Venue Name:
Dominion of Solitude (KS-001), Sanguine Harvest/Topeka (KS-D02)
Genre:
Mage
Contact:
Kevin Brown [email protected]
Place/Time:
The time will be the First and Third Saturday of every month starting at around 12:30. There will be a one dollar fee for site expenses.
IC Event Locations and Times:
Varies.
OOC Directions:
Varies. See contact info.
Theme/Mood:
BACKGROUND OF TOPEKA FOR THE MAGE VENUE
written by Dave Petty, 2000-06-39, Mage Primary ST for DOS.
NOTE: This is still pending the final approvals for the 5.1 Supplement, but I don't expect any major changes. Anything that does get changed will get updated on future versions of this document and an addendum will be released letting everyone know what they are.
Anyway, sit back, enjoy your popcorn, and let me take you on a tour of history as it should have been...
This area of the United States always was a hotbed of activity between the Traditions and the Technocracy, dating back to the civil war. Bleeding Kansas was sparked by larger issues, but both sides used the chaos of the Civil War to do their own fair share of guerrilla raiding. The main Technocracy base in the area was out of Kansas City, and Topeka had a large Chantry on the outskirts of town in the eastern portion of the lands, disguised as a rich family's mansion. However, as the Civil War broke out in full force, the Technocracy used their influence with the government to get some army troops billeted there, and quietly destroyed it as a "rebel raiding base". Strangely enough, for such a major chantry, they found very little in the way of resources.
Old records have it as a strangely universal chantry for the times. Members from all Traditions came and went fairly peacefully, as wasn't always the case. But, after the Technocracy rolled through, nothing more was heard from Topeka for quite awhile. About this time, there started to be a strange decline in the amount of free Quintessence in the area. Also, Tradition mages started having problems working magic in the area. Reality was strangely more static, and Paradox struck harder and nastier. Because of this, the Traditions haven't had much of a presence in Topeka. There always has been a small Dreamspeaker presence on the local reservations, but they kept to themselves, slowly losing touch with the rest of the Council of Nine, and their own Tradition. What little contact they had was very much restricted, and they have passed into the realm of rumor. Nobody is sure whether or not they still are around, or how to contact them if they are. Things were extremely quiet for the next hundred and thirty years or so. The Technocracy has quietly clamped an iron fist over the area, and little went on that escaped their notice. Rumors began to spread that the local head of the Technocracy had a severe hate on for Tradition mages, and would go to great lengths to kill them. Painfully and slowly. As a result, anyone from this city quickly learned to keep their heads down and stay underground, or the hammer would drop.
However, about a month before the start of play, a call went out through the Tradition grapevine that things were about to change. A gathering was called, although nobody knows quite who or how this was done. The channels used were secure, however, so it's apparently not a Technocracy trick. Once everyone arrived, it became obvious that the rumors were all true. Topeka was a short step away from being a Technocracy-made killing ground, and you all were in the crosshairs. However, suddenly and without warning, everything changed...
The Gauntlet is now a near-impassable maelstrom that has claimed the lives of a few brave adventurers who were cast out, broken and bleeding. The Technocracy presence in the area has mysteriously vanished, and the flows of Quintessence have taken a major jump for no apparent reason. Magic has become far easier. Why is this? And what is that strange, near-subliminal pull you all feel in the backs of your minds. What mysteries draw you to the old ruined mansion at the edges of town...
Character restrictions:
None.
Proxy rules:
As per current Cam supplement. Proxy will be non-existant during the first ghree months as part of the national plotkit.
Travel risks:
None specified.
Challenges:
As per current Cam supplement.
Venue Storyteller
Name: Kevin Brown
Title: Lead ST
Phone: (?)
Email: [email protected]
Passed Thespis (y/n): Unknown
Style:
Topeka's Mage game is about a fresh start from a harsh and gritty background. Topeka has long been a Technocracy stronghold, and anyone making waves in the city was rather brutally killed. However, change is in the wind... A call went out announcing this, and people started to gather. Upon arrival, they found that Topeka was as harsh as the rumors claimed, and a few unlucky souls gave their lives to prove that point. However, all of a sudden, the promised changes came down with a vengeance... First, what has come to be known as the Avatar Storm, cutting the Umbra off from casual travel, and maiming or killing outright many of the Masters and Adepts on Earth. Secondly, the Technocracy's overwhelming presence in Topeka has vanished. All of a sudden, reality has gotten a lot easier to work with, and small nodes are springing up and vanishing in places that they've never been seen before... What is causing all this? Why are the rules changing? What made Topeka a free and open city? And what is that strange pull you feel at the back of your mind...
Antagonists:
No specific venue antagonists specified.
Venue rules:
Mage optional rules under 5.1 that are in use are: Dynamic Magic, Fast-Casting, Paradox Flaws, and Paradox Realms.
Mage optional rules under 5.1 that are not in use are: Consensus Coincidence.
XP awarding is unaltered from Laws of Ascension, p121. (Base 1xp per game, with additional xp for exceptional roleplaying, etc.)
No variation from suggested influence setup in Prime.
Visiting character/plot policy:
I will run influences but I will need approval from out of town player's storytellers if they want to do something with their influences here.
Style of Play
4 : Intrigue (politics and negotiation)
3 : Action (combat and challenges)
5 : Mystery (enigmas and investigation)
3 : Drama (ceremony and characterization)
2 : Darkness (probability of player character death or corruption)
(1-No content of this type, 2-Minimal (usually player introduced), 3-Occasional, 4-Consistent (available every game), 5-Focus of Game.)