A Tale of Four Cities
From Changeling Venue
In palaces beyond the Thorns.
Lovers, tyrants, slayers, slavers,
Drawn e’er toward the soul’s sweet savor.
From out the Hedge with lash and chain,
And, fat with spoils, back in again.
Where hope must fail, beyond world’s end,
And madness be a treasured friend.
And mem’ries fade, like sun-bleached bone,
And each of us is Lost, alone.
But by sword, or word, or deed, or lie,
Some few escape; the rest all die.
Of those that chase the way back home,
Cursed to wander, cursed to roam.
For, even when we’re standing still,
We can’t find home…
...and never will.
The Four Courts of the Hills, surrounding the city of Boston, are bastions against the loneliness and the peril of changeling existence. While less organized than the one that preceded it, the Freehold of the Four Courts (also known as the Freehold of the Hills, or – for the especially traditional – the Freehold of the Four Courts of the Azure Hills), is also deliberately scattered, so as to avoid the fate that befell those that came before.
At or around 3 AM, on April 28th, 1993, every changeling physically within the boundaries of the Freehold of Boston simply vanished without a trace. No amount of investigation, no Contract or Pledge, has yielded up even the slightest shred of information regarding the disappeared Freehold’s fate. Most presume that the Others came en masse to reclaim their wayward property, while some few allow their speculations to wander in other directions: strange magic gone wrong, the fulfillment of a long-forgotten oath, or even a sudden and inexplicable mass exodus to greener pastures. Truth be told, no one is sure what happened and many are fairly certain that they don’t want to know.
In the coming days, secrets shall be revealed, and dark and fantastical destinies unfold in the shadow of the Thorns. As the Lost balance very human truths against the seductive lies of Faerie, the Four Courts share strength and haunting memories in equal measure. Against the Others, and the madness of Arcadia, and the scars within their own souls, they make their stand.
What will your legend be?
Venue Summary:
- Intrigue (politics and negotiations): TBD
- Manners (social etiquette and peer pressure): TBD
- Action (combat and challenges): TBD
- Mystery (enigmas and investigation): TBD
- Drama (ceremony and characterization): TBD
- Darkness (character death or corruption): TBD
- Pace (speed that stories emerge): TBD
OOC Time and Place: TBD
Storytellers:
- Aaron Fisher - Interim VST lingvst at gmail.com
- Matthew Pester – DST MA-003-D blu3l10n at gmail.com
- Stephen Michael DiPesa – ADST R&D MA-003-D metaphysick at yahoo.com
Mood and Theme: The central mood of A Tale of Four Cities is one of desperate defiance. Outmanned and scattered, the Lost band together to hold fast against the tyranny and predation of the Gentry. Each breath of free air is a victory, and every sight and sound of the real something worth fighting to hold onto. Many local changelings already assume that the Others can and will strike at them, even in the heart of their strength, just as they suspect transpired with the vanished Freehold of Boston, so nowhere is truly safe. But, in the absence of safety, courage flourishes, along with charity, terror, unity, hatred, longing, sorrow, and even hope.
The core themes of A Tale of Four Cities are strength in unity and, paradoxically, the power of self-sufficiency. Brought together by the need for mutual protection, the area’s Lost constitute a support network, an alliance, a gathering of friends and, when need be, an army (though only rarely all of these at once, and almost never any two of them to the same degree.) On the other hand, to be Lost is to be alone, and each changeling must be able to fend for him- or herself. After all, without the ability to watch one’s own back and to survive in a harsh, unforgiving world, what does an individual have to offer to any society that would take him or her in?
Another theme of A Tale of Four Cities – deeper and subtler, perhaps, than the other two – is that of modern legends. The notion of choosing one’s legend and becoming that story is a pervasive undercurrent in the Venue, empowering and, to some degree, compelling each character to strive toward something bigger than human and more than “merely” a changeling; for changelings are but flesh and blood, while legends live forever.
Venue Rules: A Tale of Four Cities uses the Camarilla rules supplement and sanctioned materials for the World of Darkness and Changeling: The Lost as set by the most recent US and Global rules addenda. Any items not covered within these sources are considered to be approval items and require pre-approval by the Storyteller chain at the appropriate level.
IC Check In: Players should be certain to bring a printed copy of all sanctioned character sheets for characters that will be portrayed at a given event which should include the player’s name and Camarilla number.
At the Storyteller’s discretion, character sheets must have a complete creation and experience log, as well. Every single approval item designated Mid or higher must have an approval number listed either in the creation or experience log or on the character sheet. Do not add approvals that are pending onto your character sheet. Only approved items need to be listed on your character sheet and/or creation or experience log.
Furthermore, all character sheets must include a printed copy of all custom mechanics to be used at the event. If at all possible, e-mailing a copy of any custom mechanics as far ahead of time as possible to the Venue Storyteller (or other appropriate local Storyteller) is appreciated.
Tokens/Trifles/Goblin Fruits/Etc: All “magic items” to be used, distributed, carried on a character’s person, or otherwise potentially able to be introduced into play must have full write-ups and be pre-approved for play by the Venue Storyteller.
Proxy Play: Proxy play for A Tale of Four Cities will be handled as normal for all Venues within MA-003-D. Please see the Domain’s Universal VSS for further details.
On-Site vs. Offsite: Players who are on the physical location of the game site yet "off-site" in terms of play represent a breakdown in the continuity of the game and such activities will be limited as much as possible. Approval from an empowered storyteller is required to take part in such a scene during the event.
Travel Risks: Travel in the World of Darkness is not without risks. So as to not bog down game play, however, it will be generally assumed that characters travel unmolested through normal low profile means to and from the IC setting of the event, unless compelling story reasons dictate otherwise. High-profile travel or otherwise non-mundane means of travel require the pre-approval of the Venue Storyteller.
Experience: Experience for A Tale of Four Cities will be assigned according to the Camarilla’s experience guidelines.
Mass Destruction Effects: Because mass destruction effects have the potential to end the IC reason for the gathering prematurely, any effect that could result in devastation on a wide scale or even just the mass exodus of characters from the area must be pre-approved by the Venue Storyteller.
Player Advisory: The World of Darkness is not a happy place. From time to time, the Storytellers in a venue may use adult themes, vivid descriptions, and contentious social issues to bring the World of Darkness to life. Such themes and issues may include racism, sexism, bigotry, prejudice, sexual assault, and extreme violence. If, at any time, a player feels uncomfortable with a scene, the player should immediately inform the Storyteller running the scene. The Storyteller will either tone down scene so that the player is once again comfortable participating in it, or will excuse the player from the scene and either take over play of the character or else script him or her out of the scene without penalty, to preserve the narrative flow of events.</font>
