongoing, numerous accidents plagued the project, and organised crime quickly muscled its way in.  The residents were trapped in shoddy housing, unable to afford to move out, and the streets plagued by violent crime and robberies.

Which, all told, should have made for ideal feeding grounds for the city’s Kindred.  Up until the early 1990s, it did, with several of the Low Court making a good unlife in the area and several of the High Court eying up the area’s development prospects long term.

Then something changed.  After one night in 1993, none of the resident Kindred were heard from again and echoes of torpor and Final Death echoed through the links of blood sympathy.  No-one’s sure what happened that night, but since then the High Court have studiously ignored the place.  Every so often, an enterprising Low Courtier makes a bid to claim the Heights as their own, or to go exploring for a thrill the way mortal teenagers might dare each other to visit a haunted house.  Without fail, none of them have returned to tell what they found.  Ghouls visiting during the day reported the neighbourhood to be much as you’d expect, but there was always a feeling of being watched...

Keller’s Hold
Bordering the Regency of Ultra Aquam
Every suburban area has the creepy old house that no-one goes into. In this case, it is an area of streets filled with rundown, empty houses that are falling into disrepair. No-one quite knows why they haven’t been snapped up by some developer, and there are occasionally announcements that a new housing estate, or supermarket or leisure centre will be built there, and then nothing comes of it. Some say the area is cursed, but there are rumours of feral animals, weird phenomena and ghosts from some large-scale tragedy.

The Outskirts
Bordering the Regency of Lakenham
To the south of Lakenham, a little way out of the Regency proper, is an area of walled-off land which has been claimed by the Ordo Dracul of Norwich with the permission of the Prince. Prospective visitors have been strongly advised - on pain of violent punishment - to rethink their wish to travel there, for their own safety. Rumours abound about what exactly is here - a resource the Ordo do not want others to exploit? Something dangerous they have discovered? - but careful observers will have noted that those who do try to break in do not return.

The Broadland Nature Reserve
Bordering the Acle Straight Regency
When the widespread industrialisation of the Broads began to gather speed, this area was given legal protection out of fears that the diverse ecosystem of the area would be irreparably damaged by the march of progress. The Acle Straight Nature Reserve was created and slowly expanded as campaigners (and presumably a good amount of Kindred influence) managed to secure the area from developers. It is strictly out of bounds, by order of the Prince.

RAF Coltishall
Bordering the Blackfriars Regency
An active military airfield to the north of Norwich, RAF Coltishall has been declared off-limits by Prince Lockwood. Little can be gleaned from the edge of the area and flight overhead is likely to be challenged by air traffic control.
Nobody knows quite why the Prince has taken such an interest in a military installation, though of course, rumours fly. The more ridiculous ones suggest that she is stockpiling weapons in case somebody tries to displace her. Others point to the strange lights and sounds that locals attribute to UFOs or experimental military aircraft.

The Paper Towns 
Bordering Old Norwich
Around twenty years ago a small coterie of enterprising Kindred were eyeing up the land North of the airport for development. Housing, amenities, industrial parks, schools and more were planned in several grand phases of construction. Their plans met with the approval of the Prince’s office and prominent Kine investors were attracted to the project. Work started soon afterwards. The few pre-existing abandoned structures were earmarked for demolition, the ground breaking ceremony went off without a hitch and there was real buzz about the opportunities this project offered the city. 

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

That is until one of the coterie, a Mr Geoffrey Phillips, was found quite dead at the site of one of the part built residential areas. Soon after that the remains of Ms Amanda Burns were also discovered, this time in one of the pre-fabricated warehouses that the construction crews had built. 

If the loss of half the initial investors wasn’t enough to sour what had seemed like a particularly sweet investment, the delays due to vandalised and stolen equipment, the high rate of injury and death among the work crews and issues with the suitability and stability of the ground that the initial surveys had apparently missed.

It wasn’t much later when rumours of a curse started to spread among the work crews. Shortly after that many of initial investors started withdrawing their support while the work crews just quit en masse.The remaining members of the coterie called a halt to the project while investigations were carried out, investigations they vowed to personally oversee.
They, and several associates, disappeared.

Some speculate that after the colossal failure of their project they quit the city in disgrace, others lean more towards the idea that the project actually was cursed. Either way its results can still be seen today. Part built structures, abandoned and rusting machinery and rotting warehouses litter the land and most Kindred simply avoid the area. From time to time younger Kindred express an interest in investigating to find out what actually happened but they tend to be gently discouraged by their elders, unless their elders don’t particularly like them that is. Whether it’s a curse or something else is entirely unknown, what is certainly known is that Kindred who venture in there don’t come back. 

All that’s left of this once grand vision are the Paper Towns.    

The Acle Straight Regency

The Acle Straight Regency
This easterly stretch of the city is heavily industrialised, containing one of the city’s power stations as well as the remnants of Norwich’s once sizeable manufacturing base.  The area has taken a major hit over the last few decades as businesses have moved overseas, leaving the area an impoverished shadow of its former self.  The Regency is governed by Nemo, a Mekhet of the Circle of the Crone.

Geography
Located in the eastern side of the city, it borders on the Great Yarmouth docks.  The drained lands of what were once the Broads form the majority of this Regency, and it has expanded to include the towns of Acle and Reedham among others.  To the north of the Regency is an area of wetland that is protected as a nature reserve by both the human and Kindred authorities.

History
Once the industrial heart and centre of much of the city’s wealth, the Acle Straight area has been in decline since the 1960s.  The assorted chemical plants around Reedham give a high-tech first impression of the area, but urban decay has set in across the rest of the Regency.  There’s been talk about projects to renew the area on and off for the last decade or so, but nothing has been done on that front to date.

Living in This Regency
Nemo has the Mask of the Faceless God, an identity which acts as a vessel for divinity, of whatever kind the cult of Circle they are working with worships. They are rumoured to have an extensive group of mortal, ghoul and Kindred followers who focus on the Cult of the Faceless God - a doctrine focused on mutability of the self. Nemo oversees and draws together the various small cults of the Circle within the Acle Straight Regency, making it the last remaining stronghold for the Circle of the Crone in Norwich.

Nemo’s relationship with their clan is strained, as the Mask of the Faceless God and its mutable identity are the antithesis of the kind of solid anchoring identity and sense of self most Mekhet desperately seek.  However, Nemo is deeply respected by the Circle for the services they provide, and Mekhet Acolytes in particular know just how much Nemo gives up in service to the gods.

Nemo has a distant and hands-off style of governorship over their Regency.  While they are often seen walking the streets, it’s rare that they will stop and interact with their tenants.  However, the two laws they enforce without mercy are:

• Do not destroy, damage, deface or desecrate symbols of faith.
• Do not frenzy on holy ground.

These are met with swift punishments levied in the form of blood sacrifices, hefty fines or beatings.


Districts
Reedham Chemicals

The assorted Reedham chemical plants cover a sizeable area, producing a range of chemicals for the city and beyond.  It’s one of the few well maintained parts of this area of the city, although far from picturesque.  The assorted towers and chimneys of the plants dominate the skyline, towering over the plant worker’s homes and the few shops that serve them.

Baron Jack Snagsby rules the District, although he plays things quite fast and loose.  Rumour has it that he’s not in one of the more favourable Nosferatu Regencies due to some dodgy dealings in the past.  Whatever the truth, Jack has made a made himself at home in Reedham, and is happy to meet with his tenants in the faux-plush office he’s set up.  

A lot of chemicals come out of Reedham, and not all of them are legitimate.  If you want to buy meth or an assortment of party drugs in bulk, there are people who can hook you up...

Physical: Access 0, Safety +2. There are few commuters to the plant, with most of the workers living in the immediate area or the nearby Burgh Castle housing projects.  As such, the main traffic on the roads and rails in the area are delivering raw materials to the plants, or shipping finished products away to the rest of the city and beyond.  The area is well patrolled by security guards, and both the police and fire departments respond quickly to any disturbance given the highly volatile nature of the chemicals held on site.
Mental: Information –2, Awareness +3.  The area isn’t set up with visitors in mind, so there’s little in the way of signposts beyond some stern warnings about trespassing when you get to the plants themselves.  CCTV is pretty prevalent in the area, and the residents are quicker to call in any suspicious behaviour than in most part of the city.
Social: Prestige –1, Stability +3. No-one really wants to live here, but it’s a better option than Burgh Castle if you’ve got the choice.  However, the residents form a close-knit community as workplace friendships carry over into the home.

Downtime Hunting Quality: Sparse (2 Vitae)
Available Feeding Ground dots: 2


Acle Industrial

Dozens of factory buildings fill this district, ranging from early 1900s construction to angular late 1960’s architecture.  Most are now derelict, with broken windows and collapsing roofs.  The few active factories churn out goods for the city day and night, with a steady traffic of shift workers flowing in and out of the area.

Acle Industrial is ruled by Baron Tarvos Smith, a Daeva of the Circle of the Crone. Baron Smith is known as a supporter of the Trade Unions that grew from the industry in this District and there are rumours that he has formed a cult that worships a divine Smith figure.  He has a reputation for having ferocious strength, even for one of his clan, and a temper to match.

The desperate and poor can find homes here, although it’s a dangerous place to live.  There’s little in the way of shops and services other than a few 24-hour diners to feed the workforce and more than its fair share of dive bars for those looking to drown their sorrows.

Physical: Access +1, Safety -3. It’s easy to get in and out of the area, with the stretch of the Acle Straight leading between the centre of Norwich and the Great Yarmouth docks.  However, once you move away from the A47 it turns into a maze of minor streets leading to the factories, with the street lighting flickering dimly in the night.  Street crime is rife here, and at least one of the bars will erupt into a brawl on any given night as tension rise.
Mental: Information -2, Awareness -4.  If you work here, you know your way around.  Otherwise, there’s little information to be had, with the city mostly trying to avoid paying any attention to the bedraggled remnants of its once great industrial heart.  The workers and residents have been worn down by years of fear and neglect, and walk head down swiftly past any but the most serious disturbance.
Social: Prestige -2, Stability -3. As the fortunes of the area have faded, so too has its reputation.  Murals speaking of the once innovative and optimistic spirit of the area can still be faintly seen under the grime and neglect of the last thirty years.  Any sense of community has faded with it, to the extent that the remaining residents eye each other with suspicion.

Downtime Hunting Quality: Abundant (4 Vitae)
Available Feeding Ground dots: 4


Broadland Power

The twin gas and coal Broadland Power Plants struggle to keep up with the demands of the city.  The concrete towers were state of the art when they were built in the early 1960s to meet the city’s growing demand for electricity.  Now they are stained with decades of pollution, and the rusty chain-link fences that surround the plants offer little in the way of a barrier to any intruder other than the risk of tetanus.  While publically running smoothly, a lot of effort has been put into covering up the several accidents that have taken place over the last few years…

Baron Arianrhod, a Gangrel of the Circle of the Crone rules this area.  She’s a fairly solitary Circle who worships Taranis, and seems to regard the power plants as a place closer to the gods.  People generally give her a wide birth, although the few Kindred who live in the shadow of the power stations find her a fair if distant landlord.

Physical: Access –2, Safety -1. The narrow roads leading to the plant are barely adequate for the industrial traffic that rumbles along them.  The security for the plans is outdated and the fences nearly rusted through, but a few particularly dedicated NMPS officers take time to patrol around the area.  More than a few “Danger! High Voltage” signs have fallen into the marshy ground surrounding the plants, making trespassing a somewhat risky endeavour.
Mental: Information -2, Awareness –2. Outdated technology and management cover-ups are the order of the day here.  The plants’ employees are focused on trying to keep the failing plants running and have little time to spare to pay attention to people who don’t belong.
Social: Prestige -1, Stability 0. No-one really cares about the plants, as long as they’re working, and there’s a lot of effort put in to keep the appearance that all is well.

Downtime Hunting Quality: Sparse (2 Vitae) 
Available Feeding Ground dots: 1


Burgh Castle

Burgh Castle is not a nice place to live.  Anyone who can live somewhere else does, but it’s the cheapest part of the city to call your home.  Boarded up shops sit next to crumbling tenement blocks, and at night the sounds of the docks and trains echo across the area.  There’s little in the way of a police presence, and drug dealers openly do business on the street corners.  

Burgh Castle is ruled by Evan Draper, a Nosferatu of the Carthian Movement.  He owns a lot of property in the area, wringing rent out of his human tenants and offering Feeding Ground to the Kindred at a very reasonable rate.  Feeding isn’t hard in the area, and you’re unlikely to be disturbed while preying on the residents.

Evan hosts a good number of Carthian meetings as this is fairly neutral ground (by virtue of its Circle Regent) and it’s a place where the higher ups are unlikely to have agents.  Plus the local Kindred usually control their herds fairly well.  For those in the know in the Movement, Evan’s seen as a slightly dodgy neutral party - no-one trusts him but his interests are divided enough between various interests that he can’t afford to take sides.  As such, he’s often called on to settle disputes, although he always has an eye towards how he can profit from any such exchange.

Physical: Access 0, Safety –3. The buses stop running early out to this side of the city, but the trains are still there.  That said, no-one visits if they can avoid it.  Burgh Castle is a hot spot for burglaries, muggings and street crime, and those who can afford them have hefty locks on their doors and bars on their windows.
Mental: Information +2, Awareness –3. If you’re in with the right crowd, this is a good place to hear the word on the street.  People tend to keep their head down and keep walking, pausing only for things that directly affect them.
Social: Prestige –4, Stability –3. No-one wants to live in Burgh Castle, and the number of boarded up shops and empty houses is testament to that fact.  People who live here are too scared to pull together, and the gangs in the area exist in a state of near open warfare with each over over a street or two of turf.

Downtime Hunting Quality: Abundant (4 Vitae)
Available Feeding Ground dots: 5


The Encampments

The Encampments District is ruled by Janis, a Daeva of the Carthian Movement. The Encampments is an area on the very outskirts of the city, where homeless people and transients gather under bridges and beside train tracks. It is a scrubby area of industrial land that provides small shelter for the desperate, but it is their best chance of survival. The police periodically clear the Encampments but they always flock back when the police have gone, encouraged by Baron Janis.  After all, they've got nowhere else to go...

Physical: Access -3, Safety -3. This District is not restricted, but finding your way around it is difficult. It has extremely limited transport, because no-one comes out here if they can avoid it. The police largely turn a blind eye to what happens here until they need to look like they’re doing something. If bad things happen here, they don’t get reported for weeks, if at all. The people here know nobody will listen. But for the most part the locals are not violent - they just want to get on with their lives, and are unlikely to bother you unless you bother them.
Mental: Information -2, Awareness +3. It’s difficult to get people round here to talk. They aren't forthcoming, because they've spent years being ignored or berated. However, there are some sources of information if you know who to ask - and you can compensate them appropriately. No-one wants to come a cropper for telling someone something they shouldn't have, but you can guarantee that whatever goes on in this District, it is witnessed.
Social: Prestige -4, Stability +2. It is not a good thing to live here: if you can, go somewhere else. You’re marred by association. However, people who live in such circumstances have a tendency to form groups, because someone to rely on and trust is important here. They will sometimes even step in to protect one another.

Downtime Hunting Quality: Abundant (4 Vitae)
Available Feeding Ground dots: 2

FAQ: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of the Frequently Asked Questions!

Part 1 can be found here.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask on Facebook or to email us at shadesofnorwichdarkmetropolis@gmail.com.

Bloodlines

What bloodlines are/are not allowed?

For a detailed list of which bloodlines are available for play, the Bloodlines blogpost can be found here http://shadesofnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/its-all-in-family-bloodlines-in-dark.html . These are the factors that we discussed when making our decisions:

- It's very unlikely that we'll be including bloodlines that are heavily tied to specific locations/countries/continents outside of the UK and Europe.

- Bloodlines that are inherently linked to the upper echelons of Kindred Society will probably be restricted to the High Court - so at the very least, tricky for a Low Court PC to find an Avus for…

- Some bloodlines will be NPC only or will only be accessed after startup with an NPC mentor.

- Bloodlines that involve topics we don't want to include in the game (sexual violence, child abuse, and so on) will be removed from the setting entirely.

Any bloodline with its own discipline will require some mechanical conversion to work in Blood and Smoke.

Can I start in a bloodline or do I need to find someone in it?

It will depend on the bloodline in question. We don't want to rule out the option of PCs starting as members of a bloodline, but we generally feel that the process of joining a bloodline would be best done in play.

As we have said before, it’s worth coming up with concepts sans bloodline and then talking to us about the possibility of adding one, either before or after starting play. There will be more bloodlines available to enter in play than at start up.

Can I play a covenant specific bloodline outside of that covenant?

Pitch us the concept, and we'll discuss it.  Generally, we'd prefer to keep bloodlines specifically tied to a given covenant to that covenant, but ultimately it's a question of what we think will bring the most to the game and whether or not the Dark Metropolis-specific aspects of Covenants make a difference to the bloodline’s guidelines.

Custom Content

Can I start my own bloodline?

We'd be happy to have this as a chronicle-length character goal, although as with any goal that includes developing custom mechanics or adding a significant element to the setting, we'd want to discuss it with you in detail.  It's worth keeping in mind that this will require you to buy Blood Potency 6, which is no small investment of Experiences!

Can I make a custom discipline? Hey I have cool idea for a new ritual/coil/devotion?

Custom disciplines can potentially be developed as part of a new bloodline (and only as part of a new bloodline).  We fully expect players to develop new Cruac and Theban Sorcery rituals, Scales (and potentially Coils) of the Dragon, and Devotions during play, although as with all custom mechanics this will require in depth collaboration with the ST team.

This merit (cool mortal only/Changeling/other supernatural merit) would really work for me but I'm not allowed it. Are you open for negotiation on this matter?

We are planning on limiting our mechanics to those found in Blood and Smoke, with the possible addition of the Merits from the God Machine Chronicles Rules Update.  We want to avoid too many additional rules beyond that, so while we are open to discussion on characterful mechanics, don’t base your character concept on being allowed an obscure merit or power.

Generally speaking, we will only convert Requiem 1st Edition rules into Blood and Smoke if we feel they notably add to the game. If there’s something in particular you think would add to the game then please email us with plenty of time, but it will be up to the ST team.

Can I reskin merits?

Bloodlines excepting, we will only be using the God Machine Chronicle and Blood and Smoke books as source material, so merits from New World of Darkness 1st Edition will not be in play unless specifically brought in by the ST team.

Any merits from the God Machine Chronicle book that state explicit prerequisites that preclude use by vampires (such as the supernatural merits, which require the character to be mortal) will not be available.

If you are hoping to alter the flavour of a GMC or Blood and Smoke merit for which you meet the prerequisites, as long at the mechanical aspects of the rules remain the same, we don’t mind you describing your merit as best fits your character.  However, we’d recommend running any such changes past the ST team first, to make sure they fit with the tone of the game.

Rules

Can I use the magic rules from Blood Sorcery instead?

No. We will be using the Cruac and Theban Sorcery rules presented in Blood and Smoke, although we may use Blood Sorcery as a guideline for developing new rituals.

How are the covenant special privileges going to change? Cruac, xp costs, etc.

We are planning on using the covenant benefits (and XP costs) presented in the Blood and Smoke rulebook.  So the Carthians can benefit from Carthian Law, the Circle of the Crone get Cruac, the Invictus have a range of Oaths, the Lancea Sanctum study Theban Sorcery, and the Ordo Dracul experiment with Coils and Scales of the Dragon.  There are also covenant-specific Merits available to every Covenant.

It's worth noting that the game mechanics for all of the above have changed substantially (as have the Disciplines), so we'd strongly recommend getting hold of a copy of Blood and Smoke to familiarise yourself with the new rules..

How much Resources/Luxury/Retainer is feasible for a player character?

Resources can be potentially up to 5 dots - after all, they are more applicable to the Kine world than the Kindred one. Having lots of money or a yacht isn't going to have a huge effect on your position in the Kindred court, because the currencies of the Kindred Court are very different from those of the Kine world. Besides, you’ll be among plenty of other Kindred who have built up vast fortunes over their Requiems. Although, getting filthy rich will come with its own issues!  Blood and Smoke streamlines the systems for Resources and Retainers, so we're not currently planning on including the Luxury merit in Dark Metropolis.

The rules for Retainers have been modified significantly in Blood and Smoke, so it’s worth reading through them.

Remember that no trait may be at 5 at character creation.

Will stuff from the Secrets of the Covenants book be available, providing it is out on time?

We will want to fully review the new rules presented in Secrets of the Covenants before making any decision.  By default, we will be using the rules in Blood and Smoke, with any additional rules brought in on a case by case basis.

Any usage of Damnation City style merits for territory?

Blood and Smoke includes the Feeding Ground merit as part of its core rules, which will be the main mechanic we will be using for holding territory.  On the ST side of things, we are heavily inspired by the Districts system in Damnation City, and will using rules from it to mechanically describe areas of the city.  PCs may well be able to affect the qualities of an area via their actions, for good or ill!

With the difference between 2nd and 1st edition rules, if you allow anything from the splatbooks, how heavily, if at all will you be modifying mechanics from them?

We will be sticking to the rules found in Blood and Smoke (and the God Machine Chronicle where appropriate) as closely as possible, and generally those will be the options available at character creation.  If we bring in any materials from 1st edition Vampire: the Requiem we will rewrite them to fit with the new system.

How will territories be represented in game terms?

On PCs' character sheets, they will be mainly represented via the Feeding Grounds merit.  Other qualities of the District will be managed by the STs, and PC and NPC actions may positively or negatively influence an area.

There will be three levels of ‘territory’: the Regency; the Districts, ruled by landlords (called Barons) who rent from the Regents; PC Feeding Grounds and Havens are within these Districts, rented from the Barons. There is the possibility for PCs to become Barons within the course of the game and rent to other PCs and NPCs, though we’re still working out the full system.

There are seven Regencies plus the Prince’s Lands (which PCs won’t be able to rent in); within each Regency there are 2-4 Districts; within each District, there will be a limited number of dots of Feeding Grounds that PCs can potentially rent. Sounds a bit like Monopoly? Partly this is a game like resource management.

We will be releasing more information about the Regencies and the Districts therein at a later date.

Considering the youth of the PCs, are you discouraging characters to start with Blood Potency higher than 1?

We're not discouraging higher Blood Potency, but it is a significant investment of Merit dots that will limit other possibilities at character creation. Putting all 10 starting Merit dots into buying Blood Potency 3 will heavily limit was other resources (including sources of Vitae) that character can access.

How are fighting styles working?

Fighting Styles Merits will work according to the rules in Blood and Smoke (or the God Machine Chronicle Rules Update, where appropriate).

Setting

Will there be a VSS?

In spirit, but not in name, as we feel it’s a tool better suited to the IoD. We will be producing a document clearly outlining our intended themes and tones for the game, as well as subject matter we specifically want to avoid.

What is uk gun law like? How hard is it to get a pistol/shotgun/smg/assault rifle?

UK gun law is the same as the modern day. Its about as easy to acquire an illegal firearm as it is in the real world - namely, you need a lot of money, need to know the right people, and be willing to accept that the gun has probably been used in several other crimes before it gets to you unless you're willing to pay an awful lot more for it.

Can I play an ex police guy? Can I play an ex military guy? Can I play an ex special forces guy? Can a play an ex spy?

We're happy to consider any of the above where it makes sense with the general concept.  While we expect PCs to have Allies and other contact with the police of the city, we are unlikely to let any PC have Allies or other influence in the military or an intelligence agency. National influence of any kind isn’t something a character can come in with. It’s strictly a local game.

Can I open carry a (gun)? Can I legally concealed carry a (gun)?

No, gun law is as per modern day UK. Being found carrying an illegal firearm will result in very major legal issues.

Are there any notable IC laws other than the traditions? inc. Perversion. Territory/havens. Ghouls. masquerade + non vampires. Murder of kindred. use of powers on kindred. feeding restrictions, etc?

The Traditions are the main laws of the City, along with the the law “Only the Prince may pass a sentence of Final Death”. Killing another Kindred without the Prince’s permission is seen as a direct challenge to the Prince’s authority, and will be dealt with harshly.  Allowances will be made for killing in self-defence or in an involuntary frenzy, but any Kindred who kills another will receive significant social stigma. Immortal creatures don’t like to be reminded that they can die, after all.

Kindred can and do bring non-territory-related cases against other Kindred to the Sheriff, hoping for a ruling from the Sheriff’s office and the Prince - but once the Prince has ruled, that’s it.  As a general rule of thumb, the Prince’s word is law, and the Prince’s word is final.

Regents and Barons may have their own laws that apply to their Regency or District. These are handled on a case-by-case basis, and generally handled locally.  Of course, a Regent or Baron can appeal to the Prince for the assistance of the Sheriff or Hounds to help enforce their law if needed. Local Regency and District laws will be included in the write-ups for that area.

Could we have a little more info about boons (what, why, worth, politics, views, ect) within the chronicle please?

The ST team is planning on releasing more information about Boons and the economy of Dark Metropolis. We have many thoughts on this subject, so look forward to a blog post soon!

During the Chronicle

If I kill another PC am I going to greet the sunrise?

Killing another Kindred is a very serious crime in Dark Metropolis Norwich, as only the Prince legally holds the power to put a Kindred to Final Death.  If you're caught, the murder of another Kindred will almost certainly be the end of your character's story, unless there are particularly persuasive extenuating circumstances.

On an OoC basis, both players involved need to be willing for a PC to meet Final Death.  Character vs character conflict can be an emotionally charged thing, and we don't want anyone to have their game ended earlier than they're happy with.  We also plan on clearly flagging OoC any scenes that include an significant risk of Final Death for PCs.

I want to kill another PC. Is there anything the st team would like me to do/not do?

Talk to the ST team and the player of the PC in question first.  We will always seek a non-Final Death solution to any CvC situation where the player of the PC at risk is unhappy with character death as an outcome. Remember that killing other PCs is rarely necessary or fun, and shuts down the game for that player. Killing a PC is something that can only be done with the consent of both parties.

Please note, however, that egregious breaches of the Traditions or the Prince's law may result in extreme danger, or even Final Death at NPC hands… (however, as stated elsewhere, Final Death or long-term torpor is a very rare punishment and would only be handed out when a character has committed a truly grievous crime).

What's the expected maximum acceptable level of non combat CVC - how much should you aim to screw another character over?

What both players are comfortable with.  There will be character vs character elements to the game, but we want this to be a collaborative conflict - it should be fun for both player involved OoC, even if their PCs are cursing and plotting against each other.

The ST team reserve the right to step in to work out a resolution to any situation.  Players are also expected to stick with OoC agreed resolutions to scenes where ST mediation is required.

At a fundamental level, we expect all of our players to work together to make the game fun and enjoyable for each other.  Drama and conflict should be part of that fun, but in a way that minimises any OoC stress.

Seeing as we are playing street peons trying to survive, is there a chance of meeting other supernatural types with similar struggles? A young werewolf pack struggling for territory, apostate mages trying to carve out a safe little niche from consillium politics, etc.

Other supernaturals will be part of the Dark Metropolis setting, including those at a similar level to the PCs. Allies (Supernaturals) or other such Social Merits are something we would take on a case-by-case basis with a lot of caution. There's no treaty between the supernaturals like in Shades of Norwich, so there's going to be a lot more in the way of risks and unknowns in dealing with other supernaturals.  Precisely how they're treated with regards to the Masquerade is a big question, for example...

Are there rules or guidelines to changing your character's stats after the start of the chronicle?

We will allow players some flexibility with their character's stats after creation until they've got a good feel for the character, although we hope this won't be needed much by a well-rounded character creation process.  Generally speaking we will encourage people to stick with what they've picked at character creation after their first couple of sessions, particularly if the stats in question have played a major role in that character succeeding in a given scene.

We will be using the “Sanctity of Merits” rule from Blood and Smoke - so if you lose a Merit for any reason (your Retainer meets a grisly end, your Allies aren’t talking to you any more, or you lose a bunch of Resources in a bad investment) you’ll get the Experiences value of the Merit back to spend on other things (or use to rebuild your lost Merits).

Do the ST's have strong preferences with regards to retiring characters so the player can start a new one?

If players wish to play a new character, they will need to retire their existing character.  Dark Metropolis will not have "secondary" characters.

Specifically, we would like people to work with STs to figure out the best way to retire their characters. We want to make sure players have a fulfilling end to their character’s story (and some discussion about how they can become part of the bigger Dark Metropolis story as an ongoing NPC if appropriate).