The Diamond Path VSS
From Changeling Venue
Contents |
Camarilla Venue Style Sheet Format
Part 1: Basic Information
| Chapter Name | Dark Capital | |
| Chapter Number | VA-020D | |
| Venue | Changeling: the Lost | |
| Lead Venue Storyteller | Danielle Chaney | |
| Games Hosted On | Second Saturday, Third Sunday |
Part 2: Styles of Play
| Style of Play | Description | Rating | |
| Action | Combat and challenges | 3 | |
| Character Development | Personal dilemmas and choices | 5 | |
| Darkness | PC death or corruption | 3 | |
| Drama | Ceremony and grand story | 4 | |
| Intrigue | Politics and negotiation | 3 | |
| Manners | Social etiquette and peer pressure | 3 | |
| Mystery | Enigmas and investigation | 3 |
| Rating | Description |
| 1 | Never present |
| 2 | Sometimes present |
| 3 | Often present |
| 4 | Usually present |
| 5 | Always present |
Part 3: Description of Venue
The Ivory Tower and The Diamond Path, just a few of the many names that the Freehold of Washington, DC is called by; a place of monuments and memorials to exploits both the realms of fairy as well as those of man. It’s inhabitant’s range from hobo’s to hob-nobbers, from society’s beggars to street corner princes.
The Diamond Path welcomes all with in its boundaries for a price. A bottle of rare wine, a piece of gossip from a neighboring city, a good laugh, there is no set currency. There is only the toll, and it must be paid.
Where the Diamond Path came from no one can say for certain. There are tales both long and short, epic and simple, and some have taken to chronicling them in the hopes the bits of truth in each will add up to the why.
Some believe it is a giant ward, set to protect the area from invasion. There is a native legend some hold to, about a monstrous flying head that once terrorized the inhabitants of the area. This was long ago, back when the diamond was still mostly comprised of swampland. Perhaps it was during this time that the diamond path was created. There are those who say the path was made when a great chief sacrificed his life to keep the creature out; and still others say the sacrifice was made to keep the creature in.
Yet another belief is that the Diamond actually maintains the slumber of some ancient god, bound underneath the city. As long as the stones remain, his slumber continues, but if they were to ever disappear, he would awaken, and rain blood from the skies.
Others claim that it was set to mirror a particular arcane symbol that when the stars align in a very certain manner will reveal the location of a weapon that can slay the gentry. Oh there are many tales of why, both long and short, epic and not, but at the end of the night; when the mead is gone and the songs are all sung; they are just tales.
The DC Freehold is a city where all tales come; all paths end and begin again. A Shakespearean play in which all the in habitants are actors seeking to carve a place of their own.
Part 4: Storytelling Mechanics
Changeling: The Lost is a game of beautiful madness and the VA020D will try to hold true to that ideal. There will often be times when what the PC’s believe to be true won’t be, and it is hoped that such instances will be treated as the wonderful rp opportunities they are meant to be. If at any time a player feels uncomfortable with the level of madness or the themes being portrayed they are asked to bring those feelings to the VST so that their PC’s personal story can be adjusted accordingly.
Character Restrictions: As per Camarilla Rules.
Antagonists: Principal foes will vary over time. Thematically this game focuses on PC vs Everything/Everyone else. Of Special Interest to the Storytelling staff is the idea of Changeling v Self – character growth through internal conflict. Some players prefer no plot, others seek it – but everyone is coming to game to interact and accomplish goals. The job of the Storyteller is to provide the framework for that game and the disparate role-play styles.
Venue rules: Approval to have any non-standard Items in game requires notification to the ST at least 2 days in advance as well as they appropriate approval number. Non standard items that do not require approval numbers per say will be assessed on a case by case basis to determine their impact on the local game. Once an Item is approved once for these local games, this requirement is not waived.
Check In Rules:
1) All Players will need to provide proof of membership, proof of MC class. Character Sheet must have signature of the player's Direct ST, along with the Creation/EXP log.
2) Anything that is DST or higher level approval must have the database approval code.
3) Members of the Venue must have Character Sheet, etc on file with the VST, or in the case of a new PC being played for the first time, a second copy must be provided to the VST.
4) All Item cards must be signed by the appropriate ST.
Visiting Characters: Aside from the restrictions already listed, the game sites for this Venue have a limited capacity for players. In addition, the VST is dedicated to providing personalized, high-quality attention to the attendees. In order to fulfill that goal and keep the ratio of players to ST the VST needs to be notified at least 48 hours in advance of out of town visitors, so that additional ST support can be found from locally qualified people, to ensure the level of service to the members does not suffer. Failure to give adequate notice means the VST may invoke the right to deny characters for play. If this occurs, the VST will have NPC's on hand that the players may portray.
Proxy Rules: If a character is coming in proxy to DC, for downtime or game attendance the following must be provided:
1) Character Sheet made to current rules standard, verification of MC, creation log, EXP log, all approval numbers notated.
2) Proxy instructions. As complete as possible.
3) Statement of intent, the how and why the PC is coming to DC and the item they are tithing if any. Contact information for both player and ST if it becomes needed.
NOTE When a character is proxied to my venue I ask for an email from the direct ST stating they approve of the proxy. This email may contain indicated dates to begin and end the proxy, but also must include a statement from the player's ST understanding that until I release the PC from proxy it will be under my jurisdiction as ST if the role-play mandates a deviation from dates. In return I promise to consult with and provide regular updates to the PC's direct ST about any situations that may occur.
NOTE If proxying your character to an actual DC Game, the Storyteller requires that you provide a dedicated player to body your PC for the night. This player can not portray their own character and yours at the same time – only one character per scene.
External Plotlines: The Camarilla is a global organization. Plots and effects from other chapters/domains/ regions/nations will be allowed into the game. However, the VST reserves the right to deny any effect coming into the game without the complete plot kit being provided to the VST beforehand for review and approval. If a plot kit is not provided, the VST will either decline to host that game or step down entirely from the post.
The Diamond Path operates on a 'one-chance' warning system. Arguing with the ST’s will result in that player being removed from the game. If the player is a member of the domain- they may be temporarily suspended from participating in other events with their PC.
VITAL GAME PLAY NOTE
This is a game of personal horror in an organization whose membership is 18+. As such, there may be intense role-play scenes that occur, primarily PC driven. The Storyteller supports the Camarilla Policy of the 24-hour rule. That Policy is as follows:
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the emotions of a situation. Tempers can flare and the people involved may misunderstand or misinterpret what is said in the heat of the moment. Miscommunication can happen in person, over the phone, by e-mail, and in many other ways. In most situations, the best solution is to come back to the issue after tempers have cooled and some time has passed. It is amazing how yesterday's heated argument can seem quite harmless a day later. This is the reason for the 24-Hour Rule.
Generally, a 24-Hour Rule call applies to a specific situation or discussion. Once the 24-Hour Rule has been called, members should step away from the issue. Individuals involved in the dispute do not need to leave the event unless they cannot otherwise abide by this rule.
Using the 24-Hour Rule
If a tense situation arises between two or more members, any or all of them may choose to enact the 24-Hour Rule upon themselves at any time. In addition, either the presiding coordinator or storyteller (if any) for the event may enact for the 24-Hour Rule for all parties involved in the dispute. If members are able to discuss a disagreement calmly together, there is no need to call the 24-Hour Rule.
The 24-Hour Rule During Roleplay
If the 24-Hour Rule is imposed during a scene, the presiding storyteller may choose to freeze that scene until the situation is resolved. If the storyteller decides that the scene should continue to its conclusion, then those affected by the 24-Hour Rule will turn over any characters involved to the storyteller for proxy.
When a scene is frozen due to the 24-Hour Rule, the presiding storyteller should consider whether there are any minimally involved characters who can be released from the scene. If none of the involved parties object, these characters are released from the scene freeze. These characters may not comment on the scene while it is frozen, and the players of released characters must act in a manner that does not inflame the issue. All other scenes and the game may go forward, and only the disputed scene should be placed on hold pending resolution.
The Storyteller a firm believer that everyone is present to have a good time and enjoy role-playing with fellow gamers. To that end, anyone caught arguing after a 24-hour rule has been invoked will automatically be denied entrance to game and denied xp for one month following the incident.
XP will be awarded at the rate of 4 per game with an extra given to those players who went the extra mile be it in costuming, portrayal of PC, or discovery of plot points. Players are encouraged to maintain and submit downtime reports (be it through IC Lj’s, emails or physically written on paper) once a month for 3xp.
