FEN OF BRAMBLES VSS
From Changeling Venue
Changeling the Lost Venue Style Sheet for the Bay of Tears, FL-034-D (#USA-SE-LC-0710-79698)
I. Overview
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” ~Obi Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
Following a pyrrhic victory in the summer of 2003, the Lost of Tampa have worked diligently to re-establish their claim to a fortress in the Hedge known as Som i'Seely. Hoping to make the most of a unique and expansive Hollow carved out of a nearly inhospitable portion of the Hedge, the changelings of the Fen of Brambles Freehold have come together under a common pledge meant to help safeguard one of the few places where they might find commonality and together face the hidden perils of their lives.
However, much like the sinister history of piracy, organized crime, and excessive sin that have become part of Tampa history, many of the darker and seedier sides of Lost society have crept their way into Som i'Seely and the surrounding area thanks to the nearby presence of several major trods. And given the fortress’ rumored history as a one time prison camp for use by the True Fae, location of a mass disappearance of changelings, a bolt-hole for marauding Hedge pirates, and the place where a great pledge was once broken; many changelings outside of Tampa’s freehold keep a cautious eye turned toward the Fen of Brambles and the seemingly constant stream of problems that spring up from that “wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
Genre: Changeling
Domain: Bay of Tears (FL-034-D)
Domain Website: web.tampabay.rr.com/bot
Venue Website: Fen of Brambles
VST Contact: Justin Diaz, US2002021709
VST Email: chyldprodg@aol.com
Action (combat/challenges): 4 - usually present
Drama (ceremony/characterization): 2 - sometimes present
Darkness (death/corruption): 3 - often present
Intrigue (politics/negotiation): 2 - sometimes present
Mystery (enigmas/investigation): 3 - often present
Of Awesome (ZOMGWTFBBQ!): 6 - awesome forms the very fabric of our being
II. Setting
Our games may take place anywhere within the confines of Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas county though they will most often focus on the city of Tampa.
Players should assume Tampa in World of Darkness is much the same as it is in the real world, except the existing black and white extremes are more pronounced creating an even larger nebulous gray area between the two.
Beyond the mundane side of the mortal World of Darkness, players can also expect a few regularly occurring locations in the Hedge to remain prominent in the lives of their changeling character. These locations are:
The Fen of Brambles: the Fen of Brambles is the nickname applied to the portions of the Hedge most closely associated with Tampa Bay. The Fen is marked by dense, brambled foliage that runs wild through swampy marshlands of the Hedge. The Fen is a dangerous and mysterious place, filled with a variety of fierce creatures, unseen pitfalls, and lost wonder that have caused many an exploring changeling never to be seen again.
The Four Corners: the Four corners is the nickname given the convergence of two major trods that run through the majority of the Fen and that are believed to lead directly to the heart of Arcadia. The first trod, known as the Skyway Trail, runs roughly east to west. It emerges from the perpetually fog-covered peak of a soaring bridge that sits at the mouth of the mundane equivalent of Tampa Bay. The second trod, the Path of Black Waters emerges from the same fog-covered waters near the Skyway Trail and then runs roughly north and south. Not far from where both trods emerge, the two roads overlap creating a spot called the Four Corners where many a member of the Gentry, and the Lost, and even sometimes an occasional mortal wander back and forth between the Hedge.
Som I’Seely – meaning “Blessed Dreams” or possibly “Dreams of the Blessed”, Som i'Seely is a fortress surrounded by a giant wooden palisade that sits at the edge of the Hedge’s equivalent to Tampa Bay. Located just a short distance from the Four Corners and built next to one of the few known seaports in the Hedge, Som i'Seely once served as a prison camp where the True Fae stored their captives pending transit back to Arcadia. In later years the fortress was liberated by a revolt of the imprisoned Lost, home to a mass disappearance of changelings, the site where the great Oath of Common Bonds was broken, and a hidden lair for by Hedge pirates (see Fen of Brambles for more info).
However, the fortress was reclaimed by the Lost following a massive battle in the summer of 2003 and since then the fort has become a well-known bastion for Tampa changelings. Using the once broken Oath of Common Bonds, the new occupants of Som i’Seely were able to once again shield the location from the sight and memories of the Gentry, creating a location that is considered largely safe from the True Fae. However, as with any relatively safe location for the Lost to gather within a stone’s throw of two major trods, the fortress has found other perils threatening from the shadows. A band of Hedge pirates still seek to reclaim the base, all manner of untrustworthy goblin merchants seek to ply their wares with ulterior motives, newly escaped Lost stumble upon the fortress bringing trouble behind them, and some even whisper that the Lost who once broke the oath live like animals in the surrounding Fen hoping to destroy their once precious home in the Hedge.
III. Theme
All Lost remember home and the life they had based around it. Plucked from the sanctity of those places, changelings endured harsh treatment in an alien world only to return and find their previous lives a grim mockery of what they hoped for. Caught between a world of stark fantasy and surreal reality, all Lost must decide where they will hang their hat now.
Thus, at its core, the theme Tampa’s Changeling venue is all about the quest to find a home. Disconnected in varying degrees from the lives they once led, the changelings in Tampa have come together under the Oath of Common Bonds to forge a safe refuge from which to build anew. Our stories will be ones that highlight the joys and tribulations of those who must reinvent and redefine themselves in the pursuit place they can call home.
IV. Mood
Many people make the mistake of confusing a house (the physical structure that you occupy) with a home (the abstract concept where you find comfort and identity). And although many people enjoy the luxury of having one location that is both a house and home, not everyone in the World of Darkness can boast of having such luxuries.
Consequently, the mood of Tampa’s Changeling venue will be bittersweet as we examine those who often dream in futility of merging house and home. This is particularly true those Lost who seek a home in the safety of Som i'Seely as they must endure the stress of having disparate roommates with conflicting agenda in a house where the very landscape warps your sanity and threatens your health. In the end, the choice will become exactly how much is one willing to suffer in order to enjoy feeling like you are home once again.
V. Player Information
Special Mechanics
The Oath of Common Bonds
This pledge is a very unique variant on a standard pledge of fealty and vassalage (see pages 175 to 186 of Changeling the Lost). The origin and the creation of this pledge remain unknown, and thus no existing changeling can duplicate this effect in game. Each changeling participating in the pledge swears a Taskof fealty to adhere to a cyclical seasonal change of courts centered at Som i'Seely and also promises to support and defend whomever the Wyrd chooses as that season’s king. In exchange for upholding the sworn Task of fealty, all changelings are considered vassals and find that the Wyrd shall consider them as a potential king. Furthermore, the Wyrd grants a Boon that shields the path leading to and the grounds of Som i'Seely from the detection and memory of the Gentry. Any changeling who swears the pledge and fails to uphold his sworn Task discovers that the pledge imposes a Sanction that banishes the oathbroken changeling from Som i'Seely. Unfounded rumors abound that an changeling who has broken can redeem himself and return to Som i'Seely, but to date no changeling has ever done so and thus no one is certain if this is truly possible or how. The pledge must be re-sworn each year on the first day of Spring.
Type: Vow
Tasks: Fealty (-3)
Boon: Vassalage (+3)
Sanction: Banishment (-3)
Duration: Year and a Day (+3)
Invocation: 1 Willpower point
Restrictions
All characters must be built using the most recently approved version of the Camarilla’s rules addendum. Please keep in mind that all character concepts and ideas need to be cleared with the VST before proceeding to create a character. The VST reserves the right to close off certain concepts and areas of creation depending on the current state of the game, as well as imposing certain extra limitations or requirements beyond what is listed in the most currently approved rules supplement. The intent here is to make a diverse and exciting game, while still remaining true to genre and to the worldwide chronicle. Further, all characters should be tailored towards helping to expand the venue’s mood, as well as fitting within the theme of the venue. The VST reserves the right to deny any character from admission into the game due to it conflicting or detracting from the theme and mood of the venue.
Also, all experience expenditures must be cleared with the VST and be put on file with the VST. Should any discrepancies arise between the player’s copy of the character and the VST’s copy of the character, it will be the VST’s copy that governs.
Travel Information
Travel to Tampa is typically easy thanks to quick and easy car travel, as well as trains and airline flights. However, visiting players are encouraged to contact the VST at least one day prior to the game to assure their characters will be able to locate and gain entrance into any gatherings that might be occurring. This is not done to discourage visiting players, who we strongly encourage to come. Instead, the VST is committed to trying to keep strong continuity in the game and so certain games may not be well suited for visiting characters. Please keep in mind that visiting characters should be tailored to help add to the theme and mood of the venue.
Proxy Rules
Proxy rules will follow as outlined by the latest Camarilla addendum. Please understand that proxies very rarely add to a game and often result in improper play of a character. As such, any and all proxies will require an extensive write up on the PC’s goals and motives, as well as a copy of the character sheet, background, and proof of MC. Also, a proxy must be approved by the VST at least three days prior to the game in which the proxy is to take place. Consequently, players are advised to submit their proxies well in advance of the upcoming game.
Check-in Rules
All players attending must have a copy of their character in order to play. All players must either have the VST check-in an item card for all possessions they wish to take into play, or the items must be listed on the character sheet. All players should have a copy of their updated experience log. Visiting players must also provide their VST’s contact information. If possible, visiting players are also encouraged to have their VST sign their character sheet prior to play.
Glamour
Tampa chooses to diminish the prominence of Glamour in the game in hope of both making the commodity more valuable but also fostering an economy based around the trade of Glamour. As such, all players will begin game with a total amount of Glamour equal to 3 + the character’s Wyrd + dots in the merit Harvest. Any dots in the merit Harvest specifically assigned to harvesting goblin fruits may instead be taken as tangible fruit and not points of Glamour.
Challenges
All challenges will follow the rules as clarified by the latest Camarilla addendum. Players are free to throw challenges with each other without the VST, except for in the case of combats and/or in any situation that will result in the death of a character. The VST, or a designated AVST, must be present and give permission before any combat or killing blows begin.
Experience Guidelines
All players who attend at least two hours of game will receive 2 experience points. Players who arrive at game prior to the start of game will receive one additional experience point. Players who are present at the conclusion of the game will receive one additional experience point. Thus a player who arrives early and stays until the conclusion of the game will earn 4 experience points. The VST reserves discretion to award extra experience points to players who exhibit exceptional roleplay, dress in character, serve as the game’s host, travel from out of town or similar circumstances. The VST also reserves discretion to penalize experience points to players who remain out of character for extended periods or for any other reason that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
