Domain of Washington, D.C./Baltimore, "Dark Capital" Camarilla/Anarch Venue Style Sheet

PLAYER INFORMATION=====
Venue Name=====
Dark Capital By Night, hosted by the Domain of Washington, DC (VA D-02)

Genre=====
Camarilla/Anarch

Contact=====
Wade Racine, Domain Storyteller, gargoyle@nwlink.com

Place/Time=====
Twice a month, at various game times and at various game sites (watch announcements for times and locations).

All game announcements are posted on d-dc@yahoogroups.com and other appropriate lists a few days before the game. Each game announcement also has the game site in CAPITAL letters in the first paragraph, projected weather (when playing outside), and possibly a game preview.

Directions=====
Driving directions for each game are posted with each individual game announcement.

For public transportation, consult the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority http://www.wmata.com/. Other connecting transit options can also be found at http://www.wmata.com/about/othertransit.htm.

Theme/Mood=====
The Kindred in the most politically powerful city in the world know that D.C. is a mecca for all sorts of supernatural creatures who attempt to pull the puppet strings of the government. With Sabbat to the north in Baltimore, rumors of Lupines running around, hints of Faeries, Ghosts and even Sorcerers, the Kindred of the Camarilla must be on their toes. Even Autarks, Anarchs and independent clans must mind their steps, for Washington is a town with many mysteries and hidden players.

Following the death and ascension of Prince Alexandra Innes-Kerr in mid-2002, the courts of the Camarilla have taken on a decidedly political tone. New factions have moved in, each with an eye towards gaining power for themselves, sometimes even at the expense of their allies.

These various factions play a dangerous game of Jyhad, rife with Byzantine intrigues and secret alliances to see who will be players and who will be pawns. Most of the interactions are characterized by high-society maneuvering to gain power and status, with the Kindred moving among each other like sharks. Yet outside factors will affect these maneuverings. Some Kindred seek out the mysterious forces in Washington, trying to root out centuries old secrets that have been brought to the New World. Still others know of the dangers of the Sabbat, patrolling for them. Contacts with the most implacable foe of the Camarilla way of life seem to be on the rise, threatening to unleash a slow-burning war between the sects, characterized by small encounters and outright violence.

In summary, Washington by night is a place of intrigue and mystery, where the tides of darkness threaten to swallow up the Kindred one by one in the everlasting struggle to survive and gain power.

Character Restrictions=====
Out-of-Domain Players: Any character requiring High-level or higher approval for character type or any character requiring High-level or higher approval for items, Disciplines, etc., requires prior approval from the Presiding Storyteller of this game to participate. Players showing up at a game with such characters who have not gotten prior approval may not be allowed to participate with those characters or may be told they may participate only without their High approval items. For prior approval, e-mail or mail a copy of the current character sheet, experience point log, all items and character background (if completed) to the Presiding ST. If mailed, the copy must have all required Storyteller signatures (CST, DST, RST, etc.) or an acceptable substitute (such as a verifiable e-mail). If e-mailed, the message must be cc'd to the people who would have signed a hardcopy (or designated e-mail representative of those people). Mail characters for approval to 109-E Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. For e-mail, send them to gargoyle@nwlink.com (attachments allowed only if they are in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel format; otherwise put the information in the message text).

Domain of D.C. Players: So long as your character is approved by your CST (or the DST if you do not have a CST) and at all other necessary levels, I do not need prior notice for your characters.

All Players: The Presiding Storyteller reserves the right to disallow a character to participate if that character directly contradicts the theme/mood of the game, or otherwise is incompatible with the game and/or setting. Such determinations are made by the Presiding Storyteller.

Characters Based in the Domain of Washington D.C.: All characters who consider this Domain their "home" (including those who are not part of the Domain, but are still primarily based here) are under the authority of the ADST-Camarilla/Anarch for purposes of IC rewards and penalties, including, but not limited to, the awarding and loss of status. This is regardless of the home chapter, domain, or region of the player. Characters proxied to this game are also under this same restriction during their proxy time. Players who play in this game must agree to this restriction. Players from this domain who base their characters in games outside of this domain (not including chapter games within this Domain or games within the IC Domain) are fully subject to the IC rewards and penalties approved by the Presiding Storyteller of those other games. In cases of OOC dispute, decisions may be appealed to the DST of Washington, DC, then to the RST of the East Central Region, and then to the US NST.

Downtime Roleplaying: A balanced amount of non-game interpersonal roleplay is encouraged to add to character depth, but players are advised to not do anything drastic or that would require Storyteller intervention while doing small group roleplaying outside of a formal game. While such small group roleplaying does not ordinarily count for experience, it will help make the characters more three-dimensional, and I will award characters that achieve greater depth with more experience if it becomes apparent at games. Players from D.C. who wish to obtain this extra experience must fill out a monthly Downtime Report (DTR) and send it to the Venue Storyteller by the last day of the month. Experience awarded for a DTR may not exceed the standard experience point cap. DTR's should include player name and membership number, character name, clan and generation. It must also contain not only what the character has been doing in local downtime, but also a summary of character activity on regional and national/international IC mailing lists, as well as IRC (do not send logs). We play in a global game, and participation in the game outside of our domain improves the game for all members of the club.

Proxy Rules=====
Though proxy play is permitted by the Camarilla rules supplements, proxy characters are discouraged except during special events or for very specific actions that take place outside of regular games, as there are often insufficient staff or members who can run the proxy characters to their fullest. Proxy is only permitted by following the prior approval requirements detailed in "character restrictions," above (this applies to all proxied characters, regardless of any approval levels).

Venue Geographical Boundaries=====
This venue covers all vampiric activity in the Camarilla/Anarch venue (including PC-types typically associated with the Camarilla/Anarch venue) in the following places (based on the U.S. Census Bureau definition of the Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area of Washington-Baltimore):
District of Columbia
Maryland (select counties as follows): Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Calvert, Carrol, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Washington counties.
Virginia (select counties as follows): Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fairfax (city), Falls Church (city), Fauquier, Loudoun, Manassas, Manassas Park (city) and Prince William counties.
Chesapeake Bay: areas contiguous to the above locations.

This includes activity by Camarilla/Anarch NPC's in other venues, as well as the impacts of other venues upon vampiric activity. Because the Kindred are very connected with the goings on in the city, it is necessary for Storytellers running events in other venues that involve vampires to coordinate with the ADST-Camarilla/Anarch in order to maintain continuity.

Travel Risks=====
Travel into the area is not without risks. For the most part, travel is subject to the usual daytime or nighttime hazards of the World of Darkness. All PCs travelling into and out of the area are assumed to have taken general precautions to preserve their lives and avoid problems with the Masquerade, exposure to sunlight, etc. However, unless a player specifies other additional precautions, those proxying into and out of the area may be subject to delays or encounters of a mundane or supernatural nature. Other travel risks may arise, due to in-game circumstances. We will make attempts to publish any additional risks before each game over appropriate lists.
Characters normally travel through the area in a wide variety of transports, including cars, trains, aircraft and ships, as appropriate.

Challenges=====
There are no special rules for challenges beyond those in the authorized Mind’s Eye Theater books and the current versions of the Camarilla Supplements (with clarifications and addenda as posted on the national web site). On special occasions, we may abbreviate challenges (such as in a large combat) by disallowing retests, scripting combat, using probability calculations or even rolling dice. This will be done only in the interests of speeding up the game and/or enhancing critical roleplaying. In any circumstances where a character's life is on the line, the full rules will be used, regardless of the desire to speed up the game, unless the player waives this clause.

Player Advisory=====
The Kindred inhabit a dark and often downright evil world. From time to time, the Storytellers in this venue will use adult themes, vivid descriptions, and contentious social issues to bring the World of Darkness to life. For those familiar with the White Wolf tabletop material, some plot elements or themes could be considered "Black Dog" material. 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. 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 without penalty in or out of character, adjusting continuity as necessary. The goal of our games is to have a good time, bringing the World of Darkness to life as much as possible, but keeping the sensibilities and comfort of all players in mind, so that all can participate.


STORYTELLER INFORMATION=====
Venue Storyteller=====
(temporary, pending appointment of ADST0
Name: Wade Racine
Title: Domain Storyteller, Domain of Washington, D.C./Baltimore
Address: 109-E Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Phone: (unlisted)
Email: gargoyle@nwlink.com
Passed Thespis (y/n): Yes.

Style=====
In a series of polls concluded on January 1, 2003, the players indicated a desire for a high level of mystery and intrigue. The most desired theme was the Jyhad (Byzantine intrigues, secret coteries, to be pawns or players in the great game), followed closely by the Cold Company of Sharks (high-society maneuvering to gain power and status) and a tie between A Tale of Two Cities (Camarilla Washington vs. Sabbat Baltimore in a slow burning war) and To Search for Hidden Secrets (quest for power by searching out millennia old secrets). Other themes will be included from time to time, but these four will be the driving factor in major plotlines.

Antagonists=====
The primary antagonists for this venue are the other PCs, but NPCs will often be used to promote the game style listed above. Such NPCs include very powerful, shadowy Elders and their agents and mortals (hunters, conspiracy theorists, etc.)

Player-characters will also frequently be faced with moral dilemmas, conflicts of interest between retaining their humanity and gaining power. Antagonists from other active venues will be uncommon, and only used with the approval of the DST and the appropriate Venue Storyteller (though this may change depending on how those interactions go).

Venue rules=====
Status: The ADST and DST reserve the right to alter the specific status traits a character has, add new status to a character or remove status from a character based on observations of interaction with other PCs and the vox populi.

Crossover: With the exception of third-party crossover via influences, no crossover play is permitted involving player-characters without the express prior permission of the Domain Storyteller. Note that this does not mean that the player will be informed of the crossover before it happens (as that would ruin the element of surprise in some cases). Players should be aware that if their characters are actively seeking out supernatural creatures from other active venues, that they will be considered them to be open to crossover contact by player-characters from that venue at any time, including downtime (again, subject to prior approval by the DST).


Visiting Character/Plot Policy=====
Outside plots will not intrude upon this game unless they receive prior approval from the ADST Camarilla/Anarch.

The standing policy of this domain against disease/sickness plotlines remains in effect.

Visiting characters must follow the restrictions given in the player's information section. Since this game focuses on those characters who are regularly a part of it, visiting characters may find they have little to do unless they have a very good rationale for being there or know other PCs in the Domain. Visitors are encouraged, and regular visitors even more so. Players who are visiting may wish to contact the ADST Camarilla/Anarch prior to the game in order to establish a good reason for the in-character visit. Large events and in-character calls for assistance are always good reasons for a visit.

Players portraying character types that are the “underclass” in their venues in the World of Darkness (unaccompanied ghouls, unreleased Kindred traveling alone, mortals, etc.) will probably not be well received. Players of such characters from outside the domain should be aware that their characters will, at best, be relegated to "sit in the corner" for most games and, at worst, face the strong possibility of death.

Venue Style Ratings=====
Intrigue: 5 (focus of the game)
Action: 2 (minimal, usually player introduced)
Mystery: 4 (consistent, available every game)
Drama: 3 (occasional)
Darkness: 3 (occasional)