Credits: This work was largely written, edited and assembled by Richard Birt in 2010. Key assistants and writers on this project included: Lino di Julio, Greg Grondin, Franco Hachez, David la Rush, Hugh Montgomerie, Stephen Near, Mark Shessel, Mitchell Smallman, Chloe Vandal, & Leanne White. This may not be a complete list. Appendix I was written by Stephen Near; Appendix II was written by Greg Grondin; Appendix III was written by Mitchell Smallman. Editing assistance was provided by: Leanne White, Mark Shessel, Stephen Near, Hugh Montgomerie, Greg Grondin, Lino di Julio, David Fox & Alan Cameron. This may not be a complete list. DSTs who submitted domain details and histories to this project in 2010 include: Saint John NB (Jessica MacLeod—DST); Halifax NS (Sheldon O‘Brien—DC); Charlottetown (Online) (Carl McPherson— DST); Trois-Rivieres QC (Jean-Phillipe Marcotte—DST); Montreal QC (David Maheux—DST); Toronto ON (Mitchell —DST); Hamilton ON (Craig Jonassen—DST); Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph ON (Penn Davies —DST); London Smallman ON (David Allen—DST); Prince George BC (Ashleigh Larsen—DST); Vancouver/Abbotsford BC (Alan Cameron—DST), and; Victoria/Nanaimo BC (Brian Dixon—DST). No one was paid for the written work in this material, and it is a labour of love. The poem ―The Cremation of Sam McGee‖ was written by Robert Service in 1907, and is public domain.
The cover art is srcinal to Leo Lingas ©2010 and requires the artist‘s explicit permission to reproduce outside of the context of this document. Much thanks to Lino di Julio for layout and publication design. The first publication was funded thanks to the Camarilla Canada National Council: David Fox (National Co-ordinator); Chloe Vandal (Vice-National Co-ordinator); Ericka Skirpan (National Resource Co-ordinator); Joe Giammarco (National Finance Co-ordinator), and; Hugh Montgomerie (National Storyteller). Printed versions of this document were first distributed to attendees of the Camarilla Canada National Convention (CAINE) in March 2010 at Trois-Rivieres, QC. Portions of this material are copyright and trademarks of CCP hf., and are used with permission. All rights reserved. For more information please visit www.white-wolf.com. You can learn more about the Camarilla, and the role-playing games we play at www.camarilla.ca. This work is not meant to be an authoritative historical, geographical or reference work outside of the fictional universe supported by the Camarilla Canada‘s integrated role -playing setting, and therein is only accurate up to March, 2010. Most research about the real world was done using Wikipedia. The authors apologize for any errors or offense that may be found in the work, and hope future editions will strive to remedy these. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Any written reference made to our material should include the year of publication (2010) to distinguish it from future versions. “This
work is dedicated to Joshua Shessel, who introduced me to LARPing and the Camarilla years ago, And to my love, Janine, who keeps me at it.” -Richard Birt, March 2010
Foreword by the National Storyteller Toronto, March 2010 Fellow Members and Storytellers of Camarilla Canada, What follows is the completion of a long-held promise. It is the settings for all of Canada for the World of Darkness venues we support in our national affiliate‘s shared continuity. It would be remiss of me not to mention, and thank, my deputy, Richard Birt, who has put two years of effort into getting this document off the ground and into its current form. It is the completion of work led and promised to the membership by four National Storytellers: Phil Rickaby, Lino di Julio, Leanne White, and myself. It comes from countless, and largely thankless, volunteer hours from players and storytellers at all levels of our organization: documenting, reading and writing to give us a knowable and knowledgeable national setting. It took a lot of work to produce this, as everyone who participated in this project can vouch. It is not easy being creative, and everyone who did contribute is owed a great thank you from all of us. My hope is that now ANSTs can focus on running national plots, instead of inventing setting. You should know there are volumes of material that didn‘t make it into this settings document. Every domain, from Victoria
to Halifax, contributed settings and history material, and it simply was not possible to include it all. There were reams of written submissions from ANSTs that cou ldn‘t make it in. This material will be made available using online resources as soon as possible. This means that what you hold is a living document. A well run LARP is a living, and unfolding story: an act of collective art and imagination. It is implicit that there will be further additions to what we have assembled here: this is a beginning, not an end. In a few years time, there will be more to add, and to reconsider: the NST‘s Office should feel free to do so at that time. But this text is an authoritative place for all our players and STs to at least start from, when they look at a map of Canada and wonder ―What is out there?‖
Let me conclude with the central metaphor of Hunter: the Reckoning: I commend you: go out into the World of Darkness, shine your light high above, and find what is lurking. Warmest Regards,
Hugh Montgomerie CA2002021195 National Storyteller 2009-10 Camarilla Canada Fan Club Inc.
There are strange things done 'neath the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold. The arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold. The northern lights have seen queer sights But the queerest they ever did see, Was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge When I cremated Sam McGee. Now Sam McGee was from Tenessee Where the cotton blooms and blows. Why he left his home in the south to roam 'round the poles, God only knows. He was always cold, but the land of gold Seemed to hold him like a spell, ThoughThat he'd often say inlive hisinhomely he'd sooner Hell. way On a Christmas day we were mushing our way Over the Dawson trail. Talk of your cold, through the parka's fold It stabbed like a driven nail. If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze 'til sometimes we couldn't see. It wasn't much fun, but the only one To whimper was Sam McGee.
Table of Contents Introduction Section 1: Geography of Canada Newfoundland The Maritimes Nova Scotia Cape Breton Prince Edward Island New Brunswick Québec Gaspé, Saguenay & the gulf of St. Lawrence Coeur de Québec Montreal & the Townships Outaouais & the Laurentides Ontario Ottawa Valley & East Ontario Golden Horseshoe Southwestern Ontario Central Ontario The Superior Shore & Northwest Ontario The Prairies Manitoba Saskatchewan Southern Alberta: Badlands & Eastern Rockies Northern Alberta: the Prairies & the Oilfields British Columbia (BC) The BC Interior Pacific Coast & Lower Mainland Vancouver Island The North The Yukon & Northern BC The Northwest Territories& Northern Prairies Nunavut & The Hudson Shore Northern Quebec & Labrador Section 2: Institutions of Canada The Government: Federal Institutions The Bureaucracy The Military The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) The Border Canadian SecurityIntelligence Service (CSIS) Political Parties & Politicians The Government: Local Institutions The Bureaucracy Local Police Local Justice Local Media Native Governments Major National Industries
1 2 3 5 5 6 7 8 10 10 11 13 15 16 16 18 21 23 24 26 26 27 29 32 34 34 36 37 39 39 39 40 40 42 43 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 55
Tier II Hunter Groups 64 Tier III Hunter Groups 66 Section 3: History of Canada 68 Before Time (The Time of Legend) 69 Time begins to 1000 CE (The Dark Age) 69 – (The Golden Age) 10001600 69 – (New France) 1600 1750 70 – 1750 1815 (The Time of Blood) 70 – 1815 1865 (British North America) 71 – (Victorian Canada) 18651915 73 1915 1945– (The Wars) 73 – 19451970 (The Young Nation) 75 1970 –2010 (The Tenuous Kingdom) 75 Appendix I—Awakening 79 Settings for Awakened 80 Awakened Groups 80 The Magisterium of Canada 81 The Tradition of Convocation 81 The Heraldic Society 82 History of Awakened Canada 83 Awakened Cities 86 Quebec City 86 Kingston 87 Ottawa 88 Winnipeg 90 Saskatoon 92 Regina 94 Edmonton 95 Calgary 97 Appendix II—Forsaken 99 Spirits 100 Pure 101 Bale Hounds 102 Hosts 103 Changing Breeds 103 Lodges 103 Locations 106 Notable Characters and Packs (NPCs) 106 Curiosities 107 Additional History 108 Appendix III—Lost 109 The Entitlements Within Canada 110 Guide for Using Entitlements 110 The Core Entitlements 111 History of the Lost in Canada: 113 Appendix IV—Requiem 115 Settings for Requiem in Canada 116 The Tradition of the Black Rose Concillium 117
Banking Communications Natural Resources Transportation Medicine & Health Supernaturally Aware Organizations (Hunters)
55 57 59 60 62 64
HistoryCities of Kindred Canada Kindred The Requiem in Ottawa The Requiem in Québec City The Requiem in Kingston
117 118 118 123 126
key cities, and in others they have instructions for how to more effectively play the game.
Introduction This document has been written, with love, for the Camarilla Canada Fan Club (CCFC) of Live Action RolePlay (LARP) groups to guide players and storytellers in all positions through Canada as a comprehensive setting. It is an accurate description of the World of Darkness as of March 2010. We expect players to be free to read this material, and characters are free to reasonably know any setting material contained in this work relevant to the venue your character participates in, unless noted otherwise.
Cardinal Rules & Assumptions Used This is not a reference book to Canada as it is in reality, though reality is our guide, it introduces Canada in the World of Darkness. There are differences between what is written here and the real world. There are certain inferences we have made to guide our writing: let us present them to you, so if you use this material as a resource—and we hope you will—you will know what we are suggesting.
This settings guide authoritatively overwrites permitted any nondomain local settings inferred by or previously by DSTs or VSTs. Not everything in this book is explicitly accurate—it is simply what characters believe is out there. It is the exclusive purview of the NST Office to develop or rewrite anything in this book. Player histories that are upset by this material will need to be rewritten, and re-approved with national approval.
First, normal numerical humans make history. have the overwhelming advantage, andThey the World of Darkness belongs to them; supernatural creatures live through, or take advantage of trends, but they are not the creative agents of history. No major historical figures, or presently powerful figures were or are supernatural. They may have affiliation with supernatural elements, but, in the end they are normal humans, as capable of vice or virtue as any of us.
The material is broken into three sections, with four appendices:
People make the world, and in the basic rules of the World of Darkness imply that given a chance, normal people will make it a terrible place. The LARP rules imply a 10% chance of any action failing, a greater chance if you are outside your comfort zone of skills. The only way for humans to get around this is to use willpower. Every day a difficult job, any job involving responsibility, will require using willpower to be successful for a normal human. The rules explain that
Section 1: Geography, is a region-by-region guide to Canada. Large provinces are broken up into smaller sections, and the states of each of the four venues in Canada are described in each region and for each major city. Section 2: Institutions, helps explain how various —work institutions national, local in Canada the benefit of — Players andand STs. This section containsfor some explicit instructions from the NSTs office for certain institutions, and they should be considered authoritative. It also contains information about Hunter Groups. Unlike the rest of the material in this book, these are not knowable by characters, unless they are tied into your background, and approved as such. But they are there to give players an idea for the antagonists that can be found in Canada.
willpower others, can be replenished an that act ofendangers vice that threatens or an act through of virtue yourself. Time after time, most people will indulge their vices. So in the Canada of the World of Darkness, the civil service, the firefighters, the police, the media, and the government—all the institutions we rely on for normalcy in our world—are riddled with those indulging their vices: the gluttons, the proud, the envious, the lazy, the wrathful, the greedy, the lustful. All these people use their position in society to further their darker sides and take advantage of those who depend on them, just to get through a difficult day.
Section 3: History, is a brief overview of Canadian history from the first people arriving in North America through to the present. It is there to help inform you as to how Canada‘s history has evolved in the World of
Darkness, and help our created characters be more effectively rooted in its past. Venue histories are not
Add to this that crimes of any sort inevitably wear down the human soul and lead to madness through the morality rules. A millionaire cheating on his taxes year after year might become paranoid, a police officer who must shoot a suspect develops depression. The world is on a desperate downward spiral. Those upon whom society relies are prone to evil, and then madness. The respite is that there are those who choose to treat their illnesses (with XP) and sacrifice themselves and use virtue to replenish their willpower—but the choice for darkness, sin and vice is much more common.
included here, and they remain under the NST‘s office.
Appendices I-IV, gives further detailed setting for each of the four venues this material is meant to support: Mage: the Awakening; Werewolf: the Forsaken; Changeling: the Lost, and; Vampire: the Requiem. The content of these appendices vary for each setting, in some cases they are simply a more detailed explanation of a few 1
Our final design choice is that because of these flaws, large institutions stretching over a large area and many people are n ot effective. Local figures are more powerful in their arena than nationally important ones in this design. A mayor of a distant town is more influential than the premier of the province. The local RCMP detachment sergeant has more power in her precinct than a bureaucrat or judge in Ottawa. Because of this final concession, supernatural creatures with powers of social control (i.e. those available to be played by PCs) will exercise some control over local power figures in small communities, to the exclusion of all others. Thus, in cities and other population centres with less than 25 000 people, there might be a single supernatural figure (i.e. only one mage, or one vampire, or one pack of werewolves). All interesting supernatural politics happen only where the presence of thousands of people reduce the ability of a single creature to exercise control. So we have not detailed every small town and hamlet —instead we have focused our efforts and the large and important cities of the land. Where there is no write-up for one of the four venues in a given city or area’s geographical entry, it is safe to assume , outside of active domains, that there is no known appreciable presence of that supernatural type in that city or area. And, that is all we have to say. Enjoy this resource, but enjoy the stories you participate in and tell even more. Shed a little light into this world of ours, or cast a deep shadow. This nation, our nation, of ice, of forests, of fields and tundra, of cities and towns is your setting: you are the protagonists. Cheers, On behalf of the Shadows over Canada team,
Richard Birt, Editor. Deputy Canadian National Storyteller & Assistant National Storyteller: Dark Places on the Map.
2
And that very night while we lay packed tight In our robes beneath the snow, And the dogs were fed, and the stars o'er head Were dancing heel and toe, He turns to me, and "Cap" says he "I'll cash in this trip, I guess. And if I do, I'm asking that you Won't refuse my last request." Well, he looked so low that I couldn't say no, Then he says with a sort of a moan, "It's the cursed cold, it's got right hold 'til I'm chilled clean through to the bone. Yet tain't being dead, it's my awful dread Of an icy grave that pains. So I want you to swear that foul or fair, You'll cremate my last remains." Well, a friend's last need is a thing to heed, So I swore I would not fail. We started on at the streak of dawn, But, God, he looked ghastly pale! He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day Of his home in Tenessee, And before nightfall, a corpse was all That was left of Sam McGee.
1
2
This section is a region-by-region venue-by-venue breakdown of Canada. Larger provinces have been broken into multiple regions to make them more digestible. The specific details of major cities in each region are (mostly) where we focus our description.
debts in the face of the great depression, and declared bankruptcy. The debtors took over control of the country, and brought about terrible poverty, so dire that in 1949, Newfoundlanders caved and after two referendums voted to join confederation and become Canada‘s 10 th province. A spirit of independence is still strong in Newfoundland,
Newfoundland
and many resent Ottawa‘s mismanagement of their natural
resources.
Major Cities in Newfoundland
Newfoundland in Awakening
St. John‘s (137,000), Conception Bay (21,000), Corner
If Atlantis was a concrete truth, then Newfoundland, the furthest east portion of North America, would be close to it, and one would expect to find a thriving community of magic users. This is simply not the case. Historically the
Brook (20,000).
Geography of Newfoundland The island of Newfoundland, on the eastern edge of Canada is physically closer to Ireland across the ocean, than Vancouver Island on the other side of the country. It is its own time zone and ,until 1949, it was its own country. Newfoundland‘s Native people, the Beothuk were extirpated in the mid 1800s. Some Mi‘kmaq have since established claims and have reservations on the western side of the island. The island itself is rocky, and unsuited to agriculture, thus Newfoundlanders have historically made their living from the seas. The interior of the Province is hills, lakes and forest: harsh and forbidding. It is unconnected to the rest of Canada by land, so almost everything is brought in
first Consilium is thought to have appeared in St. John‘s
the late 1700s, more than a century since Europeans had started settling on the island, and later than the appearance of Consilii in Port Royale and elsewhere in New France: even the Consilium in Halifax is older.
Newfoundland in Forsaken
in Goose Bay. However, while the land is poor, the seas around Newfoundland are rich and wealthy. The cod stocks of the Grand Banks fed the British Empire through the 19th century. Even today, cod, scallops, lobster, turbot
For whatever reason, the Forsaken of Newfoundland were able to drive off the Pure ages ago and have refused to give the Pure any opportunity to reassert themselves on the island. Due to the rocky terrain, there are only a limited number of means to get onto the island – primarily through St. John‘s or the major air field in Goose Bay. Both are very well guarded. The Pure have made several attempts to do so, but each time they have been pushed back. The Forsaken of Newfoundland are both hardy and tenacious and forever vigilant. The island holds an even blend of the various different tribes though Hibernia has
and sealsofare all taken from thetheoceans; depletion the stocks has rendered island‘showever, rural out
drawn the interest of more than a couple packs of Iron Masters.
through the main city of St. John‘s, or the major air field
ports quite poor, and depopulated. In recent years the discovery of the Hibernia oil reserves off the island has returned wealth to the island and the province. It has shifted from being Canada‘s poorest province, to it s second wealthiest. It is proven that the Vikings established a colony in Newfoundland ―Vinland‖ in the 11 th Century, although it was subsequently abandoned. John Cabot sailing for the English King landed at Bonavista in 1497. St. John‘s is the oldest European settlement in North America, founded by European fishermen as a temporary settlement. Control of the island shifted between the English and the French over the course of two centuries, but the last battle of the Seven Years war was fought at Signal Hill (outside St. John‘s) in 1762 establishing E nglish control. The French kept the nearby islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Newfoundland thrived as an independent colony, then country, repeatedly rejecting offers to be united with Canada. In this regard, it has a history and culture as distinct as Quebec‘s within Canada. The 20th Century was harsh on Newfoundland. At Beaumont-Hamel in the Great War, the Newfoundland army was decimated in a single morning. In the 1930s, the government of Newfoundland was unable to settle its
From the 1930‘s onward, Newfoundland and Labrador
both suffered from depression and dire poverty. Between the shift in essence generated by these events and the eventual merger of Newfoundland into confederation a great deal of flux was caused in the Shadow – keeping the Forsaken occupied. The event had the unusual side-effect of forcing many packs to work together to resolve the multiple spirit-driven issues that had arisen. It is believed that it is from these events that the Forsaken drew much of the unity that later proved advantageous in fending off the Pure. Though the Forsaken of Newfoundland and Labrador are no less territorial than Forsaken anywhere else, they are also more likely to step up and help their brethren when threatened by a common foe. Hardship and uncertainty have made these Uratha strong and they are not likely to be moved from their lands by anything but the greatest force.
Newfoundland in Lost Newfoundland used to have a rich and thriving changeling community, but since the 20th century, as people have moved away, it has been increasingly difficult for outsiders to fit in. Thus, Changelings have 3
largely abandoned the island, while the Gentry thrive. There are scattered—mostly winter court—motleys still remaining on the island, but they are not organized into freeholds so as to better avoid the power of the Gentry.
made Prisci of the Ventrue in St. John‘s. Le onardo Basili, the Mehket Lancea Bishop of St. John‘s seems to have
attached his star to Lord Richard, as his personal ―spiritual‖ advisor.
Corner Brook
St. John‟s Requiem—Duke Edward Morgan, the Daeva Prince of St. John‘s is, thought to be the first kindred resident in St.
Requiem—Lord William De Graff, the Invictus Regent of Corner Brook, is a Ventrue Alder of considerable influence and power. For the last 25 years he has been in a contest with his brother Lord Richard De Graff to prove that he is the true Alder of the Ventrue in the region and should be made Pri sci of the Ventrue in St. John‘s . A Gangrel Crone priestess by the name of Louise Desjardins has been seen at his side giving him advice.
John‘s and created an Invictus domain that stretches
across the entire island. His grand galas and Elysiums are renowned for their decadence and opulence showing off his wealth and power. Kindred have speculated that his wealth was found when he was a privateer in his mortal days. His detractors use the word pirate, though never within his hearing. Lord Robert Rodriguez a Gangrel is the Archon, or Bosun, as the Prince sometimes calls him. He is a Portuguese man that who comes across as genteel nobility. This underlies the fact that he has held his position for almost as long as Morgan has been Prince and has a reputation for extreme violence when the situation calls for it. Currently the domain is waiting for the outcome of a contest set by Prince Morgan between Lords Richard and William De Graff to settle who among them should sit in the Ventrue Prisci seat of St. John‘s . Speculation has run wild as to whom will ultimately be recognized as the elder of their clan, though both Lords to not know themselves due to the Fog of Ages. Awakening (The Consilium of Signal Hill)—The Consilium of Signal Hill is known to be a strongly Adamantine Arrow Consilium. It is exceptionally xenophobic, and does not welcome visitors, keeping its business very private and to itself. Generally it‘s known that St. Martin‘s Cabal a group of Arrow‘s arrived in the 1970s. They claim to have overthrown a Seer Pylon that had infiltrated the Silver Ladder, and generally reestablished the Consilium, and closed itself off from the rest of Canada. It is unknown who their Hierarch and Herald are. With the exception of Stephenville, the entire island is under the Consilium. Lost (The George Street Freehold)—The one exception to the disorganized Newfoundland Changeling society, is the small, but growing George Street Freehold of St. John‘s. Led largely by the Spring Queen Anne McAubrey, a Wizened Brewer, Changelings of the Island, from all seasons, are beginning to gather particularly as the return of oil money is making St. John‘s a more cosmopolitan city. John White, an Ogre of the winter court, has made connections with the oil companies to monitor for Gentry influence, and also to help bring in the scattered motleys outside the city.
Stephenville Awakening (The Returning Grace Cabal)—On the far west coast of Newfoundland, a Cabal of Guardians of the Veil has established itself. They are very comparable to a fundamentalist cult, leading isolated lives in this small town by the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They are not completely xenophobic, like the Consilium of Signal Hill, but they are very clear that they don‘t want visitors, nor to share their knowledge or practices. A Thyrsus, who calls herself Shawnadithit welcomes visitors, and receives and provides references. The cabal is too small to support much more beyond that. The Mysterium of Canada openly speculates that their strange behavior suggests that these may be the only Guardians on the island, and wonder what that means about the Signal Hill Consilium.
Gander
Requiem—Lord Richard De Graff, the Invictus Regent of Gander, is a Ventrue elder of considerable power and influence. For the last 25 years he has been in a contest with his brother Lord William De Graff to prove that he is the true Alder of the Ventrue in the region and should be 4
province is dotted with Pure territories. The Pure of Nova Scotia are numerous, powerful and to a degree very arrogant. They have brushed aside the proposition of forming a confederacy with other Pure, believing they have no need to share the territories they hold. However, they have also become complacent as a result of their arrogance – even with the threat of a Silver Crusade. Many of the Pure take residence in the Annapolis Valley where they argue over their future and debate how to rid the remaining Forsaken from the province. These Pure, however, may be long past their glory days. Truro, Yarmouth, Halifax and Dartmouth all have a known significant Forsaken presence and all three keep close tabs on the Pure. They have secured themselves toa
The Maritimes The three Maritime Provinces are Canada‘s smallest, in area and population, but also Canada‘s oldest and longest permanently settled areas. The Abenaki, Mi‘kmaq and Maliseet are the historic first nations in the area, and all maintain reservations and special rights in the area. French speaking Acadians are another ethnic group whose srcins are in the Maritimes.
The Maritimes in Requiem In the 19th Century, all the major cities of the Maritimes had Invictus Princes, and the area was an Invictus Imperium, but thisand hasthe notrise been casecovenants, for decades and, due to infighting ofthe other though the Invictus remain powerful, it will likely never be the case again.
point where they areWolf comfortable out the task left to them by Father and havecarrying not needed to concern themselves with their Pure brethren. Nova Scotia has also had its share of Host problems – particularly Beshilu – and for the same reasons. They have been lucky, however, in that unlike New Brunswick, the Beshilu are the only host to become a significant menace.
Nova Scotia
Halifax (Active Domain)
Major Cities in Nova Scotia
Requiem—Halifax has another name given to it by the Mi‘kmaq Indians, Great Harbor. It has been Canada‘s great harbour for over 300 years. Halifax has historically been a strong Invictus city since its foundation by the British. The legacies of the ancient Princes Allen, and Ulbricht who established the city as a power have most recently been passed to Prince Patrick, formerly their herald. His rule is supported by the Ordo Dracul of the region, who traditionally serve as Sheriff, but his long time allies the Lancea Sanctum have begun to desert the city, and the Crone are now the largest covenant. It remains to be seen what changes this will bring to Canada‘s oldest Invictus stronghold. Awakening (Royal Consilium of Citadel Hill & The Imperium of Mont Blanc)—The Imperium of Mont Blanc is the largest established seer tetrarchy in Canada, controlling most of the Province. It is based out of Dartmouth (On the north side of Halifax Harbour) where the Seers were victorious in war over the pentacle mages in 1918. The Imperium is an active threat to all mages in the Maritimes, and some believe its schemes extend to New England as well. A Moros, Vox Nova, is the closest thing to a herald within the Imperium, and represents its interests to other awakened communities, at least those potentially willing to submit to the authority of the Exarchs. Directly at the heart of the Imperium of Mont Blanc, the Royal Consilium of Citadel Hill is what remains of the
Halifax (285,000), Kentville (30,000), Truro (25,000). (Halifax is an Active Domain)
Geography of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is Canada‘s oldest English speaking
province. Historically it has relied heavily on shipbuilding, timber and fishing as its major source of income. Halifax, its capital, is the largest city in the Maritimes, and has always been an important military and naval base since its founding in the French-Indian war. Halifax has also become an important education and technology hub with several small universities located in the city. The Mi‘kmaq were the first people in Nova Scotia.
The Annapolis valley in the north of the province is a major agricultural belt, with a pleasant micro-climate and was the historic home of the Acadians until their expulsion by the British. Most farm crops in Nova Scotia come from the Annapolis valley. The rest of the Province is barren and rocky, and is geologically an extension of the Appalachian Mountains. The rural population is concentrated around the coast in small villages. There is some logging and mining in the interior of the province, particularly coal mining around the Minas Basin, and there is some subsistence farming throughout the region, but most people and the economy are focused on the sea. The exception is Halifax, which is a small but cosmopolitan city.
defeated of Halifax years later. held The ConsiliumConsilium is a clashing mess of90 egomaniacs, together only by two things: a rigidly strong Lex Magica, and a common enmity for the Imperium. It attracts many mages who wish to do war with the Imperium, and most of whom are only interested in leading the attack against
Nova Scotia in Forsaken The province has also had its fare share of difficulties with the Pure. In fact, there are scarce few Forsaken to be found north of Halifax. Travel in and out of the province must be done with caution as the single road leaving the 5
it. Many members of the consilium are eventually destroyed or defect to the Imperium, denying any chance at accumulated wisdom within the Consilium. Still, the sheer courage of the Consilium at the heart of the l ion‘s den is admired and recognized in Canada. The current Hierarch of the Consilium of Citadel Hill is a warlock thearch named Animus, and the current Herald is an Acanthus Arrow who calls herself ―Salazar.‖ Lost (Freehold of St. Brendan the Navigator)—The second freehold of Canada, now known as the Freehold of St. Brendan the Navigator, was the first seasonal court freehold to be founded. Due to the strong presence of the military, the Freehold of St. Brendan is dominated by the Summer Court, and tries to impose its leadership on other
of the Spring Court provides leadership for Aboiteaux. The court is very relaxed and joyous, a stark contrast to the stern freehold in Halifax.
nearby freeholds in the Maritimes. This isHaverbrook, not popular.a The freehold is currently led by Admiral giant albatross beast. His second in command who rules during winter is Rear Admiral Frost, a Darkling razorhand of the Winter court in a rare Summer/Winter Partnership. The furthest station of the Grand Trunk Railway eastward is also located here.
CapeScotia, Bretonbut is aa large island, andfrom the eastern of Nova distinct region the restthird of the province. It was briefly held by France, while England controlled the rest of the Maritimes and Newfoundland in the mid 1700s. Louisbourg, now destroyed, was a major French naval base, and was used by the French to control access to the Gulf of St Lawrence and Eastern North America. Cape Breton was briefly its own independent colony, and Gaelic is still spoken in the highlands here. The Mik‘maq are the only first nation in Cape Bret on. Cape Breton is separated from Nova Scotia by the Strait of Canso, though it is now connected to the mainland by a
Cape Breton Major Cities in Cape Breton Sydney (50,000).
Geography of Cape Breton
Kentville Requiem—This sleepy town is watched over by a small Coterie of kindred that are there on behalf of the Prince of Moncton. Lead by an Ordo Dracul Mekhet by the name of Mr. Walters, the coterie is rarely seen, but their presence is felt. Their reasons for being there have never been explained, but it is believed that the region has something of interest for the Covenant. Harpies speculate their presence is to counter unknown Acadian Kindred potentially torpored in the area, and prevent revenge fantasies against English kindred from becoming too developed. Awakening (Consilium of Grand Pré)—The Consilium of Grand Pré is the srcinal Acadian Consilium, whose members hid during the expulsion, the records of the Consilium clearly reach back that far. The Cabals have divided the many cities of the Annapolis Valley up amongst themselves, and meet for Consilium regularly in Kentville. This strategy means that the members of the Consilium are well aware of infiltrators from Mont Blanc in the many small towns in the area. Year by year, the Consilium grows, and pushes back the scope of the Imperium. Many mages here are from Halifax, having fled the constant warfare and insufferable egos. The Consilium is a Free Council assembly, but keeps its traditional name to recognize and honour its history. The political intensity of Halifax is met by a surprisingly calm and well ordered Consilium in Kentville. The Hierarch of Grand Pré is a Mastigos Free Councillor, who call‘s himself Longfellow, and the Herald is an Obrimos Free
causeway. The cape is wrapped around Bras D‘or lake,
which is a salt-water fjord. The island is rocky and mountainous, like Nova Scotia. But since it is further north the farming life is even bleaker. Cape Breton‘s main industry has been coal mining, but its isolated position in the world has made this profitable only when coal is a valuable commodity, otherwise the cost of shipping it makesthe thelargest industryprivate prohibitive. Thatinsaid, the coalfields were employer Canada until the Second World War, when oil overtook coal as the world‘s main energy source. Cape Breton is now the poorest region of Nova Scotia. Sydney is the main municipality of Cape Breton, and the heart of the former coal-mining area, the provincial government is trying to bring funds to the region through Sydney, specifically via tourism and education.
Cape Breton in Forsaken Cape Breton remains under the control of the Forsaken, as if forgotten by the Pure. The Forsaken there are fairly welcoming to visitors as well, making it an unusually peaceful location for an Uratha to visit. It is particularly quiet during the winter months when many vacationers have left. Many Iron Masters remain in Sydney – descendants of French who had srcinally held the area. They work to try to revitalize the industry there in hopes
Councillor who callsofhimself LeBlanc. Lost (Freehold Aboiteaux) —Founded by those leaving the tyranny of Summer in Halifax, the Freehold of Aboiteaux was founded in the early 20 th century and based out of Wolfville, with motleys spreading out in all the nearby cities. Professor Manx, a wizened Antiquarian
of strengthening the health of the spirit world in the area.
6
Sydney
bridged, Prince Edward Island is Canada‘s smallest
Requiem—This former steel and coal mining town is run by a small assembly of Carthians operating like a union shop, and represents the only urban center in the Maritimes, that has a Carthian government. Union Head Ewan McLeod, was rumored to be embraced during the industrial revolution and his lineage is of the Ventrue.
Mi‘kmaq are the only first nation in Prince Edward
Province by population and area. Unlike the rest of the Maritimes, the Island is very fertile, supporting an agricultural economy, and its fair share of fisheries. The Island. Prince Edward Island is entirely developed with its pastoral rural landscape—unlike every other province, timber is not an industry here. The province is quite famous for this environment; tourism has become a major industry, and has been since it was popularized by L.M.
Ewan‘s shop steward, L‘kimu is a Gangrel of Mi‘kmaq
decent who has connections to Acadian and native kindred in the region. Awakening (The Consilium of Louisbourg)—The Consilium of Louisbourg traces its history back to the French naval colony, but has now moved to Sydney, and fully embraced the local realities of culture. It is a wellrespected Consilium, but very small, supporting only three cabals. Traditionally any mages in Cape Breton fall under its Lex Magica, and it holds this territory against the Imperium of Mont Blanc. The Silver Ladder and Mysterium form the majority here. The Athenaeum, hidden in the University of Cape Breton, specializes in the Spheres of Matter and Death. For this reason the Consilium often hosts travelling Moros of all the Orders interested in developing their masteries, or doing research. The Hierarch of Port Royale is a Mysterium Moros called Bras D‘or, and the Herald of the Consilium is an Acanthus Silver Ladder who calls herself Belle Dauphin. Lost (The Freehold of Scouts de Trappeur)—The very first freehold in Canada, the Freehold of Scouts de Trappeur traces its roots to Louisbourg and the French settlement in Cape Breton. The Freehold moved to Sydney after the British captured Cape Breton, and went from being very French influenced to very Scottish influenced, while still maintaining a fierce sense of those srcinal traditions. It is a small freehold by numbers, but supported by a surprisingly large number of ensorcelled locals. Most notably, once every two years in the summer, the Magistrates of the Wax Mask gather at Scouts de Trappeur to discuss lost and discovered traditions for dealing with the Gentry. They are hosted by Pierre Arsenault, a Magistrate of Summer, who also leads the small freehold at present.
Montgomery‘s ―Anne of Green Gables‖ series of children‘s books.
The island was settled by the French in 1713, but the Acadians were deported, and it has been English since 1769. It has a(through history the as the birthplace of Canadian Confederation Charlottetown conference), but
didn‘t
join
Canada
until
three
years
after
confederation, when building the local railway bankrupted the colonial government. Its admission to Canada included the guarantee that the federal government would run ferries to the island, give the province its share of the fisheries, and keep its independence as a province. All these historic quirks have survived. In 1997 the Confederation Bridge created a fixed link between the Island and New Brunswick.
Prince Edward Island in Requiem The court of Prince Edward Island is centered in Charlottetown, although the small size of the province has allowed it's Kindred population to spread their reach across the island. The Kindred court there has a reputation for being both violent and ruthless, and somewhat charming. Some of their court's somewhat unorthodox habit of claiming the title of Regent or Prince of very small communities is often looked at by those off of the island with a raised eyebrow, but none are so impolite as to mention it to their faces.
Prince Edward Island in Awakening Historically Prince Edward Island has been a strong Mysterium community informally run by three Cabals, who joined Dominion when it was formed. The history of Charlottetown begins when the Founding Fathers cabal stepped onto the island from parts unknown. When Dominion was formed, this cabal joined in with various other Consilii from across Canada and did their best to
Prince Edward Island Major Cities in Prince Edward Island
add their province‘s voice to the Awakened parliament.
Very little is known about the history and politics of the province during Dominion. What can be confirmed is after Dominion‘s fall Charlottetown fell what is
Charlottetown (32,000). (Charlottetown is the location of our online domain, and the entire island is within its territory.)
colloquially called ―the Edict of Deepening Shade.‖
Bronze Law banned large gatherings of Awakened This and forced local mages into an extreme form of cell structure in order to protect against threats unknown. The edict was lifted in 2006. Since then the Consilium of Charlottetown has reformed and dealt with several threats, including an Abyssal mage, and nearby Atlantean ruins.
Geography of Prince Edward Island Separated from the other two Maritime Provinces by the Strait of Northumberland, which only recently has been 7
The Consilium is still young, and no formal name has been offered to the other Consilii of Canada, but some have speculated that the community is on shaky ground and that it may not survive. There is currently no announced sitting Hierarch.
powerful Irving and McCain families. The industrial operations of these families include oil refining, pulp and paper mills, food processing and much more. Their presence is vital to the provincial economy.
New Brunswick in Forsaken
Prince Edward Island in Forsaken
have fought several wars with both Pure and the Hosts. Spider Hosts and Rat Hosts have both run rampant through the southern parts of the province. Their presence can be attributed to the ports there. The Pure have held a grip on the northern parts of the province, but have wavered in their control of much of the South. Saint John in particular has been a contested New Brunswick‘s forsaken
The Pure of Prince Edward Island had considered this area uncontested territory after they had managed to push out the Forsaken after the Brethren War. A recent battle to re-imprison a demon has caused much of the island to be left a barren.
area of control. From the mid 1900‘s to as recent as the 1990‘s, Saint John was under tight control of the Azlu.
Prince Edward Island Lostis A home to the Autumn Court, the Court ofin Mysteries
Even the Pure were kept at bay. It was only recently that the Forsaken in the city were able to fight back and reclaim their territories. Saint John, Moncton, Edmundston and Fredericton are all know to have a well established Forsaken presence of some kind.
most comfortable here on the island, where they claim that the slowly changing pace of life most suits them and their quiet needs. The Freehold of Cradled Waves in Tignish is ruled by the Autumn Queen Gallante, a Darkling. Gallante‘s rule encompasses the entire Island,
and several motleys are scattered throughout, gathering once a season in Tignish. Recently it is rumoured new freeholds have appeared in Charlottetown and Summerside to challenge the languid rule of Gallante.
New Brunswick in Lost New Brunswick knows specifically which Gentry is interested in them, a malevolent and cruel monster who has taken the name the Abenaki God, ―Malsumis.‖
Malsumis stalks the wild places of New Brunswick, taking people away, and making them suffer for his own
New Brunswick
perverse pleasure. Malsumis‘ reach also extends to Prince
Edward Island, Nova Scotia and the Gaspe, but his homeland is in New Brunswick. The Freeholds of New Brunswick exist in terror of Malsumis, and are wellfocused against the common threat they face. Established
Major Cities in New Brunswick Moncton (126,000), Saint John (122,000), Fredericton (85,000), Bathurst (31,000), Miramichi (25,000). (Saint John is currently an active domain in the Camarilla.)
seasonal Landing freeholdsFreehold‖), are knownandtoBathurst exist in(―Freehold Fredericton (―King‘s de Baie des Chaleurs). Baie des Chaleurs is a Francophone freehold. A new freehold has recently been founded in Saint John.
Geography of New Brunswick Originally part of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick has switched hands between the French and English a few times. Unlike the other Maritime provinces, it sustains a
Moncton Requiem—Marquis Edward Stief, the Invictus Ventrue, is said to be an ancestor of the Pennsylvania Dutch families that settled in Moncton in the late 1800s. He rules his domain firmly and has overcome several challenges the region has presented over the decades. Richard Sampson, the Seneschal, is a member of the Dragons and
large community of French speakers and is Canada‘s only
bilingual province. After the Acadians, it first saw major settlement from American loyalists after the revolution, when its major cities were founded. Tension between the French-speaking and English-speaking people has always been a fact of life with, until very recently, the French speakers being effectively second-class citizens without access to government resources. Mi‘kmaq, Abenaki and Maliseet first nations all have reservations in New Brunswick. There has been significant tension recently with the First Nations communities exercising their historic right to fish outside of the restrictive season for different species, based off 18th Century treaty rights.
appears to be the Prince‘s closest advisor. The city itself is
said to have provided some roots for the Ordo Dracul in the new world. The other covenants, though not as numerous as the Invictus or Ordo, do fill other positions in the court. It is rumoured that kindred from the United States are not welcome in the domain —a long standing Loyalist grudge. The Marquis Stief and Marquess Rioux of Fredericton have a long standing conflict over whom has claim to the title of Duke in the region. Both are powerful elders who control cites that have made strides to establish the Invictus covenant in the region.
New Brunswick‘s economy in rural areas is a mix of
mining, fishing, lumber and light agriculture. Its cities were historically centred around shipbuilding, but now focus around industry, largely owned by the very 8
Awakening (The Petitcodiac Consilium)—The Consilium is named after the river that runs through the city and is dominated by the Silver Ladder and the Adamantine Arrow. It maintains extensive and good relations with the Consilium of Grand Pré with regards to handling Mont Blanc. Petitcodiac is beset every nine years, with huge numbers of Sleepwalkers who appear in Saint John, and the local Orders take it upon themselves to protect and nurture the sleepwalkers. A separate Guardian Cabal, The Acadian Brothers, exists in the city refusing to abide by the Lex Magica, and sometimes helps, sometimes hinders the Consilium with their business. The Hierarch of Petitcodiac is an Acadian Silver Ladder Obrimos known as Beauséjour, and the herald is a
Dracul, has emerged from the shambles and re-established Elysium in Saint John. Awakening (The Maliseet Consilium)— Named after the first people in the area, the Maliseet Consilium felt that it was a proud member of Dominion, fervently loyal to the greater structure, as they still do. But, truth be known, the Maliseet Consilium was always treated like an outcast son, and an embarrassment within Dominion. The Consilium operates on a very rare Scales of Alithea organization, welcoming Scelesti and even Seers to speak and be represented in the Consilium. This makes Saint John a rarely trusted ally by nearby Consilii, although it does continue to hold the line against Mont Blanc. The Hierarch of the Maliseet Consilium is an Acanthus
Moros Silver Ladder who calls herself Memramcook.
Mysterium who callsofherself Champlain, the Herald a Thyrsus Guardian the Veil who calls and himself Eco. is Forsaken— Saint John has always been a battle ground for the Uratha. From the early 1800s when the Rat Hosts had a solid presence, to the early 1900s when the Azlu took the city for their own, Uratha have come to the city seeking a fight. Over the last two decades a larger push has been made by the Uratha to take the city and rid it of the problem of the Hosts, Pure, and malicious spirits. In 2006 at what some would consider the peak of their success in these battles, the Uratha of the city all but disappeared without any explanation. Slowly, the city was taken back by Rats and Pure while the few newer Uratha that came to the city had to take smaller territory and defend it just to squeeze by. New Years Day 2010 saw the return of the missing Uratha, but there are no answers to where they were, at least not yet. Now the old and new Uratha work together to fight for the city once more.
Fredericton Requiem—Marquess Stephanie Rioux Nosferatu Invictus Prince of Fredericton, is a woman of mixed native and European decent. Her exotic looks cause feelings of impropriety to those that look upon her and she uses it to her fullest advantage. The Prince has established one of the larger Elysiums in Canada consisting of the Garrison District which encompasses several historic buildings and sights. These areas are judiciously controlled by the Keeper of Elysium, Renard Theriault, a Daeva Crone of Acadian ancestry. There are rumors that the city is a safe haven for kindred that still feel resentment towards the English for the deportation of the Acadians 300 years ago. These allegations are addressed by members of the court as Moncton propaganda against the rightful Prince of Fredericton. Awakening (The Royal Consilium of Marysville and Fredericton)—The Royal Consilium of Marysville and Fredericton is the newest Consilium in the Maritimes, founded in 1903. It is predominantly Free Council and Mysterium, and the two groups get along quite well. The Royal Consilium is known to suffer from a persistent and terrible Banisher problem in the last 15 years, and this is perhaps related to the extensive cult activity in the area. The Hierarch of the Royal Consilium is an Acanthus Mysterium who calls himself Irving, the herald is an ambitious Obrimos Silver Ladder who calls herself McCain.
Requiem—A small community of CircleMiramichi of the Crone, led by a Daeva Hierophant, Jehanne des Rochers, has inhabited the river valley for centuries. Beginning in 2009, the city came under siege by a Brood threat from Québec. These Brood claim allegiance to the Imperium of the Drakon d‘Enfer of Rimouski, whose ambition for territory has clearly spread to the Maritimes. The kindred population of this region is thought to be so small, that it is unlikely that Hierophant Jehanne can hold out for long without help. Awakening—There is reputedly a Major Atlantean artifact somewhere in the headwaters of the Miramichi River. It is completely unclear where, or what, but the legend lives on. Many say this explains the virulent Cult activity of New Brunswick.
Saint John (Active Domain) Requiem— Saint John was historically a part of the Invictus Imperium of Eastern Canada, but in the 1980s it fell, through violence, to the control of a coalition of the Ordo Dracul and Circle of the Crone. Even this coalition was a tenuous alliance, and in 2006, the city was euphemistically have said to have ―gone to torpor‖ in polite Elysiums of Canada. The truth is that the kindred of Saint John were struck with a disease known as ―the frenzy plague‖ whose srcin is unclear, and it remains
uncertain what happened within the domain during that time. Recently, Prince Doyle Macleod, a Nosferatu Ordo 9
too wide to bridge, boats are as important for transportation as cars. The northern latitude, and the Lawrentian mountains running through this region make it unsuited for agriculture, although the valleys — particularly the region around the city of Saguenay—are used for some light farming. Timber and fishing dominate the economy in this region, so does the trucking economy connecting New Brunswick and the Maritimes to the rest of Canada. North of the Saguenay valley, the province is quite empty, except for a few isolated native villages, only reachable by air, even the highways connecting to Western Quebec go on for hundreds of miles without gas stations. There is no highway, or rail link to the towns
Québec Québec is the heart of French speaking North America, and what remains of New France, a trading empire that once controlled more than half the continent. Unlike the rest of Canada, French is the common language of Québec: spoken by the government, the courts, and the universities. Québec is the largest province in Canada by size, and the second largest by population.
Québec in Forsaken Québec is unusual in that it holds one of the largest known concentrations of Ghost Wolves in Canada – possibly thecan world. Therethere are as at well least –two Ghost Wolfis lodges that be found Mons Regii native to the area and members of Armée Sauvage can be found there as well. The reason for the population of Ghost Wolves is an unknown and the fact that many of them band together makes it even more of a mystery. Much of Québec is controlled by the Pure of the fourth confederacy, Les Meutes Confederées Boréales. This confederacy very recently had a change in leadership with one of the leaders – André Blackburn of the Predator Kings – being recently overthrown. André is still active, however, patrolling the Monteregian Mountains.
along theconnected far north coast of the Gulf ofbySt. Lawrence, but they are to Newfoundland ferry. The major islands in the St. Lawrence (Anticosti, Iles-de-laMadeleine) are also connected to the nearby provinces by ferry. This region is remarkably similar to the Maritime provinces in culture and economic circumstances, but the language difference keeps it connected to the rest of Québec. It is worth noting that when the French were first mapping this area, the local Algonquian people identified that to the north lay the kingdom of ―Saguenay‖ a
fabulous land of wealth and plenty, gems and gold, and of white people with blonde hair. It was never found by the French explorers: some speculate that it was an attempt by seized prisoners to escape ashore, by describing people who looked like their European captors, or an apocryphal remembrance of the Viking settlement at L‘Anse -auxMeadows. Nevertheless the dream and speculation of a wealthy kingdom have motivated many explorers inland
Québec in Lost The Province of Québec is the territory of a very particular and ancient Fae known as ―the Kingdom of Saguenay.‖ The legend of blonde haired men from the
city of gold seems to tie in with the captures of older members of Québec freeholds. The freeholds of Québec th
have fallen incontracts. the 20 century, themany result scattered of failed oaths largely and forgotten As such, Motleys and a few entitled exist around the Province, but with a few exceptions, they are not bonded to a freehold. The Grand Trunk Railway is also laced throughout the hedge of the Province, but many stations are now little more than overgrown platforms.
to seereservations what the story based on. Malecites, Native people with still could in the be area are the the Mi‘kmaq, the Innu and the Naskapi.
Saguenay Requiem—Saguenay has seen more than its fair share of insanity throughout the years. Originally a Sanctified refuge where the Lancea could retreat to when court politics became too much, its populace was decimated by the great flood of 1996. As the city attempted to stabilize after the disaster they were struck by a series of vicious assaults from Belial‘s Brood. It‘s a few years before other cities become aware of the incident, but as visitors stopped returning it became apparent that the city had been lost to the Brood. By 2000 the city was confirmed to be a stronghold of the Magnate of Belial—very far east of the stronghold of the Magnate in Ontario. The Harpies feel that this event was essential in the foundation of the Imperium of the Drakon d‘Enfer . But it is uncertain
Gaspé, Saguenay & the gulf of St. Lawrence Major Cities in Gaspé, Saguenay & the Gulf of St Lawrence Saguenay (151,000), Rimouski (46,000), Alma (32,000), Baie Comeau (29,000), Sept-Iles (27,000).
precisely the events ofinSaguenay were to the rise of thehow Drakon d‘Enfer Rimouski , andrelated who caused what. Awakening (Consilium des Terres Montagnais)—Too far north to be reliably governed by the Free Council in Quebec City, the Consilium des Terres Montagnais is
Geography of Gaspé, Saguenay & the Gulf of St. Lawrence Essentially all of Québec north and east of the capital, this portion of the province is connected to the sea. Fishing is a major industry, and, the St. Lawrence being 10
barely holding together. The core issue is that there is said to be an Atlantean artifact deep in nearby lake Saguenay. The current Hierarch, a Thyrsus Arrow named
on Québec city and the cities of New Brunswick as his next great prizes.
Sept-Iles
D‘Artagnan, is aware that the spirit of the lake has no
interest in co-operating with a search for the artifact. The leader of the other major cabal, a recently awakened Acanthus Mysterium member who has called herself Dumas, challenges him. The Mysterium are interested in searching the lake and claiming the artifact, and routinely add or subtract from the Lex Magica for their own purposes, to the fury of the Arrow. Both factions of the Consilium are hoping to attract more mages, and stronger representation from other orders to tip the balance in their favour.
Awakening—The small city of Sept-Iles is not known to have an active awakened presence, but it‘s r umoured to be home to a powerful and unaligned Proximi family, perhaps protecting an Atlantean Artifact. Of course, those are just rumours.
Coeur de Québec
The Scarecrow
Lost (Chateau de L’can Épouvantail) Ministry‘s headquarters be found in—Jonquiere, as just being in the ‗Saguenay‘ region is enough to keep most
Major Cities in Coeur de Québec
Changelings well away. It is rumoured that they are based out of the nearby ghost town of Saint-Jean Vianney, where the Ministry conducts its most secret ceremonies in relative peace. Those who explore the area without the permission of the Ministry, and are found out, are punished most harshly. No one who is not of the ministry is given permission to wander the area outside of Jonquiere itself. The chief minister in the area is thought to be a mirrorskin known as Minister Robichaud to outsiders. Minister Papyrus, who is known to run the entitlement in Canada itself, is also based out of Jonquiere.
Québec (715,000), Trois-Rivieres (142,000), Drummondville (78,000), Shawinigan (56,000), Victoriaville (48,000), Saint-Georges (31,000), Thetford Mines (26,000). (Trois-Rivieres is an active domain in the Camarilla.)
Geography of Coeur de Québec Stretching along the St. Lawrence from the eponymous capital of the province south to Montreal the Coeur de Québec (literally ―heart of Québec‖) was also the heart of
New France. In this region English speakers are a small minority the land is still divided along the old narrow parish strips facing onto the rivers, and for most of Québecois history it was also the heartland of the ultramontanist Roman-Catholic church that wielded so much power. Francophone culture is strongest in this area, and in Québec, culture is politics, so it is no surprise that this region is one of the most politically powerful in Québec, producing powerful federalist and sovereignist politicians. Nestled between two ranges of mountains, there is a microclimate over the St. Lawrence river and the surrounding area, and this area is agriculturally productive: dairy, fruits, vegetables, poultry, wheat, and vegetables are all produced here. It is the bread-basket of the province, and the home of distinct Québecois cuisine. This region appears to have been well settled before the French first arrived with Cartier, the first exploratory missions down the St. Lawrence met with villages that were well fed and healthy. Agriculture and bountiful hunting made it possible for Algonquian people to be well established, and able to support the French as they arrived. It was the interaction between the French and their Algonquian hosts that began the political dynamic
Rimouski Requiem—Traditionally Rimouski was a strong Ordo Dracul city. This was likely the influence of nearby Québec. The Prince, who preferred the title ―Le Drakon Impérial‖, was an enigmatic figure even within the obfuscated lore of the Ordo. His true name was unknown and he simply went by that title, and always had as long as any could remember. Rimouski, as a city, never drew much attention, it‘s kindred always polite and well read, and always respectful of those in position, which made the events of September the 20 th, 2000 all the more surprising. A missive went out on this date to Harpies across the nation stating the following (in French and English): “On this date, September 20 th, 2000, the court of le Drakon Impérial as you know it is no more. The Drakon Impérial is reborn with his brethren in the Magnate of Belial - le Drakon d‟Enfer” Shortly thereafter a number of kindred in smaller outlying cities were driven from their havens. Rumour reached the courts of Eastern Canada that the city of Rimouski, remained under the leadership of the Drakon Impérial but no longer wished to maintain contact with the courts, and he hadIles, retitled himself. Within dayscovenant Alma, Baie Comeau, Sept and Riviere-du-Loup all fell to the Drakon. In the years since, what few Brood kindred could be captured have revealed themselves to be under the authority of ―The Imperium of the Drakon
that Canada, the great exchange thoughts and became technology that and reshaped Europe and ofdeveloped North America. Native people with reservations in this region include the Abenaki and the Atikamek. The native Algonquian have all moved west and north out of the area. The Wendat, although their homeland was srcinally in Ontario by lake Simcoe have also been granted a small
d‘Enfer.‖ There is no doubt that the Drakon has his eyes
11
reservation in Québec City, to recognize their historic alliance with the French after the Iroquois destroyed their homeland in the French-Indian war.
cabals with the tools they need to keep order in the domain. The domain has been quiet for some years now but with recent debates in Assembly about the entry of anarchic mages, many sense that things are about to become too loud, yet again. The Hierarch of Don de Dieu is an Obrimos Free Councillor, Duc de Buade, and its herald is the Thyrsus Free Councillor Madeleine. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening of Québec City)
Québec City Requiem—The oldest city in North America, Québec City has seen many things and been many things to kindred. While the capital of New France, Québec was a Lancea Sanctum city. Curiously, while under the Lancea it maintained good relations with the Crone, who spoke for most of the first nation kindred in the area, and whose goodwill the newly founded city relied on. After being conquered by the British, Québec was flooded with Invictus, both those that had arrived with the French soldiers to defend the capital, and the more numerous English Invictus who arrived with the British. The consolidating power of the Invictus drove a wedge between the Crone and the Lancea, whose alliance crumbled. The Crone disappeared as a faction in the city or nearby. Mary Campbell, a Daeva Invictus quickly became Prince of the united faction, and her rule lasted until her unexpected death in 1901. A dozen years later, when no clear leader had appeared, the Ordo Dracul stepped into the power vacuum of chaos after the death of the Prince Campbell. Through suave politics, the Kogaion Anthony Greer became Prince of Québec. Greer proved a solid leader, and the city remained strongly Lancea and Invictus, with the Ordo presiding. But in 1969, after a brief period in torpor, Prince Greer re-emerged, changed. The fog of ages had warped his personality and the traditions of Québec began to languish. Carthians and Crone were allowed into the city, and then in 2000, attacks from the Brood, launched
Trois-Rivieres (Active Domain) Requiem— Trois-Rivieres has proven to be a reliably solid Carthian domain in recent years, strongly supported by the Ordo Dracul. Several political experiments have been implemented in Trois-Rivieres. Their current leader, Prince O‘Reilly, has only just declared the previous
experiment concluded, and not yet announced to his Elysium what his new experiment will be. The Carthian influence in Trois-Rivieres has been quite subtle over the years, although other Kindred may be able to notice the sharp, legalistic tendencies that have worked their way into the ways of thinking of all Covenants of the court. Awakening— Trois-Rivieres is alleged to have once been home to a strong Consilium, but if that‘s the case, no one has seen or heard from them since the fall of Dominion. It is also alleged to be the home not only of a Silver Ladder Cryptopoly, but also to a powerful artifact that is of value to several of the orders. None of this has been verified, and no one has gone into Trois-Rivieres, as it was determined by mystagogue scholars that it was hard hit by the fall of Dominion.
Shawinigan
from the Imperium of the Drakon d‘Enfer began to wear
abound the nature the Requiemof —Rumours Kindred Shawinigan. Whileabout no formal court isof held there, the Crone claims tentative control of the city. Once used as a staging ground and outpost during their more combative days with the City of Québec it is now largely left unattended and unused. As a means of acknowledging the Crones claim to the city, the Hierophant of Québec City has been granted it as a covenant held domain. Awakening (Les Enfants de Richelieu)—It is rumoured that a Guardian Labyrinth network has its hub in Shawinigan, and has an extensive presence along the north shore of the St. Lawrence river. It is said to be overseen by a group of seven very traditional Guardians of the Veil, completely enmeshed in their masks. They call themselves Les Enfants de Richelieu (the Children of Richelieu) likely after the French Prime Minister, Cardinal and Spymaster of the 17th century. Their public representative is a Moros, who calls herself La Tristesse, and only appears masked the few times she has visited other Consilii.
away at the community. The covenants rallied, and an elder from France was found masquerading in the ranks of the Invictus. In 2007 the Elder, André D‘Auvergne, was appointed to the position of Prince of Québec City, acclaimed by the covenants, and deposing the almost useless Greer. Quebec now enjoys a period of prosperity under Prince D‘Auvergne, but many know it is probably a matter of time before the Drakon d‘Enfer, and his hordes
of Brood rise again. (See the Appendix for more on the Requiem of Québec City) Awakening (L'Assemblée Don de Dieu)—Home to one of the oldest, and strongest, Libertine seats in Canada, l'Assemblée Don de Dieu holds the distinction of being one of the first places in Canada to host the fledgling Free Council in the months following the Great Refusal. As can be expected, the Assembly is one of the most politically turbulent with the other Orders, the Ladder especially, challenging them at every turn. Oddly enough, the Assembly hasVeil their ardent backers withBoth the Guardians of the andmost the Adamantine Arrow. Orders recognize that when dealt with fairly the Libertines make amicable and effective leaders. It helps that the Libertines hate incursions by the Seers as much as anyone and are only too willing to provide the martial
Drummondville & Victoriaville Requiem—As the tumultuous history of Québec City unraveled, the Carthian Movement found itself pushed out 12
French settlers. The annual Montreal trade fair was the premiere commercial event of North America in the 17 th and 18th centuries, and this region of Québec quickly surpassed Québec City in commercial importance in the 1700s. Abenaki and Mohawk people both maintain reservations in this area, and have historically been a very influential presence in the region: particularly the Mohawk whose Kahnahsetake reserve immediately across the river from Montreal has been the site of armed insurrection in the 20th Century. The Mohawk Akwesasne reserve spans Quebec, Ontario and New York state on the St. Lawrence river. Because the Mohawk nominally maintain independence from Canada and the United States,
of the city and relegated to ‗lesser‘ territories. Of these,
the cities of Drummondville and Victoriaville are the best established. While it would be misleading to call them domains in their own right, they have established a sort of Anarcho-syndicalist commune which is as byzantine to navigate for Elders as antiquated court structures are for Neonates. They are highly xenophobic and while no one Carthian rules either city, there are still ‗Cults of Personality‘. Who those personalities are though is the
type of information a Harpy would kill for. Awakening (La Banque de la Boussole)—A Silver Ladder Cabal, La Banque de la Boussole (Bank of the Compass) holds cryptopolies through the cities of the south shore of the St. Lawrence river and into the townships near Montreal. are led by a argumentative and fat Obrimos who callsThey himself Bombardier and styles himself L‟Éxecutif du Cabal. The cabal is composed mostly of Silver Ladder disenchanted with the Lex of Québec City, and have struck out on their own. They appear to be obsessed with combining modern corporate management and investment theory, with geomancy and Feng Shui, particularly redirecting the leylines in the region. Some suspect this is a little more than a project to use magic to enrich themselves; but the Mysterium in particular are keeping an eye on this cabal and suspect they might be up to something grander, and much more subtle.
Akwesasne is a notorious weak point Canadian border, and immigrants, weapons, drugs in andtheother goods are smuggled both ways. The Mohawk, and the Haudesonee confederacy they belonged to, were fierce allies of the English during the wars that raged through this region. The Abenaki were allied to the French, and continue to maintain much better relations with the local people. The ―townships‖ to the east of Montreal were settled by
loyalists and English immigrants after the American Revolution, and they were, until the 1960s English speaking. Many place names still reflect this, and the presence of English farmers and tradespeople was what made Montreal the premiere cultural and commercial centre for both cultures in Canada. This changed with the rise of the secessionist movement in the 20th century, and it became difficult for the English minority of Quebec to sustain itself. Many families of left this area and its cities and moved to Ontario (thus precipitating the decline of
Montreal & the Townships
Montreal‘s status in Cana da). The but region was also heart of manufacturing in Quebec, it declined in
the 1970s and 1980s, and now mining, lumber and paper, and agriculture are the prominent industries of the Townships. In Montreal itself, finance, telecommunications, aerospace and transportation are major economic sectors.
Major Cities in Montreal & the Townships Montreal (3,636,000), Sherbrooke (187,000), Saint-Jeansur-Richelieu (85,000), Granby (68,000), Saint Hyacinthe (56,000), Sorel-Tracy (48,000), Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (40,000). Montreal is an active domain in the Camarilla.
Montreal (Active Domain) Requiem— Montreal languished under the control of the Lancea for centuries, with the Invictus serving as their enforcers over the other covenants. Coinciding with the Quiet Revolution in Quebec in the 1950s and 1960s, the Carthians and Circle of the Crone, led by the Elder Crone Ludmilla, allied against this reign of tyranny. United, the covenants overthrew the Lancea Cardinal. Over the course of a year, the Invictus, their retainers, and the Lancea were all driven from the city. The Invictus made their peace, and worked their way back into the city, this time subservient to the Crone. The Lancea remained hated
Geography of Montreal & the Townships Montreal has been, for most of Confederation, the urban centre of Canada. This changed in the 1960s when Toronto‘s population and economy boomed, and more so
in the 1990s as Vancouver and Calgary became major cities in their own right, but Montreal is still arguably Canada‘s premiere city for culture. And almost everyone
agrees, it is the best city in the nation for living the good life. It is a fully bilingual city, the second largest Frenchspeaking city in the world (after Paris, France), and the second largest city in Canada (after Toronto). Originally Montreal was New France‘s inland trade centre, built on
antagonists, and scapegoated for everything that went wrong by thewere Carthians and particularly the Crone. In 2008 through subtle politics, a Ventrue Invictus,
the large island at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. Montreal became a gathering place for the powerful Eastern First nations, and their allies, the
point where he was capable of seizing Praxis, at first through his pawns, and then openly himself. Prince
styling himself ―Duke Montfort‖ worked his way to the
13
Montfort has welcomed the Lancea back into the city, but this time, the Lance serve the First Estate. Awakening— Before 1970 Montreal was known as a cosmopolitan and traditional centre for Mages in Canada. It was a long-time partner with Ottawa, and was often involved in high-level political events with regards to Dominion, serving as the ―left -hand‖ diplomatic enabler for the wishes of Ottawa. Montreal was intimately tied to the Dominion leyline network, serving as a major network hub, although this would prove to be both its downfall and lead to end of Dominion. In 1970, the Silver Ladder enacted a ritual that was undermined by the Guardians of the Veil, and even further tainted by an apocalyptic Scelesti. The consequences of this ritual opened a
order, except from Montreal. Because they associate Montreal with the fall of Dominion and weakness, they are completely scornful, loathing, and generally antagonistic of the nearby city.
Granby Requiem—Settled in the early 1700‘s Granby has long been a Gangrel town. Their Prince, a woman by the name of Batilde, is a well-regarded member of the clan who despite a very calm and approachable demeanour is a furious, vicious, and brutal combatant. It is rumoured that she took Praxis by walking into the existing court, and in front of the assembled Kindred eviscerating the Prince. She dismissed such rumours and claims her praxis was peaceful, and it‘s not doubted that she is likely to have the political savvy to have pulled that off, but blood and violence make for better stories. Currently the Gangrel Prince seems to have adopted a bit of a soft spot for the Nosferatu and have begun allowing them to take up residence under the city but her insistence on the city being apolitical has kept the kindred numbers down.
doorway to the Abyss, which spread an Abyssal storm across the entirety of Dominion‘s leyline network. This collapsed the network, killed the majority of the Awakened living in Canada, and created a new Awakened dark age. In the lifetime it has taken the nation to recover from the adverse effects of this ritual, Montreal has further suffered from Abyssal intrusions, and paranoid isolationism. From the ashes, in 2005, the Silver Ladder college of Montreal was reclaimed, and Consilium reestablished by the Pentacle. Even today, Mages of Montreal are working to reestablish their place within the community of Montreal. Forsaken—Montreal was once home to several packs of tribeless Ghost Wolves, but what has become of them in recent years is unknown. Lost— The freehold of Montreal was for many years ruled by a singularly powerful Changeling, known as the Dragon, who was rumoured to in fact be a Fae, or as powerful as one at least. He ruled with steel blades and
Sorel-Tracy Requiem—Sorel-Tracy is a point of Pride for the First Estate of Quebec. Established early on in the province‘s
History a number of enterprising kindred made their way from the political maelstrom of Quebec City to the relative calm of Sorel-Tracy. The city is a sort of living proof of Invictus prosperity, through their steady guidance was the city shaped from Fort Richelieu into the town it is now, guiding many historical events along the way. Only a single coterie of Invictus resides in this small city, but y‘sCoterie theythese are proud the cit successisand through all many of years. The ledstability by Sir Vincent Leroy, a knight of the Thorned Wreath. Would-be Invictus knights from many Houses come to Sorel-Tracy for martial training.
harsh and temperament, who detracted fromThe his rule, appointingexecuting nobles toany govern the seasons. Dragon has recently been overthrown, and a thriving freehold now exists in Montreal.
Sherbrooke Requiem—Sherbrooke once had a thriving Requiem Elysium, but it has dissolved, perhaps struck down by the same frenzy plague that hit Saint John. Recently, an Ordo Dracul, by the name of Eudes Carillion has arrived in the city, and announced his intention, as ―Prince de Sherbrooke‖ to create an Elysium dedicated to the
interests of the Ordo Dracul, a true safe haven for his covenant in Eastern Canada. It remains to be seen how successful he will be in this project, and it is unknown whom else may have joined him. Awakening (La Fortresse de Magog)—A Bastion of Arrow, split into three Cabals, have recently arrived and established themselves here. They named their settlement after the local andbya agiant in theandbook of Revelations. Theyriver, are led Mastigos, former military commander, who calls himself Sieur de Seaton. The organization of La Fortresse is entirely defensive, and focused on fighting the abyssal intrusions in the province. They are happy to welcome assistance from within their 14
Adamantine Arrow believe it is likely under the control of the Seer Tetrarchy known as the Iron Regency, or the authority of banishers.
Outaouais & the Laurentides
Rouyn-Noranda & Val-d‟Or Requiem—Recent additions to the Kindred scene, the story of these cities begin in 1923 when Gold is discovered in Val-d‘or. An enterprising Crone by the name of Joelle Beauchamp, hearing of the find, decides to risk it all in a venture north from her home in Quebec City. The travel takes a long time but when she arrived it paid off big. For reasons which were unclear to her, the city was free of Kindred influence so quickly she set to work and made a fortune as the men working there were susceptible to her natural feminine wiles, and had no hope of resisting them when combined with the supernatural graces of her Daeva blood. By 1940 she had made her fortune and was looking for something else to keep her attention as she did not wish to be in the town when the gold mines went bust, so she heads of to the city of Rouyn-Noranda. When she arrives, she quickly discovers a Kindred court but using the political savvy, and the virtual fortune that she picked up in Val-d‘or she is able to climb the ranks quickly, by 1986 she is Seneschal of the city and while the title of Prince changes hands continuously she remains as the cities‘ Seneschal. She continues on in that role today, but additionally serves as the city hierophant fostering culture within the city as well as a healthy respect for pagan lifestyles among the mortals. The kindred of Rouyn-Noranda claim they are constantly vigilant against the Brood, wedged as they are between two Imperiums—but, so far, claim to have had no issue. When nearby Princes consult, the opinion that generates is either Seneschal Beauchamp is in league with the Imperium in some way, or she is naïve and her cities will, sooner or later succumb to the Magnate or the Drakon. But clever harpies note this could be the sour taste of envy speaking: the truth is unknown.
Major Cities in Outaouais & the Laurentides Gatineau (1,130,000—mostly in Ontario), Joliette (43,000), Rouyn-Noranda (40,000), Val-d‘Or (32,000),
Geography in Outaouais & the Laurentides The portion Quebec most integrated with the Ontario, the Outaouais andofLaurentides region runs along southern and eastern portion of the province—roughly the portion of the Province whose watershed is the Ottawa river. There is agriculture immediately along the valley of the large Ottawa river, but otherwise, the terrain is rocky and mountainous, defined by the Precambrian granite of the Canadian shield, and covered in deciduous trees. Lumber and mining towns are the economy for the rural portions of this region. But the city of Gatineau (on the Québec side) and Ottawa (on the Ontario side) is hugely important for the economy as well. It is the centre of the federal government, and huge amounts of money flow from the city to the region, in the form of cultural and infrastructure investments in the area. But also, more basically, from the politicians and bureaucrats, who support themselves quite comfortably in the area, several maintaining large estates in the Gatineau hills and Laurentian mountains just north of the city, including the Prime Minister and Governor General. All this cash helps support many local industries in the region Anishnaabeg and Algonquin first nations are also present in the area: this is their historic homeland. A major feature of this region, is Ontario and Québec support very different cultures, and expectations of government. Which means that locals can take make use of different customs (e.g. the minimum age to purchase alcohol in Quebec is 18, while in Ontario it‘s 19) and tax
rates (lower, in general in Ontario) to their advantage. Bilingualism is also quite common, though decreases as you get further from the Ottawa river. The proximity of Ontario, and importance of the federal government money has meant that the region has always been reliably federalist in its politics. This has encouraged the government of Québec—frequently at odds with the government in Ottawa—to be less lavish in its spending in the area.
Outaouais & the Laurentides in Awakening This region was entirely under the authority of the Peace Tower Consilium in Ottawa, and there was no great established Awakened Presence in the area. With the fall of Dominion, the region i s now a ―no-man‘s-land‖ but the 15
Ottawa Valley & East Ontario
Ontario Canada‘s second largest province by area, and by far the largest by population —almost a third of Canada lives in this province—historically, Ontario has produced half the
wealth in confederation, though this has recently changed as Alberta‘s oil economy has grown. O ntario has been the power of Canada since confederation, almost every other province has alleged, at some point in history, that Canada‘s
economy
was
rigged
to
benefit
Major Cities in the Ottawa Valley & East Ontario Ottawa (1,130,000), Kingston (152,000) Belleville (91,000), Cornwall (58,000), Brockville (40,000) Pembroke (32,000).
the
manufacturers of Ontario. It is the home of the national capital (Ottawa), since the 1960s the cultural and economic capital (Toronto), and being the province furthest south, the wealthiest farmland and biggest cities.
Geography in Ottawa Valley & Eastern Ontario This region is shaped by the two major rivers that define it, the Ottawa river flowing south-east and forming the boundary between Quebec and Ontario, and the St. Lawrence river and north shore of Lake Ontario. These two, lush river valleys are well developed and separated by the massive glacial-plateau of the Haliburton highlands and Algonquin and Temagami provincial Parks. The area is largely rural, with Ottawa an urban island within it. It is the oldest settled part of Ontario, the great wave of settlement came from American Loyalists, although srcinal families from New France are also still present in the area, and there is a substantial francophone population to be found here. Culturally it is defined by being an intensely conservative rural area: gun rights, property rights, and a general anti-government sentiment are very strong in Eastern Ontario. But this is juxtaposed with being a border-land as well, the looser drinking and cigarette laws of Quebec attract many young people over for weekend long parties, and the special laws governing the international Mohawk reserves along the St. Lawrence river make this region the number one source of guns and drugs smuggled into Canada, not to mention drugs, and would-be American immigrants settled out. Quite a fortune is made by the snakeheads and smugglers of Eastern Ontario. Native people along the St. Lawrence are all Mohawk, and it is their ancestral homeland. To the north of them are Ojibwe and other Algonquian peoples, and this is also their ancestral homeland. There are scattered reservations throughout the area. Logging and agriculture are the important industries in this area. Ottawa is defined by the bilingual federal bureaucracy, and effectively an independent fiefdom from the rest of Ontario, and largely supported by the largesse of the federal Canadian taxpayer. The Canadian military also has several important bases in this area, including the Military Academy and base in Kingston, and a major airfield in Trenton. Kingston is the home of Kingston
Ontario in Forsaken Since the days of the fur trade Ontario has held and supported a significant number of Forsaken. Many of the major cities had been used as rally points after the Pure made their push against the Forsaken following the Brethren War and since then those cities have remained Forsaken strongholds. Since its discovery by the European Uratha, territories in Ontario have changed hands between packs and tribes so frequently that it is often difficult to determine who controls what. This gave the Pure opportunity to oust many of the Forsaken packs with relative ease at the end of the 20th century. Those that fled to the cities continued to bicker as territory became scarcer. Still these Forsaken packs know well enough to reserve most of their bitterness for the Pure who took their land in the first place and save their rage for any spirits who would dare cross beyond their boundaries. The Pure of the Third Confederacy, the Skin Traders, retain a great deal of control over the less populated areas, but they were not as successful in driving the Forsaken back as they had hoped.
Ontario in Lost Also under the malign influence of the Kingdom of Saguenay, Ontario takes advantage of its relative distance, and has a well established network of Changelings operating across the province. They have organized around five freeholds, which extend relative influence into the darker places of the province. The Grand Trunk railroad is well established in Ontario itself, and the sites of a few former freeholds are still well maintained by the local motley‘s in the area, perhaps promising that
someday more freeholds will arise.
Penitentiary, one of two maximum security prisons in Ontario.
16
recent years, and a rumoured Bridge Burner rebellion ended up assassinating three of their kings. Only General Stormcaller—a wizened Soldier of the Summer Court— remains, desperately trying to rebuild on the off chance the freeholds srcinal fears come true.
Eastern Ontario in Awakening Ottawa was once one of Canada‘s most important
Awakened cities, and the nerve centre of Dominion. Ottawa‘s influence was so powerful that, with the
exception of Kingston, other cities in Eastern Ontario answered to Ottawa and was under the authority of the Lex Magica of the Peace Tower Consilium. As such, since the fall of Dominion there has been no reorganization in the area: there was no awakened presence to reorganize.
Kingston Requiem—Kingston has been Invictus since the days of Fort Frontenac. It is the cultural home of the Invictus in Canada, and all Kindred of the first estate can expect to be welcomed in style if they visit. Kingston is under the rule Ventrue Prince White, who has been Prince since the English gained the territory. The other covenants are very small, with Anne of Malagasy helping to maintain a small group of Carthians, and a mentor of the Prince of Cornwall leading a tiny Crone community. Bishop Henslowe, a Mekhet, leads the Lancea and is lightly teased within the covenant for being a ridiculously Anglican Bishop, but is quite powerful. Inter-Invictus politics is more important in Kingston than those involving any other Covenant. Several orders of Knights maintain a presence in the City in order to provide the First-Estates front against the Magnate of Belial. (See the Appendix for more on the Requiem in Kingston) Awakening (The Fort Henry Loyalist Consilium) — One of the most traditional and most paranoid of domains, the Consilium of Kingston is rumoured to be so xenophobic that their machinations encompass not just protecting their community, but also undermining other cabals within the consilium. Mages aware of the political situation do not believe the Lex Magica will hold for much longer under this internal stress. Despite, or perhaps because of this turmoil, the Seers have never taken hold in this Consilium. The main Herald is a theurge Arrow named Seraph who is known to oathbind several deputy Heralds to serve as his lieutenants. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Kingston)
Ottawa Requiem—The stable and iron rule of the Ventrue Invictus Prince James in Ottawa well known throughout Canada. HeMitchell is supported in this is venture by his right-hand man, Jayden Kaur, a fellow Ventrue Invictus who serves as Seneschal in Ottawa. Mitchell and Kaur go out of their way to keep kindred away from the levers of power in the federal government—they don‘t meddle with the government, and they are pleased that the government doesn‘t meddle back. Opposition to the Prince and Seneschal of Ottawa will quickly put you on the front lines in Pembroke. Mitchell has been a champion of the war with the Magnate of Belial for many years, and maintains alliances with nearby cities for just that purpose. The legendary Dragon who organized the war against the Magnate for years, Faubert, still resides in Ottawa, though he is said to have gone quite mad. (See the Appendix for more on the Requiem in Kingston) Awakening (The Peace Tower Consilium)—Seat of awakened bureaucracy and power in Canada. Up until very recently the Peace Tower Consilium was still called upon bymystical farawayback mages to settle legal disputes to supply up, and was generally seen asor the heart of the diamond orders in Canada. Following the assassination of Magister Pericles, the Ottawa Consilium has become an ever more bureaucratic and bitterly partisan domain of powerful mages. This is due in large part to a series of purges led by the Guardians to route out Pericles‘ former cabal mates. Although measures have been taken by Hierarch Sejanus to exert a measure of control many agree that the stability Ottawa once offered the awakened has long since vanished. The Herald is a Moros Arrow who is known as Camulos. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Ottawa) Forsaken— Ottawa is controlled by two very influential and territorial packs – Barrack Hill and Du Foi et de ‗lÉpée with Barrack Hill claiming Parliament Hill as part of its territory. Both packs work diligently to prevent the spirit courts from tampering with the peace and order of the country but they are also at odds with each other. Lost (The Freehold of the White Scepter)—The Freehold of The White Scepter was a small freehold of many well aged Lost, moved into the city to monitor the Canadian Government for Loyalist and Gentry activity. Thankfully, the Fey have as little knowledge of democracy as they do a seasonal monarchy, at least when it comes to Ottawa. The Monarchs grew complacent in
Belleville Requiem—Anne the Malagasy, the Carthian Daeva, styles herself the ―Prince of Quinte and the North Shore.‖
She is known for her stunning East African features and beauty, and has been active in the region since the 1830s, embracing several Childer, all of them beautiful creatures. It is unknown whether or not she is from Madagascar as her name implies, but she has clear memories of arriving in the region with Black loyalists. She maintains vampire allies in all the small cities of the area between Oshawa and Kingston, and maintains a small court for herself in Belleville. Her rule is supported by the Mekhet Bishop Averon of the Lancea who serves as her Seneschal while she travels. Anne and her spread-out subjects and allies are the front line against the Magnate of Belial who controls the land to the north of her. Doctor Perez, the Ventrue Ordo Dracul, maintains a small academy in Belleville, as a haven for travelling Ordo.
17
Cornwall
Golden Horseshoe
Requiem—Kashteka the Gangrel is the Crone Prince of Cornwall. Kashteka is a Mohawk, and does his best to maintain a court composed primarily of former members of First Nations. This goes so far that his Keeper of Elysium, Molly Hislop, a Daeva Crone, has instructed that all Elysiums be held in Mohawk. With the exception of Kashteka, his Mohawk Childer, and a few others (including Hislop) this is exceedingly difficult to maintain.
Kashteka‘s
influence
over
the
Major Cities in the Golden Horseshoe Toronto (5,113,000), Hamilton (692,000), Kitchener (451,000), St. Catharines (390,000), Oshawa (330,000), Guelph (120,000). Hamilton, Toronto, and a joint Kitchener-Guelph domain are active Camarilla domains, and almost this entire region falls into those three domains.
mortal
community is maintained through criminal connections. Within Cornwall he is feared, outside Cornwall he‘s very poorly regarded, but a valued ally against the Magnate of Belial, as Kashteka reliably keeps the border and St. Lawrence river out of the control of the Brood. Kashteka claims to be the first Childe of Brooke Fleetwolf, but this is unconfirmed. Because of this claim and his heritage as a Mohawk, Kashteka is loathed by Prince Sorajawet of Sault Ste. Marie, and she accuses him, of being an agent of the Magnate.
Geography of the Golden Horseshoe The Golden Horseshoe is the urban heart of Ontario, the wealth and media centre of Canada, and the self-styled centre of the Universe. This cluster of cities around the western-edge of Lake Ontario used to be Canada‘s best farmland, but in the late-1800s became its manufacturing heartland, and in the mid-1900s sprouted suburbs and became its population centre. It is, effectively, one large city, although it still distinguishes itself into several parts. What agricultural land remains, particularly in the Southern Niagara-escarpment area and the Holland Marsh is still wildly productive. But the power of the economy and size of the population really define this region: more than seven million people, a fifth of the country, in an area the size of Prince Edward Island. It is the heart of liberal-urban politics in Canada. There are no native reservations in the area, and there are very few land claims. However, as some of the largest cities in Canada,
Pembroke Requiem—The Bishop Aaron LaSalle, a Ventrue, is Cardinal of Pembroke and one of the most frightening Lancea in Ontario. Along with General Karlo Emilien, a Daeva, and well revered Dragon of the Axe, Pembroke serves as a forward outpost against the Magnate of Belial, and is a city of frequent violence for Kindred. The Ordo and Lancea are united in maintaining this bastion, and are backed up by Prince Mitchell of Ottawa. Awakening—Pembroke has recently been determined by the Guardians of the Veil to be under the influence of a Seer pyloninthat answersdespite to thethe Ironfact Regency, Tetrarchy Sudbury that thethecitySeer was formerly under the authority of the Peace Tower Consilium, The Adamantine Arrow who have analyzed this intelligence believe it suggests that the Regency is
this region isnative home peoples, to the largest of Statustheir and non-Status whopopulation live side-by-side fellow citizens in the country‘s urban heart.
Toronto is the largest centre here, and is the centre of Canadian financial world, with the six major banks and five of the country‘s largest law firms. It also houses
pressing into the ruins of Dominion‘s very centre, and
may plan to take Ottawa itself.
Canada‘s major media and communications companies,
and most large mining companies are headquartered here. Torontonians are regarded by the rest of the country and province as, generally, arrogant and insufferable. Since the 1980s, Toronto and its surrounding cities have become a majority-minority city in which no single ethnic group has a demographic majority. Several neighbourhoods are dominated by former-immigrant populations, and the city is generally viewed as being in a downward spiral of crime and underfunding as different populations isolate themselves from shared infrastructure. Oshawa, Guelph, Kitchener, Hamilton and Niagara are the other cities in the region. Economically, they are all
Brockville Requiem—Brockville is the home of an unusual alliance. Redfeathers, a Daeva Crone srcinally a Blackfoot from Alberta leads a small coterie of Crone kindred warriors, while Duke Edgar Broadstreet, a Ventrue Invictus Knight, leads a coterie of Invictus soldiers. Their two militant coteries, both engaged mainly against the Magnate of Belial, are allied, and between them run the city of Brockville. Broadstreet is disliked in Kingston, and Redfeathers is considered a threat by Kashteka in Cornwall (Redfeathers does not speak Mohawk, and refuses to learn.) such,their the two worktotogether to protect each As other, city,kindred and seek prove themselves in the greater alliance of Eastern Ontario.
focused on biomedical specializingresearch, on a computers, different steel, industry (Automobiles, and food processing respectively.), but they are also all involved in the Toronto economy. They are also all rapidly growing cities, coming to prominence within the Ontario and Canadian economies, and not at all under the thumb of Toronto. They are also all strongly influenced 18
by non-British or French immigrants, and integrating these new communities with various degrees of success.
the start in the country‘s iron
production capital, Loyalists have been well known to infiltrate many layers of local government, making it difficult for Lost to start new lives here at all and almost impossible to live in comfort. Despite all, a few brave souls have started freeholds in the past, but there was a gap of nearly a century of a complete and absolute Loyalist dominance. A new, although small, freehold has started in recent years, with a large amount of support and backing by the efforts of Autumn, who have established an elaborate and terrifying Commons. The freehold has a reputation for a "work hard, play hard" mentality, with Winter nearly nonexistent as a political presence. And with that many Loyalists, could one blame them? Only the fearless
Hamilton (Live Domain) Requiem— Hamilton has always had outsized influence within the Kindred of Ontario, and has routinely been able to claim several nearby cities as the Regencies of its Prince. For more centuries than can be remembered this was a result of the brutal and arguably tyrannical rule of ‗The Bell‘, later ‗Prince Bell‘ and later still ‗Magistrate Bell‘. However, even after the resignation of that truly
Ancient Kindred, Hamilton has continued to be a preeminent power in the courts of Southern Ontario. Although leadership has changed hands several times in the past few years, the court of Hamilton has kept its primacy and power through a combination of being able to physically intimidate potential rival cities into submission, and offering the most intriguing social scene in the area. It is far better to be a debutante in Hamilton than Prince of a small nowhere city in Southern Ontario.
Autumn they do. and carefree Spring prosper here, though prosper
St. Catharines & Niagara (under Hamilton Domain) Requiem— A regency of Hamilton, the Niagara region is laced with Leylines, attributed to the escarpment and the presence of the eponymous waterfall. The region is home to many Ordo Dracul, and has the resources to support them. It began attracting these arcane scholars in the late 18th Century, and they spread over several villages and towns, through parkland and vineyards, until the entire region became a spiritual homeland for the Ordo Dracul in North America. Visitors not under the clear protection of the Dragon Count Rugen seem unable to stay in the area safely, and some other creature might well hold power in alliance with the covenant. The Dragons control tunnels under the river itself, to help get Kindred and supplies across the border with a minimum amount of hassle. Forsaken— The Niagara region is a prized possession of the Forsaken. The spirit realm there is healthy and vibrant and rich with essence. The area is tenaciously guarded by several packs of Forsaken. The Iron Master pack ―Steel and Light‖ took on the task of working to further safeguard the spirit realm and promote its health and the essence there. They claim much of Niagara as their territory, but have had no major conflicts with the other packs resting on their borders and in fact often help them in exchange for helping keep the shadow healthy and the spirits there in check..
Hamilton‘s court knows it has the most sophisticated
politicians in the region, and has always looked outwards to expand its influence. Hamilton has tended to be an Invictus city, but with its very open and structured court, Kindred of any background can expect to succeed. Hamilton leads the social network of cities to maintain morale against the Magnate of Belial. The current Prince of Hamilton is a Carthian, Johnny Luppino. Awakening (Gens Legis Consilium)— The Hamilton region has been host to several Consilium seats of Awakened government since the formation of Dominion. It has the distinction of being one of the few cities to survive the fall of Dominion, thanks in large part to the mysterious presence of the mystic artifact known as the Forge of Souls. The influence of the Forge of Souls is a constant in the region, and is known to have shaped and twisted the destinies of many of the Awakened in the city. Despite this, the Awakened of Hamilton are known to be deeply political and organized, and this has made it the target of several organized and very powerful Seer conspiracies. The region also allegedly hosts several significant Proximi families who likely immigrated to the region in the wake of the Fall. That, in addition to a settlement of First Nation‘s Awakened on the city‘s
outskirts, has made Hamilton one of the strongest, or at least most prolific, Awakened domains in the entirety of the country. Forsaken— There have been Forsaken in Hamilton since before Europeans arrived. Being at the end of the sacred lake of Ontario and the confluence of the Niagara escarpment and Falls has kept the Hamilton area a powerful spiritual gathering place, and there are several
Toronto (Live Domain) Requiem— While Hamilton looks outward, Toronto looks inward. Hamilton‘s court has always been
successful with fluid transitions of power, while Toronto‘s rocks dramatically from regime to regime, and
loci in the area of Forsaken rise and fall, andthat theneed Pureprotecting. often try toPacks lay claim to this city. This has made the area a constant site of contested territories and clashing warriors. Lost (Freehold of the Steel Gates)—Hamilton‘s freehold has had a primarily tragic history. Nearly doomed from
belief to belief. Toronto has seen fascist Lancea, totalitarian Carthians, and paranoid Invictus all hold the reins of power in the 20th century, and keeping the bulk of those attending the Elysium in terror. It is suspected that most Kindred in Toronto do not even attend the Elysium gatherings, such has been it's unsavoury reputation. Kindred of Hamilton and Toronto do travel to 19
problem than dominance: they must repair the spiritual damage done before their time. Lost (Freehold of Crimson Eve)—Once a central location of the Lost community in Canada, dating back to the Underground Railroad (as many freeholds in Canada do) Toronto's srcinal freehold, Sanities Recluse, was disbanded after a war between the Spring and Winter Courts. The city was a home to scoundrels and oathbreakers for many years, until Groundhog Day, 2008, when the Seasons called their due and an ancient relic of the Autumn Court was unearthed. Since then, three separate freeholds have risen and two have fallen, leaving only the freehold of The Crimson Eve standing. The freehold of the Crimson Eve has had many
attend each other‘s Elysia, and regularly have since both
courts were founded. Nevertheless, they both find the experience a little alienating, and whisper to their companions that ―our city makes so much more sense.‖ Toronto‘s seemingly rock-solid philosophical bent and the
inward focus of its covenants has made it the strategic leader in the mental and magical battles against the Magnate of Belial. The current Prince of Toronto is a Daeva Invictus, Lancaster, who styles himself ―Duke of York and Prince of Toronto.‖ The latest development in the politics of
Toronto has been a more democratic system of government, with many of the traditional duties of the Prince handed over to a "Prime Minister" who is more accountable of Elysium. becomes parttoofthe the members Toronto identity or fallsWhether aside asthis an amusing Carthian experiment remains to be seen, but the extra layers of politics have kept Elysium gatherings interesting Awakening (The Avalon Foundation Consilium)— For many years, the Consillium of York stood as a beacon of wisdom and North America. Home to several historic cabals and at least one notable Silver Ladder Cryptopoly, the Consilium of York (later Toronto) established five Awakened colleges in which young Order mages could be tutored by mentors. A cataclysmic event stemming from a treacherous Archmage shattered this establishment, and left ruin and death, burdening all who entered the city with a terrible curse. After what was known as the Crash, Order mages were unheard of in Toronto, and the area hosted only the odd Awakened Apostate. Thanks to a ritual that prevented yet another Crash, and established the mystic power of the
problems of the Lost theirallowed freedomthem without any senseasofmany tradition, but found this has to establish a firm identity slowly. While the ritual and tradition that keeps many freeholds together has fallen away, a community has been built that has defeated many foes, includes fetches by the dozen, many Loyalists (hob and Lost alike), and even the same Gentry that threw Sanities Recluse into war.
Oshawa (currently under the Toronto Domain ) Requiem—Oshawa used to support a kindred court, but it disappeared in the 1990s. It is believed that a clever hunter cell, or a magic-wielding cabal was able to infiltrate and track down the kindred of the city one by one. The city and its surrounding suburbs are nominally claimed as a regency by the court of Toronto, but they are unable to enforce their rule. Similarly Prince Anne the Malagasy has installed Reuben, a Carthian Gangrel, her ally in nearby Bowmanville, hoping to expand her rule westward into Oshawa. Many kindred in Toronto and Hamilton suspect that over the past decade the Magnate of Belial has already moved into the northern fringes of Oshawa, and will use a base in the city to separate them from the Courts in the east of the Province
city‘s network,ratified the Avalon Foundation was formed with aleyline Lex Magica in late 2007. Immediately
following this ritual, Toronto entered into a deadly and protracted war with a small Seer Tetrachy that may have had links to the Iron Regency. Since defeating the Tetrarchy, the Consilium has dealt with Banishers along with internal political disputes and assassinations with seemingly little time for building a peaceful government. Toronto‘s Consilium has a cabal -based government, which has created many political intrigues across Order lines. Forsaken—Toronto has not been a kind city to the Forsaken as it has always been held by the Pure. Nine years ago a rally of Forsaken forces attempted to take the city back and were victorious. The Tribes of the Forsaken were taken to infighting thereafter and were soon defeated without a strong foe to unite them. Their short sighted actions while in power led to the spirits of the city turning their backs on the Forsaken—leaving them with no allies in a battle few even wished to fight anymore. Some of the Forsaken have formed a small pack or two in modern nights and have been approaching their situation cautiously. There have been meetings with the Pure and for the first time they have not ended with bloodshed. The Forsaken in Toronto have a much bigger
Kitchener-Waterloo (Live Domain) Requiem— Formerly a regency of Hamilton, the growth of the University and technology sector in Kitchener has attracted many kindred, particularly Carthians and Ordo Dracul. They have become very secretive since 1990, and deny Hamilton influence in the area. It is said that Kitchener is ruled by the Mekhet Carthian Prince, Azul al-Ghazad, an Egyptian. It‘s known that the Ventrue Ordo Dracul Amerigo di Milano has also made a home for himself in Kitchener to conduct his studies in peace. If the rumours that Kitchener is trying to pry the regency of Guelph from the Court of Hamilton are true, then it‘s
likely that whatever is in Kitchener will soon become clear. The courts of Hamilton and Toronto are concerned that this recent independence and silence from Kitchener may be a sign that the Magnate of Belial has extended his reach to the city. 20
Awakening (Consilium of the Iron Chalice)—When Dominion fell, the Consilium of the Iron Chalice was hard hit. It was tightly connected to the Toronto Consilium, and when the Crash hit that city, a number of the Toronto Mages escaped to the Iron Chalice and were taken in. Unfortunately, this only led to the downfall of the Kitchener Consilium as the refugees slowly went mad. When the dust settled, following several spectacular battles, the Iron Chalice was no more. Since then the only consistent Awakened presence in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph as been a surprisingly resilient Free Company which mostly keeps its head down, and occasionally lets others know to stay away because of the entrenched Banisher threat. Any rumours of other mages,
Southwestern Ontario Major Cities in Southwestern Ontario London (457,000), Windsor (323,000), Brantford (125,000), Chatham (108,000), Sarnia (88,000), Norfolk (62,000), Leamington (50,000), Woodstock (35,000), Owen Sound (32,000), Stratford (30,000). London is an active Camarilla domain.
Geography of
or any remnants of the Ironwho Chalice appear to be just that. Forsaken —The Forsaken maintain a foothold in this city do so with difficulty due to their proximity to Guelph. Nevertheless, one strong pack—led by the Storm Lord Elodoth Sleeps In Waters—calls Waterloo home. Their numbers are few, but they are rumoured powerful in combating the Pure, both individually, and as a pack,. They rarely travel outside their territory, and do not welcome outsiders. Lost— Believed by most to be a haven for Loyalists, Privateers, and possibly worse, Waterloo is a place that
Ontario Stretching from Southwestern the lake Erie shoreline to the Bruce peninsula in lake Huron, the geographic triangle of Southwestern Ontario is further south than the rest of the Province, making it the best climate in Canada, and it is culturally (and physically) closer to the United States than the rest of the country. Radio and television broadcasts from Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit all easily reach this area—Toronto media does not. So this region is more likely to follow the NFL than the CFL, and support the Redwings, Sabres, Tigers and Pirates, instead of the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays. Agriculture is important here, and once industry was important in the mid-1900s. But this area, like the American states that surround it, is ―rustbelt‖ country. The heavy industry that once brought wealth to this region has shuttered and left, and many cities and towns have started to depopulate, or struggle to keep a constant population. The once powerful unions that defined
Changelings don‘t go if they wish to return. Rumour has it
that the Loyalists of Waterloo (and Kitchener, to a lesser extent) all owe allegiance to one Keeper and work together towards some purpose.
Guelph (under Kitchener & Waterloo Domain) Requiem—The City of Guelph is a regency of Hamilton under the stewardship of Prime Minister Jaka Von Saenger and current home of the Ancient kindred Pro Consul Bell. .At present the court of Kitchener is actively building influence and clout within Guelph to change this fact. Forsaken—Guelph is a city with a lot of wild space around the fringes and has always been a strong Pure stronghold, holding several large packs. Forsaken who
communities haveasdissolved. London is an an exception to this, and serves the regional centre, important College town, and is still growing. Like the Ottawa Valley, this area is conservative and rural, but unlike the Golden Horseshoe and Eastern Ontario, it was largely settled a few decades later. The large three foundation populations in Southwestern were American immigrants, looking for land (and not reflexively opposed to Americans), Black settlers, seeking freedom from slavery, prior to the civil war, and German peoples leaving a Europe dominated by Napoleon and then Bismarck in the 1800s. Native people have more power here than elsewhere in Ontario, and are more restless. There are several established people—the Six Nations reserve on the Grand
travel there generally don‘t come back. The Pure raid
neighbouring cities from this safe harbour, and several determined attempts over several decades have failed to root them out. Lost (Freehold of the Fallen Bough)—The Freehold of the Fallen Bough in Guelph has been quiet since 1974 when three of the four Monarchs were killed by an unknown party, and Winter Queen Chione declared that the entire Freehold would go into hiding. Severing most ties with other Freeholds, the Changelings of Guelph have been little seen for many years, although rumours are
River is Canada‘s largest, and is home to the
Haudosaunee (Iroquois) nations, and a large Ojibwe population, and Lenape people as well. All these nations can trace their land claims to participation in the
starting out the that Fallen a newBough QueentooftheSpring is preparingtotoseep reopen outside world.
American revolutionofontheir the side of the and the formal boundaries reserve areBritish, still disputed. Further west there are scattered reservations around Lake Huron, Erie and St. Clair for the Saugeen, Chippewa and other peoples. Historically the Neutral people and Wyandot people were settled here, but both were driven out by the Iroquois around 1700s. 21
London (Live Domain)
Woodstock & Stratford (Under Kitchener & London Domains)
Requiem— London is known as holding the ‗bloody court.‘ Its Elysiums and other gatherings are notorious for
Requiem—Both these cities in the Highway 401 corridor are under the control of the Magnate of the Brood, but there has been some success by the five covenants, and it is considered safe to pass through them, keeping London connected with Hamilton and Toronto. It is hoped that in the near future Regencies will be established here, driving the Magnate of Belial further north. But first, London and Hamilton will have to determine whose courts these cities will answer to.
their murders and violence, frequently spectacular and horrific in nature. Just announcing that you are from the Court of London can earn you a reputation in some Ontario cities. Perhaps they are not as socially graceful as a Kindred from Hamilton, or as committed to a covenant‘s cause as the court of Toronto, but they are to be treated with respect through fear. Cross a vampire from London the wrong way, and they‘ll go out of their way to
get you to apologize, or give you a private audience with the next sunrise. Many Kindred of Ontario are, however, happy to get behind and take leadership from the London court when it comes to dealing with the Magnate of Belial physically. London is currently ruled by the Carthian Gangrel Prince, Arakus, although a former Prince, Sindrick of the Ordo Dracul is still at work in the city. Awakening— It is rumoured that in London‘s past, an Adamantine Arrow stronghold maintained a vigilant presence. Upon the collapse of Dominion this stronghold fell, and no stable Consilium has ever successfully taken root in London. A recent attempt by several small cabals to establish some sort of government is still in progress, but many question this prospect as there is rumour that a powerful adversary, neither Seer nor Abyssal, is active in the area. Forsaken—For centuries London lay under a spiritual fog in the Hisil. There was no prey to hunt and nothing to be seen. In recent years this fog has begun to dissipate. Pure and Forsaken are moving to the area, claiming territory, and clashing with the great spirits that have begun to appear. Lost (The Freehold of Bitter Memories)—The tumultuous history of the Freehold of Bitter Memories lies in deceit, treachery and capture. Known to be the largest goblin market in Canada, and the area is also known to have the most issues with strife and interFreehold fighting. That effectively means that the numbers within the Freehold are, and always have been, relatively small. The Monarchs have, ever since anyone can remember, been a Motley of Beasts, led by one who calls herself ―March Hare‖. They have long taken on the mantle of leadership of the Freehold, though they are also sworn to step down when five or more members gather under their season. As of late the freehold has been dealing with the threat of war. "Baron Von Straud" has been harassing the Freehold, all because he wants "his" property back. The property in question may all have been found in the goblin market and then returned back across the Hedge. The rumours about the Monarch that run through the Goblin Market are simple-- they have
Brantford (Under Hamilton Domain) Requiem—Brantford is a long established, and quite loyal regency of Hamilton. At the moment the Regent is Archbishop Schuler of the Lancea Sanctum, Schuler is the pre-eminent Archbishop of Ontario, and a strong adherent to the Westminster Creed. Under her guidance, the vast majority of Ontario‘s Lance are Westminsterian.
Windsor Requiem—Windsor, once a Ventrue stronghold, is now ruled by the Legio Mortuum, a covenant of Ancient Rome that appears to have risen out of legend. The Prince, Olivia, is also Praetor of the Covenant. Through diplomacy, guile and force over the past few years Olivia has extended her reach eastwards, and now has regents in place in the nearby cities of Leamington, Chatham and Sarnia—having allegedly retaken those cities from the Brood. But beyond those regencies, Prince Olivia has largely left the battle with the Magnate of Belial to the Princes of other cities, but maintains a company of soldiers in Sarnia to maintain her northern frontier. Although she does maintain diplomatic awareness of the courts of London, Hamilton and Toronto, she largely leaves their politics to them alone. It is generally believed the mysterious Legio are working on a different project, whose consequences and nature are not yet known. (Windsor in Requiem is under the AMST Requiem‟s
control) Awakening (The Hallowed Congress Consilium)— The Hallowed Congress is, perhaps, one of the most territorial and turbulent in all of Canada. The Hallowed Congress is built upon the precept that an individual, regional Consilium has little to no need for outside interference. In spite of, or because of, this territoriality the individual cabals of the region are almost consistently locked in a myriad of schemes and conspiracies against one another. As a result, the peace and accords forged in Consilium are respected by everyone and are very often cited by every cabal as the most vital aspect of the region ‘s Awakened. Laws drafted in Consilium and the rules of the Hierarch and Council are seen as binding and never overturned lightly. Even the Free Council, who enjoy relatively uncontested Assembly meetings on a monthly basis, do not attempt overtures against the Lex without a great deal of support from the other regional cabals. Due to
been monarchs so long they are beginning to lose touch with themselves.
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traditions, both the Silver Ladder and Mysterium cabals enjoy the most strength to pursue their agendas. The Hierarch of the Hallowed Congress is an Obrimos Silver Ladder called Traversée, the herald calls herself Orobosis and is a Thyrsus of the Mysterium.
everything in Sarnia is done "traditionally", which is much easier in a freehold its size then a smaller one. The city boasts over 150 oathsworn Lost to its single freehold, with a number more sworn to its Kings directly and around a half a dozen Margravates of the Brim as well. The make-up of the courts is an equal number of former American as well as Canadian Lost, and a few from other countries as well due to the ties the Autumn Court have with the border patrols and immigration offices. Nearly every Entitlement with a base in Canada have representatives in Sarnia, with a few only found here.
Chatham Awakening (The Otseketa Circle)—The Otseketa circle is an assembly of srcinally First Nations based mages. They are a loose confederacy and largely spend their time focused on Hallows of Southwestern Ontario, particularly those on the many First Nation reserves. The Otseketa are officially affiliated with the Mysterium, but these mages are more devoted to care taking the mystic resources of the region than they are abiding by the politics that tangle the Pentacle and Seer awakened. They gather in Brantford to discuss their affairs every second Autumnal solstice. The Guardians of Ontario believe that this group may be in active contact with the Iron Regency.
Central Ontario Major Cities in Central Ontario Barrie (177,000), Sudbury (158,000), Peterborough (116,000), Kawartha Lakes (74,000), North Bay (63,000), Timmins (42,000), Orillia (40,000), Midland (35,000),
Sarnia Requiem—A regency of Windsor along with Leamington and Chatham, Commander Celia, an Asp of the Legio Mortuum, is the known Regent of Sarnia, and seems to exercise a good deal of independence from her masters in Windsor. So much so that she often speaks with confidence for the Regents of Leamington and Chatham, who are otherwise silent. She is battle-focused against the Brood and on the ultimate victory of the Legio in their secretive project. When dealing with the leaders of other cities she can come across as resentful, and will often withhold support for any project, unless she feels proper
Geography of Central Ontario The region of central Ontario From just north of the Lake Ontario shoreline west to Lake Huron, and then following Highway 11 deep north into the Canadian Shield, central Ontario is a largely rural area, with a few mid-sized cities and towns along the major highways. There is substantial farming in the southern portion of this region, particularly dairy, corn, wool and wheat, but as you go north, the glacier-raked landscape of the Canadian shield takes over. This is a thick granite crust, with
tribute is being paid to problematic her covenant. She has been responsible for keeping members of other covenants out of the Legio territory in Southwestern Ontario. Awakening (House of Sylvina)—Sarnia is held by a singular and powerful cult of Acanthus magi called the House of Sylvina. Sylvina is alleged to have been a mage that survived the Fall of Dominion, and who foretold this tragedy only to see her warnings fall upon deaf ears. Sylvina dies in 2009 but her loyal acolytes still tend to her sanctum and attempt to divine the many prophecies she uttered in the years following the Fall of Dominion. Many Acanthus who awaken to the Arcana of Fate make pilgrimages to Sarnia to learn and study with this cult. The Mysterium are in negotiations to open an Athenaeum in Sarnia to take advantage of this trend. Lost (The House of Glowing Hearts Freehold)—A hub of the Grand Trunk Railway, Sarnia is home to the largest Freehold in Canada, ―the House of Glowing Hearts‖ aspires, and many say accomplishes being what all freeholds in Canada aspire to be. Changelings are the most influential supernaturals in the city, with the Winter and Summer Courts purging the few outsiders who have set up shop with ruthless precision Sarnia is ruled by a traditional Seasonal Court structure and has four equally powerful Monarchs. In fact, almost
irregularly shaped lakes, only a thin layer toofmajor very acidic topsoil on top. It isand completely unsuited agriculture. The southern portion of this region was the homeland of the Wendat, or Huron, first nation. They were a corn growing people, but were dispersed in the late 1700s when they were destroyed by the Haudesonee, but some made a homeland in Quebec, and others found their way to Oklahoma. In recent decades they have started to return. The Ojibwa and the Cree can be found further north. They are a substantial population, and still make a living as guides in ―the bush‖ for hunters, and campers.
Major industries in the region include mining and timber in the north, refining and smelting in the cities, and farming in the south. Tourism is also a very important industry, as some of the southern cities are within the Toronto commuter-shed, so the lakes and woods of this region are well loved in Ontario as ―Cottage Country‖ and
subdivided into several sub-regions each with their own little quirks. But tourists in the summer for boating and cottaging, and in the winter for cross-country skiing and skating are quite common and lucrative. Hunting-tourism is also very popular throughout the region.
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spawned a sister Tetrarchy in Sault Ste. Marie. The many libraries, Artifacts, and Athenaeums in this region as well as Retainers and Allies left behind by the Fall of Dominion are now in the hands of the Seers. This entire region was once a thriving and loyal Awakened territory, but the hubris of Dominion created a vacuum that Seers have been only too happy to fill. Guardian intelligence sources have indicated two damning reasons for the size of this Tetrarchy: a larger (and yet unknown) backer giving power to the Seers, and consistent defections by Pentacle mages seeking favour with the Exarchs. A
Central Ontario in Requiem Central Ontario is a unified Imperium, which has, probably since the French Lancea were driven out in the 17th Century, been controlled by Belial‘s Brood. Their leader is titled the ―Magnate‖ and always has been. The
vast swath of territory controlled by the Brood is known as ―the Magnate of Belial.‖ These Brood are far from the savage and stupid brutes that sometimes harass the nearby Princes for a few weeks. Their plans are clever, longhatched, and politically sophisticated. The subject Princes of the Magnate are very clever, and able to melt into the fabric of their cities when pressed, and simply do not maintain relations with the Requiem courts elsewhere in the Province. Even courts that have formerly been well known, are either driven out of their cities, or cease communications when the Magnate takes over. Who the Magnate is and how they are structured is not known by kindred. A few expeditions of warriors have gone north from the southern cities. Most kindred of the five covenants have been unwilling to invest the time to establish themselves in the northern cities, and those that have tried eventually disappear, or are known to have met the dawn. The Magnate is absolutely, and uncompromisingly interested in expanding, and is a unifying opponent for the varied Princes, Covenants and Clans of Ontario. The few times the Magn ate‘s direct servants have been captured and questioned, they have referred to the Magnate as an individual by the name
council of Seer ―archons‖ allegedly runs the Iron Regency
via something called the Shadow Parliament. Whether or not this is in any way linked with the Seer‘s involvement in
Dominion‘s ill-fated Awakened Parliament is unknown. Attempts have been made by both Ottawa and Winnipeg to topple (or at least weaken) the Regency. Each and every attempt has met with utter failure, a fact that deeply concerns many Pentacle mages in Canada.
The Superior Shore & Northwest Ontario Major Cities in the Superior Shore & Northwest Ontario
―Khimera‖ who holds a travelling court. They have never
Thunder Bay (122,000), Sault Ste. Marie (80,000), Kenora (15,000),
beheld his face. Cities known to be under the control of the Magnate (And thus non-communicative with other Requiem courts) include: Barrie, Sudbury, Peterborough, Lindsay, North Bay, Timmins, Orillia, Penetanguishene & Midland, Collingwood, Marmora, Perth, Parry Sound, Muskoka, the North shore of Superior and Georgian Bay. Even travelling on the highways through this massive territory, for more than a quick venture, is known to be dangerous to kindred of the five covenants and many
Geography of the Superior Shore & Northwest Ontario
The far West and North of Ontario, this portion of the Province is so distant from the Golden Horseshoe that part of it is on Central time. Geographically, this is the portion of the province drained by the Lake Superior, and the Lake of the Woods further west. The Cree and Ojibwa are a large population in this portion of the province, and so are the French speaking Franco-Ontarians. It is such that in some small towns four languages are spoken. The land here is dominated by the swampy muskeg and rocky Canadian shield, and it is completely unsuited to farming. The communities are strung out along the highways, dozens of miles apart, and very isolated. Mining, and timber are the economy in this portion of the province, and most small cities and towns are focused on one industry or the other. There are enough native people that traditional subsistence industries are still important—though secondary to the mining and forestry-for example moose, elk and deer meat and other products are exported in substantial quantities, so are quill and bead work, and other pieces of art: dream-catchers were created first by the cultures in this part of the country. Finally, some communities are learning to rely on tourists, either on canoe trips, or flying in to hunt or fish.
choose to fly over the Magnate‘s territory to get around it.
It is believed that Oshawa and Kitchener may be under the influence of the Magnate due to the apparent lack of kindred in these cities, or their relative silence. Woodstock and Stratford have historically belonged to the Magnate of Belial, but have been cleared out in the past few years, by the court Hamilton, assisted by the court of London. The cities of Windsor, Sarnia, Chatham and Leamington were also potentially under the influence of the Magnate previously, but have been taken by the Legio Mortuum in the past five years.
Central Ontario in Awakening The Iron Regency, is a known and steadily expanding Seer Tetrarchy, thriving in the ruins of Sudbury‘s post Dominion collapse. The Regency is arguably at the root of Seer Power in Central Canada, with pylons in the many cities and communities that surround Sudbury. They are rumoured to stretch as far as Pembroke, and has even 24
Sault Ste. Marie
Hydro electricity is a significant use of the land, since the rivers are large, and the land mostly unused. It is an ongoing point of friction with the wealthy south of the province, that electricity is sold at the same rates up here—where it is an essential component for operating pulp-and-paper mills—as it is in Toronto. Even though the power is mostly produced in the Northwest. There are several one-industry towns that are slowly shrinking, as the timber gets further and further away, or the ore has run out. Not a few have turned to completely abandoned ghost towns.
Requiem—Entirely surrounded by the Magnate of Belial, Sault Ste. Marie is under the rule of the Gangrel Prince Sorajawet, a Childe of Brooke Fleetwolf, and a priestess of the Crone who leads her court through the Ojibwe tradition. The Bishop Andrew King, a Mekhet Childe of Bishop Henslowe of Kingston, ensures the Lancea actively support Sorajawet‘s rule, and some Ojibwe
rituals and symbols are known to have appeared in his masses. The reason for this unlikely union of the covenants of faith is the imposing power of the Magnate of the Brood all around them. The city is known for being paranoid, and very suspicious of outsiders. Even former subjects who return can expect to be harshly treated in Sault Ste. Marie. When discussing politics with other Princes of Ontario, she routinely and inappropriately
Thunder Bay Requiem—Prince Jarko, an Invictus Nosferatu who traces his srcins to Finland, has been Prince of Thunder Bay for a century. He maintains a healthy, and relatively well-balanced court at the lake head, his Seneschal is Armand Corvier, a Daeva Invictus, who longs to improve the art and social scenes of their isolated city. Jarko is the only Prince recognized and welcomed by Prince Sorajawet in the Sault. He has no interest in co-operating with the Princes of the cities in southern Ontario, until they denounce Kashteka of Cornwall, as requested by his ally Sorajawet. Prince Jarko and his court keep the western frontier of the Magnate hours and hours away from his city, deep in the wilderness. Seneschal Corvier is always happy to have visitors, and ensures they are well treated. Quite recently, it is said that Jarko has welcomed an ambassador from Celia, the Regent of Sarnia Jarko has been keeping an active eye on the developments of the Carthian court of Kenora, and has prepared some kindred to go south and request help from elsewhere in Ontario if things get out of hand on his western flank. Awakening—Thunder Bay supports no organized consilium. The odd awakening that occurs usually takes place at Lakehead University or in the nearby native reservations. It should be noted that a small Free Council cabal that dabbles in satanic ritual and heavy metal music is established in the University, and scrutinizes any who come looking for them. Doktor Kultur speaks for the group when necessary. (Thunder Bay, in Awakening is under the Global AMST Awakening) Lost (The Freehold of the Sleeping Giant)—The Freehold of the Sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay was founded by those fleeing the collapse of the Toronto Freehold in the 1980s. It is a large and stable seasonal freehold, that used to maintain good relations with Winnipeg, and has been distressed by its recent collapse. The Summer King Sami, a Metelskin Elemental, is one of the more influential figures of the freehold, and is well known for his just and noble rule, making summer in Thunder Bay an uplifting time for the Soul. Professor
denounces Prince Kashteka of Cornwall as ―a deceitful
Haudeshonee, a Childe of no one, and an agent of the Brood.‖ This is less than productive, since Kashteka has proven a valuable, if shady, ally of the five covenants in the south, many of whom would just as soon have nothing to do with Sorajawet in distant Sault Ste. Marie. Awakening (The Superior Rook Tetrarchy)—The Sault once hosted a major fortress for the Arrow, and a vigilant Consilium, but it collapsed in the Fall of Dominion. Guardian intelligence has now confirmed that a newly established Tetrarchy called the Superior Rook now holds the Sault. Arrow strategists speculate that it is likely this site will provide resource support for a brutal push southward through the disorganized Consilii of Southern Ontario, while preventing assistance from the Pentacleheld West. Alternately, the Superior Rook may be looking at pressing across the border and harassing the Midwestern United States, and the Upper Great Lakes. One thing is certain; the Seers have taken the great many mystical weapons once held in the Arrow armories for their own use.
Kenora Requiem—Prince Bernard Cromwell of Kenora is a Gangrel Carthian, one of the totalitarians who once ran Toronto, and he now runs distant Kenora as an ongoing experiment in this same way. He is quite welcoming and genial to other Carthians, but has driven other covenants away, to the courts of Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. He sustains a very small court, most of who stay out of trouble, and under the radar of other Kindred. Carthian visitors to Kenora concede that Cromwell is quite insane, and behind his back dismiss his plans to grow his experiment across the continent. Kenora is generally understood to be the problem of Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. It‘s believed that if Cromwell‘s experiment
Dolores Cilia,makes the Dean of theinCollege of Worms in Canada also her home the Freehold of the Sleeping Giant, though she was once based out of Toronto.
does not implode soon, Prince Jarko of Thunder Bay will take action, and see his Seneschal Corvier installed as a new Prince, to prevent the Magnate of Belial from moving in.
25
srcin is half French-trader and half various first nations, but are a distinct ethnicity of their own—made it necessary for it to be its own province. Its violent entry into confederation, and how to deal with the charismatic leader of the Métis—Louis Riel—was the first major political hurdle Canada faced. Manitoba was initially admitted as a fully bilingual province, but English Canada immediately set about sending thousands of immigrants westwards to the Prairies, ostensibly to stop American settlement. The effect of this migration was to make Manitoba overwhelmingly English speaking, and turn its French-speaking and Métis culture a thing of the past. But, over the past few decades, as the wealthy have begun to move out of Manitoba, the native population (Largely
The Prairies Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are the three Prairie Provinces and best understood as a region. In the very centre of North America, they are the most recently settled portion of the country, having been previously home to the nomadic buffalo-hunting first nations of the plains. Agriculture has been the historically most important industry, but recently that has been replaced with oil and mineral wealth, taking the region from being Canada‘s second poorest to wealthier than Ontario. Though the region still doesn‘t have the overwhelming
numbers of Quebec and Ontario, it is increasingly its own power in confederation.
Cree and Ojibwa/Anishinaabe also Dene in the north, and Assiniboine in thepeoples, west) isbut starting to grow very rapidly. In the next few decades, it is expected that Manitoba may become a majority First-Nations province, a first for Canadian confederation.
Manitoba Major Cities in Manitoba
Manitoba in Forsaken
Winnipeg (633,000), Brandon (41,000)
Much of Manitoba is under the control of the Pure of the Third Confederacy: the Skin Traders. As in most provinces there are pockets of Forsaken here and there with the majority of Forsaken packs being found in major cities or along the Trans-Canada highway. However, the Pure here are not as numerous as they are in most other provinces which has allowed many of the Forsaken packs to hunt without much fear of running into their Pure brethren. The Forsaken here are also more likely to partake in celebrations and cultural activities. On a whole, they are far more relaxed here than in most other provinces. That is not to say that they are less diligent in their duties. They are simply more able to focus on monitoring the spirit courts and celebrate their successes, as there are fewer outside threats to occupy their time.
Geography of Manitoba Going west from Ontario into Manitoba is a stunning effect, as the rocks, lakes and pine trees of Ontario suddenly turn into flat prairies and farmland as far as the eye can see. Further north, the city again turns into lakes and woods, but the heart of the province is the prairies around the forks of Winnipeg, where farming is the main economy. The nature of being so far from other cities and centres of culture—the closest city of substantial —has population is Minneapolis, 300cultural miles away in Winnipeg being a small island of resulted its own, providing a disproportionate amount of cultural output for Canada relative to its population. Nonetheless, the advent of air travel decreased the importance of the city to the nation, and Manitoba has become a poorer province and
Winnipeg
―flyover country‖ between the West and Ontario.
Manitoba is the only Prairie province without large oil or gas reserves, making it substantially poorer than Alberta and Saskatchewan. Manitoba was srcinally, briefly, an independent Métis nation, separate from both the United States and Canada, and not recognizing the sovereignty of Great Britain (represented through the Hudson‘s Bay Company). As a province it is, and always has been, based around Winnipeg at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The city of Winnipeg is, geographically at the very centre of Canada and North America. The provincial legislature is built at the centre of the city, and is said to have been specifically designed like an ancient pagan temple, to take advantage of the many leylines that convene in the city itself. The situation of Manitoba made it critical to Canadian expansion, and it was the fifth province to join confederation, before Prince Edward Island. The presence of the rebellious Métis—a native people who claim their
Requiem—Winnipeg is run by the astute Ventrue Carthian Prince Abooksigun. Abooksigun has only recently taken up his native name, and is srcinally of Métis descent: the legend is before his embrace he was a personal acquaintance of Louis Riel. Prince Abooksigun is largely supported by the Circle of the Crone. Notable and influential Crone include the sheriff, the Cree Daeva Nenabush, and the Winnipeg‘s court harpy, the Mekhet
Angela Coombs. In the 1940s the Carthians and Circle of the Crone seized power in Winnipeg from the Lancea and Invictus in ―the Long night‖ and banished the covenants from the
city, in the 1960s, they began readmitting them, and an Invictus, the Mekhet James Hanford, has risen to the position of Seneschal. The Lancea have never regained their former glory, and the current small covenant is divided between the Monachists, taking their orders from Edmonton, and the Tollissons, who wish to follow Calgary. Abooksigun at the moment is keeping a wary 26
eye on the developments of the Carthian experiment in Kenora, and the ambition of the Prince of Thunder Bay to install his Seneschal there. And trying to determine what
established in Brandon‘s Chinatown. It is the furthest east
of the courts, and not surprisingly, a Fairest Larcenist, by the name Three-fingered Jan of the Court of the east has manipulated his way into leading the freehold. Due to the actions of the Scarecrow ministry of Winnipeg, Brandon is very suspicious of outsiders from other freeholds, who maybe seeking to steal their knowledge.
should be done with the ―rightful court‖ of Brandon.
Awakening (The Red River Republic)—If Ottawa is the head of Awakened power in Canada, then Winnipeg is its heart. Without question, the Red River Republic is the largest Consilium in Canada. It is also squarely in the centre of the country where mystical leylines converge and spirits that hold authority in the West meet the sophisticated courts of the East. A very traditional Lex Magica, enforced by a largely neutral cabal of Adamantine
Arrow,
rules
Winnipeg‘s
Saskatchewan
Consilium.
Major Cities in Saskatchewan
Although the current Hierarch is the Acanthus Silver Ladder Adnos, frustrates this has not been theMany case, mages a fact that constantly thealways Free Council. have travelled to Winnipeg to study rotes and lores, as well as be initiated into rare and powerful legacies. Due to the fact that the Consilium largely survived the Fall of Dominion, many still look to the city as a symbol of hope for Canada. The Herald of the consilium is Acadie, a Thyrsus thearch. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Winnipeg) Forsaken— Winnipeg is considered a safe haven for the Forsaken as the Pure are too low in numbers to attack this territory. A single established pack oversees the wellbeing of this city but welcomes a lot of visitors. Lost—Winnipeg used to be a thriving Changeling community, but recent actions of the Scarecrow Ministry appear to have cleared out many Changelings, and the city now appears to be abandoned. A few Autumn courtiers, led by Dame Dumont, a straw elemental, are seeking to rebuild what was once a welcoming city for Changelings.
Saskatoon (202,000), Regina (179,000), Prince Albert (34,000), Moose Jaw (32,000)
Whether has the yet Ministry is supporting their fellow Autumn courtiers to be revealed.
andingovernment-provided health care.been These ideas up Saskatchewan and have since taken upsprung by all the other provinces. The natural flow of economy in Saskatchewan has always flowed east-west, srcinally along the rivers that flow from Alberta towards Manitoba, and then along the railways and highways that went in the same direction. Originally, like all of Canada, the land was opened by French fur traders. In Saskatchewan they met the nomadic buffalo hunters of the plains: Assiniboine, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Atsina, and Dakota, and Dene in the north. Then the railways brought farmers, which for Saskatchewan were largely immigrants from Eastern Europe: Hungarians, Germans, and Ukrainians in huge numbers. There were so many Eastern Europeans brought in, that in some farming communities English is not the main language, but rather whatever the local settlers had in common in the late 19th century. Unlike Manitoba, intensely focused on Winnipeg, Saskatchewan was focused on small farming towns, leading to a culture of communal reliance.
Geography of Saskatchewan Thematically, Saskatchewan is the prairies, and has all the elements that this area embodies. Wide open farmland, and fierce winters, the rolling rivers, the quilt work of railways and silos to move the grain. The province is the heartland of Western Canada, if not English Canada. It, along with Alberta, is the youngest province in Canada admitted only in the early 20th century. In many ways, the people of Alberta and Saskatchewan represent two sides of the same coin. For while Alberta‘s politics and history have lead it to
populist right-wing answers, the same circumstances in Saskatchewan have lead to a history of populist left-wing answers. Thus, Saskatchewan is the Canadian home of farming collectives, production quotas, guaranteed prices,
Brandon Requiem—―The Rightful Court of Manitoba‖ holds the city of Brandon. It is mostly a group of irredeemable and villainous scallywags of the Invictus. The Prince ―Boss Dauphin‖ is a Gangrel Invictus, none too bright, and
consumed with envy of the cool and gracious Abooksigun. Boss Dauphin is supported by his Seneschal Bishop Von Essler, a Daeva who reports directly to Volkov in Edmonton, and is trying to get Brandon to join the Borealis League (the distance makes it impractical.) The court of Brandon formed when the Invictus and Lancea left Winnipeg, but since being readmitted by Prince Abooksigun, only the most depraved and unredeemable remain in Brandon. Awakening—Although Brandon was known in the past to host a relatively small Consilium, a marauding Free Company largely wipednooutre-establishment the Awakened in city. Sadly,band there has been of this the
Saskatchewan‘s economy became defined by the grains
cities Awakened after what is known colloquially as ―the Brandon Massacre.‖ Lost (the Court of Forest Longing Freehold)—A small directional court, the ―Court of Forest Longing‖ is
grown in the fields: wheat, canola, flax, rye, sugar beets and oats. It's synonymy with farming meant that disasters and bad weather were also hard-felt in the province, and it remained poor. In recent years, the discovery of major 27
energy and mineral resources in the province have changed this reality. Wealth has started to bleed east from Alberta, and Saskatoon and Regina are now viewed as affordable alternatives to the plutocratic Edmonton and Calgary. As money has come back to the province, so has a feeling of Western pride, and a defiance of the powersthat-be in Ottawa.
underestimated. Without a doubt, this is a place where Spirit Masters learn their craft and learn it well. That being said, Saskatoon was recently the site of a terrible intrusion of the Abyss, which was only narrowly fended off by a united Pentacle front. Still the city remains a seat of wisdom for the Awakened of Canada. The Herald of Saskatoon is Ludlum, a warlock Magister of the Silver Ladder. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Saskatoon) Lost (The Court of the Ancient Compass)—Unique among large Canadian cities, Saskatoon supports a full and thriving Directional Court, many of whom have recently arrived from Regina. Empress Whitefeather of the Northern Court leads the city at present, though she
Saskatchewan in Forsaken Saskatoon is one of the well rooted Forsaken communities. Four packs patrol the region, desperately holding on to the territory they regained after the Brethren war. Expanding is not yet an option as they are surrounded by the Pure tribes of the Second Confederacy – one of the more violent and dangerous of the Pure confederacies.
faces Palomino Swift Runnerfierce fromcompetition the Westernfrom Court.Emperor Saskatoon is also ahome to the largest Grand Trunk railway in Western Canada, making it a frequent destination for travelers. Fortunately, the Directional Court here is renowned for its good hospitality, and viewed as a bit of a curiosity by other Changelings.
Saskatchewan in Lost Also under the influence of the dreams of the first nations, Saskatchewan‘s desolate prairies are haunted by a member of the Gentry termed ―the Black Buffalo.‖ Those who survive the smashing-grounds of Black Buffalo‘s
Regina
nightmarish demesne seem to arrive with a peculiar eastern-bent to their philosophy, so in Saskatchewan the directional courts are just as common as the seasonal courts of the Eastern and Western cities in Canada. Saskatchewan has the largest number of directional court courtiers in Canada, drawing from a mix of East Asian and North-American Medicine wheel traditions.
Requiem—Established on a piece of land known as Pileof-Bones, due to the collections of bison bones near a small spring run-off creek, Regina was a city was deliberately founded to be the capital of Saskatchewan and was expressly built for that purpose. The city has a large population of Circle of the Crone and Ordo Dracul who both claim that Pile-Of-Bones was the centre of a tremendous Wyrm's Nest. It is Prince Glen Natividad of the Invictus who rules the city. The prince taken great interest in cultivating the city, like a Bonsai tree, as it has no purpose other than being the Capital of the Province, like a practitioner of Feng Shui, over the years, Prince Natividad he has refined the very structure of the city to allow him to draw upon its inherent nature to strength his rule. Awakening (Her Majesties Veiled Congress)—The capital of Saskatchewan is firmly held by the secret policemen of the Pentacle: the Guardians of the Veil. The Consilium is often derogatorily slurred as ―Pile of Bones‖ Consilium. The Guardians enforce their authoritarian tenets and brook little to no opposition from the other fledgling cabals in the city. It is rumoured that the sitting Hierarch Echelon is merely a mouthpiece for a more powerful Guardian spymaster. It is also rumoured that the Silver Ladder are planning a coup to bring down this tyranny of secrets. In spite of the opposition, many Guardians travel to Regina in order to train in the Law of the Masque, under the guidance of experienced tutors. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Regina)
Saskatoon Requiem—Leading Canada in violent crimes per capita, Saskatoon has been called Canada's "Most Dangerous City". Kindred blame Prince Allison Sprouse, who slew her far more effective Sire, Edward Grashot, and is leading the city to ruin. Prince Sprouse claims Invictus status and surrounds herself with toadies, while implementing violent purges to rid her city of Carthians who might threaten her reign. The police have been rendered completely ineffectual through a three way split of the Prince and leaders of the other two Covenants, Acolyte Lula Perking and Bishop Robert Lamont, all of whom have been trying to assert dominance over influencing the local police, which has proven a tremendous hindrance to them doing their actual jobs. The Crowchild Alliance of Lancea in Calgary is trying to make Inroads here. Awakening (The Nutana Hekademia Consilium)—The soul of Canada‘s Awakened community, to Winnipeg‘s heart, and Ottawa‘s head, is the Consilium of Saskatoon.
Changeling Regina‘s Lost (The Standing community collapsed Margravate) in a civil war,—leading to the strange result that a very strong Margravate of the Brim presence survives in the city, with apparently no freehold to protect or be affiliated with. Nonetheless, this has suited the Margraves quite well, and they now use Regina as a safe
A powerful Mysterium cabal, all of who are of Cree heritage, runs the Nutana Hekademia Consilium. The Silver Ladder sits as councilors and advisors but never take power, and as a result, the long standing HierarchChieftess is an elder mystagogue named Onatah. Saskatoon‘s affinity to the Shadow realm cannot be
28
ground, and training area for their own kind. It is said that Regina once supported directional, seasonal and diurnal freeholds, though if this was true, it would have been quite short lived as one might expect. Marchlord Ivan, an Earth Elemental, has been elected leader of Regina, and serves as a mentor for the Margravate across Canada.
sprang up within the concealment and shelter of the tunnels. Over time, the tunnels fell into disuse and many were filled in or blocked off by new construction. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw proved an attractive environment for Kindred, and the Nosferatu Prince, Elizabeth Wei, hosts the largest and most elaborate Necropolis in Canada,
Prince Albert
composed of the numerous tunnels supposedly ―blocked off‖ by the city. Her Sheriff, John Acosta, was a gangster
Requiem—The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan. In 1879, the local Freemasons established the first lodge in what is now the province of Saskatchewan: Kinistino Lodge No. 1, which still exists. Prince Albert was established as a mission post, and a trail to Fort Carlton arose. This trail connected the growing community to the Carlton Trail, the main land transportation route in Western Canada of the nineteenth century. Due to its roots as a Mission and centre of Freemasonry, Prince Albert became a city populated exclusively by the Lancea Sanctum and the Ordo Dracul. Prince Nancy Dasilva of the Sanctified rules the city, and is allied with the Borealis League of Alberta. The Ordo Dracul and
and rumrunner during the height of Prohibition, and still benefits from strong ties to organized crime. The population of the city covers all Covenants, but is composed almost exclusively of Nosferatu and Mekhet.
Southern Alberta: Badlands & Eastern Rockies Major Cities in Southern Alberta Calgary (1,080,000), Red Deer (90,000), Lethbridge (85,000), Medicine Hat (61,000)
Sanctified don‘t associate much and the insular Dragons
form a single and extremely large Coterie here. Both Covenants took advantage of the Carlton Trail to feed primarily on wayfarers, leaving the indigenous population of the city largely unmolested. Awakening (L’Assemblée des Métis Libres)— L‘Assemblée des Métis Libres is two Free Council cabals and a small Arrow caucus. They are organizing to form a Consilium, but cannot agree on a Lex Magica although they have allegedly been trying to draft one for five years now. It is likely that political interference from Winnipeg and Saskatoon is responsible for bogging down their efforts. An theurge Libertine named Dumont serves as Emissary for region but often does little but sit in Assembly meetings and take notes.
Geography of Southern Alberta Southern Alberta is much more arid than the rest of the prairies, approaching desert-like conditions. It is known as the badlands, as it is very unsuited to growing grain as it lacks the wide rivers and ponds used to irrigate elsewhere in the region. But, it is well suited to being ranchland, so while theandrest thearound prairies were settled settledbybyAmerican farmers, Calgary theofarea it were ranch owners and ranch hands. The climate here is warm, and can support cattle because of the Chinooks, dry warm winds that blow east off the Rocky Mountains all yearround. The warmth of the Chinooks is such that it is possible to play golf in Calgary in February—on a few select days—while still skiing in the mountains and foothills. The legacy of being settled by Americans, with their well established traditions of liberty and freedom, unlike the communal strength of Eastern Europe has strongly influenced Alberta. For example, taxes are lower here than elsewhere in Canada, and messages about the importance of owning a gun, or restricting the power of government have much more resonance. Traditional conservative messages have always resonated more powerfully in this region than elsewhere in Canada since the formation of the province, and it has been the
Moose Jaw Requiem— In the early 1900s, most of the larger buildings in Moose Jaw were heated by steam. The engineers who maintained the coal-fired boilers in the basements arranged for the creation of an elaborate network of tunnels linking them so that they could move themselves and their equipment from building to building without facing the harsh winter weather. At about the same time, numerous Chinese immigrants who arrived in Moose Jaw to work for what were, by Canadian standards, very low wages, adopted the tunnel system as living quarters and workplaces which were both inexpensive and sheltered from a sometimes hostile populace. During Prohibition Moose Jaw became a center for distribution of bootleg liquor, both domestically and to the United States via the Soo Line Railroad to Chicago, earning the town the nickname "Little Chicago". Illegal enterprises such as speakeasies, casinos, and brothels
homeland as well. of Canada‘s right wing parties since that time The legacy of oil has had a great impact on the land here, Calgary in particular is dotted with institutions founded by the mineral wealth of the province, and the much vaunted ―Alberta Advantage‖ of high spending on
social programs, and low taxes is due to government 29
profits off what is extracted from the ground in the millions-of-barrels. Every time the price of a barrel of oil dips, the provincial economy crashes as the province becomes unable to sustain its spending. Farming has also been historically important, in particular feed to support the cattle industry. And tourism, particularly related to resorts in the Alberta Rockies have been important since the railway came through the region in the late 1800s. There are many first nations in the area, including the Blood, the Blackfoot, the Tsuu Tina (Sarcee), and the Nakota, but they are demographically swamped by the rest of the population. Calgary is the cultural and intellectual capital of Alberta, and sustains a rivalry with Edmonton in almost all things.
heritage, who bases his operations on the Tsuu Tina reservation just outside city limits. Cartwright is a crone, and to make up for Hennessey‘s sheer power within
Calgary and Alberta, Cartwright travels and writes frequently to other Crone, and kindred of First Nations ethnicity in North America to maintain relations and alliances with them. This makes it very difficult for Hennessey to move against Cartwright, especially because Hennessey‘s more active rivalry is with Archbishop
Volkov in Edmonton, whom Cartwright actively communicates with. Being a known ally of Cartwright is particularly dangerous, since they are the ones who most often face the wrath of Prince Hennessey if they step out of line.
Awakening (Thea firmly New Assembled of Calgary) —Once traditionalist Committee Silver Ladder Consilium, Calgary‘s fate is now firmly in the hands of the Free Council. Thanks to the oil sands boom, and an
Southern Alberta in Forsaken Alberta is completely free of Rat Hosts– and of rats. The province has held an aggressive program to keep rats out of the province since the Second World War. Many wolf blooded and Forsaken have aided the program since its inception. The Owl Patrol Pack is one of the largest contributors to the effort to defend the province against an invasion of rats.
internal coup orchestrated by the Libertines, Calgary‘s
Southern Alberta in Changeling
decisions are run entirely through an Assembly dominated by a cabal of wealthy TELM Trust sorcerers. Money, fashion, and favours are currency of the city. Those cabals that give the Free Council what they want are paid back handsomely. Those who put up a fight do very poorly, indeed. Few mages openly oppose the rule of the Libertines in Calgary and, as a result, the self-styled
Most of Southern Alberta, like Saskatchewan, is the
―Crusaders of the Pentacle‖ have themselves become
complacent and corrupt. Rumours that Kapital, the ruler of Calgary, keeps personal mercenaries on his bankroll, and is arming the city to topple Edmonton, still persist. The Emissary of the Assembly is a warlock Free Councilor called Rollomay. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Calgary)
Black Buffalo‘s ground. The Winter Court of Fort
McMurray maintains an extensive winter cottage network system throughout the province, including the southern end. But many non-winter Changelings resent this implied fealty and dependence on the Northern city, and there is a feeling that the situation could change. The rule of Fort McMurray there are nowith freeholds in Southern Alberta, justmeans extensive cottages, two exceptions.
Lethbridge Requiem—The Gangrel Prince Derrogard, a Carthian, is the Prince in rapidly growing Lethbridge. He is a proud member of the Crowchild Alliance. His Seneschal, Brother Stockwell, a Tollisson Ventrue (the Childe of Rodeo Jim) who ensures that the sometimes dim-witted Derrogard keeps Lethbridge pure of heretical influence from Edmonton. The Daeva Invictus Duchess Harlowe, is entrenched in the University, and is said to be slowly scheming to take the crown from Derrogard. Brother
Calgary Requiem—Calgary is under the rule of Prince Hennessey, a firm advocate of the Tollisson creed, who effectively serves as Archbishop for that creed in Western Canada. Hennessey is a charming Daeva, and routinely uses his well honed powers of Majesty to keep his court, city, followers and visitors charmed and under his influence. And although many are derisive of this tactic, they must admit, even outside his influence, that he is a brilliant manipulator and diplomat. Hennessey often keeps his allies dependent on his support, and does his utmost to punish those who fail to remain loyal to him. The overwhelming majority of kindred in Calgary are Tollisson Creed Lancea, and Carthians, all of whom love Hennessey. Prince Hennessy created the Crowchild alliance of major Albertan Princes years ago to wrangle a geographic advantage over Archbishop Volkov in Edmonton. The idea of the Crowchild alliance was created by Rodeo Jim, a Ventrue Carthian, who leads the Carthians of Calgary. The leader of opposition to Hennessey is Brandon Cartwright, an equally charming Gangrel, of Sarcee
Stockwell is aware of this growing threat, but isn‘t
convinced it is a problem for the Tollissons of Alberta; Harlowe is just interested in power, and could be persuaded to remain in the Alliance, if they made her transition to power as easy as possible. Awakening (The Resolute Citadel)—The heritage town of Fort MacLeod, just West of Lethbridge, is home to the first historic outpost of the famed North West Mounted Police. Not surprisingly, mages are the drawn here from across the countryArrow to learn from alleged Adamant Sages who hole themselves in town. Calgary ignores this militant presence to the south though recent questions have been raised of precisely how powerful and influential the so-called ―Resolute Citadel‖ is in 30
Awakened and Arrow politics. A growing number of respected Arrow now active in Canada hail from the training provided here but an equal number of non-Arrow allege that this is simply a front to train Awakened soldiers to do the unthinkable: seize power all for themselves. Do-Right, a young Acanthus Arrow, who presents himself as a charming Mountie, serves as Herald for the Citadel.
has since become a Tollisson Lancea in Calgary, and schemes to take back Medicine Hat for the Crowchild alliance. Grumermann is well known for seeking allies across the country. Lost (The Court of the Warming Oasis)—The Southern Directional Court holds Medicine Hat out of the reach of the Winter court, just by offering a completely different philosophy that the Winter Court has a lot of trouble wrapping their head around. They are led by Johnny Chinook, a Wind elemental, who maintains that his city is a place of pleasure: all evidence to the contrary to be
Red Deer Requiem—Led by Doctor Parysznoff, a highly esteemed Mekhet Ordo from Bohemia who runs a small academy, Red Deer has not been claimed by either the Crowchild Alliance or the Borealis League. Edgar Kuliakin, a vicious Gangrel Crone serves as Sheriff for Parysznoff, and keeps missionary Lancea out of the small city. Neither Parysznoff nor Kuliakin has much patience for either of the Lancea Princes, and are trying to organize the non-Lancea of Alberta to throw off the oppressive politics of these two Princes. Awakening (The Armistice Lodge)—Lying halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, is the city of Red Deer. An area of small industry, Red Deer has never boasted any sort of sustained Awakened presence and this is true
ignored. Johnny‘s main rival is Slow Pete, a Ogre Winter
court representative from Medicine Hat. Pete is admired for his wisdom, and is trying to dismantle and crush the irrepressible Johnny‘s rule over his directional Courtiers.
Johnny is harbouring a secret however, Marigold Fairweather, a Satrap of Pearls from the Spring Court is using Medicine Hat as a launching base to form new freeholds in Southern Alberta, and crush Winter‘s rule. Pete is not aware of her presence.
Banff Awakening (The St. Julian Group)—Banff and the surrounding mountainous regions have long inspired the dreams and visions of the Awakened and, legend tells, that in the early days after the fall of Atlantis a pocketful of survivors found their way to this region to learn from the native practitioners of magic that made their homes in this rugged but beautiful land. Nowadays, Banff supports an eclectic cabal of innovative wizards nominally associated with the Free Council but who draw equal inspiration from the lore of the Silver Ladder. This cabal, known as the St. Julian Group, is only interested in inspiring Sleepers through the cultivation of the arts and the care of the environment around the region. Making their home near the Banff Centre, the Group is highly territorial when it comes to other mages and have not only warded various entry points into the town but brokered deals with several spirits to ensure that any mage who happens to pass through town does not go unnoticed. Lost (The Grand Satrapy of the Northwest)— With the resentful blessing of the Winter Court, Banff maintains a splendid freehold within the grand hotel itself: it serves as a national retreat, and headquarters for the Satrapy of Pearls. Satrap Sedgwick, an Oni Ogre of the Spring Court rules here with style and grace, ensuring neither visitors nor freeholders suffer or desire for anything. It is worth noting that the spring courtier presence here is so overwhelming, that it singlehandedly drives the politics of Banff, and it is home to the most ruthless scheming in
today. In the past, during Edmonton‘s Seer war, the city
operated as a staging ground for Awakened seeking to rout the Seers in the north and hone their martial prowess. The site for this staging ground was a place called the Crossing Lodge. After Edmonton‘s war ended, and Calgary‘s fortune bloomed, the city was abandoned along
with the Lodge where it lay dormant for years. Today, following the Extraordinary Convocation of 2009, the site has been renamed the Armistice Lodge and designated a place where the Calgary Assembly and Edmonton Consilium can hold an annual Least Convocation in the interests of peace. As well, the city of Red Deer is also home to an unusual cabal of apostates calling themselves the Apostasia. The Apostasia are all that remain of the upstart A.F.S.A. group that was soundly defeated in Edmonton. The Apostasia nonetheless managed to pass a resolution in Convocation recognizing them as a separate ―order‖ of mages and were
given a part of the city of Red Deer to entrench themselves and establish rites and rituals unique to their mystic perspective. Some Order, and non-Order, mages in Canada have taken a keen interest in this group.
Medicine Hat Requiem—Bishop Siados Lorinc, a Daeva Monachist, was appointed Prince of Medicine Hat by Archbishop Volkov, giving the Borealis League a member deep in southern Alberta. The shock troops won Medicine Hat in the winter of 1998, and have spent the past 12 years entrenching their rule through local mortal allies. Although a Bishop, Lorinc has rescinded his title to lead his city, and the Mekhet Bishop Anna Shefkiu, also a Monachist serves as his Bishop and Seneschal. The former Seneschal, Hans Grumermann, was Invictus but
Canada. Howard L‘Enfer, is the Winter envoy from Fort
McMurray, sent several years ago to close the freehold down. most a comfortable and spoiledHe lifeisoff theineffective, largesse ofand thelives Satraps.
31
influences. The place is also home to a small wolf blooded community.
Northern Alberta: the Prairies & the Oilfields
Northern Alberta in Changeling The winter court has been successful in reducing Northern Alberta to one freehold. There is an extensive cottage network to keep scattered Changelings and
Major Cities in Northern Alberta Edmonton (1,034,000), Fort McMurray (64,000), Grande Prairie (50,000), Lloydminster (26,000—partially in Saskatchewan)
Motley‘s safe, but only if they are of the Winter Court,
and proven loyal to Fort McMurray. Other Changelings are put on the rails to Saskatoon, or elsewhere in Canada. Found Changelings are led to believe that the Winter philosophy is the only way to stay safe. Changelings who repeatedly cause problems are swiftly dispatched. Many
Geography of Northern Alberta The northern portion of Alberta is the northern most end of the flat prairies that define central North America, reaching from Edmonton down to Texas. Go any further north than here, and the growing season becomes too short to sustain the large crops on which farmers depend. As you would expect, the winters here are fiercer than the rest of the prairies, the summer days much longer, and the winter nights last almost 20 hours. Because of the harsh conditions, the farms here are larger than elsewhere in the prairies, and the population thinly spread. Cattle are less common since the length and fierceness of the winters make them impractical to raise. The people here are descended from the hardy Eastern European stock that also populated Saskatchewan and Manitoba. First Nations native to the area include the Cree, Sioux, Chipewyan, and Danezaa nations. In the past 50 years, with the discovery of the Leduc oilfield a few miles from Edmonton, the economy and geography of this area radically changed. Northern
diplomats have been sent to the Fort…few return with
good news, and some do not return at all.
Edmonton Requiem—Edmonton is governed by the Cardinal Volkov, a staunch Monachist, srcinally from Latvia, and Archbishop for the Monachal Creed in Western Canada. Volkov is a Nosferatu, and while in his presence, one feels radiated heat ―like the fires of hell.‖ Volkov is an
entrenched conservative traditionalist, bringing together Eastern and Roman traditions in his celebration of Lancea rituals. Volkov rules through consistency and firmness, and a little terror —keeping quite literally to the style of government advocated quite literally in Machiavelli‘s
Prince on a the most superficial reading. Volkov is particularly paranoid about Prince Hennessey of Calgary, and the two Princes are very clear about their dislike of each other. Volkov‘s paranoia encompasses the Ordo Dracul, led in Edmonton by Camilla Redford, who
Alberta is sitting on top of North America‘s largest oil and gas reserves, and the ―oil sands.‖ The land here is
dotted with oil wells, the economy Edmonton was redefined from a smalland military city and of provincial capital to one humming with the business of refining oil and gas and pumping it to the markets in the south. The oil sands are proving to be even more lucrative as liquid crude oil becomes rarer. To produce energy, the deep carbon-rich soil is ripped from the earth by monstrous-sized machines, and crushed. The industry produces more pollution and uses more energy and water than any other aspect of the
is the main source of opposition to hisHennessey, rule. This fear driven Camilla, to make contact with and has she now serves as his ambassador in Edmonton —and The Tollisson Hennessey has made it quite clear to the Monachist Volkov that if he moves against the Ordo, there will be war in Alberta. At the prompting of the Mekhet Baron Hilton, Volkov‘s Invictus Seneschal, Volkov has formed the ―Borealis League‖ as a response to
the Crowchild alliance, bringing more cities around Alberta under his wing. Awakening (Portus Aeternus Consilium)—Edmonton has long been a seat of strict authoritarian rule of the Diamond orders: the city was once dubbed ―the Iron Fis t
Canadian economy… but it‘s also the fastest growing and
most important sector, making the provincial and federal government disinterested in reining it in.
Northern Alberta in Forsaken
of Dominion.‖ This Awakened Consilium has also seen
more than its fair share of occult conflict, between Seer pylons, Banisher cults and anarchic apostates, Edmonton mages have faced many conflicts, and suffered just as many losses. As a result its Lex Magica has been a strict and dogmatic document and its mages are a suspicious lot. The new Hierarch, a thearch named Cascade claims nominal authority, but knows that the real seat of power lies in the staunch Arrow caucus, led by an Awakened constable named Big Horn. Recently the site of an
Alberta is a relatively safe province for Forsaken. While the area is considered to be under the control of the Pure of the Second Confederacy, the Nudyuartok Amarok – likely the most dangerous of the confederacies – the area is also patrolled by several strong high profile packs and houses many wolf blooded. Peace River is the hometown of one of those notable packs – a roaming pack whose goal is to retake Canada from the Pure. This is the place the True North Pack stops to rest when not actively fighting to free Canada from the oppression of outside
Extraordinary Convocation, Edmonton‘s many sins were
recently brought to light, hopefully setting the city on a path towards peace, however, doubts about how long such 32
a peace could last still remain. Major Mackenzie an Acanthus Arrow is the Herald of Edmonton. (See the Appendix for more on the Awakening in Edmonton)
created for the testing of nuclear devices. The site is now something of a monastery for powerful Obrimos: a place of wisdom and meditation for the most restless of paths, and a chance to be closer to the supernal. The Arrow maintains an ersatz Consilium here but it appears to have only one cabal and no Lex Magica. The region boasts some of the most spectacular displays of the aurora borealis. Many nearby mystics fear this place and say only the most foolhardy, or the most in need of help, go near. The Hierarch of the Repenting Monastery is a Thyrsus Arrow, Abbott Peace, and their Herald is an Acanthus Arrow, Bethune.
Fort McMurray Requiem—Prince Kelvin, rules the court of Fort McMurray, the Daeva arrived with the Newfoundlanders who run the great machinery of the oil fields. He also brought with him Magda, a Mekhet Crone from the east to serve as his spiritual adviser. Kelvin has become reluctantly a member of the Borealis League, but mainly because it was the easiest way to keep his territory in the quickly growing city, without facing constant pressure from the larger court in Edmonton. Bishop Descelles, an imposing Gangrel serves as envoy from Edmonton to keep Kelvin in line, and contributing resources to the League. Awakening (The Ursa Minor Consilium)—Fort McMurray apparently hosts a fledgling Consilium backed by Silver Ladder industrialists. The Consilium tolerates a fundamentalist Guardian cabal, which only rarely interacts with mystic politics, but are often sought to cover up veil breaches that occur in the area. The area has of late seen an increasing number of intrusions by the Abyss. Lost (The Networked Freehold of Silence)—The Freehold of Fort McMurray is run by the iron grip of the Blue Widow, a darkling Leechfinger, or at least that is the rumour. There are only Winter courtiers here, and all quite grimly sworn to the safety of their freehold. The exception are a few Western Court freelancers who enforce her rule and serve as her bodyguards, and adding a tone of decorum and tradition to the otherwise very stern gatherings. The Blue Widow has made no secret of her attempt to extend the reach of Winter across all of Canada, she is suspected to have been behind the collapse of Regina, assassinations in Toronto, and the head of the Canadian Regiment of the Knights of Silence. The directional freeholds are largely what stand in her way. Her alliance with the Western Court may mean that even that is on the wane. Only Marigold Fairweather, concealed in Medicine Hat, is actively working against her.
Lloydminster Requiem—Prince Hesse, a Ventrue Invictus known for her cold Austrian beauty, has been Prince of Lloydminster since the city was founded. She presides over a small court, her seneschal is Ivan Progoff, a Dragon, sworn of the axe, who leads the protection of a small but notable library and Wyrm‘s nest. Hesse has joined the Borealis
League, but has not accepted a bishop from Volkov within her city. Awakening (The Gnosium Cabal)—It has been recently confirmed that Lloydminster is home to a tight-knit Guardian-run Labyrinth. The Guardian Epopt of the community goes out of his way to see that nothing out of the ordinary happens in the community. Unfortunately (or fortunately) his efforts to do this are assisted by a Seer of the Throne pylon whose further efforts at stifling magic in the area have ensured that any successful use of magic in is extremely rare, and virtually no Awakenings take place in Lloydminster.
Grande Prairie Requiem—Grande Prairie is home to the oldest Tollisson Creed mission in Canada. The small group is practically monastic, and is willing to host all nature of Kindred, to help them find peace, humanity and God. They are led by Sister Anna Torrence. Among their more famous guests was the Archbishop Volkov, whom they hosted in the 1970s. The Archbishop of Edmonton, clearly has respect for the monastics of Grande Prairie, and although Sister Anna has reluctantly agreed to sit with the Crowchild Alliance, Volkov has made no move against her otherwise isolated city. Awakening (The Repenting Monastery Consilium) — Grande Prairie houses a never used military installation, 33
part of it. It is lightly populated, with the population clustering in major valleys. And these valleys, though a small portion of the total land, allow for spectacular micro-climates and agriculture. Canada‘s only desert can be found in this region, as can the Okanagan valley, Canada‘s most productive wine district. The apples and cider from Penticton are another equally admired product from the region. It should be emphasized that most of the economic activity, as within all regions in Canada is focused in the southern third of the province, Northern BC is largely open, unoccupied territory. The Peace River country, on the eastern side of the Rockies has more in common with Alberta. The majority of the economy are based off the pulp-and-
British Columbia (BC) The province furthest west in Canada, and the only one on the Pacific coast, British Columbia joined confederation as an entire unit, a previously separate British Colony, unlike every other large province which has evolved to its current size. For much its early history, easy access to British Columbia was done not across the prairies, but rather from steamers north from San Francisco. British Columbia has more in common socially and economically with the four western American states than most of Canada, and does more trade with Asia than with Europe. Socially, geographically and politically it is best understood as its own region
paper townsin depending forestry.were Social tension, historically, rural BritishonColumbia between the factory-owning families, and the union leaders who led the work force. In recent years however, the cost of labour in Canada has decimated the mills, leading to the depopulation of towns, and the end of the labour tradition that had previously been so central to the towns. The diverse geography of the interior led, historically, to their literally being dozens of native peoples, none of whom were ever involved in an official treaty process until the latter half of the 20 th century (reserves were simply assigned to people by the federal government, everywhere else in Canada there was a negotiated treaty process.) As such tensions can still run high, and there is a large native population to be considered. Some more recently negotiated treaties have involved entire land grants being given to native peoples, so in some valleys, First nations are completely in control.
British Columbia in Forsaken British Columbia is home to a variety of Forsaken packs, but it is also under the control of the Pure of the First Confederacy, The Ring of Fire. (see the section on the Pure for more on the confederacies). The climate of British Columbia has also made it a haven for a variety of species of spiders. This has also made it a prime ground for the spread of the Spider Hosts – the horrible Azlu. These hosts aren‘t alone either. Beshilu and Usudwirku
can also be found here in great numbers.
British Columbia in Lost The Grand Trunk Railway, is particularly predominant in the hedge of British Columbia, with many towns having stations supported by Freeholds. The scattered isolated nature of the cities gives a feeling of security and necessity in each of the Freeholds. Cities known to have
Kelowna Requiem—Kelowna is also the 4th least affordable housing market in Canada, currently maintaining the classification of "Severely Unaffordable". It is this exclusive atmosphere that has made the city home to a very insular Kindred Guild of Invictus calling themselves
Grand stations,Vancouver, and support at least small groups of motleysTrunk include: Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Prince George, Vernon. Organized freeholds tend not to exist in British Columbia due to the physical isolation of the cities, although freeholds will pop in and out of existence every now and then, usually because a Spring courtier with big schemes comes along.
―The Seven Oaks Society‖ in reference to the Battle of
Seven Oaks in which the North West Company battled and did not yield to the Hudson‘s Bay Company. Indeed,
many members of the Seven Oaks Society are Elders who were part of the North West Company in their breathing days. The Seven Oaks are highly territorial and do not like uninvited guests. Prince Baptiste Bruno has heavy personal investment in
The BC Interior Major Cities in the British Columbia Interior
―The Union‖ the underground society of marijuana grow
ops and distributors, and it is said that in Kelowna 1% of the houses are actually Grow Ops in disguise. The Seven Oaks Society acts largely as a training Guild of Meisters teaching Neonate Kindred firsthand how to profit in an
Kelowna (162,000), Kamloops (92,000), Prince George (83,000), Vernon (55,000), Penticton (43,000), Fort St. John (25,000). Prince George is an active domain in the Camarilla
underground economy. is saidcriminals, that somelearning of the how less talented students leave asIt skilled to get ahead in the drug trade. The more skilled, learn how to profit from the drug trade without any personal risk at all as money launderers, legal counsel and manipulators of legitimate front businesses.
Geography of the BC Interior Most of British Columbia is mountainous, forested and unsuited to agriculture. This large region, effectively everything north and west of the Coast mountains, is a 34
Awakening (Syilx Longhouse of Elders)—Kelowna is the home of the Syilx Longhouse of Elders, a Circle of Elders-style Awakened body that it is comprised of mages almost entirely from First Nations heritage. They have had almost no contact or interest in learning the beliefs of Pentacle mages and, indeed, find the Pentacle dogmatic to a fault. The sole mystagogue presence here, a small Athenaeum on the southern shore of Lake Okanagan, is tolerated by the Longhouse but only marginally so. The Longhouse does, however, have constant diplomatic relations with the nearby Seers in Kamloops, as well as numerous spirit courts of the area. Lost (Western Court of the Lake and Mountains) — Kelowna is home to a Directional Court Freehold
George. The resident ruler of the Tetrarchy, a Thyrsus Seer named Martext holds the reigns, but just barely, as he often contends with his subordinates. Truth be known, the Barony Tetrarchy claims more territory than its small numbers can effectively control, and the powerful spirit courts of the interior, more closely allied with the Longhouse of Kelowna, are the true powers that be in the area.
Vernon Requiem—The Kindred population of Vernon was largely wiped out by local Hunter group which rose up shortly after the Second World War due to unwise Kindred predation. Vernon was home to a Japanese internment camp during World War 2 and the local Prince and his cohorts came upon the scam of offering Japanese refugees a chance to flee internment via a false
dominated by the Empress Shirleyfrom Chang,thea rabbit runner. Kelowna is separated other swiftfour directional courts by a cultural barrier, while the other courts have been influenced by the First Nation dreamscape, Kelowna remains strictly Asian, leading to severe cultural difficulties, and a distrust by the Western Court representatives in the other four cities. Because of this barrier, Empress Shirley wishes to bring the seasonal and directional courts closer together. However this means Empress Shirley has developed exceptionally good relations with the Blue Widow of Fort McMurray, and is striving to bring the directional courts onside with the Winter Scheme, which hardly endears her outside the Winter Court. But, Shirley may be just as interested in making an ally out of Johnny Chinook of Medicine Hat.
―underground railroad‖ all the while leading them to the
slaughter, figuring that no one would miss them. They were wrong. Word got back to the interned JapaneseCanadians and the local Monastery of the Golden Mountain set up shop in Vernon and wiped out the local Kindred. Vernon remains a strong base of operations for the Hunter Group to this day, although it seems likely some, more intelligent and subtle, kindred have likely returned..
Penticton Requiem—A hub of wine tourism in the Okanagan Valley with access to 88 wineries within an hour's drive, Penticton has proven attractive to Kindred Sommeliers and Vintners including the Invictus society the Order of
Kamloops Requiem—While there are many speculations regarding the srcin of the name of the town, local Kindred assure visitors it came from the French "Camp des loups" meaning 'Camp of Wolves' based on an incursion by one huge white wolf being repelled by a single shot by John Tod, then Chief Trader, with his musket - at a distance of some 200 yards. The shot caused the admiration of native witnesses and is said to have given the Chief Trader a great degree of respect locally, preventing the fort from attack. This single event has strongly defined the Requiem community of Kamloops. The local Kindred like to brag
Dionysius. Seldom loweringhere themselves combat, the Princedom is decided every to fivepetty years in a Lacrima tasting competition. Infighting can be fierce. At least two major wineries were damaged or destroyed in 2003 due to the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire, and there are those who strongly suspect (but cannot prove) the involvement of current Prince Gerard DuVin, a member of the Circle of the Crone. Other local wine connoisseurs and former Princes are Maurice Thibadeux of the Invictus, Jean Du Mal of the Lancea Sanctum, who is attached to the Crowchild Alliance. Awakening (Virgil’s Lair)—Penticton, and the surrounding areas, are home to the remnants of a very old and devious Guardian Labyrinth. Consisting of grass roots secret societies and barnyard satanic cults, the Guardians that srcinally oversaw this network have long since died out. A Mastigos cabal that trains those of the Pandemonium path to understand the disturbing aspects of warlock magic has replaced them, however. The Mastigos chose the name of their cabal as a reference to Dante in Hell, as they similarly attempt to offer guidance those who would learn the ways of their path. Warlocks from across the country are known to come here, to learn and study their craft. The Herald of the cabal is a Mastigos mystagogue who calls herself Beatrice.
that they do battle with the ‗werewolves‘ in the wilderness outside of town in ―the hunt‖. Kindred who immigrate
into town are typically looked down upon as soft unless they too prove themselves in the hunt. This has actually created something of a Kindred tourist economy as Neonate thrill seekers and Elders trying to recapture the vitality of their youth, come to the city to participate. The Prince, Carl Brash, is a Carthian Gangrel who typically appears in court wearing wolf pelts as a badge of office, and unhealable four with clawed scar across fromhas his an alleged epic battle a Lupine pack. his face Awakening (Barony of the Obsidian Monolith)— Kamloops is ruled by the Barony of the Obsidian Monolith, a large Seer Tetrarchy whose domain stretches throughout the interior valley, from Kelowna to Prince 35
Prince George (Active Domain)
but the winters are mild, until you go up the mountains, when the snow turns to rain. This small region holds a majority of the provincial population, and is home to the bulk of the provincial economy. As with the rest of British Columbia, there are many different Native peoples in the region, most notably the Coast Salish Capilano reserve no. 5 is across the Burrard inlet from downtown Vancouver. The Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands, at the north end of the region are known for their very distinctive art style. Historically, the native people of the area lived well off the bounty of the ocean and the woods, developing relatively sophisticated economies by the time of the European arrival. This is still true, insofar as the pacific fisheries and lumber
Requiem— Prince George has historically been an Invictus stronghold, but the city has recently been rocked by an internal coup. The old house was driven from power and destroyed, and has been replaced by an alliance between the House of Cwn Annwn, and the Lancea Sanctum who found themselves with enough influence to wield power. The Current Prince, Davan, a Daeva Lancea, was formerly Sheriff, and he is supported in power by his Seneschal Father Phoenix, a Mekhet Lancea Sanctum. It is unknown whether or not they have entertained ambassadors from the Crowchild Alliance or the Borealis League, but this new Sanctified stronghold has likely attracted the attention of both Edmonton and Calgary. Note on the title of Prince of Prince George – the historical viewpoint of the ruling Prince was that it always included ―all of the nor th of BC, in a line from 100 Mile House onwards‖. This claim has never been enforced, and nomads have consistently thumbed their noses at this claim. Realistically, Prince George HAS enforced this in
industry are key employers in the region. The Vancouver metropolitan region, built on the delta of the Fraser river, is Canada‘s third largest city and the most
important city, culturally and economically for Western Canada. Its port and airport are the most important in the region for Canada, helping to ship goods in and out to the other large ports of the pacific rim countries. The proximity to Asia truly affects the demographics of this region, and it has the wealthiest and (proportionately) largest groups of Indians, Japanese, Korean and Chinese people, many of them integrated for generations.
a 50 km radius of themselves… and that has meant that
they have controlled the only land route to Alaska over the last 70 years, without a major detour through Alberta and her major cities. Awakening (The Nechako Retreat)—A few miles west of Prince George, a small group of Thyrsus hold out against the Barony of the Obsidian Obelisk, and understand the complicated Spirit Courts of the Rocky Mountains. They own a small ranch, and it is a wellknown and respected healing centre within the Canadian Awakening community, and built over a spectacular font of mana. The Mysterium are routinely attempting to formalize the retreat, and make it a more proper place for study, but a relaxed and refreshing atmosphere pervades, where all Thyrsus are welcome. The retreat is led by a Mysterium Thyrsus who calls herself Henrietta.
Vancouver & Abbotsford (Live Domain) Requiem— Vancouver, BC, is one of the member cities of the House Cŵn Annwn Imperium, having joined the Imperium after a successful praxis seizure against Cardinal Vasari of the Lancea Sanctum. Sebastian Rourke was given command of the Praxis by the Imperial Family and took the title of Duke. Rourke has performed sweeping reforms to the city and the society of the Kindred within it, having removed such titles as Master of Elysium and Sheriff. Instead, he has turned these titles into Knighthoods in which the powers and responsibilities are shared amongst groups of Kindred. Each Knighthood has been named after a former Prince of the City. There is a Knighthood of the Juliens, the Arkady, and the Rufus. The third Knighthood is named after the City's founder Rufus Goddard, who came to the city after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Rufus was not the first Vampire to reach the city, but was able to build the city into a structure using the Deed of Incorporation, a set of Carthian Laws which were followed into the 21st century when it was voted out of favor, though Rourke still adheres to these tenets. Prior to Goddard's arrival there had been some Kindred reports amongst the First Nations of the region, the most prominent being Bak-awah, a powerful Nosferatu believed to live in the north, though there are rumors that something more powerful may have destroyed it. — Awakening (The Consilium of Greater Vancouver) Vancouver is a well-established Pentacle stronghold, and has been since it was founded. The Mysterium and the Free Council are well entrenched in both UBC and Simon
Pacific Coast & Lower Mainland Major Cities on the Pacific Coast & Lower Mainland Vancouver (2,117,000), Abbotsford (124,000), Chilliwack (80,000). Vancouver/Abbotsford is an active domain in the Camarilla
Geography of the Pacific Coast & Lower Mainland The warm humid air of the Pacific Ocean and the suddenly rising Coast Mountains makes the coast and Lower Mainland (the lower portion of the Fraser River valley in the southwestern part of the province) surprisingly temperate compared to the same latitude across the rest of the country. It is overwhelmed with rain, 36
Fraser University, and both Orders keep a healthy respect for territory held by the other. Vancouver was seemingly
Awakening
a loyal member of Dominion, but it‘s diverse and open
Guardian cabal that keeps a presence simply to cover up Veil breaches and dispatch operatives along the Coast. They keep an independent Lex Magica to assist in this operation, as well as to protect their agents, and ensure that the directives are the Epopt go unquestioned. The cabal is known to use a nearby mental institution in order to debrief agents, and deal with mages who have slipped off the path of hubris. The Epopt, an Acanthus named Heron, is a personable yet professional mage and surprisingly jovial to all those who visit. Chilliwack is a very small but pleasant Consilium to visit, and whenever possible, Guardians choose to do their public relations
(The
Blind
Hospice
Consilium)—
Chilliwack‘s fledgling Consilium consists mainly of a
politics, its distance from Ottawa, and the presence of powerful hallows in the surrounding mountains, helped shield Vancouver from Dominion‘s collapse. Vancouver‘s Consilium was often plagued by a rogue cabal called ―The Lords of Anubis‖ who refused to bow to the power of the
Lex. Although they were recently defeated, it is unknown whether or not this group were Scelesti, Banishers, or Seers. The Vancouver Concilium is largely dominated by the Jade Golem cabal and this group currently provides much of the leadership in the present domain. Given this, and the emerging spirit of cooperation between the Awakened of the region, many mages look forward to brighter days. Lost— The Freehold of Vancouver has been in near constant flux since the great storms of 2007, which destroyed most of Stanley Park . The Seasonal Courts of Vancouver believed that these storms were the act of the Wyrd. The freehold struggled for over a year against Border Reaver attacks and a privateer named Trakkar the Hunter. The Freehold has struggled for years with political infighting, and outright kidnappings of royal leaders. This has made the Freehold very unstable, and unable to sustain long-lasting leadership.
work Lost there. (The Grand and Glorious Freehold)—Chilliwack boasts a very small freehold, less than a dozen members in total, but you wouldn't know it to ask them. Chilliwack is home to the longest standing members of the Knights of The Golden Standard in Canada, and the legends of the Knights of Chilliwack have been well documented. Despised by some as arrogant useless braggarts and afforded grand prestige by others, the two small competing motleys of Knights frequently travel along the Grand Trunk in BC and beyond, looking for adventures that only the Golden Standard can handle. And they'll be sure to let you know that the local residents had better stand back and let the professionals handle this! The Knights are currently led by Sir Mastiff Burnamthorpe, a bulldog beast of British srcin, and his rival Rutegar Von Mayville, a Fairest Draconic.
Chilliwack Requiem—The city is ruled by Madame Chan, a Daeva of Chinese extraction, and populated exclusively by her Childer, all of whom are Unaligned. Madame Chan ran the local bordello when the local Canadian Forces Base was established in 1941. Business was booming during the War era and Madame Chan took the opportunity to get her hooks into numerous impressionable young soldiers who would someday become Generals using a combination of the blood bond and old-fashioned blackmail. It was around this time that Madame Chan picked up the nickname ―Madame Banana‖ by white soldiers frequenting her bordello. Chan srcinally loathed the name, but eventually relented realizing that her clientele were largely uneducated conscripts, and opened
Vancouver Island Major Cities in Vancouver Island Victoria (330,000), Nanaimo (92,000), Courtenay (49,000), Duncan (41,000), Campbell River (36,000). Victoria and Nanaimo are under the same domain
Geography of Vancouver Island
a second, tropical themed club ―Madame Banana‘s‖
which differed greatly from the ancient décor of her old ―gentleman‘s club‖. This was followed by a third club in
Once an independent colony, Vancouver Island is as far west as you can go, and has the mildest climate Canada can offer, with daffodils in February. It is separated from the rest of British Columbia by the Juan de Fuca strait and Salish Sea. Esquimalt, on its eastern shore, is the historic home to srcinally the British Navy in the north Pacific, and now the main harbor for the Canadian fleet in the Pacific. The island is a major naval centre in Canada. The largest city, Victoria at the most southern point of the island, is the capital of British Columbia, and connected to the rest of the province by regular ferry
1986, ―Peelers‖ which was an outright strip club. Madame Chan‘s own Sherriff, John Steward, was once
a raw recruit in boot camp whom she offered a little ―something extra‖ to help him make it through (her Vitae). Steward‘s enhanced strength allowed him to make
it through boot, but the Blood Bond caused him to wash out of basic training in order to be near the new centre of his life. HePeeler‘s was Embraced almost istwoa decades later. Amaretto, star attraction, fantastically beautiful stripper, whom Madame Chan graced with eternal youth and beauty at the height of World War 2. She changes her name and look every ten years to stay current.
routes. Victoria is stereotyped as a traditional ―British‖
city, an outpost of Victoriana on the Pacific-northwest, and is renowned for its classic architecture and beautiful buildings. The entire island has a notably older population 37
Courtenay
than the rest of country, its climate attracting retirees with the wealth to leave their homes in the rest of Canada. The northern end of the Island is largely undeveloped, and the same is true of the storm-lashed western coast facing directly out onto the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful, untouched rainforests, beaches and mountains, stretching north and into the fog, the distant end of the island feels primeval, and quite distant from the civilization at the southern end. The Nootka and Salish nations are absrcinal to the island and still make their homes here.
Requiem—A small town of over 20,000 with limited employment prospects for youth. There are only two local Kindred, both Ordo Dracul, Douglas McGettigan and his Childe, Ericka Browne. McGettigan is a published paleontologist and works closely with the local Courtenay & District Museum & Paleontology centre. McGettigan believes that vampirism may be a symbiotic survival mechanism which allowed humankind to survive in eras when larger, more dangerous predators were plentiful, by creating a ―guardian caste‖ with supernatural powers
Victoria & Nanaimo (Active Domain)
whose need for blood forced them to remain in close contact with, and even protect humanity to maintain their food source. McGettigan has recently also hinted that his research has led him to believe that vampirism may predate the human race, an idea many Lancea Sanctum find sacrilegious. Awakening—Fledgling cabals exist in Northern Vancouver Island. Courtenay, Duncan and Campbell River all serve as gathering points for these groups at different times of the year, but there is no indication or interest in a Lex Magica to unite them. Mages of Western Canada suspect that the island serves as a refuge for Magic users fleeing the authority of a Lex Magica, and they reside here, in peaceful retirement, or scheming for their next major plan. It is perhaps the presence of these outlaw pentacle mages, working through their agents and apprentices that stop organization of Consilii from happening.
Requiem—Just as Victoria rules British Columbia from the island, so do its kindred historically seek to do the same. The Invictus Prince Marcellus, who had ruled over the city—he claimed—since its founding left at the turn of the millennium to fight the Brood. In his place he left Invictus prince Patrick O‘Malley, who, just a few years later claimed the titled ―Imperator of British Columbia.‖
He left, in turn, the newly arrived Light Semias, a Mekhet Ordo to rule as Prince, ending the reign of the Invictus. The kindred of Victoria are known for living the genteel, dignified requiem, and are admired throughout the land for their good taste and calm demeanour. For some time the Carthians have been working to assemble the resources to begin a rival Court in Nanaimo, a project the other covenants fear may be nearing completion. For years, travel to Victoria was quite difficult for kindred, except for the locals. Travelers would be met with inclement weather, bad timing, wild beasts, and all manner of things made getting to Victoria difficult. Many feel this explains the quiet, insulated nature of kindred life on the island. The Ordo suspect there might be something in the museum impacting the ability of Vampires to draw near the south end of the island, but are unable to explain what this might be. The local kindred have developed all manner of methods to assist them while they choose to travel. Awakening—Southern Vancouver Island held a truly strange and unusual artifact for many years. The ―Paradox Stone‖ was of unknown srcin, but it resonated as an
exceptionally powerful artifact, particularly within the Prime Sphere, but it had the effect of suppressing all magic in the south end of the island. The stone was said to be similar to the green colour of soapstone, and carved as a raven in the Haida style. Quite large and immovable, its' very presence served to discourage Awakened from coming to the island: indeed, some speculate it even suppressed Awakenings. The Mysterium of Canada were well aware of its presence in a small museum, some took the time to study it, but it‘s general impact kept mages
well away. Perhaps the work of an Archmage, a series of storms andParadox earthquakes 2008 rocked island are andnow this broke the stone.in Victoria and the Nanaimo available for Awakened to arrive, but it remains to be seen who these will be.
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The North
The Yukon & Northern BC
Two-thirds of Canada falls into ―the north.‖ The northern third of all seven big provinces, sometimes more, and the three massive territories: the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, are all in this enormous land. Up here there are mountain ranges, deserts, lakes, rivers, seas and all manner of geographic features that are only seen or briefly visited by people. There is mineral wealth too, and, with the exception of the small native nations that make their home up here, it is people pursuing the wealth of the earth who make their homes here. The space here is so breathtakingly untouched and
The gold rush at the turn of the 20 th century populated the Yukon, giving rise to Whitehorse and Dawson. The Alaska Highway, funded by American military money in World War 2, winds its way through the territory and northern BC bringing supplies and people this way. This area is mountainous, although there is flat tundra up at the far northern end. There is some forestry, and some mining. The infrastructure here is more established than elsewhere in the North. Native people to be found out here include: The Tlingit, the Tagish, the Tutchone, and
empty, that only a small overview of each area is provided: there is simply not the population to justify longer descriptions. Across this huge territory native people form a majority, except for in a few towns.
the Han.
Yukon in Forsaken Yukon is controlled by the Pure of the First Confederacy—the Ring of Fire. Like the other Canadian territories the Yukon has no known Forsaken presence, and few Forsaken would make the effort to change that.
The North in Requiem Kindred cannot sustain themselves in the North. There are not enough people to feed off of, and the hours and hours of sunlight in the summer would be a disaster. The occasional vampire might travel north in the Winter, but it is not believed to support large populations. Of course this simple application of common sense has not quelled rumours of a great and ancient Nosferatu necropolis under Grise Fjord and Iqaluit, but these have never been proven to exist.
Whitehorse in Lost The ―Court of the White Reindeer‖ is he t only organized
freehold in the territories, the Northern Court sends its new recruits and shamans here. The harsh conditions and seclusion from civilization are perfect for their trials and ordeals, though it leaves their leaders who frequent here out of the loop of the constant struggle of Directional Court Life. Neither able to truly defeat their foes nor truly be defeated, this location provides a life of constant yet peaceful strife for the Court of Suffering.
The North in Awakening There aren‘t a lot of mages in Northern Canada, for the
simple reason Consilii, that therethere are not lot of people. Theretoare no organized area not even believed be organized Cabals. And while there are surely isolated practitioners of the magical arts in the vast North of Canada, their presence is marginal, and has no great bearing on the national scene.
The Northwest Territories & Northern Prairies
The North in Lost The north of Canada has rarely been a place where people wish to start a new life, but Changelings are more common here then other supernaturals. From Chinese immigrants who were taken during the gold rush, to explorers lost in the frozen tundra only to find solace in a less frozen Hedge, to Inuit peoples exploited by European Loyalists, there are plenty of ways a person could have suffered here at the hands of the Fey. Where humans are taken, Lost often return. The Black Buffalo preys here, though smaller Gentry have been known to find the wilderness suitable to longer stays outside of the Hedge.
Originally almost all of northern and western Canada, the Northwest Territories has been broken to smaller bits as the country has grown. The northern tiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan bear a lot of similarity and are included here. Where the prairies give way to unending pine forests and lakes is where this begins. Forestry is important at the south, but the land is so vast that the woods, full of bears, wolves, and wolverines, and broken by unnamed lakes and rivers go on forever. Recently mineral wealth has become important here, the oil sands in northern Alberta stretch up into this land encouraging the growth of highways, and the draining of lakes. But also gold and diamonds have been found, motivating the greediest and hardiest of souls into the north. These mines are deep in the tundra, reached by plane or ice-roads in the depths of winter when the rivers and lakes freeze over, forming several feet of ice as a seasonal road bed. Native people 39
who can be found in the region include the Inuit, the Gwitchin, the Dene, the Copper, the Tli‘cho, and further south the Cree and Chippewa.
Northern Quebec & Labrador
Northwest Territories in Forsaken
Northern Quebec, the two-thirds of the province that do not drain into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Labrador portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, are both quite distinct regions from the provinces that rule them. Labrador is populated mostly by the Innu, the waters of the Labrador Sea are very cold, and do not support the fish that can be found further south in the gulf stream. Further north, in the Torngat mountains, there is simply no one. Similarly, off the coast, there is simply no one, the hilly forested terrain might be visited by the occasional hunting party, but otherwise there is nothing to be found. In Quebec, the government has invested massive amounts of infrastructure damming the rivers to create the cheap electricity it exports to the rest of North-Eastern America. This has antagonized and destabilized the Cree, and Inuit who make their home here, and who are English speaking. Huge lakes have swamped what was previously productive and historic hunting ground for beaver and caribou. Nonetheless the government of Quebec continues to invest in the communities and search for mineral wealth; if independence is ever achieved by the Province, the fate of Northern Quebec is uncertain.
The Northwest Territories are controlled by the Pure of the Second Confederacy—the Nudyuartok Amarok. The Fire Touched are the ruling tribe here and they have succeeded in wiping the Forsaken out of their lands entirely. No Forsaken would dare set foot in the Northwest Territories, and those that do are quickly hunted down and slaughtered.
Nunavut & The Hudson Shore Nunavut is Canada‘s most recently created territory, its largest, and its smallest in population. It includes the vast northern archipelago and its mountain ranges, and the Northwest Passage. It is an area of land so large, that it is said foreign militaries are able to sustain bases and conduct experiments without the knowledge or permission of the Canadian government. It also includes the shoreline of Hudson Bay and James Bay at the geographic centre of Canada. Historically, Hudson Bay was central to the Canadian economy, the trading forts at the mouths of the many rivers that empty into it were
Labrador in Forsaken Labrador‘s geographic location gives it a distinct history
and setting from that held by Newfoundland. Like Newfoundland however, Labrador has held off fairly well against the Pure. The Fourth Confederacy of the Pure, Les Meutes Confederees Boreales, have attempted to gain footing in Labrador time and time again but have been rebuffed. The two groups hold a strange mutual respect for each other though neither will relax their guard. The Naskapi nation in Labrador holds strong wolf-blood ties and several Uratha among them live not too far from this mining community. Consisting primarily of Hungers in Darkness, they have been diligent in the protection of their land and have managed to miraculously hold of the Pure. It is assumed that it is through careful negotiations between them and the spirits (and perhaps even the Pure themselves) that the Forsaken here have managed to continue their existence.
central the furcountry trade. Ships would take theand gathered from thetoinland directly to London Paris. furs But the trade out of Hudson Bay has disappeared, and the once busy forts now support native communities. The unpredictable ice of the Northwest passage has made it possible for Canada to protect and claim this land with a minimum of disruption for years, but climate changes may alter that, and already plans are under way for Canada to develop a northern fleet to patrol these waters all the year round. Nunavut as a territory was created specifically for Inuit self government, and they form the majority of the population here. Cree and Chippewa, as well as Dene in the west can be found along the Hudson shore in Ontario and Manitoba.
Nunavut in Forsaken The Pure of Nunavut do not belong to any of the confederacies and do not believe they need to. The land there is vast and hostile to many. Few Forsaken would even consider making the journey to such an inclement and remote location when there are so many other, more easily accessible Pure territories to draw their attention.
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There wasn't a breath in that land of death, And I hurried on, horror stricken. With a corpse half hid, that I couldn't get rid, Because of a promise I'd given. It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say, "You may tax your brawn and your brains, But you promised true, and it's up to you To cremate these last remains." Now, a promise made is a debt unpaid, And the trail has its own stern code. In the days to come, 'though my lips were dumb, In my heart, how I cursed the load. In the long, long night by the lone firelight While the huskies 'round in a ring Howled out their woes to the homeless snows Oh, God, how I loathed the thing. And every day that quiet clay Seemed to heavy and heavier grow. But on I went, though the dogs were spent And the grub was getting low. The trail was bad, and I felt half mad, But I swore I would not give in. And I'dAndoften sing to the it harkened withhateful a grin! thing
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A geography shapes a country, but the Institutions define how the people understand it. This section is broken into five parts: the Federal institutions that span the country (and are controlled by the ANST team); the local institutions that are common to each domain (and are controlled by the DST and their VSTs); the major sectors of the economy that have an impact on day to day life; the major faiths within Canada; and finally, those groups that are aware of the supernatural, exist on a national scope, and act accordingly (Hunters).
formulation and disposition of the cabinet office, and for the resulting government-wide ministry scope reorganizations. Deputies report directly to the (political) minister, whose staff turnover with the government. Anyone with the deputy minister‘s staff, or the public service are there for their career, and generally aren‘t
subject to change: though some deputy ministers can be a patronage appointment. Deputy minister is the highest position most civil servants can aspire to. Major Federal Ministries include: Defense, Finance, Absrcinal Affairs, Health, Labour, Justice.
The Government:
What you really want to know: How do I get ID?
Federal Institutions
Generally having an ally with Status (**) or higher in Government or the Underworld, should be able to help you, given a few months, and your general co-operation.
The Bureaucracy
The ―New Identity‖ merit must be purchased with XP to
reflect the work that goes into creating this identity. Only New Identity (**) is available at this level, and is not perfect ID. New Identity (****) requires contact with someone Status (*****) or higher within the government. New Identity (*) can be bought off the street, with no
In Canada, there is a breakdown of powers between the Federal government and Provincial/Local breakdown of powers. The Federal government‘s powers are best
understood as limited to defense, foreign affairs, management of the national economy, and of course, taxation and distribution of largesse from that huge pot of money. So, in local affairs, the federal government is mostly powerless but has a lot of money to throw around. In the federal government most real power concentrated in career civil servants & political appointees instead of elected officials. There are two types of organizations in the government: Ministries (headed by cabinet minister) and Agencies, Boards, Commissions. Agencies, Boards, Commissions. These are empowered by the government in different ways and different processes than the appointment of cabinet, some are independent, but most are responsible to the ministry they are associated with. For instance: Canada Revenue Agency is responsible to the government, and the minister of Finance, but the details of the relationship are subject to change based on the whims of the government of the day. Some of these important agencies all detailed as their own institutions (CSIS, RCMP, etc.) In the ministry, the most powerful individual is the Deputy Minister. The Deputy Minister handles day-to-day operations, all expenditures within the ministry, and all large scale HR issues. Depending on ministry, the deputy has a greater or lesser degree of influence within the government as a whole: e.g. the Ministry of Indian Affairs and its deputy have less sway than the Deputy Minister of Finance. There are fierce rivalries within the federal government, and between ministries.
contacts in government, but can‘t hold up to any great
degree of scrutiny.
How do I get government money? Contracts with the government are often for sale to friends of the right political party, and having an ally Status (**) or higher in the government should be enough to recommend you for a low-paying job within the government too.through Theregovernment are literallycontracts millionsevery of dollars that go missing year, perhaps billions in the federal government Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, and this should not be underestimated as a method of illicitly raising cash. Similar situations exists in all governments in Canada, but the amount of money that can be directed is directly proportional to the tax base available to the government to begin with.
How do I control the government? Most government ministries are large important institutions protected by a spirit. The spirits are in turn protected by the Spirit of Canada, which is a rank 8 spirit of Peace, Order and Good Government, it has many smaller courts of spirit responsible to it, such as the Provincial spirits, for example Alberta, and below that City Spirits such as the Spirits of Montreal and Halifax. Messing with the ability of senior civil servants to provide
ultimate career Civilis Servant in mostofprovinces, and theThe federal government the secretary the cabinet. This individual is the head of the public service in the province, and the titles and responsibilities for each province will vary. Secretary of the cabinet is responsible to the Premier or Prime Minister for assisting in the
good government through anyspirit. supernatural means will be met with retaliation from the That said, the spirit is concerned with the organization at a monolithic level, and is only concerned with the most senior officials. A systemic campaign of deal brokering, favour trading and influence pedals at the lower levels can still garner 43
significant favourable results. Corruption at the lower levels is rife in all federal bureaucracies. But doing this will require more than just using supernatural powers, and will take the use of influence over time. Such a situation will usually be ignored if found by another government official, only addressed when brought to light by the press or public inquiry: where a scapegoat is found, and window dressing covers the immediate need.
common to find Mages, or their allies and organizations laced through the government bureaucracy, particular in Ministries of Transportation and Natural Resources. Unfortunately for most pentacle mages, most of this influence belongs to their ruthless enemies, the Seers of the throne. Many pentacle mages are reluctant to be directly involved in government work, and do it through intermediaries and proxies. The massive Seer involvement is allowed Spirit of Canada, because the Seers seek stability through monopoly.
Is the government bureaucracy aware of supernatural activity? No. The Privy Council, advising the Governor General directly, is aware of them, and has a few hunter groups at its disposal to deal with troublesome supernaturals. But by and large, the bureaucracy and specifically the government of the day—including the prime minister — are kept purposefully ignorant, and rational explanations for strange activity are always found. As a rule of thumb it is almost always more likely that an appointed official will be aware of the supernatural, vs. an elected official and likewise it is rare in the extreme for an elected official to have such knowledge.
Changelings Freeholds are quite connected to certain aspects of the ingovernment bureaucracy, usually to the provincial transportation and health ministries, to help get health cards and drivers licenses, providing basic ID for newly arrived Lost, and occasionally to the passport office for the same reason. That said, Changelings try hard not to rise in the ranks of the service if they work there, to keep attention away from themselves. The Winter Court is most likely to hold actual status in the government with key impact, such as the photo operator at the driver‘s
The Federal Bureaucracy in the World of Darkness
license office.
The Military Due to their immortal nature, and inability to conduct business in the daylight, vampires usually work through retainers or allies who will in turn interact with the bureaucracy. That said, having the view of centuries or decades in mind they have time to carefully position their pawns within the bureaucracy, and watch them rise to positions of power within a ministry. But, with the interference of spirits, vampires hit a glass ceiling when it comes to powerful or true decision-making posts. No current ministers or deputy ministers are thralls to the vampires. Those with influence under the sway of a vampire usually only keep their positions as long as what they are doing coincides with the best interests of the most powerful relevant spirit in the institution.
The Military in Canada is sworn to the Crown (as represented by the Governor General) but is directed by the Ministry of Defense. As the government is also sworn to the crown, there has never been a situation in Canada where the military has had to choose between government and Crown. The Canadian Armed Forces is an amalgamation of three branches since 1967: the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Army. While it does have a harmonized rank and pay structure, the three branches continue to refer to their personnel by the traditional rank structures. Canada‘s ready reserve far outnumbers its regular force
soldiers, and many reservists serve voluntarily in peacekeeping or potential combat theatres. Canadians who are unable to pass the physical or mental examination or have an adult criminal record are ineligible for service.
Werewolves are only interested in the government from a perspective of regulating the spirit courts that interact with it. Due to their changed nature and the negative effect it can have on humans, usually werewolves deal with the bureaucracy through allies or retainers instead of directly. Werewolves can be directly involved with the military and policing, but the Forsaken are generally not suited for public service.
Canada‘s military is proportionately much smaller than
the American military.
What you really want to know: How do I get military-grade equipment? The national influence document clearly outlines what you can acquire on a temporary basis, and it does not extend above the realm of personal fire-arms, or non-
Mages have the capacity, of all supernatural creatures, to blend most easily with sleeper society. Thus, it is quite 44
combat based transport. PCs intent on stealing such equipment require national approval, and will likely draw the attention of military-related hunter groups.
While the Forsaken don‘t do well in more genteel
settings, the rough and tumble nature of the military fits many of them like a glove, particularly combat arms with their focus on aggressiveness and personal resourcefulness and outdoor training. Many Forsaken who advance to the position of Alpha find their military
Can I be a soldier and a PC? For all supernatural types, with the exception of vampires, absolutely—all military requires daylight operations. Even so, eligible PCs should be limited to the role of reservists: but that does not stop them from having been regular force servicemen of all branches prior to entering active play. That said, local STs may not grant membership in military units not present in their domain: but ANSTs can. If players desire to keep any influence from their background in active play they must purchase appropriate status, allies, etc. to reflect the power they feel their military background would provide them.
careers don‘t follow the same trend, and tend to find the
military chafing, and depart for other pastures.
Like the government bureaucracy, the military is available for Mages to participate in. This is particularly true of the Adamantine Arrow, and Guardians of the Veil interested in Military intelligence work. Pentacle mages in the military must always be aware and on the lookout for Seer influence.
Can I call in a military strike force? This requires NST approval. No status available to PCs or DSTs allows military action in the domain, of any scope. However, clever use of other influences may trigger an appropriate military action, and the NST office is willing to approve sensible use of the military.
The regimentation and dehumanization of the military makes it too traumatic for many Lost to even contemplate having anything to do with the service. The exception is some Summer courtiers understand and value the camaraderie, and nobility of the army, and are proud reservists when the opportunity is available to them.
Is the military aware of supernaturals? At the very highest levels and ranks: yes, the military is aware of supernatural influence. But this is only in the context of the Privy-council advising the Governor General, as well as the Black-Ops unit known as the Royal North American Rangers, Canada‘s most elite
Hunter Group. This small elite monitors for evidence of soldiers and officers being byBut, other-worldly forces, and act against it when it is used found. most soldiers and officers are quite unaware that supernaturals exist, beyond folk-tales and the like that they may have learned at their mothers‘ knee.
The Military in the World of Darkness
Many kindred, particularly Invictus, were once soldiers, and have no reason to hide their time in the army. But, the simple fact that the army is an organization that requires work be done in the daylight makes it impossible for vampires to continue participation. Canada‘s military is
simply too small, and too strictly regulated to use as a practical source of helicopters or weaponry. Most vampires interested in this sort of retinue purchase their own, and vampires, as a rule, have little to do with the military.
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the Canadian Police Information Centre, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, Forensic Science and Identification Services, the Canada Firearms Centre and the Canadian Police College. In 1993, the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), were transferred to the Canadian Forces, creating a new unit called Joint Task Force Two (JTF2). JTF2 inherited some equipment and SERT's former training base near Ottawa. The Emergency Response Team (ERT) (French: Groupe tactique d'intervention) is the paramilitary tactical police arm of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The ERT assumed the tactical role held by the disbanded Special Emergency Response Team in 1993 to
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) (French: Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), literally ‗Royal Gendarmerie of Canada‘; colloquially known as Mounties, and internally as ‗The Force‘) is the national
police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body. The RCMP provides federal policing service to all of Canada and policing services under contract to the three territories, eight provinces (except Ontario and Quebec), more than 190 municipalities, 184 Absrcinal communities and three international airports.
provide within Canada. ERT is called intactical to dealresponse with situations that areThebeyond the abilities of regular police personnel. Situations they are called in to deal with include: serious crime arrest; warrants; hostage rescue; armed barricaded subjects and protective duties
On a Federal level, the RCMP‘s Strategic priorities are;
Drugs and Organized Crime, Financial Crime, Youth and Absrcinal Crime, Border Integrity, and International Policing The RCMP was formed in 1920 by the merger of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, with the Dominion Police. The former was srcinally named the North-West Mounted Police , and was given the Royal prefix by King Edward VII in 1904. Much of the present-day organization's symbolism has been inherited from its days as the NWMP, including the distinctive Red Serge uniform, paramilitary heritage, and mythos as a frontier force. As the federal police force of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is primarily responsible for enforcing federal laws throughout Canada, while general
World of Darkness Overview
A large proportion of Kindred are involved in organized crime, which means that the RCMP are an ever present threat. There is a strong chance of a Kindred mobster being tailed due to his criminal connections only the have the RCMP figure out that he is strictly nocturnal. Fortunately for Kindred, the RCMP are as vulnerable as local police to corruption, as in many cases they are the local police. Also, the RCMP have been subject to
law and and order including the Criminal Code applicablethe enforcement provincial of legislation is constitutionally the responsibility of the provinces and territories. This responsibility is sometimes further delegated to municipalities which can form their own municipal police departments. This is common in the largest cities; every city with a population over 500,000 operates its own force. The two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, maintain their own provincial forces; the Ontario Provincial Police and Sûreté du Québec. The other eight provinces, however, have chosen to contract most or all of their provincial policing responsibilities to the RCMP. Under these contracts the RCMP provides front-line policing in those provinces under the direction of the provincial governments in regard to provincial and municipal law enforcement. In these provinces the RCMP maintains units that provide investigational support to their own detachments, as well as smaller municipal police forces, including the investigation of major crimes such as homicides, forensic identification services, police dog services, emergency response teams, explosives disposal, undercover operations, and others. Under its National Police Services branch the RCMP provides support to all police forces in Canada through the operation of support services such as
frequent scandals in recent years, covered hinting up. at the sorts of things which they might be having
The RCMP in Canada have been subject to influence by two Pentacle groups: the Guardians of the Veil and the Adamantine Arrow. It is a well known fact in Guardian circles that the RCMP training centre in Regina is used by the Visus for training their agents across the country. That being said the Adamantine Arrow may also hold individual influence with the Mounties in several regions, where they serve as proxy for the local police. This is especially true in the west coast.
When the Forsaken break the veil any evidence which Lunacy does not cover, often points to attacks by large, wild animals. Asmore this does not fall under the mandate of the RCMP, only ―human‖ appearing crimes will get their attention.
46
undetected, particularly Native reserves crossing the border. Lost are more likely to cross RCMP investigations as victims and not offenders. The RCMP focuses on youth and absrcinal crime as well as citizenship and thus undocumented people tend to get their attention when they come across one. The RCMP, as a police agency which acts at all governmental levels also keeps a close eye out for missing persons.
The Border in the World of Darkness PCs of all venues interested in moving goods internationally would be well advised to have an ally in the border agency to help them out.
The Border The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is present at all border crossings between Canada and the United States, as well as all major air and sea ports. It reports to the Minister of Public Safety. The CBSA plays a key role in immigration to Canada, as it has assumed the port-ofentry and enforcement mandates formerly held by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. CBSA officers work on the front lines, screening persons entering the country and removing those who are unlawfully in Canada. All persons and goods entering Canada are subject to examination by CBSA officers. An examination can be as simple as a few questions, but can also include an examination of the subject's vehicle and/or luggage, more intensive questioning, or personal searches. The intensity of an examination depends on the reasonable grounds that the officer has to escalate the intensiveness of a search. Examinations are performed to ensure compliance with Customs and Immigration legislation. CBSA officers are given their authority by the Customs Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In addition, BSOs are also able to enforce other Acts of Parliament as they are designated as Peace Officers under the Criminal Code of Canada.
What you really want to know: How can I smuggle stuff across the border? Smuggling is very easy, unless your drawing attention to yourself. Allies in the Border Agency are more appropriately used to draw attention to potential smuggling. Proper precautions and preparations need to be taken into account if one is smuggling weapons, drugs or cigarettes—this agency has significant resources to catch these perpetrators. But the resources of the Agency are to professional are nothing effectivecompared against amateurs. The smuggling American rings, borderbut is much more heavily guarded than the Canadian border, but there are still large swaths of the border where a boat, or a pair of hiking boots is enough to get you into the country
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full with non-Player activity, and basic acts of concealment should be enough to hide the activities of most PCs from the intelligence agency. (e.g. use of Atlantean to communicate between mages.)
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
Can I have people profiled and investigated?
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is the internal security agency of the Canadian government. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad. CSIS is Canada's lead agency for national security matters. It is a federal agency which conducts national security investigations and security intelligence collection at home and abroad. CSIS collects and analyzes intelligence and advises the Government of Canada on issues and activities that may threaten the security of Canada. CSIS also conducts security investigations and assessments for all applicants seeking a security clearance with federal departments and agencies, with the exception of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who conduct their own security assessments. There is no restriction in the CSIS Act on where CSIS may collect "security intelligence" or information relating to threats to the security of Canada. The agency may collect information on threats to Canada or Canadians from anywhere in the world. While CSIS is often viewed as a defensive security intelligence agency it is not a domestic agency. CSIS officers work domestically and internationally in their efforts to monitor and counter threats to Canadian security. CSIS is neither a police agency nor is it a part of the military. As an intelligence agency, the primary role of
It is easier to get local police interested in investigating than CSIS, and taking such a step is a certain violation of security for the local supernatural venue, and should be harshly punished (exposing one vampire risks exposing the entire community.) CSIS will become interested only if a specific individual can be shown to be repeatedly involved in incidents threatening public security. Having an influence merit in CSIS at level (***) or higher is enough to access most profiles. But CSIS also selfmonitors, and looks to see who is examining and ordering security profiles.
What happens if I explain supernatural happenings with “terrorism”?
Very Bad Things: Hinting that an exploding vehicle, collapsing building, or any other bizarre action is the result of terrorists to the media or local police will attract the attention of CSIS and JTF2. Unless it‘s immediately clear what organized terrorist group is behind a strange event, the upper echelons of CSIS tend to immediately suspect the supernatural, and send in hunter groups to probe further. And CSIS hunters do not distinguish between ―good‖ (i.e. PCs) and ―bad‖ (i.e. NPC Antagonist) supernaturals. It‘s almost always better that
CSIS isisnot enforcement. of criminal activity leftlaw to the RCMP and Investigation local (provincial, regional or city) police agencies. CSIS, like counterparts such as the United Kingdom Secret Intelligence Service, and the United States Central Intelligence Agency, is a civilian agency. CSIS is subject to review by the Security Intelligence Review Committee and an Inspector General as well as other legislative checks and balances. The agency carries out its functions in accordance with the CSIS Act, which governs and defines its powers and activities.
something solvable by events, the local found responsible for strange thanauthorities the federalbesecurity intelligence groups become involved.
CSIS in the World of Darkness
Vampire tend to stay well away from the trouble of CSIS. CSIS requires day-time appearances, and will happily dispatch agents elsewhere in the country, taking prized and understanding retainers away for months or years at a time. Moreover, as among the most malevolent of supernaturals (Vampires suck blood from humans to sustain themselves) with the most notorious weakness (daylight and fire) there is nothing good about getting close to CSIS for kindred.
What you really want to know: Is CSIS aware of the supernatural? Yes. High ranking CSIS officers are very aware of bizarre cult activity in Canada, and all the strange stories that accompany them. Mostly, they fall on the ―skeptical atheist explanation‖ of any odd occurrences. But almost
every CSIS agent is aware of a case where the facts just
Werewolves, like vampires, are simply too notorious in their activities to feel safe getting close to CSIS. And the weakness they have to silver also makes it very dangerous for them to attract the attention of hunters. That said, the occasional Irraka does make their way, or place their
didn‘t add up. CSIS has access to the hunter group
SEARCH, and will dispatch them to eliminate any supernatural threat that presents a repeated problem to Canadian security which is not easily handled through police investigation. All this said, CSIS has its hands very 48
allies into the Intelligence Service if only to help keep track of what is and isn‘t appearing on the radar of the authorities.
Political Parties & Politicians LARPing is a hobby that attracts a variety of people across a spectrum of communities. In real life, political parties will rise and fall from power and favour while we LARP, and it is difficult to extrapolate any direct meaning from these real world events to either character actions or game impact. Some people may like a particular politician or party, others won‘t, and there is no point ruining a fun game for everyone with real life politics. To use your
Many Pentacle mages lost in Hubris suspect that CSIS is the direct creation of the Panopticon ministry; it‘s so much more organized and nefarious than any Guardian Labyrinth could hope to be, and a hell of a lot more bureaucratic. That however, has not stopped many Guardians from forming Labyrinths and Conspiracies within the halls of Canada‘s secret service. Some large
Guardian cabals will have one of their younger members placed to inventing red herrings,within just toCSIS, keepand the dedicated Service from finding real evidence of what the local Consilium might be up to.
character or position storyteller soapbox given political platformasis afrankly in verytobad taste. for a So, in the context of Canadian LARPS assume that politicians at all levels are rascals, or well meaning demagogues, but ineffective in the face of an enormous bureaucracy driven by a powerful spirit. Not that they aren‘t convinced of their own power, good looks and effectiveness in the world—but reasonably, the World of
Changelings have very little to do with CSIS. Fetches are enough to make Fae-related disappearances and events go un-noticed.
Darkness will continue being a terrible place no matter what anyone does. There are elections in the World of Darkness politicians and political parties rise and fall: but it is the equivalent of rearranging the furniture as the house burns down. Players are encouraged to not take politicians as retainers or allies, and instead accomplish what they want through the bureaucracy.
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spirits than Canada, and are subject to less media scrutiny than federal politics, so tend to be manifestly more corrupt. Scandals must be spectacular in nature to ruin careers, even then, experienced hands are usually welcomed to join the local lobbyists.
The Government: Local Institutions In the World of Darkness, Provincial governments are much less powerful than in the real world. Provincial governments depend on the support of local powerful politicians, judges, and industry leaders in major cities to have their will carried out. Most ministries work by proxy through their local equivalent, and money is spent at the discretion of whomever is most powerful. Anyone trying to act with the authority of the province, but without the support of local powers will accomplish nothing. This is for metagame reasons to stop provinces supporting multiple domains from being overwhelmed by the one domain that happens to be in the capital.
What you really want to know: Is there a city spirit? How can I control the city? Cities do have spirits, but they are not nearly as powerful as the national spirit (and are entirely under the control of the relevant DST). It is the recommendation of the NST‘s
Office that the local spirit act clerk to protect heads of specific departments, the city and the the mayor, from the malign influence of particularly destructive players, but otherwise let the players have fun playing the local supernatural power-brokers. Generally an influence merit at (*****) demonstrates a monopolistic control of a local department; several merits at (****) represents split control between several factions, and could be highly dysfunctional.
The Bureaucracy Cities and other local powers provide the services most people depend on for their day-to-day existence. Generally there will be an elected mayor, who serves as a figurehead, but all power will reside in the bureaucracy and civil service which answers to the City Clerk. Like federal ministries, these offices are quite powerful in the local context, and can often be rife with petty feuds, each scheming for more money in each budget. Any department usually has it within their power to make life very miserable for any citizen, business, or other city department.
Where should I focus my influence to get control? Wherever most reflects your characters interest. The city bureaucracy is a big sprawling mass; quite literally a body whose left hand does not know what the right one is doing (and often working at cross purposes.)
How does a city deal with a disaster? In Canada, when a problem overwhelms the local authorities—whether it‘s a natural disaster, or human disaster—first the province responds, usually by bringing in whatever aid can be found in other municipalities; then the army is dispatched. If your city is so badly screwed up that the army is required, then that plot will be run from the NSTs office. This includes use of local reserve regiments.
Among the departmental bureaucracies to contend with in city hall: The health department; the water treatment and sewage authority; the roads and transportation department; the licensing bureau; the treasury or tax office; the public transit authority; the fire department; the welfare office; the electric company; the police department; the parks authority; the planning department, and many other offices. There will also be rival boards of education; universities and colleges; trade associations; a board of trade; and a hospital authority, all of whom will be independent from the city, technically, but just as powerful. Each department is run by a department head, who answers either to the elected city council, or to a committee of selected city councilors. There may be exceptions to this rule. City councilors serve only for an elected term, and don‘t have a chance to develop the expertise and knowledge of those who run the departments, which means the civil servants run the city,
The Local Bureaucracy in the World of Darkness
The Bureaucracy is the tangled playground of the Invictus (controlling directors and managers) and the Carthians (friends with managers and union bosses.) Kindred tend to have their fingers in the zoning department, the treasury, the gas and electric companies, and naturally the police and fire departments. Some Invictus will strive to get a councilor under their control, but they quickly learn this is most ineffective (elections
with council serving a rubber Councilors are mostly concerned withaskeeping thestamp. local wealthy citizens happy, since they have the finances to see them re-elected, or ensure they retire to a cushy position. With very little oversight from their political masters, corruption runs rife at the local level, and influence is very easily peddled. Cities are protected by less powerful
every few years are brutal to a kindred‘s schemes) and
learn to put their pawns in the longer-lasting civil service. Kindred never hold jobs in the city, due to their issues with day light. Carthians have spread the word to each 50
other that the licensing department is a powerful place to be: so many activities require licenses that can be so inconveniently suspended.
Local Police The NST‘s Office recommends referring to Tales from 13th Precinct as a guide for how to use Police in the World of Darkness if an ST is otherwise not familiar. Canadian law and police procedures have been strongly influenced by American standards, and it is a good standard guide. However, STs should refer to page 203 in Armory Volume I for a description of gun control measures in Canada, which are extremely more stringent than American standards. It should be noted that Canada has a very large illegal gun trade and it is very easy to
Without a doubt the local bureaucracy is a battlefield. All orders may dabble in this network, for example the Arrow may have connections with the police, Guardians with the fire department, Mysterium with education, etc. The Seers of the Throne wield relentless and widespread power over their bureaucratic pawns, often giving challenge to the Silver Ladder and their Cryptopoly retainers. The Silver Ladder will often place Cryptopoly members key pawns, positions covertly thosegame they believe areinseer thetoend result influence being a secret of chess that is almost never visible to unawakened eyes.
attain guns through illicit means is what Canadian Note,most however, that the following police are expected to say to an arrested suspect: "You are under arrest for _________ (charge), do you understand? You have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay. We will provide you with a toll-free telephone lawyer referral service, if you do not have your own lawyer. Anything you say can be used in court as evidence. Do you understand? Would you like to speak to a lawyer?" However, in Canada, you do not have the right to have your lawyer present in the room while being interrogated by police.
Werewolves are often involved in the local Parks department, and may often develop allies in the planning department. The welfare office is also a favoured place for Forsaken to find a job, so as to be able to get closer — professionally—to whatever spiritual nastiness might be brewing in the city. That said, the Forsaken and Pure don‘t need the hassle of the more prestigious departments,
and leave them well alone.
What you really want to know: Can I play a police officer? Generally the same restrictions that might adversely affect a soldier affect a Police officer, with the obvious exceptions of a police officer having union protection, and not likely to be moved involuntarily. We refer you to the military section above for ideas as to how being a Police officer and a PC might work.
The dejected nature of Changelings draws them away from the city bureaucracy, and onitsthemselves tangled games. Changelings are often too focused to play in political games outside their local neighbourhood, and usually stay well away
Can I control the police? A (*****) retainer, ally or status, as per the influence document could be enough to control the chief of police. At the discretion of the DST, however, this may only be enough to control a single precinct in a large city, whether through its chief, or its union. Police are generally the single largest department in a city, and it‘s very unlikely that the chief would be able to control every last expenditure and officer. It depends what the DST wants in their city. Refer to the influence document to see what can be done with how much influence.
The Local Police in the World of Darkness Every venue, and every faction, is likely interested in having sway with the police. With their ability to suspend rights and detain people indefinitely, other than organized crime, the police are the greatest physical power in every city. 51
Local Justice
What happens if my character is arrested? What happens if my character is sentenced to prison?
The local lawyers and judges form a community in each major city, which oversees the administration of justice, and has the power to oversee the police and political spheres. In many ways, they are the most powerful social circle in the community. Because of this, many lawyers successfully transition to other spheres, such as politics or
If your character is arrested, your character has the right to speak with a lawyer before anything happens. Your character cannot be sentenced to prison without a trial process. However, the National Storyteller team is explicit on this: most people do not LARP to go through the dry boring process of a trial run by NPCs. Legal areas are one of those areas where player knowledge is likely much less than character knowledge. Players are not playing to be punished for what they do not personally know, and court scenes involving only a few PCs, where everyone else has to watch can make for terrible LARP —they are what is colloquially known as ―Justicar -TV‖. It is the position of the NST Office that time spent in court or police detention might be ―emotionally sensitive‖ and Players have a right to request that the results of this scene be determined with dice rolls, and some plot details be glossed over with narration. This is to let their characters behave in the manner most befitting their social and intelligence skills and abilities as per their sheet, instead of knowledge they may or may not have out-ofcharacter. As well, Players have the right to appeal the results of any scene of this nature where this option isn‘t clearly provided. In cases where one character is using legal influence to trap another, the NST ‘s Office suggests that the scene be quickly resolved with one character owing a boon or favour of appropriate value to the other, with play then moving on.
corporate governance. The legal community‘s mastery of
the law, often makes them a world apart from the rest of the city. Lawyers are licensed by the local bar association, which polices lawyers. Once licensed, tothey part of the the behavior exclusive ofcommunity, and licensed do are all nature of things not available to other professionals: they are able to represent their clients in court; not disclose what their client says to them to the court; hold money and properties ―in trust,‖; prepare legally binding documents, and on and on. In exchange, they agree to not break the law themselves, and generally comport themselves in a way that befits an ―officer of the court.‖ Judges are selected from the existing community of lawyers by the Attorney-General (or minister of Justice) for the province, or federally. Judges can then be appointed to higher positions within the court system, such as the local appeals court, potentially all the way up to the Supreme court of Canada, which is the highest legal authority in the country. Judges have the ability to sign arrest warrants, sentence people to prison, compel testimony from witnesses, launch investigations, overwrite legal documents and so on. They are very powerful individuals, and are monitored only by their fellow judges. Judges will be at the very heart of power in any community.
Local Justice in the World of Darkness
What you really want to know: Many vampires were lawyers before their embrace, and many continue practicing law after their embrace: particularly Carthians and Invictus. Many vampires enjoy the slow process of a trial, and the interesting arguments that come up from different lawyers, and so immerse themselves in the legal community, and use the veil of law to protect themselves from hunters or other meddlesome mortals. Rare is the vampire who doesn‘t have a solicitor as a retainer, just to look out for problems like this, and to help them manage their resources effectively.
Can I play a lawyer or a judge? Absolutely, Status (**) for lawyers, and Status (****) for Judges is enough to hold that capacity, and the respect that comes with the position. That said, Judges do face a fair degree of scrutiny, and are established enough that scandal would be a bad thing, and with the exception of Mage: the Awakening, venue, it will probably be very difficult to be a Judge and a supernatural. (It is obviously right out for kindred.) Lawyers, however, just have to keep paying their dues to the local bar association, and they can go right on being lawyers. So several law firms have ―senior partners‖ who are generally unseen by the ―junior partners‖ and are likely supernaturals. Characters
who are lawyer played going the out of their way toand notJudges, break should mortal be law, and asuphold importance of the law in general: this is what their profession requires of them.
Pentacle are also continue inclined topracticing have beenafter Lawyers and Judges,mages and happily their awakening. Many mages who join the Silver Ladder already have a rich background in litigation and the finer points of the law, this is not surprising given the focus the order places upon the Lex Magica. The Free Council on 52
the other hand are also appealing to particularly litigious former lawyers, but also those whose efforts were focused on community action, social justice and civil rights.
Local Media National media in Canada is of little consequence, mostly focused on vapid entertainment news, moment-tomoment political analysis, and harshly biased
Werewolves lack the patience to make effective use of the law or lawyers. Their seething and boiling anger disinclines them from a career in the law. Law, it is said, is the dark sister of justice—and that is a reality many Werewolves cannot stomach —particularly when they begin to see the games humans and spirits alike play within the legal system, and the weak state the spirit of justice is kept in. It‘s not impossible for the odd wolfblooded werewolf lawyer to work with a pack—especially one that feels it may have run-ins with the police—but Forsaken are usually operating so far outside the bounds of sane society that they simply keep distance between themselves and the legal system, and all parties are happier that way.
―international affairs‖ stories. The major national media
networks are controlled by a handful of companies, all of whom have a reliable status quo bias. The CBC, a federally funded news network, is available for DSTs to use a local-only news network like any other. Local media, provides more scrutiny, and is more influential. Blogs covering local events and politics, weekly entertainment newspapers, morning and drivehome radio shows, evening TV news broadcasts, and weekend pundits are all well known and consumed… by
about a quarter of the population. Nonetheless, reporters from a variety of viewpoints show up at the scene of a crime, or opening of a new gallery, or wherever else they are tipped to appear. There will be a few large media corporations in each city, who own several outlets. Large media consortiums are usually rivals, and will sometimes split on either side of a given issue. Reporters, also, form a social clique in each city, and reporters on a given beat (e.g. crime, theatre, city hall) start to form a reliable bias and consensus in opinion about certain stories. A few outlier outlets always exist, who do not belong to the elite consensus or bias, but they tend to be loss-leader operations, and are never too significant.
Returned Changelings are enthralled by the use of tradition, and rules, and reason, and reliability of judgment within the legal system. They enjoy the protection lawyers can offer the most vulnerable of their freeholds in trouble with difficult mortal rules. And Changelings relish the notion that in this reality, justice— sensible justice—matters. Thus you can expect functional freeholds, or even assemblies of motleys, have one or two members able to offer legal counsel and help to all
What you really want to know:
members. This isexperts particularly true of Changelings who chose to become in pledgecraft: it is very helpful to have a grounding in mortal law as well, to better be able to define your relationship with others.
Can I use media influence to cover up a story? It depends. If you are, or can convince, someone with Status (*****) in the local media to avoid a certain type of story, then that branch of the media tree, and whatever outlets it controls, will not cover that nature of story. The easy example of this is the Hearst media consortium never reviewed or mentioned the film ―Citizen Kane.‖
Similarly, Allies (*****) in a specific group of reporters may be enough to encourage them to turn a blind eye. For example asking those on the crime beat to stop reporting on police violence against the homeless… if they want to
continue to have access to crime scenes. As both those examples illustrate: influencing media consensus takes time… and does not eliminate the actual story.
No amount of media influence will be immediately successful in stopping a story from getting to the presses somewhere in the city. No tycoon has that kind of monopoly on local news, and no reporter with a nose for a story will miss e.g. a scoop about a gas explosion destroying several buildings. Even waiting for a day means rival outlets will get the drop on them. The most easy way to influence media opinion is to do their job for them. When there‘s an explosion call your
53
reporter friends and tell them what happened. Get the spin in the media before the truth can be unveiled, and keep talking it up. Your reporter friends will be happy to have their work done for them, and happy to rely on your tips again.
Can I use the media to steer public opinion? Yes. Two months of work on a given story in the media, whatever kind of influence is used, is enough to stir some portion of the public to be interested and enthused… potentially showing up for protests, or making deputations at a committee, or engaging in a letter writing campaign. It takes patience, time, and a good cover story, but it can be done. And public anger and attention, once raised, is the most potent political force in a city.
Is the media aware of the supernatural? No. The local media is the single biggest source of cover for supernatural events, and most editors, producers and journalists are hardened-cynics, who would never think to attribute events to supernatural happenings. However, hunters—and some hunters start off as journalists—will refer to local media to trace stories, and find clues about the supernatural prey they stalk. So, while the media is unaware of the supernatural, it does not mean that the media does not carry obvious clues that can be picked up on.
Local Media in the World of Darkness
Media is one sphere of influence where the ―daylight‖
issue is not a great problem for vampires. Media types are notorious night-owls. The morning radio crews are up before sunrise, and newspapers aren‘t published until late
at night. The late-night news and 24 hour feeds are even easier for kindred to gain access to. The local media is usually riddled with vampire influence: some undead
54
The main reason that someone might want to try a traditional bank robbery is not for money alone. Bank vaults are often used to store safety deposit boxes which many people use for the dual benefits of high security and high privacy. People store incriminating things in these places which can be worth more than actual money.
Major National Industries Banking
Can I Launder Money? Yes, it is very easy to convert illicit funds into legitimate funds in the World of Darkness. It takes access to Status (**) in either the financial world, or the underworld to do this successfully. More if you want to be
Canada has stable and very well developed banking system widely considered the most efficient and safest banking system in the world. Canadian banks are amongst the top Canadian employers, employing over 200,000 people. Canadian banks are among the top tax payers too. Canadian Banks have created widespread financial network consisting of over 8,000 bank branches and over 18,000 ABMs (automated banking machines). Canadian banks offer many electronic services like online banking and debit cards. The five largest Canadian banks and the Bank of Canada, are frequently called the "Big Six Banks" account for 90% of the assets of the Canadian banking business. The Bank of Canada is not an institution which deals directly with the public, but rather is a special Crown Corporation responsible for printing
certain you can‘t be easily traced, or you‘re doing
consistently large amounts over a long period of time.
Can I Counterfeit Large Amounts of Money No. Counterfeiting large sums of money is cracked down on quickly by government and private industry alike. The technology to print Canadian money is very sophisticated and controlled. Finally, it‘s difficult to do it in meaningfully large amounts, since $100 and $50 bills are not very common. Some speculate all this is because the spirit of Canadian Trade is enjoying a resurgence it hasn‘t known since the heyday of the fur-trade two centuries ago, and is motivated to stay powerful. The National-Storytellers office encourages players to buy up their resources merit instead of focusing on creating false currency.
Canada‘s money for the purposes of managing inflation
and stability of the currency. Beyond the big five large are Schedule II Banks, which are subsidiaries of foreign banks which may operate within Canada, and Credit Unions which are cooperative financial institutions that are owned and controlled by their members, and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at reasonable rates, and providing other financial services to its members. Canada has the highest per-capita use of credit unions in North America, with more than a third of the population enrolled in one. They are concentrated in Quebec, where they are known as caisses populaires (people's banks). The largest credit unions in Canada (excluding Quebec) are: Vancity, Coast Capital Savings, Servus Credit Union, Meridian Credit Union and Envision Financial.
Can I Trace Transactions? Yes, access to Status (**) or higher in the financial world, or an investigative authority is enough an audit trail to trace money, and find out where ittoisbegin coming from. This means if a player has resources, they are all traceable with enough effort through the financial system: and someone with enough influence and information may be able to freeze assets or turn off the tap.
Banks in the World of Darkness
What you really want to know:
Most secret conspiracies and powerbrokers deal extensively with the banks as they need to move large amounts of money. Those who move in banking circles are likely to find that many of the senior partners of these organizations are part of various fraternities and brotherhoods, which want to use the vast power of the bank for their own goals.
Can I rob a bank? Yes, but… the
traditional idea of bank robbers busting into a building in broad daylight waving guns and getting tellers to fill bags with money doesn‘t happen in Canada.
Why not? Frankly, because the risk versus return is poor; police agencies are reasonably effective, sentences are harsh against armed robbers, and Banks take extreme precautions against this type of theft, mainly by limiting
For many Kindred who manipulate major corporations, local politicians and large sums of money, the bank is an
the access that seldom employees to funds on site. Bank managers havehave the ability to open the Even vault anymore. As most banks ensure that they have a small amount of paper currency on hand, even a successful bank robber is looking at maybe a haul of $10,000-$20,000 in small bills.
old and trusted friend. The high stability of Canada‘s
lending institutions makes it extremely attractive to the undead as they can enter torpor and rest reasonably easy in the fact that their assets will still be there when they wake up. Similarly, safety deposit boxes are excellent 55
places to keep blackmail material. Many banks now have rules that if an account is inactive for a long enough period of time, the bank can claim the money, however there are ways to set up a trust or put physical goods into a safety deposit box which can skirt around these issues. The main problem for using banks for Kindred has traditionally been banking hours which are strictly daytime. For this reason most Kindred interested in using banks are forced to move their money through ghouls or other retainers who are able to use the banks unhindered.
Financial influence in a city is most often wielded by three occult groups:and prominent Silver Ladder, powerful seers of the Throne, Free Councillors belonging to the TELM Trust. These three banks vie consistently for covert control over the ―Big 5‖ banks. All three groups
are aware that financial markets are closely scrutinized by unawakened eyes, and go to great pains to insure their influence goes unseen. It is rumoured that an entire Ministry of the Seers of the Throne is dedicated to wealth and greed, something which Pentacle mages would be well advised to be wary of.
Banks are home to a large number of Commerce and Wealth spirits though surprisingly few Greed spirits, as while a lot of money changes hands, most bankers are not getting rich working at the bank and become quickly desensitized to the handling of large amounts of cash.
The vast majority of Lost do not deal with banks, which require identification to open an account or cash a cheque.
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Communications
other than their corporate self interest. Each company has a further choir of much lesser spirits underneath them, which are accessible and available for PCs to deal with.
Broadcast signals and their allocation —so the right to broadcast radio, television, satellite or telephone signals are controlled centrally through the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which is based in Ottawa and under the control of the federal government. The CRTC controls broadcast licenses, and requires things such as a certain amount of time be dedicated to Canadian-content programming, or that free advertising be made available to political parties in equal amounts during elections. It similarly dictates
Can I have influence in these companies, and use it against fellow players? The strong spirits within the communications companies require national approval to have significant influence within them. It is the position of the ANST team that a lot of persuasion will be necessary to grant this, because we feel that influence in the phone company will be a) impossible to enforce, and b) encourage metagaming (that
taxes on cell cablephone fees, companies the broadcast availableand to specific in aspectrum given province, those reserved for government use, what radio station licenses allow them to broadcast, and how strong a signal they can use. Generally the CRTC has a thumb in any pie involving broadcast signals in Canada. As discussed in the media section, the major television and national radio companies are centrally controlled by a
is, characters behave as if they were mechanics thatwho govern the world which theyaware exist of in)the to an unhealthy degree. STs do their best work when they are aware of what players are planning, and simply suggesting to players that it‘s possible their confidential
messages copied to the ST might be leaked to someone else, eliminates trust in the STs and changes the behavior of characters and players. This eliminates the common shared reality and trust necessary for LARPs, and is a bad thing. That said, DSTs should be open to the possibility of a character being, for example, a cell phone technician, with the ability to block signals and interrupt anyone using
few media consortiums in Canada, and don‘t do much of
consequence (and are under the control of the NSTs office, no matter where they are based.) These same companies are generally the ones who control the cable networks, and the cell phone networks. Telephone networks tend to be broken down into provincial boundaries, and Manitoba and Saskatchewan both have their own phone companies, whose networks include a cell phone network. The insidious powers of cell phone companies, who are instructed by the CRTC to cooperate with all judicial and police investigations, are not well understood by the average Canadian. The location of any cell phone in use is traced by the towers its signal is broadcasting through, giving the company an accurate notion of where the user might be located at any given time. The digital broadcasts of cell phones are unencrypted, making them easily available to anyone with the technology to grab them. Voicemail messages can be saved indefinitely by the cellphone company. CSIS and the RCMP are well aware of everything that can be done with cell phones, and actively use them to investigate crime in Canada.
their phones in a given area. This isn‘t disruptive to play, and doesn‘t eliminate trust. DSTs are also free to let
antagonist NPCs be powerful within the communications companies without national approval (but this is not a power that will leave the domain.) This is to allow them to accurately reflect the power of spirits, and let hunters be truly terrifying predators. Can I get a „secured cell phone‟ that can‟t be traced?
To access a network and have a phone number every cell phone has a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. Although you can buy pay-as-you go cell phones anonymously, where every SIM card was sold is tracked and monitored. Use of a SIM card can be traced on the networks by determining what towers are being used. (It‘s difficult to say precisely where a cell-phone user is at a given moment.) This means multiple use of the same cell phone (or at least SIM card) makes your rough whereabouts traceable. To this end, organized crime buys several pay-as-you go cell-phones, and uses a given SIM card only once. That way the call is meaningless to the Police, and the number is never used again. With proper equipment your cell phone call can be captured and decrypted by anyone. But, all this takes a lot of work, and a determined investigator. Generally a successful Larceny+Intelligence roll should be enough to keep you moderately secured—but: you may not want to call your buddies right after committing a crime on a phone that can be clearly traced to you.
What you really want to know: Are there spirits involved with communications companies? Yes. Every major communications company in Canada has a spirit of comparable stature interested in it, and in protecting its interests. All these spirits belong to a choir which answers to the Spirit of Canada. This reality keeps the companies from sabotaging each other, and keeping a general peaceful Oligopoly, willing to work towards ―peace, order and good government.‖ The zealous spirits
are self-obsessed with their company, and take very poorly to anyone trying to use the company for anything 57
communicate over distance in the Spiritlands, sending gafflings and jagglings carrying messages for them.
Are communications companies aware of the supernatural? No, not in any meaningful way. They will happily provide cable, internet and cell phones to anyone who‘s willing to pay the bill.
It is a well established fact that the True Fae can use cell phones and radios to broadcast their insidious messages to sleeper agents, or to track down the Changelings they are hunting. Cell phones are a technology for fetches, not the Lost, and some Lost, with particularly active keepers, are very wary of even being close to such a device. There is nothing scarier than a cell phone ringing in the hedge.
Communications in the World of Darkness As mentioned above, powerful influence for PCs in these organizations, detrimental to the common fun of players, is strongly discouraged by the national team, and unlikely to be allowed to travel between domains.
Cell phones were considered a nifty toy by the Carthians when they emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. But the Invictus immediately saw what a weakness they were in the Masquerade, and denounced their use. The Invictus view has come to be the prominent one held by the kindred community: that cell phones are potentially dangerous tools, best reserved for retainers who don‘t
quite know everything. Vampires will still take advantage of smart phone technology, but for the most part rely on better-protected methods of communicating, such as letters through the post, or face-to-face meetings, or landline phone calls. The smart phone capacity of cell phones (as toys or quick research tools) is still valued by Carthians, but most other covenants are ordered to stay well away from the technology by their elders.
Mages by and large will make use of cell phones for purely mundane purposes. Obrimos who wield power over forces can easily tap into or interrupt a cell signal, something that all order —the Guardians especially—are aware of. As a result it is almost unheard of for mages not to use some form of code when communicating via cell phone. Given how closely tied all of the Pentacle order are to mundane secret societies that already use passcodes and phrases, this is not a difficult feat to achieve. In the areas of communication influence, once again it is the Seers of the Throne and Free Council that hold dominance in this area, and try to wage war on each other, with no side gaining clear victory over the other.
Werewolves make frequent use of cell-phones, bonding spirits in them to their service and working with the communications-choirs achieve their ends. Many werewolves will work to as cell phone technicians and engineers, out in the wilderness and on the road and using the technology to track down the pure and other oddities that have crossed through the gauntlet. Some Forsaken even bond their cell phone to them so they can 58
local resources was extremely low (Canadian First
Natural Resources
Peoples didn‘t even mine metal), and whose respect for
nature was great. The last 300 years have seen radical change and many nature spirits have not taken this well. Newfoundland was once almost entirely stripped bare of trees, causing the current forests which have sprung up to be dense and almost impassable as the new growth all came in at once, unhindered by the canopies of existing treetops. British Columbia in particular has seen the most extreme clear cutting of forest in Canada and the nature spirits do not quickly forget such things. Characters with a geology background would do well to have spent some of their career in Alberta where oil companies pay extremely well for surveying work. Due to
In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy to a more industrial and urban one. Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of its primary sector, in which the logging and petroleum industries are two of the most important. Canada is one of the few developed nations that are net exporters of energy. Atlantic Canada has vast offshore deposits of natural gas, and large oil and gas resources are centred in Alberta. The immense Athabasca Sands give Canada the world's second-largest oil Oil reserves, behind Saudi Arabia. In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, and Yukon, hydroelectricity is an inexpensive source of renewable energy when compared to other alternatives. Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with the Canadian Prairies being one of the most important producers of wheat, canola, and other grains. Canada is the largest producer of zinc and uranium, and is an important global source of many other natural resources, such as gold, nickel, aluminum, and lead. Many towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, are sustainable because of nearby mines or sources of timber. The Department of Natural Resources is the department of the government of Canada responsible for natural resources, energy, minerals and metals, forests, earth sciences, mapping and remote sensing.. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) works to ensure the responsible development of Canada's natural resources, including energy, forests, minerals and metals. NRCan also uses its expertise in earth sciences to build and maintain an up-todate knowledge base of our landmass and resources. Under the Canadian constitution, responsibility for natural resources belongs to the provinces, not the federal government. However, the federal government has jurisdiction over off-shore resources, trade and commerce in natural resources, statistics, international relations, and boundaries. Natural Resources Canada is "structured along business lines according to types of natural
the and of logging activities survey in Canada, therefrequent is alwaysmining the danger an unsuspecting team accidentally disturbing a natural place of power and awakening its guardians.
Many Kindred have historically been involved in fur trapping, logging or fishing in their mortal days, but seldom engage in these activities today except as investors as the resource extraction industry is one largely carried out by day. Resource extraction holds little appeal for Kindred, except perhaps in the abstract as a bargaining chip to support or shutdown other industries financially; Kindred understand very well the idea of starving a manufacturing company out by denying it the raw materials or electricity it needs to ―feed‖ on.
Canada is of particular interest to Matter mages as its natural resources, particularly gold make it an excellent place to craft magical items, particularly those made from Orichalcum. Resource companies also risk running afoul of Mages as some of the most unspoiled sections of Canadian wilderness are sites of powerful Hallows.
The Uratha take a special interest in anything that disrupts the flow of nature, and as noted above there are wounds in Canada that have not healed. Many forest spirits remain angry at the logging of areas which have since been replanted, and many earth spirits cry out at the unhealable wounds left by abandoned mines. In many cases, when a resource companies unknowingly stumbles across a Node in a pristine section of Canadian wilderness, the Uratha are the guardians who will rise up
resources and areas of interest‖.
The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for supervising the fishing industry and administrating all navigable waterways in the country.
Natural Resources in the World of Darkness
to drive the men away.
The extraction of natural resources in Canada is an ongoing process which dates back to the earliest days of European colonization. For millennia, Canada was largely untouched except by the First Peoples whose draw upon
Canada was founded upon the efforts of Coureur des bois, who ran the fur trade through the wilderness of New 59
France, and jobs in the field of natural resources have long been places where Lost can easily find work. Logging, fishing and mining are all careers in which Lost can excel as it is not always necessary to have a degree, proper identification, or indeed even to know how to read or write. The vast majority of employees in these fields are not ignorant by any means, but for every university trained geologist at an oil dig, there is also the high school drop out with the wrench who is installing the pipes. Many of the Contracts of the Lost also naturally favour these fields; Contracts of Stone are useful in any physically demanding field, Contracts of the Fang and Talon are useful in any natural environment, Contract of Elements are useful in mines or on open water, while
Transportation is an important field throughout Canada, and is controlled by all three levels of government: Local, Provincial and Federal. The Federal government controls the borders (see the section on that specifically) as well as licensing and controlling airports and thus airlines, seaports including the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, funding repairs for the TransCanada Highway (which runs through every province) national railways, ferries running between provinces (specifically in the Maritimes and Quebec.) The Provinces are responsible for
Contracts work well withwhich heavya Changeling machinery. These typesofofArtifice jobs provide a career can excel in, an excellent place for a Lost to disappear from the Gentry, hidden amongst a sea of similar workers, AND a regular job which helps maintain their Clarity.
controlling bus lines local and most major roads running between cities (i.e.railways, the highways). The provinces also control licensing of vehicles and drivers (although drivers licenses and vehicle registrations from across the United States and Canada are recognized as valid
Transportation
throughout the United States and Canada, so laws don‘t
vary much from a central norm), write the rules of the road, and control the laws around shipping specific products, such as food, milk, and hazardous chemicals and fuels. Local governments are responsible for local roads, licensing of taxis, and funding the local transportation system: buses, commuter light-rail, subways and the like. The law is usually enforced by whichever government controls the funding for that method of transportation: the city police will ticket you for illegal parking, the federal government‘s agents have power in the airport. In Ontario, Newfoundland and Quebec, the provincial police patrol the highways—everywhere else this authority is given to the RCMP, which means the records for violation are Canada-wide. The different police authorities do not inherently co-operate and share information, unless a crisis or pressure from higher-ups compels them. But this means, for a criminal fleeing the scene of a crime by automobile, escape is as easy as going onto a provincial highway: the authority of the local police to chase you comes to an immediate end. All levels of policing have the authority to set up a roadblock, and check drivers: this is used particularly for ostensible drunk-driving and vehicle-safety spot checks, which are a lucrative sideline for police officers to pick up some cash.
What you really want to know: Can I control all the movement of transportation in a city? No, only in a situation of absolute lockdown under military authority would this level of control be possible. You might be able to work towards control of a specific good (i.e. moving gasoline) or method of transportation (call a transit strike) but there are simply too many bureaucracies, covering too many methods of transportation to make this effective. Authority in a level of police, or road-construction will be enough to shut 60
down a street, or enact a spot-check in a city. Similarly, friends in the airport can be used to keep planes on the tarmac for a long, long time.
always at the levers of power in the local transportation network.
Can I have influence over what is moved in or out of other cities?
Mages by and large have little use to attempt to control or directly influence in the transportation industry. The access Mages and their cabals have to the space sphere makes moving easy; and most mages have the resources for private and discreet transportation. This means mages rarely or never deal with the formal industry. The exception to this might be the Seers of the Throne.
Yes, transportation is a nationally integrated influence network. If you have the authority to stop something from being delivered, or unloaded, or entering, or leaving your city, you probably have enough clout or friends to make sure it can happen in another city. Just apply for national approval for your influence.
I avoid over? being stoppedCan or pulled
Werewolves treat the whole field of transportation with suspicion. Moving things requires leaving their beloved territory, and change always comes into their territory, making transportation and vehicles—more often than not—the bearer of ill-tidings for the Forsaken. The Pure are even more committed to this particular point of view, however, which means in situations where the Forsaken and Pure are in active combat, the Forsaken are more likely to develop allies and status —spiritual and real—in the transportation field, just to develop an slight advantage over their otherwise implacable foes.
Flashing a police badge, or Ministry of Transportation business card might be enough to avoid a pull over, or a parking ticket. Most police officers appreciate that giving a breathalyzer to one of their own might be enough to stop back-up from showing up the next time they need it. Still, it will be necessary to stop and show your ID. Otherwise, if you are good enough friends with someone with enough clout in the right department, a well placed phone call should be enough to let you go.
Can I have other people stopped or pulled over? With influence in the local police highway-patrol department worth (***) or more, you have enough clout to set up a stop-and pullover, telling officers to look for a specific car, or to put out an alert for a specific car. But
Changelings will often look to the transportation field for jobs, and will hold status in the lower ends in it. There is comfort to the Lost to always be on the move, and to
this is a clumsy and dangerous tool, and it‘s not advisable
to overuse it. After all, there are people higher than you in the department, who will not take kindly to the department being used like a personal vendetta resolver.
have a marketable of skills wherever they have to move to: so trucksetdrivers, airplane pilots, busmight operators, train engineers, licensed mechanics and taxi drivers are all common methods of making a living, if a Changeling can pull together the identification to get the initial certification. They are also all positions that provide a modest living to very quirky people, letting you work on your own and unquestioned—provided you can get the job done—which suits the Lost just fine.
Transportation in the World of Darkness
The powers of the Transportation field are very important to, and well known to Vampires. Nothing is more inconvenient to the undead than being pulled over 30 minutes before dawn. The undead may have the wealth to purchase private jets with blacked-out windows, but there is nothing to guarantee they won‘t be stuck on the
tarmac until sunrise. Or that their luggage might not be seized and investigated. Those lower down might make themselves useful to, or insulate themselves from the power of the Prince by pursuing clout in the lesser forms of transportation: whoever controls the taxi licensing board, for instance, has an entire fleet of vehicles at their disposal. Having access to the subway tunnels makes it possible to move during the day. The timing of roadwork might stop access from someone trying to return to their haven in the morning, and so on. Vampires are almost 61
Medicine & Health
What you really want to know: Is it really that bad?
Medicine in Canada is run provincially. Each Province is the provider of a single-payer health system, and has a separate professional organizations of Doctors, Nurses and Surgeons, medical licensing system and medical schools. Every hospital and doctor‘s office is a private company. Simply moving to a different province will change the level of care you are entitled to as a Canadian, and will influence what you are expected to pay for privately, and what the public purse will cover. In effect, Canada has thirteen competing publicly provided
Yes, what has been described above is Canadian health care in the World of Darkness. It means that most people understand to bring a stack of twenties, to go to an unlicensed professional, or be ready to wait a long time in the emergency room for treatment. Having Allies in the medical community will go a long way to keeping yourself and your family alive in the World of Darkness. (Or just being very wealthy, that will help too.)
insurance to Canadian‘s pick from. health care is covered, there Althoughplans every are two downsides to this. Specifically, health care is the single biggest and most important political issue, and the most consuming aspect of every provincial bureaucracy and legislative chamber. Little else is looked into by media, or the scrutiny of the legislative assemblies other than Healthcare. Second, the very worst cases absorb the most money, leaving less to treat everyone else, and surgery tables are constantly reserved for the most ill, followed by those who have been waiting longest. The
to the Room? You see the admissions desk, Emergency which will evaluate how serious your condition is and admit you. They will ask to see proof of insurance (i.e. provincial health card) and enter it into their system —each hospital uses different records software, some still rely on paper. A triage nurse will then evaluate how badly hurt you are, and admit you to the ER if they feel it‘s necessar y. From there, doctors will treat you in what they feel is an appropriate order of priority, and you may be admitted for longer term care if necessary. Public authorities will be notified if your injuries warrant it (e.g. gunshot wounds are reported to the police, severe viral infections are reported to public health). There may be a lot of waiting between each of these stages.
What happens if I go
value of the ―Single Tier‖ health system is near and dear
to Canadians, but the truth is there is not enough financing to go around: people who want effective health care quickly go to private hospitals, or pay doctors and nurses off the books. One way to achieve savings, of course, is to pay doctors less for basic procedures, which means more doctors are willing to prioritize their activities for those patients able to exchange favours, or outright pay them. It also means that medical students are more interested in becoming highly skilled surgeons, psychiatrists and other specialists than plain general-practitioners, since specialty is an easier way to get reliable money to cover the expensive bills that come with the luxurious lifestyle young doctors expect. As there are fewer GPs in the system, small towns, and even some small cities, find themselves without enough practitioners (in some cases, none at all) to provide basic preventative day-to-day medicine. An easy way to get out of this trap would be to license more doctors, but at the heart of Canadian health care is collusion between the professional medical organizations and the provinces. The nurses, doctors and technicians never go on strike, and in exchange they are allowed to control who can practice medicine, and have a say in what procedures are covered by the province (and for how much.) This becomes a system that operates to their benefit, and suffering at the end of the day is the taxpayer and health care recipient, who pay onerous taxes for
Is the Healthcare System aware of Supernaturals? No. A patient who gets out of their ambulance stretcher and walks out of the hospital is one less patient to deal with, and won‘t be followed up on. There‘s always too
much work to be dealt with at every level. Communication between different organizations (e.g. Hospitals, doctors offices, public health) is abysmal and unreliable. This doesn‘t mean that individual people within the health care system haven‘t seen strange things—you never know where a hunter cell might be lurking—it just means that there is no organized base of
knowledge about supernaturals, at all, and odds are strange incidents will be explained away without any effort: no one has the time to investigate.
Healthcare in the World of Darkness
Kindred don‘t have much to do with the healthcare
services they can‘t reliably receive.
system as a rule. The healing power of their vitae for ghouls takes away a lot of the necessity to have to deal with hospitals, and most kindred have it within their means to buy a doctor, rather than deal with a public health system. That said, the dark unlit corridors of
In any given city, the CEOs of hospitals, important doctors and surgeons, the director of the medical school, and the head of the public health department will usually form a tight-knit social group, and have a direct say over health policy in the city.
hospitals, the many surgery tables, bodies that can‘t
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defend themselves, and access to restricted chemicals means that in each city there are one or two kindred who make their home in the large hospitals. It can be a very hospitable environment for a vampire. It is also common practice for Sheriffs to make allies or have retainers in the large ER rooms of the city, since injured hunters usually need to seek help eventually: and deaths in the hospital usually aren‘t investigated as intensely as out on the
street.
Any mage who has access to a Thyrsus practitioner has access to Life magic which can heal the gravest of wounds in a matter moments. With regards influence it will often be theofFree Council who will to seek to have Status in an environment where saving lives is paramount, to use their magic for the common good. The Arrow may do likewise, and it‘s not unheard for members of an
Adamantine Caucus to be trained doctors or combat medics in their own right.
The healing properties of Werewolves means they aren‘t
usually interested in hospitals, especially because they don‘t like having to explain themselves and their
properties. Besides, every werewolf has heard the urban legends of the mad surgeon with the silver restraints and operating table, interested in doing vivisection. Though they might laugh and brush it off, it is all a little too close to home for them. Still, hospitals attract interesting spirits, and people infested with spirits might be taken there when their behaviours too odd, so a citytomay a local pack specificallygetwith the talents be have involved in healthcare.
Hospitals are tangled mazes of corridors and rooms, where your freedom can be taken away from you by the man in a white lab coat with a clipboard. Where they are allowed to use restraints. Where they don‘t have to explain anything to you. Where they can give you things that make you fall asleep, and then wake up somewhere else. The Changelings of a city usually give the hospitals wide berth, and seek their healing from street doctors or the local Spring courtiers.
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The Dark Compact
Supernaturally Aware Organizations (Hunters)
The Dark Compact fills the niche that would be occupied by Ashwood Abbey, in the Canadian Hunter food chain. The Compact has existed since the 1800s, and are the depraved children of societies elite, interested in capturing supernaturals to satiate their personal vices and perverse
The hunter groups outlined in the hunter book are available for the use of STs, as per the Camarilla Addendum. (i.e. Tier I hunter cells are low approval for NPCs, Tier II hunter cells are mid approval for NPCs, and Tier III are top approval for NPCs.) There are, however a few custom hunter groups restricted to Canada, which are a particular thorn for the supernaturals in our venues.
pleasures. It‘s said that the Dark Compact maintains a large estate in St. John‘s, Newfoundland, but it is
generally a widespread and disorganized group. Although depraved, they are an extremely influential hunter group, and unashamed to pull in favours through the clout of their family name. They wage wars of influence to pursue supernaturals, and have enough clout to avoid investigation into their own activities by society at large. The Dark Compact is a visceral threat to weak or new supernaturals that do not have the hard experience to protect themselves from hunters, but they are also a threat to established supernaturals that rely on influence measures to protect themselves. With a day‘s work, a member of the compact can ruin the reputation of retainers, and make your allies melt away into the institutions. They will expose your activities to the public, just to make you squirm. And eventually, they hope to break every supernatural, to sate their unholy curiosity.
Tier II Hunter Groups These hunter groups are available for use, across the country, at the discretion of the local DST. Note that their use must be noted in the monthly report filed by DSTs. They are only loosely organized nationally. Characters are free to have belonged to one of these groups before their induction into the supernatural, with DST approval for their background. Note that these are well organized, and very intelligent groups, dangerous antagonists, and intentionally tangling with them, or raising their ire will likely result in dead characters. Even allying with them should be dangerous, since they view Supernaturals with suspicion, and ultimately: want the PCs dead and disabled.
Dominion Frontier Protection Militia (DFPM) Arising in Western Canada in the 1920s and 1930s, the DFPM replaces the Union in the Canadian Hunter Food Chain
The Canadian Antiquities Society This group is an association of scholars, researchers, collectors and their ilk. They are based out of the University of Dalhousie in Halifax, and publish a quarterly journal on alternative history, usually under pseudonyms to protect their identity. Specifically, they are historians and the like whose research into the past has revealed evidence of the supernatural. They risk being ridiculed by their Academic peers, but the Canadian Antiquities Society is always on the lookout for those whose eyes have opened to the true nature of the world. The Antiquities Society pursues truth above all things, they are determined to collect journals, artifacts, samples and the like to prove their scorned theories. They are clever and patient opponents, noted for their intelligence and resourcefulness: a successful strike for them is one that collects more proof. But, members of other groups follow their journal and their theories. The members of the Antiquities society are usually more than happy to say
The DFPM is a threat to supernaturals mainly in rural areas. They are largely farmers and other small town residents, protecting their land, livestock, and family. Using radios and shotguns, and knowledge of the land, they report on strange doings, organize into armed militia units, and chase out those they‘d rather not deal with. The
militia has extensively developed lore and knowledge about strange behaviours to look for, and how to handle them, and this knowledge has worked to keep them safe over the years. They stay in contact with each other over the night as they conduct their patrols, and attend an annual convention in Regina to alert each other to things they are learning. They employ tactics such as scanning cars stopped at a spot check with an infra-red scanner to make sure everyone‘s body temperature is normal. They pop open
the trunk of unattended cars parked at night. They make silver bullets to use randomly when hunting wolves for the provincial bounty. They build standing stones, and crop circles, and see who comes to check them out. They don‘t like strangers, and they don‘t trust the police. T hey spread socialist literature amongst themselves, and actively pass strategies about how to evade the gun license and income taxes. They are spread out throughout
whosefrom, library they filched the scroll with mysterious runes or the night club where they photographed the blurred group going up to the private room. They are quiet, they are subtle, but they are determined. And once the Antiquities society has unraveled your secrets, other Hunter Groups will not be far behind. 64
rural Canada, and help ensure supernaturals ar en‘t happy or comfortable traveling by car.
whether as a herd to feed off of, or a place to exclusively exploit. They are ruthless in telling their own brethren who become supernatural, that they are no longer welcome on the reserve, or in the nation.
Gold-Mountain Monastery Founded by Chinese railway workers who could not rely on their White-Canadian CPR bosses for protection, the Gold Mountain Monastery is a Buddhist sect. It has been successful in offering protection, and in its study of the supernatural using Buddhist, Taoist, and even Hindu traditions and texts, branching into many immigrant ethnicities, and now representing a network that spans Canada‘s cities. They are most notorious for exterminating the kindred population of Penticton, British Columbia, where they now maintain their national headquarters. The Monastery encourages its members to study martial arts and yogic practices to maintain a fit body, but is also interested in collecting magical and esoteric items for study. The monastery firmly believes that the world of the supernatural is knowable, and are ruthlessly determined to use their resources to achieve this knowledge. They are an determined opponent and enemy of any who supernatural who would prey on the Asian immigrant communities of Canada. Most often, Gold-Mountain finds itself in conflict with the Mysterium and Guardians of the Veil of the Mage setting, attempting to left the veil on magic, or acquire valuable Atlantean artifacts, and other rare items. They are a particular challenge for the wisdom of these orders, since they are an entirely moral and good religious order: but very determined to not be fooled by those who would deprive the Monks of knowledge.
Section for Extranormal Affairs, Research and Containment Headquarters (SEARCH) SEARCH is a government funded branch of CSIS, and are a budget-line item for the federal government. They are best understood as government funded police psychics, with an office in every city across Canada. They are devoted to investigating unexplainable events that baffle local investigators, andtoCSIS dispatch to any investigation that seems have will strange loose them threads that are drawn to their attention. SEARCH investigators are quite professional, and held to a strict moral standard—it is believed by their superiors in Ottawa that the moral corruption is evidence of supernatural corruption—and paid a comparative salary to detectives on the local police force. SEARCH is generally a problem for non-organized supernaturals, they are most likely to come across organized (i.e. PC) supernaturals as both groups scramble to resolve, or conceal, a crime. Each SEARCH investigator has an idiosyncratic, and generally wrong, explanation of how the supernatural works. SEARCH is the most prominent Hunter group in Canada, and most PCs should believe they are the only hunter group to be concerned about. They are locally run at the instruction and discretion of the local domain storyteller.
Longhouse Brotherhood The Longhouse brotherhood has an srcin that predates the arrival of Europeans in Canada. It is a fraternity of first nations men. It‘s srcins are in the Wendat (Huron)
nation of central Ontario, but it spread rapidly with the fur trade, and now the longhouse has members on almost every Indian reservation in Canada. The mission of the brotherhood is ―the protection of the longhouse‖ which is
a metaphor for the well being of the (human) nation they belong to. They claim that they arose during the golden age of Canadian history, when corn was given to the people for the first time, and that they, the brotherhood, were those warriors who decided to fight back against the shamans and monsters that kept people oppressed. The central longhouse for the Brotherhood is on an Ojibwe reserve near Parry Sound, Ontario. The brotherhood keeps its organization a secret, but its existence is known by many with a First Nations background. It devotes itself to sustaining wilderness knowledge, and traditional medicine and values, as well as the languages of their ancestors. The brotherhood has an extensive and inherent understanding of the spirit world through its reverence of ancestral traditions — greater even than some Thyrsus. Mostly the brotherhood are an issue for any supernatural creature who would seek to exploit or use a first nation for their own purpose, 65
Tier III Hunter Groups Royal North-American Rangers (RNAR)
These hunter groups are controlled by the Office of the NST. They can only be narrated through proxies or scenes run or supervised by the national office. They have access to endowments, described in Hunter: the Reckoning. They are described here, so local STs know they exist, and that they are welcome to request their use in chronicles from the national office.
A branch of the Canadian military, RNAR replaces Project Valkyrie in Canada. RNAR is not related to the Canadian Rangers, who are reserve unit who patrol in the far north. The Royal North American Rangers (RNAR) were srcinally a British unit formed in the French-Indian war, in colonial Virginia. They developed alliances with the First Nations, and became spiritual warriors for the British Military. History brought them to Canada, and they have remained here. RNAR is based out of Kingston Ontario, with a research and development base near North Bay, Ontario. Membership in RNAR is from the most elite and proven soldiers in the Canadian military and major police forces. RNAR does not work with supernaturals, who invariably prove to have alternate agendas. In cases where an RNAR Ranger is found to have become, or defected to the supernaturals, they are either given permission to leave (and never return) or destroyed. RNAR is funded directly at the discretion of the privy
Burning Fire Sisterhood A branch of the Longhouse Brotherhood reserved for women only, the Burning-Fire Sisterhood are the wise women elders of the First Nations. They have access to exceptionally powerful medicines and spiritual magic. The Sisterhood generally regards the Brotherhood condescendingly as ―boys playing in the wood.‖ They
seldom get involved, unless the threat to their people is so great that more powerful magic is required. The central location of their organization is unknown at this time.
council. It‘s existence is known only by those at the table,
it does not report to the ministry of Defense, or any other parliamentary supervising authority. It is also quite small, with only 200 or so members, including support staff at any one time. RNAR has access to the most advanced technology to deal with supernaturals, and are the top of the hunter food-chain in Canada. RNAR uses its intelligence the forces, influenceand of the supernatural resources on CSIS,to investigate major police the Canadian military, so that it is aware of what may be controlling whom if it is called on to act in a situation.
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Then I came to the marge of Lake LeBarge And a derelict there lay. It was choked with ice, but I say in a thrice It was named the "Alice May". I looked at it, and I thought a bit, Then I turned to my frozen chum, And "This" said I with a sudden cry "Is my crematorium!" Some planks I tore from the cabin floor And lit the boiler fire. Some coal I found that was lying around And heaped the fuel higher. The furnace roared and the flames they soared, Such a blaze you seldom see. Then I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal And I stuffed in Sam McGee. Then I made a hike, for I didn't like to hear him sizzle so. And the heavens scowled and the huskies howled and the wind began to blow. It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled down my cheeks, I don't know why. And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak went streaking down the sky.
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Institutions shape the now, but it is the story of the land you must learn that truly shapes it. The following section is broken into eras, each explaining a little more of the growing story of Canada.
period and all require Global approval before 600 CE and Top approval before 1000 CE. Most PCs from this time period have difficulty learning such skills as Computer, Drive, Science, and Academics. However, they do have an affinity for Survival, Animal Ken, and Occult skills—with appropriate specialties in each. Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
Before Time (The Time of Legend) As far as the World of Darkness is concerned, there was a world before the beginning and a world after the beginning. What the beginning was depends on who you ask. Father Wolf died at the hands of his children. First woman came to rest on the great Turtle. Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. The great calendar of the Maya started. The glaciers retreated. Brahma stirred in his sleep, dreaming of a lotus. Atlantis fell. The ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. We disagree on what: but something happened. There was a before, and there was an after. All we can talk about with certainty is the after.
1000 – 1600 (The Golden Age) This is the time of a renaissance amongst the Native Cultures of Canada, and many heroes exist in the oral histories. The foundational foods of North American Native civilization appeared, as did trade routes, which united portions of the country for the first time by canoe, dogsled, and foot. The monsters of the shadows and legend were beaten back into dreams and darkness, and though they were still predators, for the first time humans became masters of the landscape. Built structures became common in the more densely settled areas of the south of the country around waterways where the geography of the land could support larger gatherings of people. Much of what we know as the iconic symbols that define Native Culture were created and celebrated for the first time, and languages and cultures became clearly distinct based upon their geography, mythology, and
Settings and Character Creation Any plot, or plot elements set before time begins requires the approval of Global Staff. Canada was, at this time, a land out of legend. Some few ruins remain —and these are available for national plot and proxies only. Native mythologies should inform any plot drawing on this period. This period in history is not available for PCs.
spirituality. Theancestors First Nations Peoples were stewards of the land of their and descendents wisely. The Vikings settled in Newfoundland around 1000, and established their colony at L‘Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, and possibly further south. This settlement did not last more than 60 years, with stories of strife between the new colonizers and the Native
Time begins to 1000 CE (The Dark Age) Unless their mythologies or recorded histories claim otherwise, all First Nations in Canada existed roughly where they are today, and the land was theirs. The dog was the only domesticated animal in North America. There was no metallurgy, and little pottery. Tools were hardened wood or chipped stone. Agriculture had not been mastered. Monsters walked the land openly, and powerful medicines and magics protected the people. Dreams remained much closer to reality than they are now. Life was harsh, and without the protection of the supernatural, nations often vanished. The languages that were spoken in this era were ―proto‖ versions of modern Native Tongues, and though linguistically useful, are no longer spoken today.
population rumouring it‘s downfall.
By 1550 European fishermen were regularly landing at in the summer seasons to fish the waters, leading to the idea of more permanent settlements within half a century. St. John‘s in Newfoundland
Settings and Character Creation Characters and plots srcinating from this era based in Canadian History must demonstrate clear Native or Norse roots, and at least minimal research to back up their background story. Only Requiem characters may come from this period and are High approval. To reflect the great spiritual and cultural innovations sweeping the country at this time and the expanding trade routes, characters from this time period have strong abilities in Expression and Empathy, and should speak a native language appropriate to the location they come from. Players and plots srcinating from outside the
Settings and Character Creation Characters and plots srcinating from this era based in Canadian History must demonstrate clear Native roots, and at least minimal research to back up their background story. Only Requiem characters may come from this 69
story. Only Requiem characters may come from this period and are High approval. Plots srcinating from this era are High Approval, except in Quebec and the Maritimes where they are midapproval. This entire era‘s setting s information should be disregarded for British Columbia, which did not have European contact at this time. It remained in the Golden Age. Characters srcinating from this era should speak French and a native language appropriate to the location they come from. Skills such as Survival, Animal Ken, Empathy, Politics, and Socialize should also be considered as important. French Roman Catholicism is the only alternative faith to First Nations beliefs at this
―densely settled parts‖ described above can still meet the ―Dark Age‖ standards. Players interested in creating a
character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
1600 – 1750 (New France) By 1600 Portuguese and Basque fisherman had been fishing the Maritimes for roughly a century. In 1608 Champlain founded Quebec, and French settlement spread slowly but determinedly up the St. Lawrence River. Trois Rivieres was founded in 1634; Ville Marie (Montreal) in 1639; Detroit (Windsor) in 1701. Acadia in Nova Scotia was founded in 1610; Louisbourg on Cape Breton in 1629. The French settlement pattern was distinct. Jesuit
time. Several Hunter their foundation in this era. Fur trading posts groups are widehave spread. Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
Missionaries went inland to spread the ―word of God‖ to
1750 – 1815 (The Time of Blood)
the Natives, and as a result the French made strong allies with many of the peoples of Eastern Canada. The exception was the Iroquois Confederacy, who had already allies with the English settlements further south, and both proved implacable enemies. Fur traders followed the missionaries, exchanging metal tools, woven cloth and beads for pelts. The ancient trade routes opened up the country to these traders, who expanded upon them. Many domesticated animals were all brought into Canada, and the French established staple farm crops and dietary elements into Canadian culture. The apex of this era was
By 1750 the Great Peace of Montreal was dead, and the expanding British Colonies of what would become United States came into conflict with the French throughout the Ohio River valley and the southern Great Lakes. The imperious Iroquois had overstretched their reach, and the Native Peoples throughout the territories they had
the signing the Great Peace of in 1701 between the of French, the Iroquois andMontreal the Algonquians, securing 15 years of peace and ensuring French prestige and dominance for the era. In 1605 the British under Gilbert established permanent
conquered, rebelled. IndianinWarPennsylvania, broke out in 1754 at what is The nowFrenchPittsburgh beginning a new era in Canadian History. Slowly and methodically, the British defeated the French and claimed all of their possessions in Canada. The Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia and Ile St.Jean (Prince Edward Island) in 1755. Halifax was founded in 1749 to host the British fleet, and Louisbourg was destroyed in 1760. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island both became British Colonies, and Charlottetown was founded in 1764. The Seven Year‘s War culminated in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham outside of the walls of Quebec City, with both General Wolfe (British) and General Montcalm (French) dying, but in the end the British captured the Capital city. In 1760, the colonies of Canada were surrendered by the French to the English. The British decided to leave the French settlers in the St. Lawrence Valley alone, granting them the right to their own religion and language. They also accepted the
settlement at St. John‘s in Newfoundland, and gained
control of the island from other Europeans. Using French traders, the British founded their own fur-trading company in 1639— The Hudson‘s Bay Company—which quickly became the world‘s largest landowner. The
British did not heavily settle in these lands, and the Acadians and French remained the dominant European cultures in the area, and the predominant trading language in Canada was French. Diseases new to the continent, brought by the Europeans, swept across the country as plague, bringing the Golden Age to an abrupt end. Only in British Columbia, behind the mountains and unexplored Pacific Coast, did Native cultures continue to thrive.
peaceful surrender the Indian alliesland of thebetween French, and recognized Indianof title to all the Appalachians and the Mississippi river, cementing the British-Iroquois alliance by honouring the treaties. These decisions enraged American and, coupled with the onerous tax and tariff burden the British shifted to their colonies to pay for the expensive war with France, proved
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History must demonstrate clear Native or French roots, and at least minimal research to back up their background
70
too much. The Thirteen Colonies declared their independence, and went to war with Britain in 1775. The war lasted from 1775 to 1783, and twice American armies marched on Montreal, which chose to remain loyal to the English. Halifax and St. John‘s thrived during this period as naval bases to reinforce the English troops. As the war came to a close, and England recognized the independence of the American colonies, the greatest impact on Canada was felt in the flood of refugees that came north. These refugees were Loyalists who chose to remain loyal to the British government and crown, and who fled to the Canadian Colonies for their safety and security. New Brunswick was created in northern Nova Scotia to deal with the flood of people, and the province
to fight on the front lines to stop the American advancement. The war raged until 1815, when unfortunately for the Americans, Napoleon over-reached in Europe. British troops and ships were freed up to deal with the war in North America and American forces were repelled and Washington sacked. The borders between the two countries returned to where they had been before the conflict. In 1815, the Treaty of Ghent restored peace, and foreign troops have never invaded Canada since. For the colonists, they felt for the first time that they were neither American— who had invaded, looted and destroyed — nor English—who had shown up late— and the seeds of an independent Canadian identity began to grow.
of Canada was split into two: ―Lower Canada‖ (Quebec) and ―Upper Canada‖ (Ontario). Montreal boomed with the appearance of these English refugees and Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships were settled. Villages and farms sprang up out of the wilderness in Ontario, and Kingston, Toronto, Niagara, and Windsor were all founded by refugees settling the land. Moreover, the war split the Iroquois Confederacy, and those loyal to Britain were both given land in Ontario and Quebec, who continued to honour the treaties of the past war. As the American Revolution cooled, a new war sprang up in Europe: the French Revolution. The execution of the French king at the hands of the Paris mob was disheartening in Quebec, quelling their hope of returning to monarchist France. Having lost one institution (the French Crown) French Canadians became staunchly conservative, and took refuge in their church, which became the most powerful institution in French Canada. Because of war in Europe, Canada became an
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History should demonstrate at least minimal research to back up their background story. Only Requiem characters may come from this period and are High approval. Plots srcinating from this time period are mid-approval in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Anywhere else in Canada they are High Approval. Survival depended on livelihood in this era. Any characters from this time should show proficiency in some of the skills of Survival, Athletics, Drive (Boats), Firearms (muskets), Craft, or Politics, reflecting what they did at this time. Characters not in Ontario, Quebec or the Maritimes should speak a Native language appropriate to where they are located. Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
increasingly important British possession. Grain from Ontario and Quebec fed England. Timber from the newly cleared land was used to build ships in Nova Scotia, keeping the world‘s greatest navy afloat. Exploration of
Canada went even further west into the Rocky Mountains. On behalf of the Hudson‘s Bay Company, Alexander Mackenzie reached the Arctic and Pacific oceans by canoe and Trading Posts appeared across the Prairies and in the Rockies, heralding the settlements that would soon appear, and the country became explored and united under the British flag. In 1812, at the height of French power in Europe, the United States Congress declared war on England and its Native allies, declaring that ―conquering Canada was a matter of marching.‖ The English were preoccupied with
defeating Napoleon in Europe, and were unable to commit the forces that defending Canada required. They dispatched a recently promoted General Brock, and hoped that he could rally the local forces of the colonies when the war turned on the newly settled Canada. Brock was killed at Queenston Heights as the Americans crossed the Niagara River, and fighting turned bloody in Hamilton and London as the Iroquois rallied to the English cause. Americans again marched on Montreal and Quebec. Toronto was captured in 1813. Troops were raised in the Maritime colonies and Quebec then dispatched to Ontario 71
1815 – 1865 (British North America)
system that established government subsidies for the First Nations in exchange for land grants across the country that became known as reserves. The quickly sprouting railroads across Canada sped this process and ensured that this would happen: travel was no longer restricted to what would fit in a canoe. The British reorganization of colonial Canada became more and more problematic throughout this era since Parliament was equally divided, and elections continued to produce perfect ties between the political factions. In 1861, the United States collapsed into Civil War, and as it became clear that President Lincoln and the North would win the war there was a push to get Canada out of this political stalemate and unite the British North American
As the Napoleonic Wars came to an end, peace returned to the Canadian colonies, now ruled by the British. In 1818, the Western boundary was fixed at the 49th Parallel of Latitude, from Lake of the Woods to the Pacific Ocean. The military technological developments of the wars gave rise to important tools to help break the land. The displaced people of Europe needed a place to settle, and waves of immigrants began to move towards Canada. Eastern Europeans, Germans, Jews, Italians, and most notably the Irish — leaving their famine stricken land — all settled in Canada. Slavery was abolished in Canada in 1830, and a steady stream of black refugees fleeing north from the United States also increased the population. Since the farmland of the Maritimes and Quebec had been occupied for some time, newcomers settled in Ontario, and continued clearing the land. The economy boomed, canals were dug to aid shipping around the Great Lakes, and the communities that would become Hamilton, London and Ottawa were formed. Demand in Europe for food, timber and minerals helped create mines, flourmills and sawmills. All of the Canadian Colonies were governed by a closed circle of men and families who directed growth, and owned most of the wealth. The first city west of the Great Lakes in Canada, Winnipeg, was founded in 1835, as the Hudson‘s Bay land was being organized, and was the headquarters for the powerful furtrading company. But the ideas unleashed by the American Revolution, of
Colonial the War Between possessions. the States inWhen 1865,thethisUnion drivewon became an imperative because England was no longer certain it could defend the colonies against a potential American ambition to expand north. Canada would be on its own.
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History should demonstrate at least minimal research to back up their background story. Plots srcinating in the era must have high approval if they are based in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Territories and those characters from the area should continue referring to the ‗Time of Blood‘ for guidance in constructing characters. Domains elsewhere in Canada require mid-approval to srcinate plot at this time. As we get closer to modern Canada, characters become more modern as well, and in this era begin to reflect this. All skills are common within this time frame dependent upon the character‘s history, but
home rule, and national determination root in Canada. In 1835, William Mackenzie led atook rebellion in Toronto, which attracted protestors from across Ontario. In 1837-1838 Louis Papineau led a much more successful rebellion in Quebec. In both cases, the rebels were able to turn to the United States for assistance and refuge after they had been defeated. The British became concerned, and decided to address the legitimate grievances of the colonies by establishing a single ―Canadian government‖ , uniting Ontario and Quebec into a single colony. All refugees from the rebellions were granted amnesty, and returned home. In 1821, Western Canada started to organize to secure
care should be taken to ensure that they are technologically appropriate. Requiem characters srcinating in this era are Mid approval in Canada, and their personal history in any approvals should reflect how they have seen the country change through the significant events of which they are aware. Many will hold ‗Regency‘ or ‗Napoleonic‘
attitudes. Characters born in this era are Top approval for every other venue in Canada. Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
the claim of the British Hudson‘s Bay Company from predatory American Fur companies with ―New Caledonia‖ being established with its capital in Prince
George. Vancouver Island was organized shortly afterwards, with its capital in Victoria. In 1858, the discovery of gold in the Caribou valley caused a sudden rush of American prospectors that prompted all of British Columbia to be organized as a single colony. During this time period, a uniquely Canadian ethnicity, the Métis, descendents of fur traders and their Native wives, began settling along the Red River. The growing European population led to a need to address First Nations land claims, leading to a treaty 72
1865 – 1915 (Victorian Canada)
Riel‘s second Rebellion was quickly crushed. In 1886, he
was captured and hung for treason. Riel was French speaking and Catholic, and his death exacerbated the tension between French, English, and Native populations. MacDonald died in office, and Wilfrid Laurier became Prime Minister Canada. Laurier oversaw massive growth in the Canadian population; growth which came primarily from settling the prairies. Eastern Europeans poured into the Prairies. In the Pacific, Chinese, Japanese and East Indians immigrated. Laurier‘s trade policies saw the growth of industry in Ontario and Quebec, and small agricultural villages became bustling manufacturing towns. Montreal, Toronto and other major cities swelled in population as they struggled to fit more people into
Canada was a collection of colonies bordering an increasingly powerful United States, and the need to organize them became a pressing issue in England. In 1865, representatives from New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario met in Quebec City. Of this group, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were the wealthiest, while Quebec and Ontario had the largest populations. These negotiations did not favour union. In 1867, two years later, the representatives were brought back together in Charlottetown. There, an accord was put together, and four of the provinces joined together to form the Dominion of Canada. The Dominion t was a little more than a colony, but a little less than a country. John MacDonald was the first Prime Minister, and was given the task of building a national railway—the promise that had interested Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. England was pleased with this development, and immediately gave Canada the rest of its colonial possessions in North America two years later, consisting
their crowded dangerous 1894, gold was foundslums in the and Yukon Valley, factories. AmericansInflooded north, and Laurier dispatched the RCMP to the area, organizing the Yukon as a separate governmentadministered territory. The Federal Government now exercised power across all of Canada. In 1905, two new provinces were created out of the Northwest Territories: Saskatchewan and Alberta, a reflection of the growing population west of Ontario. Canada‘s growth was tremendous, but there was a dark side to it: while the First Nations had initially welcomed the Europeans, and helped them survive, that relationship began to turn on them. Residential schools were built and children were forcibly taken from their families, relocated to distant schools run by religious orders, and made to forget their cultural heritage. The ghastly tales from these distant and isolated schools are things out of nightmares that openly haunt Canadians to this day. On reserves across the country the process of taking children was
mostly of the vast Hudson‘s Bay Company land. The transfer of the ―Northwest‖ to Canada was not as smooth
as officials hoped it would be. The Métis who had settled in the Red River Valley were not keen to be governed from distant Ottawa and they briefly formed their own government under Louis Riel. Ottawa quickly raised a small army, crushing the Métis rebellion, and asserting Canadian control over the West. The incident did encourage to recognize the province of Columbia, Manitoba, along with Ottawa the ―Northwest Territories‖. British
amplified and to depopulation, destruction, and contributed rampant alcoholism in First spiritual Nations communities. As a backlash to massive immigration, English
the last portion to be added, joined of its own accord soon after, through with the promise of the railway connection to the rest of North America. The railway was the technology that made Canadian political union possible. Within six years of confederation, Prince Edward Island bankrupted itself with its own railway project, and sought to join Confederation. Now that Canada had all the land, it became necessary to govern it. It was entirely possible that if Canada did not exert control, the United States would make a territory grab for the prairies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were created as a military unit, and set up to do constabulary duties in the Western Territories. With the police presence in
Canada‘s culture became very conservative, identifying itself as ―British‖ instead of Canadian. English Canadian
soldiers went to war for the first time in South Africa, fighting the Boer War on behalf of the British Empire. In 1914, Europe went to war. Canada, still without the ability to control it‘s own foreign policy and tied to that of
the British Empire, found itself at war as well. Much of English Canada was happy to join, and men in the predominantly English speaking provinces enlisted, shipping off to fight in Europe. ―The war with Germany will be done by Christmas, and the boys would soon be home‖ they convinced themselves. And so the era of Victorian Canada came to an end, on a perversely optimistic note, as the darkness of the Great War spread through the world.
Western Canada, MacDonald‘s
promised railway finally began construction. As the railway went west, cities sprung up in its wake. Dozens of cities began as railway hubs, or stops along the route for the purposes of refueling and supplying the settlers in the area. Just as the railway finished, the government began selling land in the fertile Western plains. This once again angered the Métis, who had relocated over the previous ten years from Manitoba to the Saskatchewan river valley. Again, under Louis Riel they rose in Rebellion, however
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History should demonstrate at least minimal research to back up their background story. Plot srcinating in this time period is Mid-approval for any domain in Canada. 73
As we get closer to modern Canada, characters become more modern as well, and in this era begin to reflect this. All skills are common within this time frame dependent
labour unions. The Government of Canada quickly settled in favour of the strikers for fear that the strike could spread to other cities. This tension between government and organized labour became a defining theme in Canadian politics as the new labour elite began a rise to power over the course of the 20th century by representing social interests in Canada, instead of the business and industrial elites that had governed until this point. The 1920s were a great era in Canada under Prime Minister Mackenzie King. New technologies—the widespread use of commercial radio, the car, recorded music, and the telephone—changed communications and made life much faster. The implementation of countrywide prohibition in the United States, but not in Canada,
upon the character‘s history, but care should be taken to
ensure that they are technologically appropriate. Requiem characters srcinating in this era are mid approval in Canada, their personal history in any approvals should reflect how they have seen the country change through the significant events of which they are aware. Many will hold appropriately ‗Victorian‘ attitudes.
Characters born in this era are high approval for every other venue in Canada.
1915 – 1945 (The Wars)
Canada‘s quieter made Canadian standards on racesmugglers gave rise wealthy. to the powerful, and black, Porter‘s Union on the CPR and CNR railways. Montreal and Winnipeg became centers of art, music and creativity. Women also made significant gains in this era. At the end of the Great War, women achieved the right to vote in federal elections. In the 1920s they were recognized as ―persons‖ under Canada‘s Constitution, and in 1930, a woman was appointed to the Senate. The stock Market boomed, and many people felt wealthy. Times were good. But, in October of 1929, this came to an end. Black Monday devastated the Canadian economy, and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s destroyed Prairie communities. Families packed up and left the Prairies in hope of work anywhere, but there was no work to be had. In response, the government of Alberta became reliably the most right wing province in Canada. In an alternative response, the government of Saskatchewan became strongly socialist, and reliably the most left wing province
World War I brought about a significant change in how wars were fought. Technological advances meant that in order to keep soldiers safe from mortars and guns, trenches were dug through both the Western and Eastern front, and the battle lines became static. It became clear that it would be a long, protracted war, and it became even worse when chemical weapons were unleashed by both sides. Mustard and chlorine gasses left troops scarred and crippled long after the war was over. Mortars and guns and mud and gas killed more men than had ever been dreamed possible. Canadians acquired a dark, relentless reputation in battle, and they were often put in the front lines of the most dangerous battles. The Germans called them ―Sturmtruppen‖,
the infirst use of that term. Canadians participated notably significant battles including The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Amiens. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment also participated, but was decimated at Beaumont-Hamel in 1916. Out of a regiment of 800, only 68 survived without injury, and every officer died in action. More Canadian soldiers died per capita than in any other country involved in the Great War. Because of this massive death rate, Borden was allowed to sign the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of Canada, independent of England, and Canada earned the right to determine its own foreign policy distinct from that of the Empire. In 1919 the troops returned home. Every family had sent a man to serve in Europe, and every Canadian knew someone who had died in the war. But just after the end of the war, came the plague of the Spanish Flu. Over the course of two year the Spanish Flu swept across Canada, and killed more people than the war had.
in Canada. in The1934 government of Newfoundland bankruptcy and was placed back under declared colonial status by England, which accepted its debts. The disastrous poverty of the global depression also created some radical political changes elsewhere in the world. Three countries notably began to pull themselves out of the cycle through direct government control of their economies: communist Russia under Josef Stalin, fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini, and Nazi Germany under Adolph Hitler. Communism was a known problem in Canada, but Fascism was new and all large cities experienced race riots. In 1939, Hitler blatantly broke the Treaty of Versailles and the White Paper, invading Poland before going on the conquer over half of Europe through the use of ―Blitzkreig‖ tactics. England‘s Prime Minister Churchill took England to war, and Canada soon followed. And while England was blitzed, Canadian merchant-sailors took ships full of supplies from Montreal and Halifax across the Atlantic through U-Boat infested waters. The Canadian Air Force supplied pilots and planes to fight back against the German bombing raids, and Canadian soldiers re-enlisted to fight Hitler. At home, the war brought Canada out of the Depression. Women returned to the workforce to power the factories. But the war also brought out the dark side of Canadians.
The return of the had troops The Canadian economy beendidsetnot up go for smoothly. war, and there simply weren‘t jobs for everyone as munit ions factories closed. Inflation soared as the government‘s economic leverage dissolved. This culminated in the Winnipeg General Strike, with that city shut down for a week by workers from all sectors demanding the right to organize 74
replacing 19th century slums. Trade agreements were implemented with the United States, beginning the integration of the two national economies into a continent wide economy. An astounding period of growth began, much of which focused around all the children being born to the returning World War II veterans: the Baby Boom. Canada gained its own flag, and ―O Canada‖ became the National Anthem. The World‘s Fair was held in Montreal in 1967, and Canada celebrated the Centennial of Confederation. NORAD was conceived of and implemented with major bases and missile-warning lines in Canada. Canada joined NATO, and was one of the founding members of the United Nations. Canadian soldiers fought in the Korean
Ukrainians, Germans, and Japanese Canadians had their property seized and were sent to Internment Camps for the duration of the war, in case they might be spies. Canada refused to settle refugees from Hitler‘s Europe,
particularly Jews. As the war continued, it became clear that Canada would have to enforce conscription if it was to provide all the soldiers it was promising its allies: Russia, the United States and Great Britain. This proved to be a difficult political issue in Quebec, where the Francophone population didn‘t feel obliged to fight another war for England. At war, Canadians participated in defense of Hong Kong, the failed invasion of Dieppe, and the successful invasion of Normandy. Canadian troops helped free Holland. Thedropped war came to an end in when causing atomic bombs were on Hiroshima and1945, Nagasaki, Japan to surrender unconditionally. By the end of the war,
War, and onbegan every to UNchange Peacekeeping mission. Quebec as well. Under Premier Duplessis ―The Quiet Revolution‖ enacted significant social change in Quebec. The Catholic Church until this time held an important role in schools, hospitals, and the social order but in the 1960s this clout disappeared, and Quebec went from being the most socially conservative and religious society in North America, to arguably the most socially liberal and secular. Under the same social developments, French-speaking Quebecois became more aware of their minority status in Canada, and began to seek more power to control their destiny independent of the English majority. Quebec declared French its official language, and tied in its language and culture with its sense of identity, giving rise to the political trend of separatism. The separatist sentiment in Quebec manifested as terrorism in the late 1960s. The FLQ launched a campaign of bank robberies and bombings, targeting English-
Canada had the world‘s fourth largest army, third largest
navy, and second largest economy. It would never again achieve that height of power.
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History should demonstrate at least minimal research to back up their background story. Plot srcinating in this time period is Mid-approval for any domain in Canada. As we get closer to modern Canada, characters become more modern as well, and in this era begin to reflect this. All skills are common within this time frame dependent upon the character‘s history, but care should be taken to
ensure that they are technologically appropriate. Requiem characters srcinating in this era are low approval in Canada, their personal history in any approvals should reflect how they have seen the country change through the significant events of which they are aware. Characters born in this era are high approval for every other venue in Canada.
speaking and institutions the Montreal Stock Exchange Canadianincluding Military property. The Canadian and Quebec governments dealt with these situations through arrests and trials, but never managed to quell the sentiment. In October of 1970, the FLQ situation reached its height. The Quebec Minister of Labour was murdered, and a British trade representative was kidnapped and held
1945 – 1970 (The Young Nation)
hostage. In response to what is identified as the ―October Crisis‖, newly elected Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
suspended civil rights across Canada, declared martial law, deployed soldiers in every city, and ordered the arrest and detention of hundreds of citizens. A negotiated settlement was soon reached. The political will for independence lives on in Quebec, but the use of violence and terror to achieve it was explicitly renounced. As a result of the actions of the FLQ, Toronto eclipsed
John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson were the Prime Ministers that brought Canada out of World War II era, and transformed it to the nation we recognize. New social programs that had been popular in the Western provinces went nation-wide: nationalized health care, welfare, unemployment insurance all became nationally-funded programs. Oil was discovered in Alberta. Newfoundland voted to join Confederation in 1949, creating Canada‘s current territorial boundaries. The new medium of television became widespread. New suburbs appeared, ringing the cities and designed around the car, which became the symbol of the new economy and freedom. New social housing projects appeared in every city, in the hope of
Montreal as Canada‘s largest city and financial centre
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from atthis eraminimal based inresearch Canadianto History should demonstrate least back up their background story. Plot srcinating in this time period is low-approval in Canada. All characters in every venue srcinating in this era are low approval in Canada, their personal history in any 75
approvals should reflect how they have seen the country change through the significant events of which they are aware. Characters involved with the FLQ or other
and, for the first time in well over a century, Native groups rallied to political significance and, through a parliamentary quirk, were able to block the Manitoba
terr ori st organi zations in Canada are not all owed in play, and their backgrounds will not be approved .
legislature‘s approval. Mulroney‘s most significant achie vement was the creation of NAFTA, effectively integrating Canada‘s
Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
economy into a larger North American economy. This occurred at the same time that the economy was revolutionized with the advent of personal computers. Business processes sped up as computers went from the realm of obscure academia and science to a common household appliance. Satellites and cell phone technology made it possible to communicate anywhere, data recording devices became remarkably small, and radio ID
1970 – 2010 (The Tenuous Kingdom)
technology capacities level that hadbrought been thepolice realmsurveillance of science-fiction only atofewa decades earlier. The internet also changed communication styles, introducing faxes, e-mail and personal messaging to a world that had relied on the telephone and the posted letter a few years earlier. Mulroney proved slow to undo the National Energy Program, which antagonized his western allies. With the failure of both Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord, Mulroney‘s alliance collapsed into three political parties, and the remainder of the old Conservative Party was decimated in the next election. The Liberals under Jean Chrétien rose to power in the face of a completely fractured opposition, and faced a second Quebec referendum. This second time Quebec voted to remain in Confederation with only a fraction of a percentage victory. Representing the only party with national clout, Chrétien remained Prime Minister through the end of the century.
After October, 1970, Quebecois interested in independence renounced violence and terrorism as tools to achieve their goals, and began a political approach. An actively separatist party—Le Parti Quebecois—was formed and soon elected a separatist Premier, Rene Levesque. Politically, Prime Minister Trudeau pushed to create a Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Canadians. The Charter attracted the ire of some of Quebec for impeding their ability to impose French on the powerful but demographically shrinking English-speaking minority within the province. They made allies with Social Conservatives in other provinces, especially the powerful Conservatives of Alberta, seeking to impose cultural mores on individuals and minorities. The compromise that allowed the charter to pass was the ―Notwithstanding Clause‖, which allows provincial governments to over-
Women‘s rights surged toinbethis and itstrata became commonplace for women seenera, in every and aspect of Canadian society, a clear change from previous times. This was part of a fundamental re-imagining of Canada under Trudeau‘s guidanc e, as the country began to identify itself as a multi-cultural society. Waves of immigration from all over the globe redefined the ―Canadian City‖ as much more cosmopolitan than they had ever been. Canada‘s population shifted from being mostly rural and small town, to being mostly urban. The easing of trade barriers world-wide, the wave of newcomers and the improvements in food-preserving technology meant that for the first time since the arrival of the French, Canadian eating patterns and staple foods changed. Native issues also made significant advances. The last of the Residential schools was closed in the late 1980s, public apologies were issued from the government and the churches that had run them, and reparations were paid. Living conditions on Reserves began to be addressed by the national media. Negotiations for land claims began across the country in court. In Quebec and Ontario there were violent clashes between Native Protestors and Police and Army as claims to land and native rights were reasserted. In 1999 the territory of Nunavut was created,
rule the charter in specific circumstances. Shortly afterwere the charter was passed, language and education laws passed in Quebec, restricting the growth of the English minority. Trudeau also sought to rewrite, or the Constitution, repatriating it in 1980, without the consent of Quebec, and officially gained Canada its complete independence from England. That year, Quebec held a referendum on independence, and voted to remain within Confederation. Trudeau and Levesque both left the national stage shortly afterwards. At the same time the global economy collapsed as oil prices rose, making manufacturing costlier. Trudeau found himself in a difficult position, with a need to prop up the large manufacturing economy in Ontario and Quebec with cheap energy, which he did by attempting to nationalize the Canadian oil industry. This backfired as the West felt it was a plot by Ontario and Quebec interests to crush the growing wealth and power of the West. Mulroney was Canada‘s next Prime Minister, and Brian power gained by building an alliance of those who had been opposed to Trudeau. Mulroney attempted to fix the Constitution, in a way that could accommodate all of the aggrieved provinces through ―The Meech Lake Accord‖. Meech Lake required provincial ratification, but a newly elected premier in Newfoundland vowed to not pass it,
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with an Inuit majority population, giving a First nation self-government equal to that of the provinces. Terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 had a lateral affect on Canada. The tightened American border was initially troublesome for Canadian industries, but resulted in many Canadian manufacturers turning to rising Asian and Central American markets. Canadian soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan in a combat mission for the first time sinc e the Korean War. Canada‘s foreign policy became more closely aligned with American goals. CSIS and the RCMP began much more casual surveillance of all Canadians, and successfully prevented some fundamentalist Muslims from organizing attacks on Canadian soil. The rise in power of the military, and by intelligence communities at this time was policing not matched an equal growth in democratic accountability. Canadian voting patterns became such that it was impossible for any party to achieve a majority, and Parliament became deadlocked in minorities, allowing for the growth of unchecked ministerial power.
Settings and Character Creation Characters srcinating from this era based in Canadian History should demonstrate at least minimal research to back up their background story. Plot srcinating in this time period is low-approval in Canada. All characters in every venue srcinating in this era are low approval in Canada, their personal history in any approvals should reflect how they have seen the country change through the significant events of which they are aware. Characters involved with the FLQ or other terr ori st organi zations in Canada are not all owed in play, and their backgrounds will not be approved .
Players interested in creating a character from this time period should consult their VST for assistance in writing their background and character sheet to reflect the setting of this age.
77
I do not know how long in the snow I wrestled with grisly fear. But the stars were out and they danced about 'ere again I ventured near. I was sick with dread, but I bravely said "I'll just take a peek inside. He's probably cooked, it's time I looked." Then the door I opened wide. And there sat Sam, looking cold and calm In the heart of the furnace roar. He wore a smile you could see a mile, And he said "Please shut that door! It's warm in here, but I greatly fear You'll let in the cold and storm. Since I left Plumtree, down in Tenessee, It's the first time I've been warm." There are strange things done 'neath the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold. The arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold. The northern lights have seen queer sights, But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge I cremated Sam McGee. 78
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Lex Magica and the individual sovereignty of a Consilium over its mystic citizens and resources. They agree on little else. Rival mages in one domain will often war with their neighbors over the smallest of matters while attempting to infiltrate and undermine each other. Cooperation is the exception not the norm. Even when agreement and cooperation does occur it is often mired in political bias and petty factionalism all of which veil a lingering fear of incursion, conquest, and destruction.
The following settings serve to typify the general lay of the land for Canada‘s Awakened. These five aspects
should always be considered as present by VSTs and players who enter into or run an Awakened venue game.
The Fall of Dominion: An Awakened Parliament once governed Canada binding many (but not all) of the
The Invisible Hegemony: The Seers of the Throne are here in Canada. They are organized and they are subtle. But, most importantly, they have a common purpose to dominate Sleeper society towards the Lie and, thereby,
country‘s Consilii together through a vast and powerful
leyline network. When an Abyssal ritual tainted the network in 1970, it caused a cascade that rippled across Canada and killed almost every mage living in Consilii tied to Dominion. Only those cities where mages had powerful, and old standing, wards had some measure of protection. But Consilii with several Masters of Prime and other Arcana were also able to fend off the attacks by the Abyss. It is best to assume that anywhere between 80 to 90% of the active mages living in Canada in 1970 in most of the major cities were killed from the Fall of Dominion. Large cities that did not join the Dominion (where mentioned) or smaller townships and communities can be assumed to have survived the Fall intact. Due to the power, and Hubris, of the Fall, subsequent new
obsolesce eliminate the Pentacle. is ita secret tradition ofand tenets and beliefs guiding Ifthethere Seers likely has a strong institution in Canada as a grand conspiracy of the Throne.
Dead Secrets and Living Lies: The past of Dominion is scattered and forgotten by the curse of the Lie. Most Awakened now alive in Canada have little to no idea of the true power and scope of Dominion. Was it truly a democratic parliament of wisdom or simply a false throne of Hubris? And, in the wake of the Abyssal storm that ravaged this great achievement, is anything left of Dominion save the feverish nightmares of Awakened Masters and the few relics hidden away forever? Rumors abound of forgotten Dominion caches of weapons and Artifacts or buried Athenaeums with grimoires and tomes containing powerful rotes and damning secrets.
Awakenings didn‘t really occur in Canada until about 7 to
10 years later. This is the single most defining historical event in the history of Canada‘s Awakened venue and
must always be taken into account when considering the history of the venue.
The First Nation Foundation:Canada‘s most sacred and respected traditions stem from the wisdom and lore of the land‘s absrcinal peoples. Long before the refugees of Atlantis came to the country‘s shores, Native sorcerers
and shamans had already touched the Supernal with their own magic and brought both wisdom and hubris to their people in equal measure. But, like their Sleeper brethren, the First Awakened of Canada have been dealt a cruel hand. The hardened traditions of Atlantis and her kin have all but erased these proud customs except in the few scattered cabals or surviving Consilii that still keep the old ways alive.
The following factions and groups are known to exist and be unique to Canada‘s Awakened venue. The specifics of these groups in each domain are at the discretion of the VST and can be elaborated upon as befits the needs of the game. The Dominion Loyalists:All those Awakened in Canada that wish to see a return to the tenets of Dominion either by re-establishing the legendary Dominion leyline network or by a more informal, yet far-reaching accord between allied Consilii fall into this camp. As a rule, such Loyalists are quick to recognize one another and coordinate their efforts towards realizing their goal of a new Dominion. Many say their influence is waning but others hint at secret masters with a plan to bring back the power of old. The Separatist Movement: All those Awakened who stringently oppose the re-establishment of the Dominion on the grounds that is an experiment in Hubris,
The Just and Secret Society: The Atlantean diaspora has brought not only a tradition of peace, order, and good government to Canada but also a legacy of secret powers and principalities woven into the fabric of the country‘s
elite and secretive groups. Within the doctrines of spiritual fraternities and brotherhoods as well as the customs of elite clubs and guilds, the tenets and precepts of thegroups Pentacle all to exert subtle the yet destiny potent influence. All such work influence of the nation and, through their machinations, so do the Awakened Orders.
entitlement, or tyranny. Although they don‘t, as a rule,
identify themselves as part of a particular movement or cause most independent Awakened in Canada can be classified as Separatists. Rival Consilii, especially those in
Awakened Rivals: The Awakened of Canada, be they affiliated with an Order or apostasy, largely agree in the 80
the West, often bristle at the mere mention of a new Dominion advocating instead for self-government and self-determination. The Seers of the Throne: The servants of the Exarchs and their secret conspiracy of pawns and thralls exist as a covert tradition of power in Canada. Some allege that the Seers, with their influence and resources, were either the secret masters behind Dominion or the true instruments of its fall. Regardless of the truth, none can deny that the Seers are both devious and methodical and, perhaps, not as factional as many would surmise or hope. Indeed, several Seer pylons in Canada demonstrate a disquieting unity or, at the very least, a common resolve to do one thing: undermine and abolish the Pentacle.
power. Nonetheless suspicions have also been rife that the Magisterium of Canada are little more than a cult of powerbrokers with a shaky grip on their own sanity and ill intent in their soul.
underground thrives in the The Black Warren: cities and towns ofAn theoccult nation, kept alive by devious rituals and rites spoken by rogue cultists and splinter sects of every devious shade. Formed from the scattered remnants of the Fall; forsaken Guardian Labyrinth(s), discarded Mysterium cults, and neglected Silver Ladder
Ludlum, andhave the re-emergence Ladder of Canada started to feelof aSakahigan, surge of the pride and purpose with their new leadership.
With the Fall of Dominion almost all of Canada‘s
Awakened perished in an Abyssal Storm and, along with them, the majority of the secretive Magisterium. Only two have seemingly survived that event: Sakahigan (a Winnipeg-based shaman) and Pericles (the stately Ottawa theurge). Many assumed that the Magisterium had been effectively collapsed and would never return to its glory days. And certainly the assassination of Pericles gave credence to this assumption. But with the ascension of craftmason Daedalus, the appointment of warlock
Cryptopoly(s), this network‘s new masters know the price
of power and are only too willing to pay. Within this dark maze, the Left-Handed, the Scelesti, and the Abyss lie in wait along with a legion of untold powers from Hell, itself. In the shadow of the Pentacle, a new and utterly corrupt tradition of infernal influence worms its way across the country. The Driven and the Mad: Those Awakened who either survived the Fall only to be driven mad with despair or to be driven to savage acts of retribution against other
The srcinal purpose of the Convocations was to allow for the democratic meeting of Canadian Mages, as well as allowing for knowledge and information to be easily pooled from the different corners of what was, essentially, a country made up of colonies. With the formation of Awakened Parliament of Dominion, and the forging of a new Lex Magica to govern many Consilii collectively, the long-standing traditions of Convocation were significantly altered in Canada. Ironically, the very Magisters who
sorcerers are widely known to exist in both the country‘s
forgotten communities as well as the urban jungles of her biggest cities. Many survive for years either gathering followers or foraging themselves hunt against others offor their kind. in preparation for the The Nine: Is this small group of mages a Seer lineage forged in magic and blood or simply an experiment in Hubris by the power-hungry Pentacle Supernal? Do they serve a secret agenda or are they simply marked as being a symbol of all that was wrong with Dominion? Not even the members of the Nine, themselves, know the answers to these questions. Indeed, the Nine do not even know who else in Canada‘s Awakened Commu nity is a member, since only six have been positively, and publicly, identified. Do they represent a threat or, perhaps, a secret hope for the country?
presided over ritualsforgoing of the Vox Draconis wentthe so extensive far as to rites pass and an edict the adoption of the so-called Secret Charter in favour of Convocation to suit the new Parliament. Dubbed the Royal Confederated Dominion Convocation (or RCDC), this complex model for arcane gatherings mandated that Convocation would be held each year during the spring equinox in late March and hosted by a member Consilium of the Dominion. It also mandated that every Consilium would be allowed a voice to air vital matters of arcane import and given a vote on how said issues could be dealt with. The earliest RCDC occurred in Upper Canada, but the spatial pathways that were facilitated by the celestial and geomantic alignments allowed for easy access from as far out as British Columbia or the Maritimes. Each RCDC was marked and predicted by precise celestial alignments and shifting tides within the nation‘s ley networks, and as
time progressed, and the national consciousness expanded outwards, the Convocations began to shift further and further across the nation. Convocation might be held in Montreal one year, and Winnipeg the next. As provinces were added to Confederation, the scope of the Dominion and Convocation grew along with the size of attendances. But the RCDC was a deeply flawed and overly stylized model. It often gave too much emphasis to the powers of
For years, the elder Deacons of the Silver Ladder formed reputed andand powerful Magisterium presided over thea most regal respected functions that of Canada‘s Awakened nation. The Magisterium has always, as a rule, been secretive in divulging just whom it‘s members are
and to what avenue of mystic study they are devoted. It has always been assumed that these senior thearchs represent the very pinnacle of Awakened wisdom and 81
each passing year and news from far away Consilii continues to be disseminated. Many Awakened who have studied the remnants of the doomed Dominion suggest
the Parliament as it undermined the host Consilium‘s own Lex in favour of Dominion law. What‘s more, precepts in
the RCDC allowed for emissaries belonging to the Seers of the Throne to attend (though none ever did). The first
that this is as close as the Canada‘s mages are going to get
to revitalizing the collective governance of its past.
RCDC was convened shortly after Dominion‘s formation
in 1870 but it did not remain an annual event as the Magisterium had mandated. Indeed, due to bureaucratic tussles and political infighting within Parliament, a full ceremonial RCDC was only convened once every 5 to 7 years. With the Fall of Dominion, and the death of so many Awakened in the country, the practice of Convocation was abandoned as mages simply looked for ways to stay alive in Canada. Even the few Silver Ladder remaining argued that to Convocation no purpose if thereInwere no mages attend to served the rites and rituals. the intervening years, however, as Awakened returned to the country and populated various Consilii the practice started to come back in vogue. But this time, emboldened junior thearchs decreed a return to the older traditions as set out by the Secret Charter. The odd Least and Lesser Convocation, exclusive to neighboring domains, were sometimes held but only at the behest of pressing matters. Such Extraordinary gatherings did result in the drafting of useful laws and policies but, just as often, old rivalries resulted in very little getting done. With the re-emergence of Pericles in 2007, and the convening of the first RCDC in almost thirty years, some in Canada expected that the old ways of Convocation would return. But they were wrong. Contemporary mages with no memory of Dominion chose to abandon the tenets of the old Awakened Parliament and further embraced either the Secret Charter Convocations or obscure models such the Outland Charter. With Pericles‘ death in 2009, and revelations about Dominion‘s Seer roots, many have
abandoned the Royal Confederated model although the spring equinox timeframe looks to be kept intact. Why this is may have more to do with nostalgia than anything else. Regardless, thearchs in Canada now look to their ancient traditions and, thus far, Canada has played to host to several eventful and successful Ordinary and Extraordinary gatherings with every indication that this traditions will continue.
Although it is rare for Consilii to regularly correspond with one another, there does exist a loose association of Awakened Heralds in Canada that do. Although they swear no oaths to one another, each Herald speaks for their respective Consilium (or Assembly) and informs the others within the loose society of noteworthy events. It doesn‘t always work the way it should and very often the
member Heralds are simply used by their political masters to push a specific message or doctrine upon the others in the society. Nonetheless, the Heraldic Society grows with 82
Tiresias boasted that with enough mystic will the ley lines could actually be moved permanently to create a network linking every Consilium to each other. The duo‘s
attempt to sell the idea of a political bureaucracy as an Atlantean model of governance was not easy especially to the small Consilii of the United Provinces of Canada. For months, both Tiresias and Nicodemus worked to gain allies for their cause within the Diamond and met with resistance from many cities. The mages agreed that they would not attempt to control sleeper society directly or attempt to make vulgar magic commonplace. But they often argued at how establish an administration that would allow mystic research to continue whilst facilitating the elimination of threats to the Orders and to
The following account is generally known by players who portray Awakened mages in Canada who have been exposed to at least a modicum of teachings from the Order (Status: 1). Specifics can be sought out through further research but must be approved by the office of the CCFC ANST: Awakening.
It began in 1864. Canada was, at that time, a frontier country fewstruggling settlementsforand even fewer laws. colonial with country a sense of order andA independence, Sleeper society was moving towards a model of governance that could bring civility and dominion over the vast sprawling land. The Awakened orders were, of course, no different. Pursuing their separate agendas through the devious machinations of secret societies and Sleeping pawns, the Orders all knew that a great change was coming and all sought a way to take advantage of it whilst maintaining their strength and their adversaries at bay. The Diamond Orders all had a sense of cooperation but it was not lasting nor truly sincere. Alliances made were often broken and so any attempt at unity outside of the traditionally small Consilium would always fail. The Seers of the Throne, however, never bothered with any illusion of collaboration or unity. Each pylon, moved by the dreams of its leaders and the will of the Exarchs, pursued any goal and any plot that would enable them to dig their quiet
their adoptedjoining country.the Dominion enacted the steep price Of course, of mystic tithes of Tass or Artifacts paid to Ottawa by its constituent members. But in return, the emissaries promised, Ottawa would offer protection, common Silver Concords, and a voice for all members that would be
influence ever further into Sleeper society whilst undermining the Diamond.
By 1879, the Dominion was realized though a small scale with only a handful of member domains. It was organized along British Parliamentary lines but without local level elections and with a Greek flare. Any Order mage willing to swear allegiance to the Dominion (and thus become a citizen), who was physically present and had been resident in Canada for the previous year, was named a Member of the Dominion Parliament. Taking the Oath was a very serious and solemn matter and was regulated by the Speaker‘s Mace, an Atl antian artifact of tremendous power held by the then reigning Magister of Canada, a Thyrsus named Etragonis. The Oaths could be dispelled or otherwise broken, but this would alert the Mace with generally lethal results from Dominion ―troubleshooters‖ (Arrow soldiers). Once per year, the
heard across the country. By 1867, Canada‘s Sleeper
politicians had moved to form their own Dominion and this spurred on Tiresias‘ opponents to side with him and
his vision for an Awakened Parliament. Not long afterward, he was named Deacon of the Victoria Tower Consilium (the youngest Canadian Deacon ever) and began to push his agenda overtly as even as Nicodemus faded into the background as relatively minor Claviger in Ottawa.
Canada‘s Awakened courts mainly existed as separate
city states and regions and had all drafted their own Lex Magica tenets so as to ensure sovereign order as well as to deal with threats from banishers, the Abyss, and the odd Seer pylon. By 1866, however, several Consilii in the Maritimes as well as Quebec and Ontario were visited by emissaries belonging to the Vox Draconis of Ottawa. Two of these emissaries, an Acanthus named Nicodemus and an Obrimos named Tiresias, posited to the Heralds and Hierarchs the idea of an extensive ley line network that would mystically tie the disparate Consilii of Canada to one another. This network would be overseen by a Parliament of mages and each city that joined would send
Dominion Speaker banging the Speaker‘s Mace on the
ground would summon a spirit of magic and an astral realm dubbed the Chamber of the Enlightened Parliament would be called to session. The executive was elected
heralds to Ottawa to form what they dubbed ―The Awakened Dominion‖. This network had, in fact, already
been by mystagogue research into the absrcinal rites mapped and rituals of Canada‘s so-called First Awakened. Dominion emissaries told prospective Consilii that Native willworkers once utilized potent magic to bind themselves to the power of the land thereby tapping into the ley lines of the country.
every year, and issues important decided by Cabinet wereconsidered decided bytoo majority vote. to be Had it lived up to the ideal, Dominion might‘ve been the dream of Hieraconis realized. But, of course, it wasn‘t.
Propaganda led many Consilii across Canada to believe that they had no choice but to join. This was not the case. Several cities, notably Saskatoon, Windsor, and Calgary 83
chose not to join in Dominion whilst others such as Winnipeg, Edmonton and Quebec City often balked at the rites and rituals of the Parliament such that very little was achieved in sessions. When the Nameless War waged against the Diamond Orders, as well, the Dominion was slow to react as debate waged over what to do with these wayward mages. Pressure was placed on the Parliament to wage war with the Nameless until 1900 when the Great Refusal occurred and the Nameless gave way to the Free Council. Thanks to hardliners within Dominion, however, the Libertines were not admitted into Dominion for many years afterwards. Indeed, legislation was floated that
attended Dominion Convocations and participated in the vaunted Parliament. The future looked very bright but things were about to go horribly wrong.
In 1970, the storm struck. Caused by an Abyssal betrayal in Montreal, the ley lines that once forged the great hope of Dominion were the key to its destruction. Attacked in force by countless Abyssal demons, the Dominion and its member mages were overwhelmed. Within hours of the initial storm, wave after wave of demons killed mages in every Consilium that drew power from the network. Halifax, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo,
would‘ve seen the Diamond ally with the Seers to wipe them out. But this didn‘t materialize and by 1907 the Free Council joined Canada‘s Awakened Parliament.
Montreal, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Vancouver,Quebec Victoria,City, and others, all succumbed. With the few survivors retreating to stronghold sanctums in Ottawa, Toronto, and Hamilton, as well as non-member Consilii like Saskatoon and Calgary, the Dominion fell within days and the Magisterium along with hundreds of other potent mages were killed. As the survivors hunkered down, and storms continued to pound the extant cities, Pericles remained the only prominent Magister in possession of the last remaining
In spite of its bureaucratic turbulence, the Awakened Dominion did serve to embolden Canada‘s Awakened against some of the more extreme acts of their American neighbors. This had the strange effect of slightly subverting Order doctrines in favour of the tenets discussed in Dominion. It worked, largely, because every Order was given a specific sphere of responsibility that answered to their strengths. Elected positions of included Prime Minister (President of the Executive Council, responsible for the overall government), Minister of War (an Arrow, responsible for maintaining magical military teams that could respond to threats), Solicitor-General (a Guardian, responsible for keeping the veil and general policing), Minister of Finance (a Silver Ladder, responsible for maintaining the resources necessary for the others to do their jobs, including influencing the Canadian government), Minister of Education and Research (a Mysterium, responsible for maintaining the Dominion Library, overseeing all research projects, and ensuring that dangerous artifacts were stored properly), and Attorney-General (a Free Council member, responsible for holding trials to determine the guilt of mage-citizens accused of violations of the laws of the Dominion). In the late 20th century, of the many mage citizens who belonged to Dominion at any given time over half would attend Parliament in any given year. A Tass payment was made for those who attended but, as it grew in power, the Dominion doled out favours, rotes, and mystic items for use by many. They squeezed whatever power they could out of their spells, and crafted Imbued items to protect their soldiers, agents, and leaders. At its height the Dominion was a wonderful thing, using its collective power wisely for the benefit of its citizens, but also for the benefit of the sleepers they ruled. As time went on,
Artifact: the Speaker‘s Mace. But with the continuing
presence of wave after wave of Abyssal Demons, and the true cause of the Storm itself in question, neither he nor his caucus felt confident enough to call Parliament. Better, he reasoned, to ride out the storm and assess the damage once things had calmed. Clearly, things were very bad and they would only get worse. To the surprise of survivors, their memory of events was beginning to change. Quickly, it was realized that The Fall was much deeper than had been realized. A new Lie was being created around their greatest accomplishment. Security codes, pass-phrases, installation locations, stronghold information, and even the history of the Dominion were fading into obscurity.
By the mid-80s, Canada had begun the slow process of rebuilding but Awakened Consilii were largely operating without much history. Slow to trust any save those with whom they shared a bond or debt of favour, Canadian mages grew more concerned with cabals and Order caucus loyalties. Ruling Councils and Hierarchs concerned themselves only with organizing said groups towards the protection and growth of the local domain. Mages in one city balked at the prospect of seeking outside alliances and were quick to spy or war upon their neighbours. All the while, Pericles grew ever older and
however, many Dominion mages grew arrogant and full of Hubris in a pattern that would have been very familiar to the ancient Greeks that the Dominion admired. Under the guidance of the Parliamentary Magisterium, which included such potent thearchs as Tytalus, Verditius, Sakahigan, and Pericles, many Awakened in Canada had
ever embittered at his failure to rescue Dominion and bring about Hieraconis. His madness grew to such a degree that his concern for the Seers was now replaced with a burning desire to see Dominion return at any cost. But it is now known that the Seers and their agents saw this and entered the scene. It is rumored that they made an 84
offer and the once-great Pericles could do nothing but accept. Posing as mystagogue archivists, Arrow scouts, and thearch factotums they worked to retrieve the lost secrets of Dominion and to revive some of what Pericles had sought to achieve. At the same time, thearchs belonging to the Pentacle Supernal, rekindled the Magister‘s affiliation with their cult while agreeing to coopt all Silver Ladder rituals so that any who did not agree with such sentiments would find themselves ostracized and outcast. As old Dominion installations were explored, and old Artifacts retrieved, Pericles pressured his caucus to find Silver Concord precedents to reestablish the Lex Magica of Dominion. Meanwhile, in their secret sanctums, the Seers plotted and waited for the day that
solidarity, new traditions were forged and new alliances were solidified. In 2007, the tradition of Convocation was renewed by Pericles but was met with little success or enthusiasm. The following year saw a makeshift Outland Convocation in the tradition of Dominion that failed to
their ―true‖ Dominion could take overt control of the
These todays, thesins Awakened Canada continue to struggle put the of the pastinbehind them. Tragedies have befallen many and it often seems as if the only reward for enlightenment is Hubris, Paradox, and attacks by the Seers, Banishers, and the Abyss. But Awakenings still occur and the Orders still initiate new mages into their ranks to continue the struggle for wisdom and light in a world full of darkness.
establish any sort of foothold for Pericles‘ dream. And,
during the 2009 Convocation, the dream of Dominion was killed as both Pericles and the Speaker‘s Mace were destroyed by an assassin‘s bullet. What followed w ere
unsettling revelations about the truth of the Awakened Dominion and the power of the Seers of the Throne.
country. The Hegemonic Parliament would soon be a reality and it would either subvert the Pentacle Orders towards the will of the exarches or would wipe away the last vestiges of Atlantis.
But the plans of the Seers were not easily fulfilled. The rebuilding of the country from the ashes of Dominion did not see fruition. The Abyssal storm lasted almost 5 years in some places and the number of Awakenings in many domains across Canada just simply did not support any sort of concerted effort at unity. What‘s more, those
mages who had survived Dominion outright refused attempts to ally with their neighbors fearing that they would fall victim to yet another conflagration. By the ‗80s and ‗90s, the fledgling Consilii that had regained some
measure of power had decided to simply hunker down and guard their borders. The Hierarch was appointed independently, the Ruling Council was chosen from to the city‘s constituents, and the Lex Magica always suited the
needs of the domain first and foremost. The dream of Hieraconis, so valued by the Silver Ladder, was largely abandoned or it was modified to be more provincial in scope. The other Orders were deeply affected, as well. The Adamantine Arrow made a practice of tying their oaths to local mages as opposed to broader missions while the Mysterium made due with occult research found in their own backyard. And the Free Council were largely stifled in their attempts at practicing dynamic magic by Guardian caucuses that seemed to keep watch on everything and everybody. The Seers meanwhile continued their machinations But the end of the Millennium, and the dawn of the 21 st Century, saw the emergence of a new hope in Awakened cities across Canada. Mass communication, ease of travel, and a willingness to hope eventually brought some Consilii in contact with each another. Strong Consilii in Hamilton, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Charlottetown eventually saw more Awakenings as well as a resurgence of the more traditional values of each Order. Some sought to rekindle Dominion while others sought to avoid and actively undermine any attempt at reformation. As the Orders grew in strength and 85
city will face little to no opposition in Assembly. Though respected, the Tailles do not command fear and this may be their downfall. Assemblée Patriote: A militant group of Libertine
The following cities are Dark Point of the Map domains and have been detailed here to facilitate player and VST interaction outside of the home venue. Players and VSTs are encouraged to utilize these cities as a means of creating player mentors, initiating Legacies, and sparking wide-ranging plots. VSTs are advised, however, to remember the aforementioned setting of “Awakened Rivals” when using these cities as t he political set-up may drastically conflict with the tone of their domain game.
Minutemen, the ―patriots‖ follow the lead of their Syndic
in most situations. However, they have been known to argue against the rule of Duc De Buade when the edicts do not fall in line with their agenda. The leader of the Assemblée is a former Arrow named Liberté who continues to maintain good relations with her former caucus. Société Citadelle: A mixed Adamantine Arrow and Mysterium cabal, the Société act as the defense force and primary investigative sect of the region. They support the Libertines on themselves most mattersinaspolitics they believe that diluted deeper they involve the more they‘re work will become. Their leader is a former Censor-turned-Arrow named Assombrissez who is goodnatured with his cabal but unforgiving to outsiders. Clique du Château: This Silver Ladder cabal represents the entirety of the caucus in Quebec City and represents
Concilium Title: L'Assemblée Don de Dieu Lex Magica: Les Resolutions des six-comtés (Resolutions of the Six Counties) Structure: Home to one of the oldest, and strongest, Libertine seats in Canada, l'Assemblée Don de Dieu holds the distinction of being one of the first places in Canada to host the fledgling Free Council in the months following the Great Refusal. It is also a bastion of Quebec pride and is the model of how local political beliefs can shape, and are in-turn shaped, by Awakened. As can be expected, the Assembly is one of the most politically turbulent with the other Orders, the Ladder especially, challenging them at every turn. In spite of the constant bickering and endless debates, the Assembly has rarely been ousted for long and continues to work for the tenets of the Free Council. Oddly enough, the Assembly has their most ardent backers with the Guardians of the Veil and the Adamantine Arrow. Both Orders recognize that when dealt with fairly the Libertines make amicable and effective leaders. It helps that the Libertines hate incursions by the Seers as much as anyone and are only too willing to provide the martial cabals with the tools they need to keep order in the domain. Nonetheless, the city sees its fair share of occult conflicts and many regard the 2001 Summit of the Americas Conference (and the accompanying riots) as an elaborate cover for the turf war between the thearchs and the Libertines. The domain has been quiet for some years now but with recent debates in Assembly about the entry of anarchic mages, many sense that things are about to loud, yet again. Herald: Madeleine (Thyrsus, Free Council, The Division cabal)
the chief opposition to the Assembly‘s rule. Led by the
necromancer Belloq, the Clique claim to be descended from one of the oldest thearch Cryptopoly groups in Quebec history. The Clique have contributed to the welfare of the city and most notably wrote much of the Lex Magica. However, any good will they earn they from such deeds is often burned away by their consistent efforts to topple the Assembly. Cabinet Noire: This Guardian of the Veil cabal has deep connection not only to local police and intelligence circles but also to regional political lobby groups and uses this influence to gain a measure of surveillance over the Libertines and thetheSilver Ladder. Ledhave by the Epopt Foucault, Cabinet Noire beenpragmatic running operations behind the scenes in Quebec City for so many years now that some wonder if they‘re still loyal to the Pentacle or simply answer to themselves. Le Refus Global: The most recent cabal, the Refus Global claims roots with the Quebec sovereignty movement as well as the dubious terrorist Libertine faction known as the Assembly of Free and Sovereign Apostates (AFSA). Having successfully petitioned l'Assemblée to join, the Refus Global has fashioned themselves a new and edgy group of Libertine gadflies as led by the shaman Felquiste.
Description: An old lineage of merchants and soldiers dating back to the founding of the Archdiocese of Québec, the Plamondon are firmly entrenched in their loyalty to the Adamantine Arrow and, occasionally, the Silver Ladder. That being said, the family is aware that the turmoil of the region is often caused by conflicts between the Ladder and the Libertines and, as such, they try and keep themselves out of Assembly affairs. The
Tailles d'Abraham: The premiere cabal of the region, this Free Council group sets policy within the Assembly even as they make a grand show of allowing every member cabal a distinct vote. The leader, and current Syndic, is a warlock named Duc De Buade who has styled himself after the legendary Governor of New France. He has fashioned the Tailles into a formidable cadre of political masterminds to ensure that edicts that benefit the 86
Plamondon are widely known to hold influence over the Port de Quebec and no Awakened ever tries to move goods or even get in or out via the St. Lawrence without first alerting this Proximi.
system. They even keep several secret Lorehouses within these institutions as a security measure and a way of keeping an eye on the lowest rung of the Sleeper populace. The Corrections are rumored to hold a growing, and dangerous, degree of underworld power in Kingston via their resident necromancer Noose. Martello Militia: This Arrow and Silver Ladder cabal is the oldest and, largely, the most respected in the city. Wielding singular influence at Royal Military College, as lead by the Hierarch warlock Thrace, the Militia makes a show of protecting the interests of all mages in the city. In reality, they are just as selfish as the other cabals and take perverse delight in putting rivals through their paces via trials and duels.
Concilium Title: Fort Henry Loyalist Consilium Lex Magica: The Loyal Pax Supernal Structure: The Fort Henry Loyalist Consilium has always been one of austere tradition and regal bearing. Slow to change, the domain was hit badly during the Fall of Dominion and lost almost its entire Awakened population. As a result, the present Consilium is xenophobic to a fault requires prospective member mages to submit to extensive background checks and a complex series of oaths. The Hierarch and Ruling Council have been in power for almost two decades and the Order cabals even longer. The Silver Ladder enjoys a sovereignty tempered, as it is, by the numerous favours they owe the Guardians of the Veil. Meanwhile, the Adamantine Arrow exerts considerable mortal influence and continuously lord it over their Free Council rivals. As a result, the Libertines have started to forge pacts with the Mysterium but none foresee such an alliance as lasting. Indeed, the Awakened here take great pride in playing long, drawn-out political games with one another so as to embarrass and weaken their rivals. This draconian pastime is a large part of why the Seers have never truly succeeded in taking a foothold here and why the Abyss
: TheSociety most powerful groupofnext to the the The Wolfe the Society Collegium, Wolfe is the name both thearch cabal and the Cryptopoly they wield to garner influence in the city. The Ladder mages are all powerbrokers of the highest order as lead by the society warlock Medusa. The Cryptopoly runs several elite clubs in the area so as to swell the ranks of the Ladder and route attempts to usurp them.
The Tartarus Club: Little is known of this secretive, yet long-standing, occult network that operates within the city and surrounding countryside. Alleged to be a secret society of Sleeper mediums and spiritualists, the Tartarus Club is actually an exclusive and bi-partisan meeting place for the Moros of the Kingston area. Every month, the necromancers from each Order and cabal gather
seems to be a recurring problem that simply won‘t go
away. Herald: Seraph (Obrimos, Adamantine Arrow) plus several Deputy Heralds.
together at an isolated outskirts and conduct bizarre farmhouse rituals inon the service to of andtown to communicate with the dead.
Cataraqui Athenaeum: Once a powerful cabal of mystagogues, the Athenaeum have seen their mystic fortunes diminish with the rise of the Guardians and, as such, have sought to undermine their Veiled rivals at every opportunity. The Athenaeum‘s Curator, thyrsu s Cthonis, has taken the unprecedented move of partnering with the local Libertines and sharing mystic artifacts for the sole purpose of regaining their former glory. Collegium Nevi’im (The Professors): This small cabal of Guardians have set themselves up to specifically gather influence and entrench themselves within the Kingston university system. Doing so has gained them much prestige and allowed them to earmark possible Awakenings and Sleepwalkers. This oversight, and the firm leadership of the warlock Judges, has given the socalled ―Professors‖ an unrivaled degree of power over the
Labyrinth. The Corrections: This active, and somewhat militant, Libertine cabal holds the singular distinction of maintaining consistent influence in the city‘s prison
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become more vocal and actively lobbied other cabals for favours via their envoy, Lokourgos. The Laurier Assembly: A Free Council cabal and the rising political force in Consilium. Founded by the upstart Langevin along with several area Libertines and apostates, the Assembly make it their business to get in (or block) the political affairs of everyone else. Though some dismiss them as gadflies, others say they are far too clever to be underestimated.
Concilium Title: The Peace Tower Consilium Lex Magica: The Supernal Doctrine of the Bytown Gathered Structure: Ottawa‘s Awakened have emerged from the recent specter of scandal, murder, and the fall of Dominion as an overly bureaucratic and staunchly conservative Consilium rooted in the authority of the Diamond. The Silver Ladder enjoy sovereignty in the city and are backed by the Guardians of the Veil and the Mysterium both of whom benefit from a Lex Magica that favors oaths of loyalty, codes of secrecy and the barter of boons. The Adamantine Arrow, once a force for law and order, are now little more than a police force at the beckon call of thearchs whilst the Free Council continue to struggle as an arcane lobbyist group in Consilium. Nonetheless, the city operates smoothly with nary a conflict with the Seers or Banishers in over a decade. However, many whisper that a great, and secret, war is waged in the shadows of Ottawa between hard-line and leftist Pentacle factions leaving some to wonder how long
Political Concept: Cabal: The PretoriaPuppet Leaguemaster Path: Obrimos Order: Silver Ladder Status: Hierarch (City 4), Claviger (Order 3) Bio: Sejanus has emerged as one of the most adept power players in Ottawa‘s politically charged Consilium. Having lead the charge against Pericles‘ treachery with the Seers,
and lobbied hard to unite the Ottawa Consilium, many see him as a beacon of Wisdom. But some also whisper that the secret counsel his receives from his backroom advisors points to a agenda not to be trusted. Rumors: Sejanus knew of Pericles affiliation with the Seers of the Throne and has ignored or dismissed calls for an inquiry
peace will truly reign in the Nation‘s Capital
Herald: Camulos (Moros, Adamantine Arrow, Pretoria League cabal)
into
The Pretoria League: The main political force in Ottawa that pushes for Consilium independence nation-wide whilst gaining arcane influence based on the promise (and doling out) of mystic favors and lore. Lead by the
the
Magister‘s
assassination
at
the
Avalon
Convocation of 2009. Sejanus has all-too close alliances with the Mysterium and the Guardians of the Veil and retains the services of spies to ensure loyalty in Consilium.
Hierarch, the Pretoria Leaguedictates is the most group in the Consilium and largely policypowerful to the others. National Capital Collegium: An intra-Order cabal of bureaucratic oversight, the NCC is a tool of the Hierarch and Ruling Council to maintain strict control over the affairs of the domain. The NCC has vast powers within the Lex Magica to resolve political disputes in Ottawa and in the surrounding outlands as lead by the thearch Soros. The Swords of Peace: A knightly order that enforces the edicts of the Lex Magica at the behest of the National Capital Collegium. Headed by the Sentinel, Varus, all of its members are oathbound Deputies and work to keep order in the city although some look upon them as little more than a subservient militia to the establishment. The Grey Initiative: A secretive yet politically powerful Guardian cabal specializing in intelligence, surveillance, and the interrogation/execution of Consilium enemies. Run with efficiency by the spy mistress Sekhmet, the cabal has a grim reputation and some wonder if they are in the pocket of the Hierarch or serve their own agenda altogether. Githian Oftar Madraz: Perhaps the oldest cabal in the city, this feared society of mystagogues claim to possess lore that dates back to the founding of Canada by the Awakened orders. In years past, the so-called "Grumpy Old Men" were a silent curiosity but they've recently
Concept: Spiritual Diplomat Cabal: National Capital Collegium Path: Thyrsus Order: Silver Ladder Legacy: Keepers of the Covenant Status: Deacon 3, Councilor (Thyrsus) 3 Bio: Seen by many as the wisest mage of the city, Soros sees himself as a diplomat between the Fallen Realm of mages and the powerful spirit denizens of the Shadow in Ottawa. Although he pretends to disdain politics, the man is one of the most practiced politicos in Consilium and holds his own growing cult of allies and backers who follow his word as law. Rumors: Soros has had a falling out with Sejanus and the Pretoria League following the city‘s inquisition of the Pe ntacle Supernalbycult the absconding of lore belonging to Pericles the and Guardians. Soros holds a powerful rank within the spirit courts of the city and is building himself up as a Shadow Prime Minister even as he holds the rank of Deacon in Ottawa.
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Concept: Embittered Occultist Cabal: Githian Oftar Madraz Path: Moros Order: Mysterium Legacy: Bokor Status: Censor (Order 2) Bio: The shadowy head of a Russian crime family in Ottawa, this feared mystagogue holds secrets that no one in Canada knows and this has made him both dangerous and the target of several attempts on his life by Seers and other unaligned mages. As a result, he has trained several loyalists as his own personal cadre of censors in the event that he should die. Rumors: Arkenholtz believes the Ottawa Curator (theurge Dictaczoreus) to be a Seer of the Throne conspirator and is quietly setting him up to be blackmailed, ousted, or killed. Arkenholtz enslaves the ghosts of dead mystagogues and creates zombies out of their corpses to serve as valets and librarians for the Athenaeum.
The Secret Seer: For years, since the Fall of Canada‘s Dominion in 1970, the Magister of the Silver Ladder named Pericles ruled the Order from Ottawa. A sometimes respected and sometimes feared thearch of immense power, he often held sway in Consilium to renew efforts by Ottawa to reform the Dominion that held Canada together in years past. Few suspected that this mage was, in fact, a pawn of the Seers of the Throne. But several knew for certain and acted on this secret. Following his failed attempt to convince a gathering of mages on the promise of Dominion, Pericles was assassinated and killed infamous Lesser Convocation of during Avalonthe in early 2009.(and Hisbloody) legacy still haunts and stains almost every Silver Ladder in Canada to this day. The Pentacle Supernal Scandal: Pericles, along with members of the PMO, were affiliated with this thearch secret society to both unite the Seers of the Throne with the Diamond and annex the Free Council into the Silver Ladder. Following Pericles‘s death, the roots of this
scandal became public and embroiled the Consilium in months of trials and inquisitions. Many mages were routed while others were censured with harsh punishment for years to come. But others have seemingly seen their fortunes rise in the wake of this scandal. Who is truly innocent and who is truly guilty remains a topic of dark speculation. The Apostate Problem: Mages living in the outlying areas of Ottawa have always faced enormous pressure to join the Orders. Indeed, some former Apostates have
Description: A Silver Ladder lineage with deep roots and even deeper financial influence in the history of the region. The Wrightsons are alleged to have had a member of their family inside every Liberal (and Tory) government on the Hill since Trudeau and wield this reputation with pride and arrogance. Though few in the family have Awakened, theIlluminated WrightsonsRetainers produce to many Sleepwalkers who serve as the vast Cryptopoly of Ottawa‘s thearchs.
alleged have that engaged mages atin the highest power to in Ottawa an active andlevels secretof campaign suborn their rights as ―unaligned‖ mages and paint them
as rogue threats to the peace. But the Lex Magica does make allowances for so-called ―independent‖ mages in the region. Or, at least, it used to until a recent edict backed by the Free Council and the Silver Ladder. What is truly going on?
The Prime Minister’s Officium (PMO) – This once powerful cabal was disgraced and dissolved following evidence that it‘s leader was a Seer conspirator and that
others in the cabal covered up his (and their own) involvement with the Throne. The Phalanx – This group of Arrow and Guardian enforcers became largely irrelevant with the rise of the Grey Initiative and the Swords of Peace and was dissolved following the formation of the National Capital Collegium. The Salon – This cabal of mystics worked under the banner of the increasingly unhinged thearch named Ector and was finally lead on an ill-fated mission to destroy the Abyss in Montreal that killed each of them to a man.
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time as they oppose the Ladder at every turn. Led by the vociferous Strategos De Boucheron, the Assemblée remains an ideological remnant of the turn-of-the-century Libertine tradition of rebellion and independence. Ordo Astrum Niger (Order of the Black Star): This very traditional cabal of Silver Ladder and Arrow mystics concern themselves with overseeing the Lex Magica along with the more esoteric tenets of the Vox Draconis.
Concilium Title: The Red River Republic Lex Magica: The Supernal Record of the Golden Pilgrimage Concilium Structure: The Winnipeg Consilium still retains a reputation for enlightened dialogue and profound ritual thanks, in part, to its proximity to one of the oldest and most powerful river spirits in all of Canada. At the same time, Winnipeg mages and their cabals are extremely political and bitterly partisan and continually work to undermine each other at every turn. However, the
Tasked with maintaining Winnipeg‘s unraveled collection
of Dominion-era Silver Concords and Bronze Law archives, the Ordo is widely respected but often take a neutral stance on just about every political issue as lead by thearch Polaris much to the chagrin of the cabal‘s deputy (and the new Hierarch) Adnos.
disparate and factors: competing of cabals kept incheck by two first,interests a complex series ofareallegiance oaths enacted by the first cabal to settle in the area; and, second, a clause appointing one Banner Warden per cabal to ensure diplomacy within the region. Despite such
: Not acaucus cabal sothat much as the Fort Garry Brigade name given to the Arrow keeps theofficial peace within the Consilium. Due to a clause within the Lex Magica, each cabal must host at least one member of the Brigade as their Banner Warden whose job it is to ensure diplomacy and security for the cabal when dealing with Consilium. The Brigade is lead by Senior Talon (and Sentinel) Adorno.
measures conflict is brewing. The Silver Ladder‘s rule is
ensured only so long as they continue to appease the covetous demands of their Mysterium allies. Meanwhile, the cold influence war between the Cryptopoly and the Labyrinth over the fate and fortunes of Sleepers is now heating up as the Free Council hold ever-more defiant Assembly meetings to hammer away at Consilium. The Arrow all know that the quiet conflict may soon escalate into all-out war and that they must decide upon which side they will fall. Herald: Acadie (Acanthus, Silver Ladder, Gateway Consortium cabal)
Concept: Magister Medicine Woman Cabal: The Opaskwayak Reserve Path: Thyrsus Order: Silver Ladder Legacy: Keepers of the Covenant Status: Deacon-Magister (Order 4) Bio: Sakahigan is perhaps the oldest and most powerful surviving thearchs in Canada and owes her vast lore of mystic knowledge not to the Order so much as to her heritage as a First Awakened Native of the region. Though a wise teacher and inspiring mentor of the Silver Ladder, Sakahigan is also renowned for her fastidious and belligerent mood swings when faced with inexperienced sorcerers or those who challenge her rank and stature in Consilium. Rumors: Sakahigan no longer truly acts in the interests of the Ladder but has rather suborned herself and her agenda to the wants and desires of the powerful spirit of the Red River itself.
The Opaskwayak Reserve: A cabal of thearchs and mystagogues dedicated solely to maintaining and guarding the sanctity of Winnipeg‘s spiritual landscape
and, most specifically, the convergence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in the heart of the city. The Reserve is the oldest and the most mystically powerful in the city thanks to the stern diplomacy of thearch Nokomis. Senate of Masques: An all-Guardian sect that chiefly concern themselves with maintaining the Veil and routing out subversion both within and from outside Consilium. Basing their operations from out of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, each Senate member is named after a villain from Shakespeare and works to expand the extensive Labyrinth under the guidance of Epopt Cassius. Gateway Consortium: A conniving cabal of thearch and mystagogue powerbrokers who collectively gather Sleeper influences throughout the city whilst cultivating mystery sects to encourage Awakenings. Lead by the mystagogue Aquinas as a means of opposing the
Sakahigan doesn‘t trust the Adamantine Arrow of the
city and is working on a plan to oath bind the entirety of the Ungula Draconis in Winnipeg to serve the Silver Ladder.
Guardians, the cabal‘s Cryptopoly
is vast and their Illuminated Retainers reach from the highest boardrooms to the lowest back alleys. Assemblée Riel: As one of Canada‘s oldest and most politically vocal Free Council cabals, the Assemblée works to lobby for justice and accountability at the same
Concept: Elder Revolutionary Cabal: Assemblée Riel Path: Moros Order: Free Council Legacy: Uncrowned Kings Status: Syndic (Order 4) 90
Bio: As one of the few to survive the Abyssal Fall of Dominion in 1970, Bray is without a doubt the oldest Libertine in Canada. Despite this fact he almost never takes a position of outright radicalism in Consilium but instead prefers to quietly make deals and secure boons
Règlement la Vérendrye: This powerful cabal of Arrows were outcast from the city almost a decade ago following their consistent use of amoral warfare and willful abuses of the Lex Magica. They have since formed themselves into a large, and brutal, Free Company that runs a drug and weapons smuggling ring across the Canada/U.S. border in partnership with long haul truckers and a local biker gang. They know enough about the Winnipeg Consilium and its weaknesses to be a constant thorn in the side of the Arrows, and many others, in the city.
with those he knows he can trust. Bray‘s treatise on the
history of the Free Council and the Great Refusal in Canada are required reading for any who join the Libertines and take him up as a mentor. Rumors: Monsieur Bray is the last surviving member of the militant Sons of Riel cabal who lead the Great Refusal in Canada by engaging in acts of terrorism against the Seers of the Throne. No one how old Monsieur Bray is but many fearknows that hisprecisely continued silence on political issues in Consilium and during Assembly meetings indicate his tragic decline into senility.
Concilium Survivre: Meeting in absolute secrecy, away from the eyes of Consilium and Assembly alike, sits the Concilium Survivre or ―Survivor‘s Council‖ made up of
the four most powerful mages in Winnipeg: Polaris, Monsieur Bray, Cassius, Apsaroka, and Sakahigan. All five mages herald from disparate cabals and orders but hold one crucial thing in common: they are all survivors of the great Fall of Dominion in 1970. The five mages meet every 3 to 4 months or so to talk politics and move the affairs of the city in secret. Each mage is haunted by
Concept: Mistress of Lies Cabal: Senate of Masques Path: Mastigos Legacy: Bene Ashmedai Order: Guardians of the Veil Status: Cultor (Order 2), Mastigos Provost (City 2) Bio: Goneril has become the aide-de-camp of Epopt and a rising star within Consilium for her diligence in Consilium and her quiet dedication to the Veil. But in taking over Labyrinth operations, she has set her sights on dismantling the Cryptopoly and ruining her Counselor so that she can take his job. No one, not even those in the
the memories of the country‘s fall and the consequences it
had on their city and each is determined to see that nothing like that ever happens again. The Black Warren: There is a long-standing fear within Consilium that the Mysterium of Winnipeg were never entirely successful in their purge of a demonic cult that broke off from the Athenaeum several years ago. Lead by the charismatic former Censor, the group called itself the Wihtikow Warren and carried out perverse initiations and horrific rituals in the hopes of summoning demonic entities. The Warren, however, was not a Scelesti cult but a cabal seeking lost lore that they claimed only demons could provide them and the Order. And it is rumored that the Mysterium may not have entirely eliminated them as they claimed. The Arcane Legislature: The Manitoba Legislature is, without a doubt, the most powerful and potent sign of the occult in all of Canada. Heavily influenced by Freemasonic designs and laden with arcane and occult symbols, the Legislature not only acts as the seat of government for the province but also hosts the occasional Consilium gathering. The Freemasonic groups of the city are largely Silver Ladder Cryptopolies that continue to hold rituals within and nearby the grand building. This has lead some outside the Order to call for Consilium as a whole to have a tighter reign on the site. The Ladder has
Senate, truly suspects how far she‘s willing to go to
satisfy her ambitions. Rumors: Goneril uses the 48 Greater Masques not to expand the Labyrinth but to tour the Winnipeg club scene in a variety of guises and engage in all manner of licentious, hedonistic acts. Goneril has a husband and two children (all Sleepers) hidden away in the suburbs. She is fiercely devoted to her family and keeps a careful and zealous watch over all of them.
Description: A Freemasonic lineage of Sleepwalkers and un-Awakened mystics who claim to work on behalf of at least part of the Silver Ladder caucus for the Cryptopoly. However, rumors persist that the descendants of the Ballenden made deals with of the Veil tofamily ensurehave their dominance in the theGuardians region. The Ballenden are captains of industry and finance but, through these two sectors, manage involve themselves in the affairs of just about everyone.
rebuffed these calls But and are called the other Orders both jealous and paranoid. they really?
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and suspects the mystagogue spirit pacts are a cause for great concern. Plains Sight Band: This multi-Order cabal of occult analysts has remained both indispensable and politically neutral in the affairs of the city largely by dedicating themselves to keeping watch on the mystic signs that others seemingly overlook. The cabal is well regarded by many for their discretion and their integrity but this has some wondering if the thearch leader Ysabel will soon challenge the current Hierarch.
Concilium Title:Consilium Nutana Hekademia Lex Magica: Wanuskewin Concord of Elders Structure: Saskatoon‘s Consilium has not seen any significant dispute in the almost 40 years since the Fall thanks, almost entirely, to the collected lore and mystic bargaining clout of the Mysterium. The city‘s Awakened
have willingly abdicated majority rule of Consilium to the mystagogues and, in return, the Athenaeum‘s resources
are open for research and use so long as such actions are in the interests of Consilium. Weapons have been loaned to the Ladder Arrow, are rotes traded withto the Libertines, andtexts. the Silver given access peruse rare legal The only opponents to this accord are the Guardian agents that periodically skulk about the city reporting to their secret masters. One would think that such espionage
Cabal: Bridges of Métchif Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium Legacy: Keepers of the Covenant Status: Curator (Order 3, Hierarch 4 Bio: Onatah has reigned as Hierarch for the better part of two decades and, as such, is the oldest and most respected Awakened in the city. Despite her age, Onatah appears a youthful and dynamic Métis and sees herself as the
results in periodic skirmishes but this simply isn‘t the
case. Saskatoon is safe and the mages all work to keep it that way. Beyond the city boundaries lies the vast and ominous Prairie expanse, which many know to be home to a multitude of monstrous spirits and other unfathomable powers. The Mysterium may keep their secrets but it is these very secrets, they promise, that keep the monsters of the Plains at bay. For now, at least, that is enough to keep the other Awakened of the city loyal to the Atheneaum. But one has to wonder for how long? Herald: Ludlum (Mastigos, Silver Ladder, Bessborough Boys Club)
caretaker of Saskatoon‘s mystic landscape as well as the
reputed Lillium Prairie Archive Athenaeum. Always balancing Consilium obligations with those of her Order, Onatah is tough but fair in her dealings with others. Assist in the safety of the city and she‘ll help you as best she
can. Cross her and you die. Rumors: Onatah maintains a relationship with a Lethbridge mystagogue Rita K. and allegedly trades a number of personal favours with her in exchange for items to protect Saskatoon. Onatah has either been corrupted by the Abyss or driven to the brink of madness thanks to her interaction with a court of infernal spirits set loose during the Ill Wind Incident (see below).
Bridges of Metchiff: The Bridges are the preeminent mystagogue cabal of the city with a membership composed entirely of the Order‘s inner circle. That the
group is also related to one another either by blood or by Native heritage (several grew up on the same nearby reserve) is no accident. The Bridges have been around since the city‘s inception and forged deals with nearby
spirits that go back for many generations under the guidance of the leader, and Chief Curator, Onatah. Bessborough Boys Club: This prestigious, and politically savvy, cabal serves as the diplomatic eyes and ears of its leader, and the city‘s Herald, Ludlum. Though not as powerful as they once were, the Boys Club still boasts unsurpassed access to influence and boons within Consilium and has begun to recruit Arrow and Ladder mages from outside the city to bolster their numbers. Some believe it is only a matter of time before the Boys Club makes a play to be the top dogs of Consilium. Red Feather Lodge:This Arrow and Guardian cabal was
Cabal: Bridges of Métchif Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium Legacy: Orphans of Proteus Status: Censor (Order 2), Councilor (City 2) Bio: Skwatômin is easily the most fearsome mage in the city and works hard to promote himself as a back-alley brawler and occult enforcer. Having Awakened as part of a violent First Nations protest, Skwatômin despises nonNative Awakened and views himself as the true heir to the Athenaeum. Though loyal to Onatah, Skwatômin fears for her safety. He looks askance at her alliances with the Silver Ladder and is certain that any number of them will betray and topple her reign. Rumors: Skwatômin is allowing Guardian mages to secretly wander the city unannounced and has brokered a deal
founded from the ashes of two militant cabals that were lost in the city‘s wartime past and who now work to
ensure that invaders meet with the harshest of consequences. The Lodge, particularly the vocal Guardian member Radamanthys, has a particular fear of the Abyss
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with some in an effort to sabotage the alliance between the Adamantine Arrow and the Silver Ladder. Skwatômin is a fugitive wanted by U.S. federal agents on a recent murder charge stemming from a Native protest in Montana.
Description: A powerful Cree First Nation lineage that dates all the way to the first tribes that settled in the area, the Muskaday boast an uncontested record of at least one Awakened family member for every generation. For this reason, and the fact that Onatah is a member of the lineage, the Muskaday fall under the purview of the Bridges of Métchif and the Mysterium. The Muskaday wield tremendous clout in the Saskatoon area thanks to their deep involvement in Native heritage issues, the arts and culture scene, as well as the plight of local First
Cabal: Bessborough Boys Club Path: Mastigos Order: Silver Ladder Legacy: Clavicularius Status: Deacon-Magister (Order 2), Herald (City 2) Bio: Ludlum believes the Silver Ladder should be mystic advisors to And, thoseas inHerald, powerLudlum as opposed to like rulersa themselves. acts more prying watchdog of the secret affairs of the Awakened. With his goetic insights and his coterie of oath-bound
Nations tribes.
Buffalo Thunder – A small Arrow cabal that swore oaths solely in service to the Bessborough Boys Club, Buffalo Thunder was largely a tool of the Herald for enforcing the
Arrow, Ludlum is sometimes referred to as the ―Black Duke‖. Ironically, enough, his guidance of and devotion
to Onatah is ironclad and he has publicly vowed to both uphold her rule and oppose any who would try and challenge her interests. Rumors: Ludlum is an agent of the Seers of the Throne and has psychically enslaved Onatah to act as his unwitting pawn. Ludlum is a former Adamantine Arrow who secretly uses his Ladder status to further a military agenda within
Consilium‘s system of favours and debts. They were
ambushed during the Battle of Ill Wind (see below) and killed to a man. Book of Crows – This small cabal of research based Mysterium that operated mainly on the fringes of the domain. They often dealt with political entanglements stemming from the hostile Guardian-run city of Regina. They were infiltrated, corrupted, and eventually murdered by the Hollow Men during the Battle of Ill Wind (see below). Blood Lodge – The most martial of the Consilium‘s past cabals, the Lodge was home to the Sentinel Velvet Devil along with her deputies was admired and feared by many in the city. Fervently dedicated to protecting the Consilium, the Lodge was wiped out entirely when the members fell in battle against both the Abyss and a group of Banishers during the Battle of Ill Wind (see below).
Saskatoon‘s Consilium.
Cabal: Bessborough Boys Club Path: Moros Adamantine Order: First Status: Talon 2,Arrow Sentinel 2 Bio: Dead Man Flat is the tribal brother of the late Saskatoon Sentinel having Awakened on the same reservation with her. The two were very close and she trained him to be both devious and deadly in combat whilst respectful of the Elders of Consilium. Her death has, however, left a deep scar of resentment and anger directed squarely at Hierarch Onatah. This resentment is hidden behind a façade of solemn duty and stoic resolve and only shows in his off hours to those in his cabal. Rumors: Dead Man Flat bears an ugly grudge against several mages from Ontario who participated in the ―Ill Wind Incident. He blames them for leading an ill-planned attack that led to the death of his sister. Dead Man Flat and Ysabel are secretly lovers working
The Battle of Ill Wind: The city of Saskatoon was the location of an infamous incursion by the Abyss when a large cell of Hollow Men Scelesti aligned with a group of Banishers to wage a guerilla war on the Consilium. Using a potent artifact to taint the spiritual landscape of the city, the cult inflicted a devastating toll on the city forcing Onatah to call on outsiders for help. The city was saved only with the assistance of seven Ontario mages. The First Awakened: The traditions of Canada's most sacred and respected traditions stem from the wisdom and lore of the land's absrcinal peoples. Long before the
to either undermine Onatah‘s rule of the Consilium whilst
working to enforce the ever-increasing militancy of Censor Skwatomin. Or vice versa.
refugees of Atlantis came the country's Native sorcerers and shamans hadtoalready touchedshores, the Supernal with their own magic and brought both wisdom and hubris to their people in equal measure. Saskatoon is allegedly one of the few surviving havens for the ancestors of these Awakened tribes who now are plotting to reassert their Supernal will upon the rest of the country. 93
The Regina Manifesto: This ardent cabal of Libertines has presented themselves as a strong alternative government despite repeated efforts by the spymasters to halt their Assembly meetings. The current Syndic, the enchantress Ripley, is a canny and unpredictable foil to the Guardians and plays her cards close. As a result, the Manifesto and the local thearch caucus are in talks to form an alliance so as to oust the Guardians someday.
Concilium Title:The Pile-of-Bones Consilium Lex Magica: The Lex Visus Hereditas Structure: Regina, one of the smallest Consiliums in all of Canada, is home to the strongest caucus of Guardians of the Veil in all of Western Canada. Indeed, all covert Guardian operations that run into Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba seemingly their srcins in this city and in the mind of the city are powerful Epopt. As a result, every other Order mage who attempts to set up shop in Regina always find themselves faced with a tough decision: either
The Lost Proximi: Rumors continue to surround the domain that the real reason for the repeated rivalry
work with proper, the secret or leave The Consilium, only police occasionally meetsaltogether. with the heads
between the Guardians anda the LadderProximi in Regina from a Cree legend about powerful that stems sired powerful Native sorcerers who, eventually, ascended to the Supernal Realms. If this is even remotely true, it would mean a serious upset in the sacrosanct beliefs of the Diamond as well as a hereto unknown source of Awakened power. Do Anaximanes and Gendarmerie share a common goal in finding this Proximi? And, if so, what do they each intend to do?
of the region‘s cabals airing their grievances to the
Guardian Emissary who acts as the de-facto Hierarch. Both the Libertines and the mystagogues run into trouble with the Guardian keepers and are often levied with harsh penalties Though home to very few vocal Libertines or mystagogues, the region is also completely free of Seer and Banisher influence, a fact not lost on the few Ladder and Arrow who quietly go about their business under the watchful eye of spies. Herald: Pocock (Acanthus, Guardians of the Veil, The Division cabal)
The Division: Without a doubt, the Division is the strongest and most authoritative cabal in the city staffed as it is by stalwart Guardian sorcerers. Run like a police detachment with primary influence at the RCMP Academy, the Division fiercely enforce of the Veils whilst making a slow of governing the Consilium and managing the member cabals. The Epopt, theurge Gendarmerie, operates almost entirely through his lieutenant (and current Hierarch) warlock Echelon who follows his covert directives to the letter. The Assiniboia Society:A small Silver Ladder cabal led by the craftmason Anaximanes the Society does its best to ensure that the Guardians do not run roughshod over the Lex Magica. Attempts by the caucus to establish a Cryptopoly have more often than not met with dismal failure as the Division consistently subverts their work. Although they are trying to make in-roads with the other cabals some in the cabal are considering moving to Saskatoon. Qu’Appelle Confederacy: This largely Arrow cabal enjoys the support of the Guardians at the same time as it ,
hosts the few mystagogue scholars who run Regina‘s
miniscule Athenaeum. The Confederacy draws patrols the city and promotes the culture and community of the city‘s Sleepers. The cabal‘s leader, thyrsus Espérance, is an elder with a local First Nations Reservation and has started to make overtures towards changing the structure of Consilium.
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mystic and mundane borders along with numerous hallows and sanctums. The Legion is loyal to the Consilium but they often question orders passed down to them from on high. The Icon Assembly: The smallest cabal in the city is made up of several Free Councilors who left Calgary to work for the betterment of their Order in Edmonton. Inspired by the events of the recent Convocation (see
Consilium: Portus Aeternus Consilium Lex Magica: The Decrees of House Rowand Synopsis: Edmonton‘s Consilium, though small, is ruled by a coalition of dedicated, authoritarian mages. The city has a long and checkered past steeped in conflict, insurrection, and treachery by the Seers of the Throne. This has done little but foster suspicion and resentment between the Awakened. Although the Silver Ladder holds court, it is the Arrow who truly call the shots in Edmonton. The Mysterium are respected by both orders
below), the ―Iconites‖ (as they call themselves) are
working to discredit the old guard of Portus Aeternus so as to prop up mages who are sympathetic to their beliefs.
and attempt up thisitems neutrality benefit by seizing mosttoofplay the occult foundtobytheir Consilium. It works to a certain degree, although recent political events have seen the harsh tenets of the Lex Magica loosened so as to allow the Free Council and the Guardians some measure of presence in the city. These two Orders, previously banned due to Seer manipulations, have provisional status within the city and know to watch their steps. As such, an unusual alliance has formed between the Veil and the fledgling Assembly to keep a watchful eye upon the conduct of the Arrow and their Silver Ladder masters. Although a decree has been passed to ensure that the Consilium does not descend into open conflict many still secretly believe it is only a matter of time before Arcane Duels replace Council meetings in the city. Herald: Major MacKenzie (Acanthus, Adamantine Arrow, Citadel Syndicate cabal)
Cabal: Citadel Syndicate Path: Obrimos Order: Silver Ladder Legacy: Tamer of Fire Status: Lictor (Order 2) Bio: As the former Hierarch of Edmonton, Leduc rode upon his reputation as the victorious champion of the Seer war and forged a persona of unrelenting crusader and charismatic leader when, in reality, he was little better than a despot. Eventually his Hubris caught up with him and he was dismissed from his post and brought to heel by the Magisterium following the Convocation (see below). He now serves at the behest of foreign powers but is still a force to be reckoned with in his home city. Rumors: Leduc is being used by the Magisterium of Canada to put the Free Council through a trial by fire. His removal as Hierarch has only been done to accord him broader Lictoral powers of ―justice‖ across the whole of Western
Citadel Syndicate: The most powerful cabal in the city, the Syndicate draws its membership from a majority of thearchs guarded by an oath bound squad of Arrow. The current Hierarch, thearch Cascade, has re-tooled the Syndicate so as to make it an effective body for governing the cabals within the city. Before his arrival, however, the Syndicate was often seen as simply despotic centre of authoritarian rule. This has made attempts at reconciliation difficult to say the least. Gateway Censura: This is not so much a cabal as a Consilium-sanctioned office presided over entirely by the frightening Censor of Edmonton, the Moros Doctor Jackal. The Censura works as a combination mystic police force and occultists-in-the-field. With the recent addition of a Guardian operative, the Censura also work to cover up Veil breaches. In spite of all of this, some secretly question the almost indiscriminate clout of the Censor and the fealty he demands from those in his group and wonder
Canada. Leduc has a predilection for sexual liaisons with young women and secretly tours the red light district of Edmonton.
Cabal: Imagoteric Legion Path: Obrimos Order: Adamantine Arrow Legacy: Perfected Adept Status: Adamant Talon (Order 2) Bio: Bighorn is a former Mountie who Awakened during the 2002 G8 Summit in Kananaskis while apprehending a group of Seer pawns. A militant mage, Bighorn detests Consilium politics but hates corrupt mages even more. As a result, he has made it his business to clean up the petty corruption that he sees as endemic within Edmonton.
if, or even when, he‘ll be deposed.
Many Arrowwhen viewhe him with no small amount of reverence and wonder will assume the post of Hierarch. Rumors: Bighorn was the former Sentinel of Calgary but left the city in disgust when he learned the Free Council Assembly were hiring Awakened mercenaries so as to invade Edmonton.
Imagoteric Legion: Another mixed cabal of Arrow and Silver Ladder mages, the Legion draws its members from veterans from the city‘s previous conflicts. The Legion is
lead by long-time Acanthus Arrow Miranda and are almost exclusively dedicated to patrolling the city‘s
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The Extraordinary Convocation of 2009:This formal gathering of over 50 mages from across North America was a major effort to bring peace, justice, and order to Edmonton. Convened jointly by the Magisterium of Canada and prominent Libertine mages, the Convocation sought to not only reign in the more despotic practices of Edmonton‘s Lex but also to resolve the long-standing war between the Free Council and the Silver ladder in the region. The Convocation coincided with an Arrow-lead assault on a secret pylon of Seers that were discovered to have been manipulating the city from behind the scenes. The current, albeit tenuous, peace that exists in Edmonton is a direct result of this Convocation and the united efforts of the delegates.
Bighorn supports the current Hierarch but sees the Citadel Syndicate as a corrupting influence that will inevitably drag the city back down into chaos and warfare. This has lead to heated, and sometimes public, debates between himself and Cascade.
Cabal: Gateway Censura Path: Moros Order: Mysterium Legacy: Bokor Status: Counselor (City 3), Censor (Order 3) Bio: Jackal‘s fearsome reputation in Edmonton has been a constant in the city‘s history along with his fervent
opposition against the Seers of the Throne. Despite this fact, almost nothing is known of the man‘s history before
offering he arrived his services to the city as a necromancer. But his handiwork is legendary as is his use of zombies and ghosts as his personal cadre of spies and soldiers. No one likes Jackal but everyone fears him. And that seems to be just the way he prefers it. Rumors: Jackal is a former Guardian of the Veil who defected to the Mysterium following a civil war between agents of the Veil and the subsequent collapse of the Labyrinth. He has made every attempt to block or bring to heel any Guardian presence in Edmonton since that time. Jackal has forged the Edmonton Athenaeum into the most secure occult research center across Canada and boasts a library containing rare rotes and items belonging the Seers of the Throne.
The Seer War: Edmonton has faced sustained assaults from the Seers of the Throne more often than almost any Consilium in Canada. The most devastating came when a group of Seers infiltrated, and converted, fundamentalists within the Guardians of the Veil and soon turned the spymasters against one another. This ―Labyrinthine War‖ effectively crippled the city‘s ability to fight the Seers and
saw the banishment of the Guardians from the city. This set the stage for a second war that saw much of the Consilium attacked and killed by a concentrated block of aggressive pylons. This ended when Leduc and Arrow reinforcements defeated the Seers but the result was a more suspicious and militant Consilium that valued security and suspicion over peace and freedom. The Conservative Tradition: Edmonton‘s Lex dates back to the founding of the city as a trading fort presided over by a small cabal of thearchs and Arrow lieutenants. The Lex based Atlantean give veto is power to on the authoritarian Hierarch, stress duty andtenets stationthat in service to the city, and favour rulings made by the Silver Ladder. Many oaths exist that subsume the fractious nature of sorcerers for the good of the Hierarch and Ruling Council but this has almost always had the effect of disenfranchising many mages who come to the city. 96
their mystic power. Pigeonholed as political relics in Assembly, the Brethren are rumored to be looking to oust TELM by any means necessary under the leadership of thearch Lucinda. Theatre Arcanoi: This obsessive coterie of mystagogues has survived in the city due to their willingness to accept bribes from TELM. They are known to explore and catalogue mystic phenomena in Alberta and use it as fodder for the plays they write and perform for Awakened and Sleepers alike. Their productions always feature deep ritual layered with occult symbolism and steeped in the history of the province. Many view the current leader, Mastigos Artaud, as a political wildcard to be courted at every turn.
Assembly Title: The New Assembled Committee of Calgary (N.A.C.C) Lex Magica: The Free Charter of the New Assembled Committee Assembly Structure: Calgary‘s Awakened community is governed via the famed Assembly system as headed by the current rulers of the community, the Free Council. The Council is dominated by several wealthy, influential mages whose grasp upon Calgary is undisputed and entrenched. Every year, more Libertines seem to flock to the city from other partsAsofa the country to bolsterOrders their numbers and influence. result, the Diamond are vastly out-numbered, having been reduced to little more than occasional voices of dissent. The Council uses this power not only to push their agenda but to also revel in the political bullying of their traditional adversaries. The Silver Ladder and the Adamantine Arrow have largely united their respective Orders into one bloc and attempt to oppose the Council at every turn. They run afoul, however, from members of the Mysterium who largely support the Libertines in exchange for mystical favours and cash advances. The Guardians stay almost entirely off the radar posing either as Apostates or newly joined Libertines in an effort to gather intelligence and reinforce the Veil. Emissary: Rollomay (Mastigos, Free Council, TELM Trust)
This refer smallto group of Awakened The Chain: mages nominally themselves as Arrowcombat but, curiously, do not display the strict code of ethics and outbound honor that would mark members of the Order. Rumors persist that they are simply Awakened mercenaries at best and criminal members of a Free Company, at worst. Nonetheless, they have the protection of the Assembly and have guaranteed that the city will be safe from all invaders… for a price.
Concept: Free-Market Fortune-Maker Cabal: TELM Trust Associates Path: Acanthus Order: Free Council Status: Syndic (Order 3) Bio: A former stock trader from Toronto, Kapital Awakened when he arrived in Alberta to profit off of the oil sands boom. His mystic might, financial clout, and the sorry state of Pentacle affairs in Calgary ensured his dominance of the Awakened community and he seized control in short order. Kapital intends to keep the Council in power for as long as possible and isn‘t ave rse to using his command of Fate to intimidate others or sway them into thinking that his destiny is inextricably tied to that of Calgary. Rumors: Kapital has hired mercenary Arrow to use as hired muscle for the TELM and has met with little to no opposition from within the Assembly. Kapital keeps a Subtle One spy mistress known as Medea on active retainer both as his PR
TELM Trust: A wealthy cabal of Awakened tycoons and powerbrokers, the TELM have always been active in Calgary riding the various oil booms and busts of the city. The arrival of Kapital marked a turning point for TELM and locked them on a course of power and conflict largely against the Silver Ladder and the Guardians. The Trust is aware that they occupy their seat because of economic clout, blackmail, and bribery schemes. For these reasons, they are scrupulous about covering their tracks and ensuring that they keep their well-paid friends closer than their enemies. The Chinook Edition: An academic cabal, the Edition used to be the dominant Libertine group in Calgary until the rise of TELM. Thanks to TELM funding, Chinook enjoys unprecedented influence and control over the smaller Pentacle cabals. The cabal takes directives from Obrimos Herr Brandt, an idealistic politico with a greater sense of integrity then his TELM counterparts and who has started to move the cabal towards taking a greater seat
Concept: Closeted Mystic Vatus Aksayim (Lethbridge Athenaeum) Cabal:Thyrsus Path: Order: Mysterium Legacy: Sodality of the Tor Status: Curator (Order 2) Bio: Rita is something of an enigma in the Calgary Awakened community. No one is quite sure of how
of power in the Assembly. Brethren of the Bow: The oldest cabal in Calgary, the once-proud Brethren have fallen from grace due largely to inept leadership and the draconian attacks by TELM. Once a mixture of Pentacle mages, the Brethren fell victim to the Seers and thereby lost access to much of 97
powerful she is or where, precisely, her loyalties lie. Her dedication to her Order and the Lethbridge Athenaeum (south of the city) is unwavering and obsessive to the point of distraction. As a result of several deals brokered over the years with the Libertines and the Arrows, Rita has managed to create one of the most impressive archives of occult lore and artifacts in Western Canada. Rumors:
The Lost Charter: Rumors persist that there were certain clauses in the old Lex Magica that would‘ve prevented
Kapital from seizing power in the city due top potent Fate magics bound within the language of the document.
The Athenaeum is cursed and it‘s only through Rita‘s
continuing rituals that it has remained unmolested by the other Orders or mystic invaders. The Athenaeum is rumored to hold the True Names of every member of the Free Council currently in Canada or, at least, the dangerous ones.
Anyone trying to change the direction of the city‘s destiny would‘ve had to remove this Charter from the Athenaeum
and either destroy it or hide it somewhere far out of reach from Calgary. And that is exactly what some suspect has happened. To add fuel to the fire, many question why the disappearance of the old Curator coincided with Kapital‘s
ascendancy to power and the sudden emergence of the Theatre Arcanoi. The Libertine Lies: To all outward appearances the reign of Kapital resembles little more than a "corporatocracy" that favours all those who bow to the will of TELM. Little wonder then, that some Libertines across the country have begun to question just where Kapital‘s loyalty to the Free Council ends and his greed and avarice begin. But is this all just an elaborate PR game? Kapital has brought untold power and clout to the Free Council in Western Canada and, despite the scandals, the TELM are attentive and just in many of their rulings. TELM insiders say that the surest
Concept: Mercenary Biker Cabal: The Chain Path: Mastigos Order: Adamantine Arrow Legacy: Brotherhood of the Demon Wind Status: Talon (Order 1) Bio: Frère de Fer is an unknown factor in Calgary but rumor has spread far and wide as to his exploits in other areas of Canada. He maintains that he helped defeat the Seers on numerous occasions and that he has proven himself a ―loyal Arrow‖ in countless Arcane Duels. Still,
way to ―Destroy the Followers of the Lie‖ is to become
none of the sworn Arrow in Calgary will vouch for him.
more adept at lying. But others whisper that Kapital is on a road to Hubris that cannot be avoided.
But they won‘t openly challenge him, his sword, or his
menacing posse of ex-con Awakened. Rumors: Frère de Fer is actually the alias of Le Renard Noire, the infamous leader of a Free Company that exacted steep boons from several Pentacle mages in Ontario and later fled the province when the Arrow caucus decided to take him to task. Frère de Fer might be a disgraced former Sentinel from Quebec City who fled the city after he was set up by political opponents within his own Order to take the fall for a bungled operation.
Description: A tight-knit family of oil barons srcinating from the east, the Whittons hold vast amounts of bureaucratic and financial influence in Calgary and are said to be the driving force behind Alberta‘s oil sands project along with the rise of several prominent political movements. Curiously, neither the Free Council nor the Silver Ladder have been successful in courting the lineage as their own. some have begun if the Whittons haveIndeed, been secretly courted by, to andwonder accepted an offer, the Seers of the Throne.
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Canada provides the Forsaken with a vast and diverse land to defend. The landscape varies greatly from region to region, as do their troubles and the means with which to deal with them. The size of territory claimed by a pack may differ dramatically depending on the pack's location. In dense urban areas like Toronto, a pack may claim a few city blocks, while in the Prairie Provinces, a pack may cover vast acres of land. The general make-up of Forsaken society remains very similar from area to area. Despite these similarities and
blows, the nomadic pack would simply move along. However, if a problem arose that the natives could not ignore or if they felt the immigrant pack was being neglectful or disrespectful of the land, then tempers could become heated. As time passed, the native Uratha were eventually forced to relent to their claims and work alongside their foreign counterparts. They are still saddened to see their lands taken from their people, but they remain focused on the more important task of keeping the spirits in check.
the vastofexpanse of land,has however, strict infrequent territorial nature the Uratha lead tothevery cooperation between packs and any region claimed by a pack is very carefully guarded. The varied landscape of Canada also provides for varied spirits. The lands were once guarded by the nomadic natives and the Forsaken who traveled alongside them, but it has become increasingly rare in these times to find nomadic packs. As such, much of the wild has been left unattended. Those unattended regions have become havens for spirits and supernatural creatures. This has made Canada a far more dangerous place for a wandering pack of werewolves than one would assume. While the developed land is no more dangerous than anywhere else in the world, it has been said that many Forsaken have wandered off to claim territory in the deep Canadian wilderness and have never been heard from again. Uratha have existed in Canada well before the country was so named. The Native American tribes had among them Uratha, and those Uratha were well aware that there were others like them out there. Those Natives claimed their own territories, though for the most part those territories were much looser than they later became. Upon the arrival of European settlers, the Native Americans were very quick to reel in their borders and try to defend the lands they held while the newly arrived Uratha tried to carve out their own territories in this New World. The early Uratha settlers came to the country while following their wolf blooded kin. Once they arrived, they sought to claim territories of their own to nurture and protect. They were not surprised to find other Uratha in the country -- they had been aware for some time that other Uratha exists in the unexplored corners of the world. Despite their shared history and language they -- more than the humans they had accompanied -- had a great deal of difficulty working with their native counterparts. Native American Uratha were very displeased to find their territories being claimed piece by piece by foreign interlopers. The Natives were putinto a difficult position. It became far more challenging for them to wander the land as they had before. Turning their backs on the foreign settlers meant a great risk of losing a piece of their territory to the newly arrived Uratha. Seldom would the two come to
Since that time, across Canadaits has grown, changed – mostly developed southern borders. As and the population grew, so did the number of Uratha. With the development and change came more activity in the umbra. More Forsaken added to the number of individuals who could police the spirits yet Canada still holds a vast wilderness. This wilderness has remained unsupervised for some time, leaving the spirits there unchecked. More interesting still, old spirits displaced by modern times have not simply vanished but instead found pockets of the umbra in which they have been able to sustain themselves. As for the Uratha population in Canada, it has been estimated that there may be as many as one Uratha for every 2000-2500 mortals. This puts the werewolf population of the country at between 13,500 – 17,000. Of that, as much as 2/3 may be Pure or Bale Hound putting the Forsaken population at 4,500 – 5,500. This is a small number given the land area of the country.
Canada developed as a conceptual spirit when the country was forged by the unification of the three colonies into a country of four provinces. As the young nation grew so did the spirit. The four provinces themselves took on their own conceptual spirits forming the Court of Canadian Provinces and as the court grew, so did the spirit of Canada. The spirit of Canada has grown to be a very powerful conceptual spirit. It seldom shows itself, but when it does it may take on various forms – usually dependant on the interaction. In a political situation, the spirit may take on a human form of a politician. Other times, it may take on a more totemic representation – appearing as a moose or beaver or even a great maple. Over the years, the spirit has become increasingly skilled at diplomacy and negotiation and has as a result become skilled at choosing 100
appropriate physical representations. It is a peacekeeper spirit and as such it is most likely to cooperate with any Forsaken who may approach it. The provinces too became their own spirits as lands developed their own identities and eventually joined the Court of Canadian Provinces managed and controlled by the spirit of Canada. These spirits share views similar to the spirit of Canada, but also hold tightly to their own individuality. The spirits of Alberta and Quebec most notably aspire to greater things while the spirits of the Atlantic Provinces tend more often than not to work in harmony – likely due to their relative weakness in comparison to the other spirits in the court.
Their territory consists of the land extending from BC to Yukon Territory and is controlled by: Issorartuyok (*Leaderdog, Inuktitut), Fire Touched
Viktor ―The Purifier‖ Kaloskev, Ivory Claw
Screaming Blood Sky, Predator King
(*Savage Wolves, Inuktitut) Their territory consists of the land extending from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Northwest territories and is controlled by Mikwaw Pisim (*Red Sun,Cree), Fire Touched Tartok Aok (*Dark Blood,Inuktitut), Ivory Claw Kills for Convictions, Predator King It should be noted that of all of the Pure confederacies, it is the Nudyuartok Amarok that has been the most effective in driving out the Forsaken. The North-West territories in particular are simply lethal to any Forsaken that dare wander there.
Tales of the Wendigo have long been a part of native legend. It is no surprise that the spirit of Wendigo has remained strong throughout the years. In an odd twist, however, the lack of hunger and starvation in Canada has left the Wendigo with fewer prey– leaving the spirit itself often starving.
The Reaver has not been heard of in some time and still wanders Canada, far from the watchful eye of the Forsaken. It had accomplished its goal – or so it had believed – having brought the re-born Thurifuge into the near Hisil. But what has happened since? Why has the Thurifuge not stretched its power as The Reaver had hoped?
Their territory consists of the land extending from Manitoba to Ontario and is controlled by Morning Star, Fire Touched Switchblade, Ivory Claw Snarls with Pride, Predator King
The Pure are heavily active in Canada. The country offers the Pure packs a vast expanse of land to use without risk of conflict with other packs or with the Forsaken. They have been able to expand their numbers and borders. No one really knows how many Pure may live in Canada or how much of the land falls into Pure territory. It is estimated that they may greatly outnumber their rivals, but no one knows for sure. For some time, the Pure controlled the wild areas to the North. They have been successful in driving the Forsaken
Consists of the land extending from Quebec to Labrador and is controlled by Bakade Mukwa (*Hungry Bear, Ojibwe), Fire Touched
south. At the beginning of the 1970‘s, the Pure grouped
Victoria ―Licks the Blood‖ Fraser, Ivory Claw Gerome ―Growl of Ending‖ Mulcahy, Predator
King (Formerly Andre Blackburn) Strangely enough, Forsaken in Labrador have managed to keep the fourth confederacy at bay and the two groups hold a strange mutual respect for each other though
into large confederacies which helped them watch over the farthest parts of their territory and the wide inbetweens more efficiently. Over time, the Pure confederacies in Canada split to get a better control over the area. It would be a mistake to think that their territory is divided along human borders, but for the sake of simplicity, the provincial borders will be used as guidelines.
neither relax their guard. Andrewould Blackburn was at one time one of the leaders of the Fourth Confederacy, but has since lost his position after being overthrown by one of the Ivory Claws. He has gained numerous enemies but has gained one old ally with ―Sept-Ans-Courir‖, the spirit lodge of Mons Regii. He is still a Predator King at heart so he is patrolling the eastern 101
borders of the Monteregian Mountains and prefers to be left alone. Despite being overthrown by an Ivory Claw, his position was filled by another Predator King – Gerome Mulcahy ―Growl of Ending‖. Gerome is far more inclined to accept the traditions of the Ivory Claws and
extermination against the Forsaken there and for some time the area has been one of the most heated skirmishing points between the Pure and Forsaken. The Fire-Touched seem quite insistent on claiming the lands there, and drive out, if not outright slaughter, any Forsaken that attempt to lay a claim to land. It is suspected that the Pure have held the lands there for centuries and are simply holding strong to a land they have considered their birthright.
the Pure‘s propaganda. :
Consists of the land extending from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia and is controlled by
Salt‘s the Wound, Fire Touched Sean O‘Calleigh, Ivory Claw
Jagged Maw, Predator King
The number of Bale in Canada is unknown, though it is believed thatHounds this number has grown a great deal since the recent Silver Crusade. It is more likely now than ever to find a Bale Hound infiltrator and now more than ever the Forsaken need to be on their guard. The Bale Hounds in Canada are generally very cunning and secretive – far more than most. Too much suspicious activity from the Bale Hound on behalf of the Maeljin would be noticed far too quickly in this country as it would in many others. They primarily stick to the areas populated by Forsaken as they see the Forsaken as a whole as a threat and the thinly distributed Forsaken in Canada as good target. Of all of the Bale Hounds, it is the Bale Hounds of Thurifuge who have the most difficulty functioning in Canada yet are also the most bold. As servants of violence, their actions are most likely to draw attention. They are more than pleased at the prospect of a reborn Thurifuge yet dismayed that he has not appeared to grant
The Pure in Newfoundland, P.E.I. and Nunavut are not listed into the confederacies as they think their territories are untouchable. From all appearances and with only a few notable exceptions, the Pure seem uninterested in engaging in territorial pissing matches with the Forsaken unless the territory they are interested in has substantial value to them. There is more than a sufficient land for them to use without bothering with their ignorant brethren. Still, they will defend to the last any territory that they claimed and if a piece of territory is of particular importance, then they may try to take it using all of their available might. Given their numbers, a Forsaken pack whose territory may be sought after by a pack of Pure may be in for quite a fight. The Pure in Canada are no less zealous bigots as they are anywhere in the year theyThere have rarely pursuedelse. the However, slaughter of the last Forsaken. reasons for such civility are not known. They have been emboldened by the Silver Crusade and if they wished to they could likely wipe out every Forsaken in Canada. It isn't known why they chose not to do so. It may be that they fear what may happen if the Forsaken are cornered. It could be that the Pure are overestimating the number of Forsaken in the country. It may also be that the Pure simply have more pressing matters to worry about. The Pure have a preference for the rural areas of Canada -- of which there is abundance. There is less of a risk of drawing attention should any conflict arise. Like the Forsaken, the last thing the Pure wants is their discovery or even unwanted human attention. For the most part, they are content to let the Forsaken run themselves ragged trying to patrol larger urban areas. There are a few instances where The Pure have sought to claim a large city, but more often than not, they have come to find that the Forsaken are tenacious and resilient. While the Pure in Canada are more or less willing to expand and grow their influence without conflict with the Forsaken, there are exceptions. The most severe conflicts; however, involve the second Pure confederacy and specifically the Fire-Touched in the Northwest Territories. They have been engaged in an active war of
them his favor. power. As a result, they have turned to other means of gaining
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great deal of suspicion. The Forsaken have enough problems of their own as it is, they cannot risk interference from outsiders -- even well-meaning ones. While there have been no proven sightings of Changing Breeds in the country, whispers on the wind suggest that they are indeed out there, and it has yet to be seen how they will interact with the Forsaken. If the Changing Breeds exist in Canada, it is likely that they are breeds of native animals.
The Azlu can be found all over Canada —even in the cold north—though they seem to be more at home in the warmer regions of the country and tend to be most troublesome on the West Coast. British Columbia, for example, is home to hundreds of species of spiders -making for an idea habitat for the Azlu. However, as recently as the mid-1900's, an aggressive assault from the Azlu on the Forsaken of New Brunswick, centered in Saint Johnpopulation. specifically,The put aAzlu large hunted dent in the province‘s Uratha the Uratha aggressively, using loci as a means to lure desperate werewolves to their deaths. The Forsaken were eventually able to fight back in the late 90's.
This lodge is a sanctioned custom lodge, and more information can be found on the Cam Wiki. This Lodge‘s very beginnings reach back to an early
Lodge once formed by the Forsaken seeking to safeguard the fur trade routes from the intervention of spirits and to also keep an eye on the traders themselves. Forsaken who had traveled overseas were wary of the unknown wilds of Canada and rightfully so. Many of the Uratha were also well suited to the physical duress of the journey and welcomed the challenge. As Canada changed, so did the Lodge. To this day, they continue their role as guardians of Canada's most traveled routes -- now the Trans-Canada Highway. They keep the roads safe for werewolf and man alike and are more than happy to escort or play host to traveling Forsaken. They also play the role of messengers, passing news and rumor to the various packs and clutches they visit on their journey. Most importantly, however, the members of the Lodge are bound by oath to wage a constant war to keep the road safe and to aid and escort travelers in need. They are constantly seeking out the Pure along the roads and drive them out of the territories they seek to reclaim.
The Beshilu did not exist in Canada before the arrival of the early European settlers. The creatures first arrived with the rats that frequented the East Coast seaports in the late 18th century. Once ashore, the Beshilu began sweeping across Canada in desperate hope of outrunning the Uratha while at the same time clinging close to human settlements. The biggest struggle that the Beshilu have encountered has been in the province of Alberta. Through sheer diligence the Uratha have managed to keep Alberta ratfree and it has remained that way since the rats first reached the borders of the province around the time of World War II. A 600 by 70 kilometer rat control zone along the province's vulnerable eastern border had been erected to keep the rats out and are staffed by professionals (mostly Uratha or wolf blooded) that patrol the area. Any rats found in the province are relentlessly hunted. The coastal cities in Canada were the point of entry for the rat hosts into the country and they very much remain a beachhead for them. It is here that they have managed a solid foothold into the country, and here that they will be most difficult to route -- if not entirely impossible. Their incessant gnawing at the umbra here has also allowed spirits more opportunity to wander where they should not be.
The Lodge‘s founders were at one time members of the
now defunct Lodge of the Ferryman – a lodge whose patron pack were Hunters in Darkness. Early voyageur found their travels across Canada to be fraught with peril and danger. Even the Uratha found the journey difficult. In an attempt to aid in their travels, the lodge asked the spirit of Charon the Ferryman to be their patron. As time passed, so did the role of the voyageur, and the lodge lost direction and fell into decline. Travel by river began to lose its importance. Roads and bridges were built crossing the same bodies of water that the voyageurs once traveled. The highways connected to become a single important artery connecting the country and its major cities. The health of the Shadow along the highway grew and prospered as the conditions of the road improved and became more traveled. The highways themselves had each developed their own powerful totem spirits. As the route prospered it had become
Recently rumours have begun circulating that the Uratha are not the only shape changers out there. The question is, if the rumours are true, then what role do these creatures play? Why have they only now appeared? One thing is certain; these creatures should be viewed with a 103
increasingly valued by the Forsaken and Packs and gangs who fought for control of territories along its length. The Pure eventually made their big push. They succeeded in driving the Forsaken back into a handful of cities to consolidate their territories and isolating the Forsaken. Since then, the Forsaken continued to lose more and more control over Canada making it impossible to find, teach and protect all of the newly changed, enabling the Pure to quickly bolster their own numbers. The Lodge of the Ferryman, its members few in number and its patron spirit now weak and detached, abandoned their old patron and sought out the patronage of the Great Road: the Spirit of the Trans-Canada Highway. The Great Road demanded that the Lodge fight to
member is capable and upholds some standards of the Iron. While a Hunter in Darkness would still be considered a prospective member due to the history of the Lodge the candidate will still have to renounce to HikaonUr for Sagrim-Ur. The packs that make up the lodge are primarily nomadic. The bulk of them travel the more dangerous stretches of highway between Western and Central Canada, particularly through the Prairie Provinces. Trips
reclaim the highway androar continue to wagethe warlost to territory keep thealong road safe. With the of the trucks and bikes that traveled along it and the strength, focus and direction that had forged it, the Great Road offered no compromise. With their pride crushed and their territories taken, the old packs that had once claimed territory along the route were willing to join the Lodge and bolster its numbers. Many of these packs and gangs were more than willing to bring the fight to get their territories back. The ExFerryman realized that the humans used the roads more frequently than ever and the patronage of Red Wolf will be more suited for the Lodge. They altered their tribal allegiance and recruited new members accordingly. The few that decided to keep their allegiance to Black Wolf left. Of those that left, many supporting the Lodge from arms length but playing no role in it while some resent the decision. The Great Road expects the lodge members to wage a
well big riginorformotorcycle. means many maintained bikes are traded large trucks.Winter Regardless, members are judged by their rides almost as they are by their strength and cunning. Once the potential member meets the first few
constant war against those that threaten it and the territory along Trans-Canada highway. They are expected to not only rebuff any attempts of intimidation, but must themselves intimidate others on a daily basis. Problems are not solved by talking or negotiations – the Great Road demands that physical conflicts solve things. The roar of trucks and traffic fuel the spirits love of the loud and as such, it likes conflicts to be resolved in a loud manner. The roar of a shotgun or the growl of a bike as it mows down a fleeing opponent is perfect. If the Iron Masters must fight with tooth and claw, then he better well roar and howl as he does so. Canada is a vast country with large areas of wilderness and great lengths of road between its larger cities. As such, travel can bring a great deal of peril. The Pure claim much of the country and have forced the Forsaken into urban areas. Those who wish to join the Lodge must be willing to defend those they travel with against the Pure. The Pure greatly outnumber the members of the lodge. For that reason, lodge members must be strong, clever and skilled. They need to know the best and worst places to rest along the route and they need to free the sections of road claimed by the Pure. Regardless, the lodge is not too picky about who it allows to join, so long as they feel that the potential
, they some don‘t the move andrituals alone between or in small gangs or packs have many themselves. As such, traditions will involve the Urdaga they are protecting during their travels. It is to note that some traditions of the Lodge of the Ferryman have been integrated into the Lodge of the Great Road like asking to be paid in coins or silver. Some old members will even use the term Ferrymen as a nickname between themselves, especially Cahalith who are versed inLodge‘s history.
through Quebec and Atlantic Canada aren‘t as frequently
needed due to the stronger Forsaken presence, but still made on occasion. Members of the Lodge must also have suitable and reliable means of transportation – usually in the form of a
requirements, a lodge member will put the initiate‘s ride
through its paces, give the member weapons and provide him with maps and key information about the route – including known trouble areas and safe rest spots. Initiation typically involves many cases of Canadian beer, loud music and long nights of celebration. After that, the member is typically given a jacket sporting the Lodge‘s emblem – usually a maple leaf in green superimposed with the symbol of whatever particular pack or gang the member has joined. Lodge members are usually keenly aware of safe stops and loci that dot the Trans-Canada and will even play a role in setting up such locations. As the members of the Lodge are most of the time on
This lodge is a sanctioned custom lodge and more information can be found on the Cam Wiki. Once upon a time when the Forsaken Tribes of the New World arrived one of the first territories they claimed was the Montegerian Mountains, called Mons Regii in that time. The chain of mountains was big and wild but MontRoyal was the cornerstone of one of the first cities in the new continent and so it was a good place to raise a locus. Generations passed and, even with the plentiful essence that the Mons Regii offered, envy and avarice begin to take their toll on the Urdaga. Conflict arose between packs. No Tribe was willing to accept their faults as part of the conflict. When the war ended the only survivors 104
that remained decided to leave their tribes, ashamed of their past actions. The pack of Nuit-Blanche (White Night or Sleepless Night) decided to claim the territory after the war to make a sanctum for Ghost Wolves. It was more a symbol than anything else because even the Nuit-Blanche Pack was residing outside the skirts of a Barren that the war has caused. Unknown to them, some places begin to flow essence again but it was only when one of the more dangerous supernatural figures decided to leave the Mont - Royal that the Packs could begin to discover the treasure within. Before the formation of the Lodge, there was already a Clutch with an established Tur and a Parliament of
The willingness to work with more than one Pack is necessary also because as a Clutch, the members need to keep that same synergy, especially because they are most of the time faced with foes more dangerous than a single Pack could beat. Because they have no Tribe to back them, most members take only the necessary to specialize in their field, and learn from others only to become even
Wolves. Upon its of formation, Mons Regii and Lodge was only an extension their owntheway of living so most of them became full-fledged members in no time. If anyone could find the old Spirit of the Monteregian Hills, he will certainly find a mere reflection of what the spirit truly was. The war has wretched this spirit beyond hope of healing and is currently not suitable as the
membership to these knowninlodges. members of the Lodgewell of Crows Canada. There are also
Lodge‘s patron spirit.
better in it. Lastly, the candidate has to ―obey‖ the council
of Elders
The Lodge of Garm and Lodge of Wrath also hold a presence in Canada as a number of werewolves claim
Only a spirit of similar power
could hope to take place in the meantime. The spirit SeptAns-Courir, or seven years running, was given the position in the mean time. There is an old French Canadian saying that to become a Werewolf, one must courir le Garou (run the Werewolf). The candidate must forfeit any catholic practice for seven years to become one of the Wild. While that the story plays no true role in becoming a full-fledged Uratha, the myth has created a Spirit so powerful that it was well suited to be the totem for the Lodge. The Spirit has an appearance similar to most recent depictions of the Devil: a handsome man with a black with ainlarge hat. Sometimes however, the Spiritcape can and be found the shape of a large black dire wolf with bloody teethes. This form is usually taken when bringing in new members to the lodge. At this time, however, many spirits seem to feel that the totem is far more powerful than he seems – perhaps he is a spirit capable of awakening the true potential of an Uratha after all…
In any case, Sept-Ans-Courir doesn‘t like the sight of crosses or religious symbols. Someone who wants to meet him shouldn‘t wear those, unless he wants to make a
powerful spirit angry. Joining the Lodge is fairly easy; even one who is living outside the Territory could become a member of the Lodge. If there is one thing that the Patron Spirit could not accept as a candidate is one who is a member of the Tribes. The ravages of the war can‘t be forgotten so
quickly and even if one of the tribes could convince the Patron Spirit to keep his Tribal bonds he would still have to convince all the other members of the Lodge. In fact, the Montreal Isle has become a symbol of freedom for the Ghost Wolves. Apart from that, the candidate would have a series of tests to make sure that he understand the tenets of the Oath of the Moon and has the mantle necessary to work with more than one pack if necessary. Tribe-less doesn‘t mean dumb among the Mons Regii. Far from it.
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Large portions of the Hisil in Canada (particularly north) are surprisingly resistant to change. It is not unusual to find shadows of forests or even towns that have long passed. Barrens—There are few notable barrens in Canada. Currently, there is a large barren on and surrounding a good portion of PEI. It is recently created and its srcin is unclear. It is said that the northern regions of Canada also
The Owl Patrol pack is a very large pack of Forsaken that guard Alberta‘s eastern borders from the rat hosts and
any other creatures that might threaten the lands they protect. They care a great deal for their land. They will cooperate with neighboring packs when needed but will never leave their posts under any circumstances. The pack‘s totem is an Owl Spirit – a creature more than qualified to help them hunt vermin. The pack has existed for decades and has gone through many changes. The Wood family – a family with a strong wolf-blooded heritage – has seen most of its Uratha join the pack and three members of the Woods family have lead the pack as Alpha. The latest, Bret, has also been one of the most respected and well-liked Alphas the pack has had. Bret Wood “Rat Catcher”—Bret is Alpha of the large Owl Patrol pack that guards Alberta from Beshilu. The Wood family has taken responsibility for the job for some time and Bret is the third member of his family to take Alpha of Owl Patrol. He is extremely focused and determined – almost to the point of being a bit aloof– and
hold a few barrens areas devoid life and hope more wherethan things simply lose –their resolve andofperish in the cold. Wounds—Gagnon, Quebec is the site of one of the most recently discovered and very infected wounds. The city itself was demolished after the mine there closed in the 1980‘s, yet in the shadow a great wound was left –
created by greed, arrogance and despair. Bale Hounds gathered here for a time to share information, perform rituals and perform their atrocities in honor of the Maeljin.
Hidden in the vast wilds of Canada, lies a peaceful and powerful pocket of Hisil. It's unique properties include an abundance of natural essence and its tendency to hold tight to reflections of things long faded. Creatures and wonders long faded in the realm exist still in this glade -holding tight to their fading existence. The glade is vast and beautiful -- full of natural wonders. The area is surrounded by vast mountain ranges and bathed in warm light of Luna or Helios. It is an area of peace and tranquility that might lead one to believe they had stumbled across a veritable Eden or even a fragment of Pangaea. Large and powerful spirits take refuge here to regain their strength. Entrances to the glade are few and well hidden. Those that exist are well guarded -- it is a retreat for many, and many wish it to remain undisturbed. The glade itself is tended by a large spirit of the northern wilderness. Age old reflections of Luna and Helios have also made their presence known here and the reflection of Luna most often tends to the powerful locus that lies at the glade's center. Spirits of long extinct creatures wait out their last days here, as do spirits of legend.
a cowboy through and through. He‘s a natural leader, and
a skilled hunter. His pack mates follow him without question.
This pack consists of a group of members form the Lodge of the Great Road. They are a nomadic pack that travels the highways of Canada (usually via motorcycle) carrying news from coast to coast looking for disturbances and helping all those who need it. The pack typically runs the span of the Prairie Provinces.
This pack, situated in Peace River, Alberta, is a roaming pack whose goal is to retake Canada from the Pure and other outside influences. They also defend a strong Wolf Blooded community.
This extremely large and fiercely territorial pack makes its home in Ottawa and claims territory on and around Parliament Hill. This pack deals primarily with spirits and other matters which threaten to negatively influence politics and the nation. They claim to be the servants of the Spirit of Canada, though their pack totem is a powerful spirit of Order. They are capable and adept at 106
their duties and invite no involvement from any outside packs. It is believed that the pack has existed since Ottawa was
province form the rat hosts and other problematic spirits and supernaturals. (NPC Family Line)
first made the country‘s capital. They banded together to
protect the interests of the nation from spirits who would try to influence or pervert the unity and order that the young country was trying to achieve. They‘ve been at odds with the pack De Foi et de l‘ Épée for some time. Strangely enough this resulted primarily from a difference in political views when both packs were first formed. Barrack Hill has always held a very proEnglish sentiment. The pack has never been known to get involved when vampires or mages have tried to influence politics and are
Canada is the second largest country in the world, with a relatively small and dispersed population. For that reason, it can often be the case that an Uratha may find themselves alone and without mentor. Those who do not
instead more interested in regulating the spirit courts.
fall to theThis Purehasoften find themselves to their ownprey devices. generated a very highleft number of tribe-less Ghost Wolves in the country. Stranger still, some Ghost Wolves have banded together, creating unusually large clutches of tribe-less Forsaken. The country is also home to a Ghost Wolf Lodge called Mons Regii. As a lodge consisting entirely of Ghost Wolves it is a rare anomaly in Forsaken society and one of the few lodges of this nature. at least two Ghost Wolf lodges – both situated in Quebec. There, the large population of Ghost Wolves stems from primarily from the abandonment of their srcinal Tribes in an attempt to settle years of conflict.
’É é This pack makes its home in Ottawa‘s Lower Town on
the East Side of the Rideau Canal. This pack has worked its hardest to wrestle the influence that the pro-English Barrack Hill pack has had over Parliament for generations, feeling that Barrack Hill has interfered in the natural order of the country‘s politics on several occasions. While the pack is much smaller than Barrack Hill, they have always been far more skilled in combat. When not confronting Barrack Hill, this pack works towards protecting the country‘s capital from supernatural tampering – particularly from spirits and the Pure. They
are far less likely to get involved in the political affairs of vampires and mages though the pack is willing to do so if necessary. Since their territory does not cover Parliament Hill, however, they are seldom even capable of taking such actions even if they wished it. On occasion, wolf blooded families will stick together to aid their brothers in their overwhelming task and to keep each other safe. A few wolf blooded families of note: Bruce—This wolf-blooded family line in central Ontario has bred true for several years. It is primarily a farming family, with an old ancestral estate in Milton, but it also sustains a proud military and service tradition. (PC formed family line. Please contact Janine Mark for more information.) DeLuca—This wolf blooded family holds for itself powerful connections in politics and the underworld. They use their influence to support each other – including their Uratha brethren – but in doing so are often under intense scrutiny from the Forsaken. This family had established itself in Eastern Canada. (PC formed family line. Please contact Jessica MacLeod for more information) Woods—This wolf blooded family resides primarily in Alberta and tends to the security and defense of that 107
The mid 1980‘s saw the beginning of the Brethren War.
During this time, a lot of Forsaken moved south to help other Forsaken in their conflicts and came back to notice their territories gone, taken over or simply unusable anymore. The Pure had an edge over their enemies: they had the information and the organization to overpower the Forsaken still fighting to defend Canada through this war. They pushed them back, forcing them to retreat into only a handful of cities to consolidate their territories. By the end of the war, the Pure had succeeded in isolating the Forsaken. Since then, the Forsaken have lost more and more control over Canada. They are now too few to adequately find, teach and protect the newly changed, which enables
The Forsaken who traveled with first North American settlers were not surprised to find that there were already Uratha in the new lands. Many Forsaken were aware that they had cousins even unto the ends of the earth. They did not know exactly who or where those cousins were, but they were aware that they existed. They were also very pleased to find that Native Americans had a much more respectful view of wolves in general. In Europe, wolves were typically characterized in a negative fashion as being perhaps devilishly clever and most culture, often ravenous, gluttonousthebeasts. North American however, respected wolf's abilities as a hunter and its dedication to its family. The corollaries between the stories of the natives and the conditions and powers of the Uratha were striking. The Native American and European werewolves had fewer barriers to overcome on their first encounter than any of their human peers. The First Tongue and their common tragic mythology and history helped them overcome a lot of language and cultural impediments. While the Uratha tended to show some degree of respect towards one another, the same could not be said for their peers. Wars with the natives were not uncommon. New France found itself in a series of wars with the Iroquois. During these conflicts, the Forsaken would try more often than not to bring about some sort of peace. At times they succeeded, if only by encouraging their people to regroup. The risk of ending up pitted in a conflict against a brother was not one the Forsaken wished to consider. As settlers encroached on the lands, however, the native Uratha soon found their territories being chipped away. Nomadic packs would return to old territory only to find it occupied. While bothersome, the native Forsaken typically chose to allow the visitors to police their lands so long as they kept to their duties. Some, however, took a less tolerant stance towards their new neighbours. More conflicts sprang up as the British colonies began to compete with New France for land and goods. The Seven Years War (1754-1763) became a difficult time for the Forsaken. The conflict stirred up the umbra, which lead to a great deal of spiritual commotion and chaos. Forsaken who were part of New France or the British Empire were left in a difficult position. They were needed now more than ever to perform their duties, yet they were also called upon by their human brethren to aid in the conflict – a conflict which could result in them taking the lives of fellow Uratha. While the conflict was eventually resolved with the Treaty of Paris, wars continued to spring up through the new land. The American Revolution and The War of 1812 both put a great deal of strain on the Forsaken – furthering the chaos and change in the umbra while
the Pure to recruit many new werewolves left unclaimed by the Forsaken. During the first years following their firmer grip over Canada, the Pure became too confident of their power over their territories. They had come to believe that the Forsaken were nearly wiped from the country. Some Pure even started to ignore the Forsaken on territories next to theirs. The Pure currently oversee a very large territory, splitting their forces over large distances. This might explain the reason why the few Forsaken concentrated into small urban territories can grow and prosper without being eradicated.
pulling at the Forsaken‘s attention and duty.
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Changeling is a difficult game to run on a National scale, as the canon material supports a lot more "every city is different" style thinking then any of the other groups in the World of Darkness. There are no Traditions, no universal laws from one city to the next, and a variance in timelines and lateral thinking from one citizen to the next. This leads to great local games with a lot of elbow room for creativity, but once you want to connect to another city, things get strange. Maybe you want your players to stay close. Or perhaps you want it to stay strange (this is Lost, after all). However, if your players are eager to take advantage of the story elements that can only be enjoyed in a large organization such as the Camarilla, the Entitlements are the way to go. The Entitlements in the core book are the most direct examples, as they all are written as if they are in regular communication with other members of their Noble order. More importantly, each and every Entitlement is tied to a JOB that makes the story run smoother. If a player is bored or directionless, an Entitlement may give them something larger in scope to focus on. They are also great
Here are some quick DOs and DON’Ts according to how we'd like to see the Entitlements used. DO: Encourage players to take them and proactively point out Entitlements the player might not realize exist. The Mid-Approval, as far as we are concerned, makes certain that the player has had a long talk with STs about what the Entitlement is about, and the responsibilities they will have bringing it to game, namely that they will essentially be the one who will explain the group to prospective new (and now Low Approval) members. DON'T: Treat them like the Sidhe Houses from OWOD Changeling. While some may look down on those who are not of an order, it is the disdain of a hard working businessmen looking down at an unemployed street bum, as opposed to a King looking at a lowly serf in the fields. Entitlements only have authority over the preview of their duties, and only that if the local monarch allows it. They are organizations dedicated to ideals, not old boys clubs trying to hold other people down. Individual characters may do that, but avoid spreading the perception that all members of Entitlements are not. DO: Make the entrance for new players difficult. Give the membership value, so the player has a sense of OOC as well as IC pride regarding their entry. Make sure you have a scene (or at least a write up) of how they got into the order, the name of the NPC that got them in and their
for new players, theywith giveaadistinct reason for someone to take them under theiras wing agenda, as opposed to the general "this is what being Lost is all about" spiel, which, after the eighth or ninth new player, becomes less exciting. Kickball is a lot more fun when you're picked for a team early on, even if you don't know how to play! Freeholds do not have a universal Status system, the Mantle merit is supposed to represent this in an esoteric sense, and every freehold is of course, different. Status, however, is entirely appropriate for the Entitlements, as they are organization with long standing histories, traditions, and members that came before the player characters arrived. There's a big difference between playing a big shot within an organization and playing a new member, though either certainly adds to the story. You can of course, have National Entitlement Status as per the National Influence rules, which is where the national game comes into play. Players who may be local big shots could receive orders from National higher ups,
relationship with them, etc. Don't deny them access of course, unless through the process of the initiation you notice the player changing their mind on an OOC level. DON'T: Let Entitlement players play into a vacuum in their chosen task. An organization of one is no organization at all! The best choice would be prospective NPC members of the group for them to mentor, who can be purchased as Allies as the PCs relationship with them grows. If you feel like making up a superior for them, let us know at National...we may have one ready for you to use, or wish to use the one you make! Of course, it's always better for them to interact with other PCs, but sometimes people have to see something in play before they want to join in. DO: Make the Entitlements aware of each other: They are all very different, while the rules support social bonuses for them, that can merely mean they are being polite, and polite antagonism is often twice as intense. A Scarecrow Minister and a Pearl Satrap are going to have
oneofficer they did not even perhaps aperhaps national brings wordrealize of theexisted. acts andOrdeeds of other members of their Noble cause in freeholds elsewhere within the country. Or perhaps they players will put the work and effort into being national level Nobles themselves.
verydrugs, different on how Bishop to handle a mortal to Fae andideas a Blackbird may feel theaddicted local Toll taker Knights methods are a threat to the Freeholds clarity. Try to avoid all out entitlement blood feuds, but then again, they are likely better for your games stability then a war between Courts. 110
DON'T: Make the Entitlements more important than your local Monarchs: Never let any group rule outright, though they may subtly have much of the power. Freehold structure is a tenuous thing as it is. The Monarchs are roles every player can strive for, the Entitlements are for those who either want to go larger in scale, or narrow their focus.
National Plots: The Blackbirds were essential in the "Salvation of Sarnia" and are now riding higher and mightier on a national scale than ever before. They have moved from Sarnia to try and bring that same prosperity to the battered freehold of Toronto, and have a fairly powerful Motley assigned there. The Blackbirds are gaining emotional power and support...they may become too ambitious with their good works and start infringing on the freedoms they have helped to build. Base of Operations: Toronto, Ontario (please CC Toronto ADST Lost)
Here are the core book Entitlements (along with a few we feel are useful to local games), our recommended local usage for them, a quick rundown of potential National plots we have for them, and their base of operations in Canada. If your game does not have an Entitlement based out of your area and you would like one, just let us know, we'll change the plot to move them to your town!
When played by a PC, Tolltakers can be great PC villains as well as a great way for PvP to happen on a nonlethal scale. The Tolltaker mentality in Canada is they are not bullies...they prevent bullies. Through hard work and sacrifice, the strong arm of the Summer Court can be at any Changeling's disposal. If you want them to be villains, have them accept only cash. If you want them to be on the side of the "good guys" then have them make other deals as well. They are not nice or pleasant people, but that doesn't mean they have to be sociopaths. Also, stick hard to the fact that Tolltakers do NOT take death contracts...for that type of assassination, the Winter Court may be a better bet. National Plots: The Tolltakers were a despised and hated force in the freehold of Hamilton, where more Loyalists live than any other city in Canada. They look to possibly set up their base of operations there, in an effort at redemption. But for some, it may be too late. Dealing with the Tolltakers at higher ranks also means leaping into the lions mouth that is Hamilton. Base of Operations: Hamilton, Ontario (please CC Hamilton VST)
These are great characters to have explain game concepts to new players, as well as make sure the core concepts and themes are understood. If people go against canon in ways you'd prefer them not to (i.e. not involving Oaths in court government, acting as if the Fae will never show up), they can be the naysayers of doom and gloom...a Magistrate serves two purposes, to lead the other players in a traditional direction, and the more important function of saying "I told you so!" National Plots: Many of the traditions we have written in Dark Places freeholds come from native traditions, and the Wax Masks have been in Canada interacting with Native peoples for hundreds of years. Any large scale Lost/Native interactions could very well involve the Magistrates...who might not necessarily take the side of the other Lost! Base of Operations: Sydney, Nova Scotia
There will always be some players who join Autumn for the sole reason that they want to throw their weight around and get other players to act like they are scared of them. This is almost always a losing battle for the player, as playing fear is rarely fun for anyone (no matter how good the Autumn actor is), and using Autumn powers instead of role-playing is even harder to play scared of. Use the Ministry to lure these players in to focus on being frightening to NPCs, even if you are not giving them attention. It should just be assumed that a Minister is spending a large portion of his day scaring the bejesus out of people. National Plots: The Ministry in Canada are corrupt, and tied in with forces that while not Gentry, are no less dangerous. There have also been some rituals put in place which essentially guarantee Scarecrow players on a national scale also get a minor powered version of their fetch. (If you are interested in running one of these types of plots for your players please e-mail the ANST team.)
Blackbirds can serve as a sort of makeshift clergy for a game. Their general humanitarian cause combined with their opinionated meddling make them excellent support characters to help keep your heroes afloat and healthy, whether they like it or not. Good for both "tough love" players and "can't we all just get along" players. They don't have to be specifically religious, though some have been in game already to great effect. Contracts of Lucidity are recommended conjunction with their token effect. Also, feel in free to place Blackbird NPCs for in great your cities with abandon, placed on "humanitarian missions" from the freehold of Sarnia. If the players won't treat Clarity as if it is important and go with the "I am a bad ass due to my low Morality stat" game, Blackbirds make a great addition. 111
This is used to take over their terrible duties should they take a break to regain Clarity after their horrendous acts. Base of Operations: Saguenay, Quebec, in an old ghost town within the vast boundaries of the municipality. They currently are working on getting the gateways closed and cleaned up in this area where it is far too easy to go missing, as they have recently finished similar projects in Winnipeg and Scarborough.
If you have players that love attention but aren't necessarily getting the full support of the cast, the Golden Standard can be a very tempting option. Their constant self validation is a thematic element, which can be used to turn a negative into a positive. The player can either go full bore into a role with the support of other characters to compete with, or they can see that the behavior is not the type they want to encourage and change their ways. Don't be afraid to use the Knights as comic relief, but there are opportunities for genuine freehold building in the legends they seek. Make sure any OC playing this entitlement has opportunities for genuine heroism, and is not just constantly placed in positions where they need to be broken down for their perceived arrogance. Base of Operations:Chilliwack, BC
The Satrapy are ultimate enabler characters, and can really played make the personal plotsis of comeoftoNPC life when correctly. There an your entirePCs freehold Satraps in Alberta. Any Satrap player should feel two things: That they are in constant competition with other members of their Entitlement and secondly, that they can provide ANY happiness another PC is seeking. The "wheeling and dealing" the Player may have to do to accomplish such things could take a lot of time and effort, and this should be reflected in the price, but with NPC back up a player should be able to provide nearly any service...it just may not be pleasant for the Satrap to do so. Base of Operations: Banff, Alberta
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1709
(Lines marked with an Asterisk indicate general public knowledge; others reflect a little more research and wisdom) *Pre 1600: Native Peoples are well known to not have been immune to the capture and torture of the Gentry, who wreaked havoc on the First Nations as it did many other nations at the time. The Algonquin have a legend of the Kingdom of Saguenay, with its blonde haired men with a Kingdom of gold. Autumn Court scholars indicate this may have been a cross cultural influence, either Loyalists from Europe sent to prey on the First Nations or Gentry in forms previously taken to lure Europeans. With many legends of beings inside the skin of a regular man, fetches had difficulty integrating into tribal cultures without arousing suspicion as the First Nations people were on the lookout for similar otherworldly creatures. The Gentry as such found it easier to just take the First Nations people outright or manipulate them into wars or ruin in order to replace them with dead (and thus easily overlooked) fetches. The Algonquin have the most notable legend that is the most well known, though the Cree and Iroquois have their own legends. *1604-06 Mattieu da Costa travels with the Champlain expedition to new settlement of Port Royal. He serves as an interpreter between the French and the Micmac Indians of the area. While no Lost were among early settlements, translations of Micmac legends confirmed for Autumn Courtiers overseas the existence of Gentry with such terrible legends such as that of the Chenoo and Kukwe. 1639 Smallpox epidemic decimates Huron people; population reduced by 50%. The Gentry have a feast as their targets superstitions cannot protect them, and hundreds of fetches are returned to earth "ill" and die shortly after. Very few of these ever escape Arcadia. * 1606-1650: Lost start arriving to new lives in the New World, settling primarily in French 1670 1700's
* 1721
1749
1755 1776
1778 1783
settlements. Hudson's Bay Company is formed and granted trade rights over all territory draining into Hudson's Bay. Loyalists begin migrating across the sea with their escaping Lost counterparts, eager to 113
prey on both the rapidly decreasing and disrespected Native populations and immigrants in a harsh new world. In New France, slavery becomes legal. One month later, the first Goblin Market appears in Quebec City. Acadians take oath of allegiance to the French. Among them are what accounts for the first Freehold in Canada, known as the Scouts de trappeur L'Acadie in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. The Trapper Watch was a close knit group of Acadian and Mi‘kmaq families, which the matriarch of each was a Changeling. All four Lost were given entry into the Magistrates of the Wax Mask, making the Magistrates the first entitlement in Canada as well. The Magistrates of The Wax Mask learn of many of the native legends of the Gentry during this time and provide their own defenses against the Fae to the constantly abducted First Nations peoples. Many of Canada's Magistrates rituals and traditions date back this far, and many more are tied in with First Nations rituals, traditions, and tales. Halifax is founded by British to counter French presence at Louisbourg. Second freehold formed of Lost among British Naval Officers, thus beginning a long connection between Canadian Lost and their military. This is also the first Seasonal Freehold, though all members were Summer and only focused sharing their efforts the goals of each season, rule on among four officers. Other freeholds soon follow. Expulsion of the Acadians begins. Despite many Acadian Lost legends, no Loyalists were involved. American Revolution begins. Loyalists and Gentry begin focusing their attention away from First Nations and onto the new and increasingly warlike French and British. Lost on both sides assume Gentry influence, and small, passionate freeholds start sprouting up like weeds in all sections of the country. Captain James Cook anchors in Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island. More than 5,000 Blacks leave the United States to live in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. Having sided with the British during the American War of Independence, they come to Canada as United Empire Loyalists, some as free men and some as slaves. Although promised land by the British, they receive only varying amounts of poor-quality land, and, in fact, some receive none at all. This is a uniting factor among the freeholds
1812
1814 1832 1852
1871
1872 1876 1881
that remained, some taking in not only Lost among the conflict, but African Slaves as well. The Winter Courts Canadian accented version of Mourning Cant still contains many African words from these settlers. War of 1812 declared, allowing Maritime colonies to profit from illegal trade. Loyalists, goblins and ne'er do wells alike profit in the Lost community. Treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812; no territorial gains on either side Freehold of Steel Gates Hamilton Founded, parallel to the growth of the steel industry
1888
within that city. Grand Trunk Railway Corporation founded. Lost agents would be regularly employed for the Grand Trunk over the years, as it provided a very easily accessible link for the Changeling Underground Railroad, allowing newly released Lost to escape the territory of their captors with unheard of speed. Wizened craftsmen, initially from the Order of Bridgemasons, work diligently to ensure Hedge travel along stations has access to both sides. Fairest diplomats worked to ensure major freehold stops in Canada had railway stations. CPR railway begins construction, and British Columbia imports 5000 Chinese immigrants. Within a decade, only 1500 continued work on the rail. Most are assumed to have left for the gold fields during the Gold Rush, but a large amount were captured by the Gentry. These captives were already in Canada under desperate conditions and were more difficult to handle then expected for the Gentry, and Chinese Lost had a higher escape rate the their fellow Caucasian or First Nations victims. Many came with dreams of bringing over their family, which led them through the Hedge on their return. This lead to small Directional Court freeholds scattered throughout Canada, primarily along the Grand Trunk. Some European Lost adopt the Directional Court systems as well, which functioned better in some cases with small Lost populations over large sections of territory. London, Ontario. Iron Bridge built by goblin captives of the Gentry, leading the way for Lost population of London. Freehold of Sarnia formed. SS Victoria capsizes. Lost politics were involved with some of the members on board.
1954
1900
1921
1981
1989 1990
2007 2008
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Toronto, With assistance of ensorcelled Oneida tribesmen, trod between the Clearinghouse and St. Ogdens Citadel in Toronto begins construction. There is a large amount of hobgoblin resistance, thus quadrupling the time expected for the project. Exodus of the Freehold of Steel Gates: Only four monarchs stay behind after waves of Gentry attacks, the Tolltaker Knighthood are rumored to be behind treacheries that caused the freehold to fall. Freehold of Sarnia goes on the offensive versus local Gentry forces. Battle of Red Goblin Gate in Toronto, victory of the final leg of the Oneida Road comes at the cost of 80 Lost dead. The Last of the srcinal CPR railway Lost, Southern King Shuzou, dies at age 125. His freehold falls apart soon after. The Directional Courts have little defined leadership in Canada after this point until the present, the though the population is no less frequent, in particular frequency away from urban centers. Toronto freehold collapses amid betrayal and infighting Freehold of Sarnia records first Gentry killed in Canada, The Czarina of Scratched Footsteps. Lost begin flocking there for security. Privateer Ontario. King captured and killed in London, After a consistent decade of prosperity, Freehold of Sarnia declares freehold boundaries "Loyalist Free" for the time being, and encourages Lost immigration to the city. A new freehold formed in Toronto
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Every Kindred, deep in their souls, knows this to be true. And every Kindred, in their logical minds, rationalizes that it is not. Neonates find it easiest to rationalize—as they see the ages stretching before them— and many live violent lives that end quickly when they do not follow the Traditions. Elders, as they see both ally and foe fall to the various threats in Kindred society, know the truth, and seek other methods to enact vengeance on those who displease them other than death. For if your enemy can die, so can you. Kindred may wish that their Requiem is eternal, but all know that whether it is or not is fully dependent upon
It is difficult, because of the age range of characters in the Requiem venue, to ascribe one specific moral, governmental, religious, or philosophical viewpoint upon the venue as a whole. With characters ranging in age from that of a rank Neonate, to that of seasoned and millennia old Methuselah for whom the Fog of Ages has warped and twisted their memories, Storytellers cannot ‗lay down the law‘ of th e generalities of how characters of
such vastly different ages think, learn, and react to the new. Kindred are of meant to, atin their an unchanging snapshot the time whichcore, they be lived, static creatures that struggle to adjust to the modern age that has arisen around them, no matter whether they were embraced yesterday or in a long-forgotten era. Kindred, because of this fact, can be difficult to portray because we as humans are not such static creatures. Although we dislike and sometimes fear change we accept it as a reality. Vampires over time lose that flexibility, and as the paranoia, stagnation and ennui set into their Requiems, they often find comfort in the Traditions and the sedentary squabbles of their unlives. Some few fight against this stagnation, but it is an uphill climb steeper than that of Sisyphus. Because of this, it is important for Kindred to remember some key factors about the lives that they live.
their actions behaviour, and workblackmail, to ensure their own own eternity by and politicking, conniving, and building alliances that they hope will hold.
To gain eternity, one must have allies—those that are bound to you, and also those that you are bound to. No one who goes it alone lasts long, and those who make powerful enemies backed by large alliances find their Requiem an unbearable nightmare. There is, truly, safety in numbers, be it of clan, covenant, lineage, dynasty, house, or coterie. And yet that safety in numbers also means that you owe others—either in service or in fealty—in some way. Be it through vinculum, domitor, boons, oaths, chains, or any of the dozens of other ways that Kindred work to gain the upper hand on others, your own Requiem is knotted into
Canada, as a country, holds to the inherently Tradition and Conservative viewpoint of the Mortal Founders of Confederation. These Conservative tendencies, in their own way, permeate Kindred society as well. And, though mortal politics are left behind when one enters the Danse Macabre and new politics of Clan and Covenant are embraced, Canadian Kindred still find themselves either willingly or unwillingly bound by the Conservatism that permeates the fabric of Canadian society. As Kindred, this means a strong embrace of The Traditions of Masquerade, Progeny, and Amaranth that none can recall the beginnings of, but all can recite by rote. All Neonates are taught these laws by their sires and elders in order to even be welcomed into their new world, and Elders cling to them as sacrosanct in order to protect themselves within that world against those that would take their power and control away. Many elders who either hold Praxis as Prince, or control their Prince from the shadows endeavor to instill the further laws of Domain and Tutelage with varied success,
that of others. And,have one worked weak thread in thatcan knoteasily can unravel all that you for. Allies become enemies, and those with wiles can work to balance on the knife-blade between ties unknown by others. The trust that Neonates hold for others who seem to have their back can swiftly turn to the paranoia of Elders who trust no one, but work to ensure that many are loyal to them while they are loyal to few.
There are few organized groups within Kindred society that are unknown, even if only be reputation. Of course there are the Covenants—the eldest of which are the Circle of the Crone, Invictus and Lancea Sanctum, soon followed by the upstart Carthian Movement and Ordo Dracul, and most recently the Legio Mortuum. More unknown and of concern to the Covenants, are Belial‘s Brood and the enigmatic VII. Both groups have
although more citiesofwelcome laws in order toolder protect theestablished ancestral rights covenantsuch or clan.
shown themselves to be dangers to the Traditions, and to Kindred Society, in the recent past. But little is known of them, their purpose, or their mission. Most concerning is the recent return of those known as ‗The Strix‘, or ‗The Owls‘. What is known of them is rumour and innuendo,
fear-mongering and terror. 116
Storytellers should ensure to utilize the Global Settings Document written for all of these groups and approved for use within Canada to flesh out these Antagonistic groups within the chronicle
This business with the blindfolded mortal has been performed countless times, for Princes across the land. The rose is always presented at Elysium, and in front of other Kindred, so that it is difficult for the Prince to refuse and so that he cannot pretend that it was never delivered. It is considered both a great honour to host Concillium, and a great curse. What is clear is that there has never been any ill intent in the Concillium. There has never been a massacre. Though tensions have been high at times, no one has ever abused the Concillium Truce. For this is the social event of the year, both anticipated and dreaded by all. A Kindred may use the Concillium to advance their standing among the Damned, while a single misstep may result in
None know who began the Tradition of the Black Rose. Many have tried to find out and failed. And yet, it remains an integral the Requiem in delivered Canada. Each year a Black Rose part and of a Tarot Card are to a Prince, entreating them to host the Black Rose Concillium. Kindred Scholars and Historians know that the srcinal reason for Concillium was simple. In 1763 tensions between the Covenants were high and a cold war situation existed between a number of them. Lower Canada had fallen to the English three years before, exacerbating the tensions between the Covenants and the divisions between English and French. This first Concillium was a small affair, with a few Kindred from Montreal, Quebec City, Bytown, and Kingston. Though Concillium was held every year, and word of this tradition was spread across Canada by those few who braved travel as Nomads, it was not possible at the time to have a literal gathering where Kindred from all over the country could attend. The limitations of transportation of the time precluded that. It was not until the modern era, with the automobile
the destruction thatorsame Theand Black Concillium can ofmake breakstanding. a Kindred, for Rose that reason alone some consider it the most entertaining sport available. For among the damned, politics are a bloodsport.
becoming the ascendant methodbecame of transportation, andscale the advent of flight that Concillium such a large event. Concillium is a vital part of Kindred society in Canada. Most Kindred cannot envision a year without the opportunity to gather at Concillium. After all, it is one of the few opportunities they have to satisfy their curiosity about how things are in other cities. If they cannot attend, they work to ensure that someone they know and trust to bring back reliable information is going. To some it is simply an elegant grand ball, to others it is a convenient forum to attain reputation. For those who have rivals among the Kindred, it can be an excellent time to put plans into motion. But the question remains: Where does the rose come from? For those who wish to question such things it is clear that some Kindred, somewhere, is making the determination as to what domain should host Concillium. But the identity of that Kindred is unknown, as is their motive. In the delivery of the Black Rose is the yearly gathering announced. No Prince really wants to have countless Kindred descend on his domain, but to refuse the rose is to admit both weakness and disdain of other Kindred – not to mention Tradition. Only one Prince has ever refused the rose in the past, and that Prince did not remain as Prince for long.
because they stillgenerations stuck within the Gilded Cage mentality of soare many of Kindred. Many also do not desire to have fully accurate information available for the adversaries that they know are out there to gain access to. With such a strong Brood presence in much of Canada, many Princes feel that granting too much information is a security risk, and that if the truth of the state of their Praxis were to be known, they would become an easy target. Finally, in many places, the history of a city or region has simply not been carefully documented. Few—if any—cities have Kindred who have welcomed the task of being an unbiased historian, and none can claim histories untainted by the Fog of Ages. Of course major events will ripple out through Canada as rumours spread throughout networks of alliances. Who is hosting the Black Rose, what happens there, Praxis seizures, major battle with the Brood, VII assassinations, Strix possessions, Blood Hunts, all eventually make their way across the country. But what truth remains in what is heard is often muddied and distorted.
With the rare exception of what is known of the Black Rose Concillium, little is often known of what goes on in a city or region outside of one‘ s hometown. Even with the modern abilities of travel and transportation, many Kindred do not take advantage of either. This may be because they don‘t trust the technology, or it may be
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Montreal and Toronto, and was chosen by Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as Capital of the Dominion of Canada. The kindred population of the city was small at this time and Mitchell used the moment to make his claim on Ottawa, declaring his praxis over the city‘s kindred population. His influence remains such that none openly oppose his praxis, but over the past 40 years, the Carthian movement has made subtle gains against him. Goals: Prince Mitchell is an insecure ego-maniac, who strives to be the perfect Prince of the perfect domain. He wishes to be admired by all, and to be cited as an example by kindred historians. Mitchell has also been a longstanding leader in the battle against the Magnate of Belial, and longs to rally other Princes to the cause.
Of the many cities in Canada, those of Quebec City, Ottawa, and Kingston have what can be considered to be the most stable, best documented, and willfully open histories. As such, they are mentioned here because they are well known to have the longest kept Kindred records. This is due, in part, to the influence of the many European Kindred who immigrated to these cities upon the founding of the New World. These cities have held onto their history in clawed fist, unwilling to give up the power that pre-eminence as the forefront of Kindred migration has given them. Many Kindred in Canada can trace their lineage to Kindred in these three cities. Due to centuries of being powerbases within Canada, with the resulting outward migration of both Elders wishing to create their own strongholds, or their Childe wishing to make their mark away from the cloying presence of their sires, these cities have seen many Kindred pass through them to other cities and towns across Canada. As such, they are excellent places to tie Character Backgrounds to.
Kaur and Liam E. Summers are trusted Allies: Jayden advisors and supporters. Enemies: Mitchell no longer has any obvious enemies in the city. Obsessed with the need to have a stable, perfect demesne, he has made sure that rivals were sent away— preferably to Pembroke—or in dire cases, eliminated. Coma, the Nosferatu Priscus and previous Hound of the domain is his main tool in achieving these ends. Mitchell accepts that there are occasional frictions with the Carthian Movement, but as long as the political game remains within the limits of civility and the Traditions, it is quite acceptable. He has no idea how deep their plots against him run.
Important note: the NPCs described below are fully detailed to help illustrate how the NST office expects NPCs to be designed. Players are free to learn from this. Characters, however, are not aware of goals, enemies and alliances unless they can demonstrate learning this information in play, with confirmation from an appropriate story teller, with jurisdiction over this information.
City Status: (****) Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status: **) Invictus (Covenant Status: ***), Covenant:Opportunistic, Concept: Prudent and Bored. History: Originally from Lahore, Kaur was embraced by an English gentleman in 1740. Although he adapted quickly to the European Kindred unlife, nevertheless Kaur was stigmatized for his srcins. Soon after being released he decided to travel in search of a place that would recognize his value. Learning of Ottawa‘s new status as capital of the Canadian colony in 1857, Kaur came to Canada, naively expecting the new capital to be empty. In 1859, instead of a deserted domain, he found a small kindred community already ruled by Prince Mitchell. Instead of becoming a rival to the Prince, Kaur decided to offer his companionship and counsel. This is what Kaur viewed as the safest and wisest path, and has proven to be the most lucrative in the long run. Goals: Kaur wanted to be accepted by his peers, and has become both esteemed and valued. He wanted to have a prosperous life, and now he is one of the richest, and most influential kindred of Ottawa. He worked for more than a century to help Mitchell make Ottawa a respected demesne. Now that all this has been accomplished, he is terribly, horribly bored. His true goal, is simply to find a bit of excitement in his Requiem. To this end, in recent nights it amuses Kaur to secretly support the Carthians,
City Status: (*****) Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status ***) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status ****) Concept: Insecure and obsessive perfectionist. History: Embraced in England in 1750, James Mitchell came to Canada in hopes of achieving greatness, which was difficult to reach in Europe where Elders held all with an iron unrelenting grasp. James arrived in Canada in 1826 with Lt-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers. The engineers, under By, were charged with overseeing the construction of the Rideau canal system. Their camp on the Ottawa River rapidly grew into a flourishing commercial centre under Mitchell‘s watchful gaze. By 1850, Ottawa was one of the most prosperous cities of the Dominion. In 1854 Ottawa was linked by rail with 118
but he is a cautious man, and limits his actions to avoid any trouble or detection. Allies: Kaur has many allies within his Clan across Canada. Enemies: Jonas Frey is not an enemy per se, but a public political rival in Prisci Councils and in Covenant matters. Although he still accomplishes his duty loyally towards the Prince Mitchell, Kaur has started to wish him ill, perceiving the dominating Prince and his ambitions as the cause of his extreme boredom.
youngest officer appointed by the Prince, and Frey has a lot to prove in the Invictus City. Goals: Proud, Frey wants to prove to all that he can manage both of his titles as well as any elder could. He certainly has a political agenda, Frey is leading the campaign to undermine Mitchell, and remake the Court of Ottawa in his image. Allies: Margaret Bowen, his Childe, is the total opposite of Frey, but opposites attract. One compliments the weaknesses of the other.
City Status: Clan: Mekhet**** (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Pleasant, Curious and Open-Minded. History: Originally from Sussex, England, Summers spent his mortal life travelling to and from the British Isles to Canada as an officer on a naval transport vessel. Embraced in 1870, he was stricken with wanderlust; his sire released him shortly after his embrace, and Summers spent a few years travelling unrestrained. When a miscalculation and lack of proper shelter almost caused his Final Death, his wanderlust was quenched and he sought a more permanent home. He arrived in Ottawa in 1889. Goals: Summers is quite content with his political position; he has more than enough titles to satisfy him, wanting any more is would be ungrateful avarice. His current goal is to encourage Prince Mitchell in establishing strong contacts and alliances with other
City Status: Clan: Mekhet*** (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Elitist, Superstitious and Intolerant. History: Embraced in 1720, Deborah arrived in Ottawa in 1895. Rice has changed her names many times since her mortal days, but her manners announce her as a woman of the aristocracy. She manages her Elysium just as she managed her home as a mortal: with a smile and an iron fist. Goals: She wants to gain more status in her covenant and wants to convince the Prince to eliminate all the rabble of the city. (She would not admit to anyone, not even to herself, what the definition of rabble is, but certainly Coma and Kaur, who are not European, and all the Nosferatu and Carthians are on her list). She also has developed a distaste for Summers, for reasons she has never revealed publicly. Allies: She does not appreciate many kindred, and even
domains;ofnot only would that encourage be beneficial the strength the domain, it would him tofortravel again and quench his curiosity about the Kindred Community. Allies: Prince Mitchell has offered all that Summers could have wanted and Summers truly feels indebted to him. His loyalty to Mitchell is second to none. Enemies: Deborah Rice is older than he is, yet is still under him in the esteem of the Prince Mitchell, and in her status within the Covenant. Summers did not choose her as an enemy, she chose him, but he acknowledges their rivalry and will not submit to her hatred and greed,
fewer kindred actually appreciate Sheefficiency. is not Master of Elysium because of her friends her. for her The Prince feels she makes his city more perfect. Enemies: Liam E. Summers for certain. Many dislike Rice, but since she is influential and seems so highly praised by the Prince, no one dares act (or even speak) against her.
City Status: *** Clan: Daeva (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Carthian (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Cheerful, Opinionated and Keen. History: Embraced in 1960 in Ottawa by Jonas Frey, Margaret was a rising women‘s rights leader in Carlton University at the time. Maggie (as she is often called) appears friendly and is quite approachable, but nonetheless is socially dangerous for her ability to uncover any matter intended to remain private. She has been Harpy since 1990, after her sire proposed her to the other Prisci. Rumours say that he used threats or called in various favors to see the neonate gain the title. Goals: She never intended to be harpy, but now that she is, she can‘t complain. She now has access to the ear of the entire court. She loves gossip and rarely bothers with
City Status: *** Clan: Daeva (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Carthian (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Moody, Quiet and Arrogant. History: Jonas was embraced in Ottawa in 1880 by Charles J. Ross (A Daeva destroyed by the fire of 1900). His sire was a valued ally of Prince Mitchell, and Jonas rapidly gained favor in Court. He was appointed as Sheriff in 1901, a year after Faubert resigned. He is the 119
Clan: Nosferatu (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Ordo Dracul (Covenant Status: *) Concept: Hot-Tempered, Scholarly and Adaptable. History: Faubert was a veteran of the American Revolution. He arrived in 1840 in Ottawa. He was a mysterious Dragon, but had a cold demeanour, and a great knowledge of the land and occult matters. It was Faubert who discovered the wide ranging threat of the Magnate of Belial, and for years organized the battle against this foe. From 1857 to 1900 he served as Sheriff of Ottawa; although he asked Prince Mitchell for permission to retire from the position in 1880 and again in 1890. The Prince refused insisting he was the best for the task. Each time, the Prince offered various perks and privileges to
secrecy amongst kindred. She has been working to gain allies in the powerful mortal press to help Jonas Frey achieve her ends. Allies: Frey, her sire, is unconditionally loyal. Enemies: Maggie has no enemies per se, but her ‗‘open book policy‘‘ is not pleasing many of the Mekhet, who live in the shadows or trade in secrets.
City Status: *** Clan: Gangrel (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Circle of the Crone (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Antisocial, Uncivilized and Violent. She arrived in Nova Scotia from Ireland as a History: mortal in 1840 and gradually made her way from the East Coast to Ottawa. As a mortal she was no more than a tavern wench; infected with some unknown disease, she would have died if not for the intervention of the Goddess. She became an excellent hunter and loved the thrill it brought her. She spent many decades in the wild and if she ever cared for social niceties, she no longer does. In 1920, Beltane was appointed as the new hound of Ottawa. She cares little for the structure and authority of the Prince, she is pleased that this new title gives her legitimacy in seeking out greater prey. Goals: As a blessed hunter of the Goddess and as a Savage, her main goal is to find the ultimate prey. Enemies: None alive (Although Coma waits patiently for her to die to reclaim his title, he will not act against her in respect for her as a predator).
encourage staylives on asofSheriff. 1900, when the Great FireFaubert claimedtothe many In kindred, Faubert used the opportunity to resign. Still present in the domain, he has retired of any and all political matters, focusing exclusively in his studies towards Transcendence. This has driven him quite insane, and his personality has completely changed. Goals: Faubert‘s work towards transcen dence is dangerous at best, heretical at worst. His studies have brought him to the brink of madness and back and have cost many lives. Faubert is convinced that he is on the right path. The Prince would not let him exist in peace, and the Dying Light would never approve his advancements. In his twisted mind, seclusion was the only way for him to succeed. Many suspect that in his madness, Faubert may have defected, and become an agent of the Magnate of Belial. Nevertheless, he still seems to hold favour with Prince Mitchell.
**(Clan Status: **) City Status: Clan: Ventrue Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Vengeful, coldly logical and Patient. History: Everyone knows Gielissen is from Germany, and was embraced there, but his history there is unknown. He arrived in Ottawa in 1900 and it was not long before kindred became wary of him. Gielissen has a profound hatred of the Nosferatu Clan (it is linked with sadist members of the clan in Germany who saw fit to terrorize him with Nightmare while he was a neonate. His fear turned to hatred, and his hatred turned to a grave obsession as he grew older and distanced himself of his humanity) He is responsible for the 1929 sewer explosion that killed three Nosferatu. Goals: Mickel is an apt manipulator and uses any and all opportunities to harm or discredit the Haunts. Allies: None in the city, although he will have the support of the Clan and Covenant since he is apparently a loyal
City Status: ** Clan: Nosferatu (Clan Status: ***) Covenant: Carthian (Covenant Status: *) Concept: Sadist. Violent. Mad. History: Coma was an Iroquois warrior while he lived. While alive he was known for being bloodthirsty. Embraced by a Nosferatu shortly after the war of 1812, he quickly became feared by many of the Kindred in the region. Seeking a way to use him to his full potential, Prince Mitchell appointed him as Hound in 1890 when Coma‘s visit in Ottawa seemed to drag on. Renowned and
feared, few dared oppose him in any way. Above any law but the Prince‘s word, Coma quickly degenerated. It is said he is responsible for no less than the destruction of ten Kindred, and that torture was not only a tool, but a hobby for him. He is suspected of being a Diablerist. In 1920, the Prince publically removed him as hound, replacing with the Crone Beltane. Although he no longer
and devoted member.everywhere, beware. Enemies: Nosferatu
has the right destroy no when one seems to want in to test him in histonew limits.others, In 1929, the explosion the sewer killed three Nosferatu, Coma became the new Priscus of the Clan. Goals: Truly mad and on the brink of losing himself
City Status: * (Possibly 0, his status is tenuous due to his madness.)
totally to the Beast, Coma‘s goal is to instill fear of the
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Haunts in every heart and eventually to return to his rightful place as Hound. Allies: Oh God, none. Enemies: None. Surprisingly, there is no more question of enemies. He doesn‘t kill because he hates you, he does so because he enjoys or needs it. No one dares mess with him. He has not committed any punishable crimes and is tolerated for his past services and with the knowledge that if a war comes, he will be the first on the front lines.
By decree of the Honorable Prince of Ottawa, Alder James Mitchell, the following locations are designed as „‟Protectorate of the Crown‟‟ and are restricted access to any and all Kindred. Only the Prince may allow exceptions and grant extraordinary allowances. Culprits found disobeying this decree will be immediately blood hunted. 1) LAURIER HOUSE: 335 Laurier Avenue East. Built in 1878, it was formerly the residence of two Canadian Prime Ministers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. 2) NOTRE DAME BASILICA: 385 Sussex Drive. Oldest and biggest cathedral of the region, Notre Dame Basilica is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa and the Mother Church of all of the parishes of the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Recently designed as a National Historic site, the Prince has extended the restrictions to this location. 3) RESIDENCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER: 24 Sussex Drive. The official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada, located in the New Edinburgh neighborhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Built between 1866 and 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, it has been the home of almost every prime minister since Louis St. Laurent.
City Status: * Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status: *) Lancea Sanctum (Covenant Status: ***) Covenant:Ambitious, Cruel and Deceitful. Concept: History: Provencher left Montreal just before it really got ugly, accompanied by Langelier. He came to establish a parish in Ottawa, seeing that the Lance were under represented here. Goals: The Kindred of Ottawa are not tainted by the beliefs of the Circle, but their lack of faith in Longinus‘ way is appalling. Provencher wants nothing less than a total conversion of the city. Allies: Langelier is a devoted puppet and ally. Provencher considers the Prince as his ally. After all, any elder of the First Estate wants his reign supported by the Lance. Enemies: Beltane… The city is only one Crone away from being an enlightened domain after all.
City Status: * Clan: Nosferatu (Clan Status: *) Lancea Sanctum Status: **). Covenant:Cynical, Concept: Devoted (Covenant and Reverent. History: Arrived in Ottawa from Montreal with Provencher in 1960. Langelier was a priest in his living days and was as corrupt and impure as any man can be. His crossing into damnation was a shock, but not wholly unexpected. He expected to be cursed, but would not change his ways. Now that he is an undead, he is
4) Wellington SUPREME COURT OF formation CANADA:of301 Street. With the the Dominion of Canada in 1867 there was a growing movement to create a final court of appeal for the new country. Some kindred have tried to overpass these restrictions because of the potency of the influences to gain, but the Prince was informed rapidly and proved that the punishment for breaking his decree was no bluff. 5) PARLIAMENT OF CANADA: 1 Wellington St. Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the site into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Bytown was chosen by Queen Victoria as the capital of the Province of Canada.
determined to serve God‘s Law, so that when the end
comes, he will be forgiven of his sins. Allies: Provencher is his mentor and confessor, and it is because of him that Langelier has any hope at all for the end of times. Langelier will give his life before Provencher ever sees harm.
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Several decrees have been made by the Master of Elysium; among them, that feeding is strictly regulated, works of art and historical features are protected, magical arts (including Theban Sorcery and Cruac) are proscribed without prior authorization for the Master of Elysium. These rules apply to the following sites: 1) CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL: Built in 1826, this church grew throughout the years to the splendid building it is today. The Cathedral was officially pronounced an Elysium since 1857. 2) CHATEAU LAURIER: The Fairmont
1826 James Mitchell arrives with Lieutenant Colonel John By; Christ Church Cathedral is designed as the de facto Elysium 1840 Faubert arrives in Ottawa 1857 James Mitchell declares Praxis of Ottawa as the city becomes the Capital of Canada; Christ Church Cathedral becomes the official Elysium of the Court; Faubert becomes Sheriff of the domain 1859 Jayden Kaur arrives in Ottawa 1863 Jayden Kaur becomes Sénéschal 1880 Jonas Frey is embraced by Charles J. Ross 1889 Liam E. Summers arrives in Ottawa 1890 Coma becomes Hound 1895 Deborah Rice arrives in Ottawa 1900 A major fires ravages Hull-Gatineau and a part of Ottawa. Seven Kindred are destroyed. 1901 Jonas Frey becomes Sheriff; Deborah Rice becomes Master of Elysium 1912 Chateau Laurier is completed and immediately becomes a new Elysium. 1919 A Carthian is destroyed for violation of the Protectorate of the Crown 1920 Coma is removed from the Hound position and replaced by Beltane 1929 Major Explosion in the Sewers of Ottawa kills three Nosferatu; Coma becomes Priscus of the Nosferatu 1960 Margaret Bowen is embraced by Jonas Frey; Ignace Provencher and Thierry Langelier arrive in Ottawa 1990 Margaret Bowen is appointed harpy of the Prisci
Château is awaslandmark in DowntownLaurier Ottawa, and constructedhotel between 1909 and 1912. The Château Laurier Hotel is said to be haunted
Protected by the Law of Domain. 1) 310 Queen Elizabeth Dr:Ventrue Freehold. 2) University of Ottawa:550 Cumberland St. is a known territory of the Carthian Movement. 3) Lemieux Island: Holds one of two main water plants for the city. Lemieux Island is a Nosferatu Territory and holds a vast Necropolis. 4) The German Embassy: 1 Waverly Street. Mickel Gielissen‘s haven and main sphere of influence.
Carthian declares Praxis of Hull/Gatineau, in 2004 Aeffect challenging Mitchell‘s claim. Mitchell declares a duel against the Carthian, who refuses to stand for the Challenge. Mitchell declares a blood hunt against the Carthian and any of his followers unwilling to repent. Beltane destroys the remaining Kindred.
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that enjoys collecting boons. He was Harpy for many years after his embrace and kept his position even after the Ordo Dracul formally established leadership in 1912. His bones break frequently and loudly, and he enjoys the distressing effect this has on fellow kindred. He is the reason why House Fleur de Lys successfully left the city after their misstep (breaking the tradition of destruction). He has a Childe, Lord Navarra, in Montreal.
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City Status: **** Clan: Daeva (Clan Status **)
é City Status: ***** Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Aggressive, Withdrawn and Honorable. History: Embraced in France in 1615, he is the Childe of a Knight Commander in Auverniat. He left for the New World, seeking a better future for himself. Upon his arrival in Québec city he was recognized as a soldier and body guard by the Invictus, and concealed his true age. He was hound of the city for a few years, but carefully steered clear of politics in an Ordo Dracul dominated domain. Tired of the liberal regime of the Ordo Dracul and constant breaches of the Masquerade perpetrated in the City, he staged a coup in 2007 and took praxis.
Lancea Sanctum (Covenant ***) Covenant:Charismatic, Concept: Intellectual and Status Politician History: Tremblay is Priscus to the Daeva, long-time leader of the Sanctified faction in Québec city and a staunch Monachist. Tremblay is an avid politician who uses his religious power to his own benefit. However, he knows his catechism and educates his parishioners well. Bishop Tremblay is not the most beautiful Daeva around but when he opens his mouth to speak his beautiful rhetoric is like music from heaven.
é City Status: *** Clan: Gangrel (Clan Status **) Covenant: Circle of the Crone (Covenant Status ***). Concept: Faithful, Alert and Caring. History: Sophia Jarry came with her coterie of 6 members in the winter of 1998. She had been told by a Carthian friend that the apparent chaos in the city would help her coterie establish safe roots there. After ―pushing‖ her way to the Elysium, she manage d to convince the Nosferatu Priscus and no less than Vicomte de Ste-Foy to allow a Crone presence in the city. They received permission to hunt in Jacques-Cartier Park and vicinity. But, no Crone has the right to embrace, and if her coterie mates disturb the peace they will be forced to leave Québec. She agreed to all this. She and her coterie made a name for themselves when they fought the Brood in 2004.
City Status: **** Clan: Mekhet (Clan Status **) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status ***). Concept: Diplomatic, Wise and Mysterious. History: Alder Auguste arrived in Quebec in 1699, becoming an advisor to Bishop Gervais and the entire Lancea covenant, which he still maintains goodwill with today. His great age and perceived wisdom explains the respect all kindred in the city offer him. He has seen Quebec rise and fall and has served under several Princes. He is considered one of the ―pillar s‖ of the Requiem in Quebec. He is not known to have ever left the city since his arrival, and there are many rumours about the true nature of Alder Auguste.
City Status: **** Clan: Mekhet (Clan Status *) Covenant: Ordo Dracul (Covenant Status ***). Concept: Insightful, Patient andWell Learned. History: Maxime Gallant was embraced in Québec in 1887 by none other than Anthony Greer who was Prince from 1912-2007. It soon became apparent that Childe and Sire were not well-matched personalities. Maxime questioned a lot of his Sires decisions after his sire returned from torpor, in 1970. He is always thoughtful
City Status: **** Clan: Nosferatu (Clan Status ***) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status **) Concept: Prudent, Wise and Strategic. History: The third most important Invictus in Québec city, this Haunt is a true anomaly. He is a social creature 123
and eager to learn anything. Studious, he is considered one of the best scholars in the kindred community of Quebec. His understanding of the Great work and the Coils of the Dragon is astonishing. He is the lead kindred in the Ordo Dracul that maintains the Citadel of Quebec and master of all the treasure the Ordo have accumulated through the years.
City Status: *** Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status *) Covenant: Carthian (Covenant Status **).
1615 Arrival of Ludmilla from France. 1617 Arrival of Bishop Armand Gervais; Arrival of Alder René Beauchamps, first Duke of Quebec City (Invictus) 1618 Armand Gervais embraces a Jesuit – Pierre LeGloniec, the first French vampire of the new world.
Leader,Gagnon Loyal and Intimidating. Concept:Bernard History: is referred to as ―the Tank‖ by his fellow Carthians – but not in public. He is a massive 6‘7‖ and 350 pounds of muscle and bone. This Carthian is Valued in the city because when the Drakon d‘Enfer attacked Quebec, he was the first on the front line. He is a fighter, and a good one. He knows it, but he is also a good leader and a genuine personality; he hates Kindred Politics and the Danse Macabre but sadly understands that nothing he can do will change the situation. ―Better learn it and play with it than go against it and be destroyed‖ is his motto. He knows that the Carthians always had a hard time in Quebec, and this is a historical reality. Nevertheless, he himself has proved that his covenant could offer a positive contribution to the city if allowed to return in greater numbers. Bernard gets along well with Prince D‘Auvergne, n obody knows exactly why, but it has been to the benefit of the small community of Carthians in Quebec.
Nations Gangrel attack fails. Quebec, wanting to 1624 First remove interlopers, the attack 1633 Beauchamps seizes Praxis of Quebec with the strong support of the Bishop Gervais. 1635 Ludmilla and several other Crone make an attempt at seizing praxis. The attempted coup lasts three years 1638 Bishop Gervais casts out all Crone from the city with the Prince‘s backing. Ludmilla goes west and establishes herself in what will eventually become Montreal. 1656 Creation of first formal hunting grounds, the Lancea Monastery has the largest share. 1688 Construction of Notre-Dame des Victoires Church. A communal haven is established in the catacombs beneath. 1690 Prince Beauchamps is destroyed when the English siege Quebec. 1696 After six years unrest, Bishop Gervais steps in and declaresofhimself Prince the city.Archbishop of Quebec city and
1702 Hunting territories are reassigned to prevent a civil war. 1722 With the added pressure of extra-vampires and no changes in hunting ground the city is again reaching the boiling point. The very first civil war erupts between Invictus and the Sanctified. A month later, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham marks arrival of Jacob Nelson, who arrives with a coterie of British Invictus, who seize control of all significant institutions in the city, but do not seize praxis. 1773 Death of Archbishop Gervais at the hands of an unknown assassin. Immediate succession by the then Primogen of the Invictus – Alder Prince Mary Campbell, Marquise of St-Roch (Ventrue).
1)
Lancea Sanctum Monastery: Under the Jesuit chapel in old Quebec. Built in 1688 2) Ordo Dracul Academy: Citadelle de Québec 3) Salon Noir: Invictus Headquarters – The salon is like the Salon Bleu in the parliament of Quebec. It is in a secret passageway under the Price Building. 4) Club Dagobert: One the most well known clubs in the Province. Home of the Carthians. 5) Cavern near Cap Diamant: The Prince made a decree that the cavern is out of bounds to all. It is believed that the cavern is the doorway to the another ―dimension‖ 6) Jacques-Cartier Park: This big park is the home of the small Crone community.
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1951 Something ―other‖ comes out of the cavern on Cap Diamat. The Ordo Dracul uses most of their resources to hunt it down and destroy it. 1965 The Invictus begin to notice that fewer and fewer Dragons come to Elysium. More and more unexplained breaches of the Masquerade are noted. 1967 Vampires who go hunting near Cap Diamant go mad. 1968 By now, one-fifth of the city kindred population are driven mad or into torpor, the Invictus begin taking more control of the city. 1969 The Lancea Sanctum investigate the cavern at Cap Diamant, and claim to use obscure Theban magic to close ―an inter -dimensional doorway‖. Prince
1775 American invasion of Quebec, several havens are burned to the ground. The Invictus Nosferatu Nelson, backed by his coterie of British vampires repels them. 1778 Prince Campbell makes an alliance with the Ordo Dracul in order to establish a bulwark against the Circle of the Crone, said to be gathering their power just outside Quebec. 1815 The Invictus act to expel the nascent Carthian movement from Quebec. 1835 Another wave of pestilence causes many deaths in the city making hunting difficult. Three Elders go to torpor, weakening the Primogen Council. 1836 The Prince embraces three new Childer and grooms them to take the vacant positions on the Primogen Council. 1855 Invictus Ventrue André D ‘Auvergne arrives in Quebec, passing himself as a neonate. 1857 The Prince releases her Childer. Chaos ensues as they attempt to take over their respective covenants. Only one succeeds, becoming Sworn of the Mysteries in the Ordo Dracul. 1870 Andrew Connelly arrives from Boston, and names himself Bishop, taking the Lancea Primogen position left vacant all these years. 1883 Connelly is strong enough to butt heads with the Prince over her use of the blood hunt to destroy her political rivals. He marshals forces against her. A slow simmering war begins between then Lancea Sanctum and the Invictus, when the Prince loses influence in her own territory of St-Roch. 1898 The Invictus influence war with the Lancea comes to a nadir, both covenants significantly weakened. 1899 Bishop Connelly embraces Paul-Émile Tremblay, a local bureaucrat. 1901 Prince Mary Campbell dies. She was killed by her own Childe. The kindred of the city rejoice while the Primogen Council assumes leadership of the city. 1912 Tired of arguing over policy and backed by the Invictus and the Ordo Dracul, Prince Campbell ‘s child – Anthony Greer (Ventrue, Ordo Dracul) take praxis of Quebec city.
Greer slips torpor. but he does not seem the 1970 Prince Greerinto awakens, same vampire as he was. His decisions are increasingly detached from reality as the years pass. 1990 The city is almost in chaos because of the lack of leadership. No strong vampires are available to take Praxis. 1995 The parish archivist finds a record that reveals D‘Auvergne‘s true age and gives it to his Bishop. Connelly confronts D‘Auvergne and is attacked and sent into torpor for it by D‘Auvergne.
1998 A coterie of young Crone arrive in Quebec city. With no Lancea leadership and no Prince, they establish themselves in Jacques-Cartier Park. They draw no attention to themselves. 2000 Paul-Émile Tremblay takes the position of Bishop. 2004 The Drakon d‘Enfer coordinates a massive Brood attack against the city. makes and an alliance with Crone and 2005 D‘Auvergne remaining Invictus begins to huntthethem down. The surviving Brood members leave the city. 2007 D‘Auvergne declares Praxis and destroys Greer.
The current state of the city is good. The Masquerade is now well protected. D‘Auvergne is seen as a strong and wise leader, although he is quite reserved and withdrawn, leaving night-to-night affairs to his Herald and Seneschal.
1913 Jacob Nelson awakes from torpor and is name Prince‘s Harpy.
1915 The Prince officially takes over the Citadelle de Québec and makes it the official Academy. Invictus gainParliament influence during construction 1930 The of the Quebec‘s and, usethethat influence to build an underground ―Salon Noir‖ to hosts its events and meetings. 1931 Ordo Dracul fill the Invictus void by naming many Dragons to key positions within the city. 125
considered a source of wisdom, patience and moral leadership to the Carthians of Ontario.
City Status: ** Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Lancea Sanctum (Covenant Status: ***) Concept: Craven, Cautious and Pessimistic. History: Originally from Virginia in the United States, embraced in the 1760s, Henslowe arrives in Kingston shortly after as the American Revolutionary War in 1785, seeking a domain to establish a Kindred Parish more
City Status: ***** Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status **) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status ***) Concept: Traditionalist, Keen and Empathic. History: Originally from Sussex, England, White was embraced during the English Civil War. He lived in England for many years with his Sire; he saw the effects of the plague, and the Great Fire of London. He bore witness to the changes that ravaged his country, and was amazed at what Man called progress. Joining his sire within the Invictus was natural, and he embraced quickly the Unconquered philosophy and core tenets. It was a surprise when his sire approached him one night with projects about the New World. It seemed inevitable that New England would someday prosper to be more than a savage colony, and those who acted now would help make certain that the lands beyond the ocean would not be dominated by savages and heathens. The First Estate needed to send promising kindred to the colonies, and White was an ideal candidate. At the end of 1783, White
suited to hisofown Westminsterian far fromInthe1800 eye and hand spiritual rivals andfaith detractors. Henslowe was anointed as Bishop, and has served as such ever since.
City Status: * Clan: Mekhet (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Circle of the Crone (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Spiritual, Determined and Protective. History: Horizon‘s name was, srcinally, ―Caneadea‖ meaning ‗the horizon‘ in Oneida, she translated her name
for the convenience of the Kingston Court. She was born a Mohawk of the Turtle Clan. Horizon was a renowned leader of her nation, she led the Oneida through the devastating attacks by the French, and kept the Alliance strong. By 1698, she was an old woman. She had given peace, stability and prosperity to her people and knew she could join the ancestors with pride. She left her village after lengthy celebrations in order to find honorable death. She found death, and then life beyond death as she was embraced by an unknown Mekhet. She is an ally and Mentor to Kashteka, the Prince of Cornwall.
arrived in what Loyalists. would become Kingston, beingever settled by United Empire He has been Prince since his arrival.
City Status: ** Clan: Daeva (Clan Status **) Covenant: Carthian (Covenant Status: *** *) Concept: Warm, Brave and Courageous. History: Anne claims to be from Madagascar. She spent the first half of her Kindred existence, fighting the slave trade. She was embraced in 1817, fleeing slavery in the United States to Canada. Her sire did not survive the journey. Anne embraced the cause of abolition, and helped slaves escaping the United States settle in Ontario. She has built an entire network of Kindred in the many
City Status: *** Clan: Daeva (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Lancea Sanctum (Covenant Status: *) Concept: Graceful, Religious and Ponderous. History: Embraced in 1770, Isabelle was not an exceptional woman in any way. Last surviving direct relative of Charlotte Laurier‘s mortal life, she was
embraced because Charlotte would not see the end of her kin. Isabelle joined the Invictus and was educated as a great lady of the Court. In 1788, following the new praxis, her sire decided to leave the city, but Isabelle remains in Kingston. She was named master of Elysium in 1808. Isabelle joined the Lancea in 1830.
small towns and between and Kingston, and maintains her cities own small courtToronto in Belleville. She also leads the small Carthian covenant of Kingston. She is renowned for her beauty, and seems to make a point of only embracing equally beautiful Childer. Anne is also
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increased and prison reforms were instituted to make quite certain this would not happen again.
City Status: ** Clan: Nosferatu (Clan Status: *) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: *) Concept: Severe, Inquisitive and Cold. History: Rundell doesn‘t remember much of his mortal life. Indoctrinated in the way of the Invictus, he has no other purpose than serve, protect and defend. He arrived in Kingston in 1919. He was appointed Reeve in 2009 when Stephen Bryce was sent into torpor.
Several decrees have been made by the Master of Elysium, the two main one forbids the destruction or vandalism of the Art present, and forbids magic of any kind (with exception of the Lancea Sanctum‟s right to use their gifts in open masses and blessings). 1) ETHERINGTON HOUSE: The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is operated by Queen's University. The centre holds 12-15 exhibitions annually, as well as artists' talks and performances, lectures, symposia, workshops, and public school and family programs. Although primarily funded through the university, the Gallery Association raises awareness of and funds for the gallery through the activities of its volunteer committees, the Gallery Shop and the Art Rental & Sales Gallery. It has been the main Elysium for the Kindred of the domain for more than a century.
City Status: ** Clan: Ventrue (Clan Status: **) Covenant: Invictus (Covenant Status: **) Concept: Ambitious, Keen and Perfectionist. History: Bailey was a notary in life that achieved great renown amongst the kine with his determination and perfectionist nature. He was embraced in 1900 by Prince White, he was trained by a renowned Au Pair in England for fifteen years before returning to Kingston. He was then trained as an Invictus notary, and since 1925, not an agreement is made in the city without his reviewing it. 1)
By decree of Prince Atwater Harrington White, any one violating these territories will be accused of High Treason and will be sentenced to Final Death by Fire. 1) CANADIAN FORCES BASE KINGSTON: Considering the significance of such an important institution in his territory, Prince White declared the Base off limits to kindred, as well as any of the soldiers and officers attending it. 2) ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA: Considering the significance of such an important institution in his territory, Prince White declared the College off limits, as well as any of the students and officers attending it. 3) KINGSTON PENITENTIARY: White has decreed this untouchable because he, himself, has influence with the Prison ‘s board and uses it to quietly hold enemies of his domain during
Protected by the Law of Domain. HOTEL DIEU HOSPITAL: Although the Hospital has not been given as a territory officially by the Prince, it is commonly known as the Nosferatu Hunting Ground. The reason for this is quite unusual and mysterious by any
standard: the is cursed. Any butsince the Nosferatu thatHospital have entered the Hospital the typhus epidemic have felt most unwelcomed to the point of fleeing the area within a few minutes 2) QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY: One of Canada‘s top universities, Queens was founded in 1841 with a royal charter from Queen Victoria. Much of the Queen's campus consists of old picturesque limestone buildings and unique Romanesque Revival and neo-gothic architecture.. Save for the Etherington House (which is Elysium), this is the territory of the First Estate.
interrogations, or to ‗‘store‘‘ torpid kindred of
his House. In 1971, a riot at Kingston Penitentiary lasted four days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Security was substantially 127
