Interregnum: a break in continuity.

Interregnum: an Old World Of Darkness Vampire LARP, starting in July.

In 1588, exhausted by his efforts against the Spanish Armada, Mithras, Prince of London, and greatest scion of the Ventrue, fell in to Torpor.

For over four hundred years, the Sabbat and Camarilla have waged secret, bloody war, for control of London. Neither side has successfully held power in London for longer than two years in four centuries.

Time marched on, and by the nineteenth century it had simply became accepted that warfare was the natural state of London. Kindred who were clever and quick might survive, even prosper there, for a time. It became viewed as a rite of passage for the Ancillae of Europe to spend six months to a year there, and a very small number of Elders managed to carve out small niches for themselves within the city, and hold them against the tides of war. Slowly, very, very slowly, stability returned to London. By the start of the twentieth century, it was generally accepted that the Camarilla held the North and West of London, and the Sabbat, the South and East. Clashes along the borders were normal, but something approaching equilibrium was reached.

And then, on the night of Wednesday the 6th of May, 1998, every single kindred in London vanished.

For ten years, London has stood more or less empty. Both the Camarilla and the Sabbat declared the city anathema – a cursed place. Some few anarchs, autarks, and malcontents moved in at various times to try and settle the city, and were swiftly been rooted out by the Archons and the Templars. If the Camarilla or Sabbat could not have London, then no-one would.

Then, in 2007, the unthinkable happened. An open and acknowledged meeting between the Justicars of the Camarilla, the Cardinals of the Sabbat, and representatives from the major indepedant Clans, a first in over eight hundred years, declared that London was to be reopened to any kindred brave enough to settle there. London is simply too important to be left ungoverned for long.

All sides agreed that for a time, at least, it was imperative that London not devolve back into open war. And so the city was given over, for a decade, into the hands of the Giovanni. In return, the Giovanni handed several of their most potent artifacts over to the Cardinals and the Justicars, as surety that they would step aside in ten years time.

This, then, is London. Interregnum has been declared.

The Camarilla will have their Prince, with authority over the Camarilla. The Sabbat will have their Archbishop, to lead their crusade. But for a decade, they may not make war on one another. If a member of one sect should be discovered to have slain a member of the other, then their life is forfeit, and there can be no appeal. On any other disputed matter, the Giovanni will hear representations from the Prince and the Bishop, and them only, and will arbitrate between the two.

This, then, is London. The normal order of things is gone.

But elders on both sides are naturally cautious creatures. They do not expose themselves to their mortal enemies lightly, and whatever secrets London holds have already claimed the lives of hundreds of kindred. So for the first time in the thousands of years of London’s history, it is the young, the quick and the brave who truly have a chance to shine.

This, then, is London. Ripe for the taking.

This is not intended to be a detailed guide to the world, or to limit player backgrounds, this is just to provide a very brief gazetteer to allow you to decide where your character has been in the past. Players should feel free to invent any detail they need in their backgrounds, provided it doesn’t contradict what’s written here. That doesn’t mean that every detail will always get approved, but this gives us all a common base to work from.

The British Isles

Edinburgh – A Camarilla City, held by the Nosferatu Prince James Craig since the 1770s. Unsurprisingly, James is known for his keen interest in the arts, and while some Toreador from other courts might sneer at him, they would be foolish indeed to assume he doesn’t know that, and more foolish still to do it to his face. In Edinburgh, however, the sizeable Toreador and Ventrue populations have nothing but praise for him.

Glasgow – Currently ruled by Archbishop Morag McDonald of the Tzimcie, this city is a comparatively recent Sabbat stronghold, taken from the Camarilla Prince Black in the 1960s. While it went through a length period of conflict in the 60s and 70s, by the late eighties, the Camarilla were forced to concede defeat.

Newcastle – Ruled by Prince Christopher Blake of the Ventrue. The City has been Camarilla for a long time, but Prince Blake only came to power in the late nineties, after the Gangrel left the Camarilla, and the previous Prince Carmichael of that Clan was forced to step down. The new regime is still considered young and potentially unstable by many.

Manchester – Ruled by Prince Chetham of Clan Toreador since 1730. Has has its ups and downs over the 20th Century, and he’s had to see off a couple of challengers over the centuries – most recently a Ventrue, but it’s still considered on the great cities of the UK.

Liverpool – Ruled by Michael Dunsirn of the Giovanni since 1912, when the Giovanni took it from the Sabbat after a surprisingly short and bloodless conflict. It wasn’t quite a direct handover, but as far as anyone can tell, the Sabbat put up a token resistance, and then withdrew with no casualties.

Cardiff – Ruled by Price Ingrid Gryffyth of the Ventrue, and has been since the fourteenth Century. Cardiff is generally considered a model of Camarilla stability, but this is perhaps because not terrible many people want to go there. Those that make it their home seem happy enough.

Birmingham – Held by Archbishop Miles Kirk of the Lasombra since the 1860s, this in an old Sabbat stronghold, and one that has always had curiously cordial relations with most of the other cities of the UK, regardless of who holds them – the city has always been open to trade with members of any Sect, even if their personal presence might not be tolerated within the city limits.

Belfast – Is a Brujah city, held by Prince Andrew Turnbull. The Troubles were a result of his falling into torpor in the early seventies, after which time his childer fought amongst themselves for control of the province, but he came out of Torpor in the mid-nineties, and took some fairly direct action to sort things out, and things now seem to be improving.

Dublin – Held by Eamon O’Connell of the Ventrue who took charge when the previous Gangrel Prince Caradoc, who had ruled the area since the 8th century went into torpor in the 1930s. While O’Connell’s rules was initially seen as boon for the area, and particularly so over the last two decade, there are unsubstantiated rumours in some quarters that Caradoc has recently come out of his torpor, and wants his throne back.

The Rest Of The World

Paris – Has been held by Camarilla since the late 18th Century when the silightly unusual ruling duo of Ventrue and Toreador, Henri and Gabrielle de la Tour drove out the previous Sabbat regieme. The de la Tours were brother and sister in life and are rumoured to be even closer in undeath.

Berlin – Prince Ekkehardt of the Toreador has succesfully held this city since 1918, but for the last 18 months, the city has been under siege by the Sabbat. The two sides seem more or less evenly matched for now, but there are those on both sides who whisper that this has gone on for rather too long.

Geneva – Prince Adrienne Tschudi of the Ventrue has held Geneva since 1493, and this is where any grand Conclaves of the Camarilla are held. While Sect business often takes them elsewhere for years at a time, two Justicars are known to have permanent residences in the city – Justicar Tyler of the Ventrue, and Justicar von Brucke of the Malkavians.

Madrid – One of the great Sabbat strongholds, this city has been held by Cardinal Moncada of the Lasombra since very shortly after the birth of the Sect. Moncada is, unsurprisingly, a dominant figure in Sabbat strategy across Europe. He’s not known for issuing direct commands, but it’s a foolish Archbishop who does not give at least strong consideration to his advice.

Sofia – Bulgaria’s capital was Clan Assamite’s great stronghold in Europe until the Second World War, when they were driven out a lose coalition of Anarchs under the leadership of Alexander Dratchev of Clan Brujah.  While the regime started out with claims of grand plans to change the nature of Kindred society, the city has more or less become just minor Camarilla princedom, something the younger elements in the city resent very strongly.

Moscow - Ruled by the Malkavian Prince Galina Petrova since the 15th century, Moscow has seen more than it’s share of ups and downs, and while it now seems relatively stable, Petrova has been seen less and less at court recently, and her commands are increasingly being issued through her child (and seneschal) Petr Galinov.

New York – After heavy fighting, the Camarilla have recently retaken the city from the Sabbat. The current Prince, Mercedes of Clan Ventrue, is known to be a harsh disciplinarian with very little tolerance for any attempt to bend or break his rules – unsurpising, given the recent history of the city, and the fact that there are still small pockets of Sabbat resistance in and near the domain.

Vampires and their mythology

Caine: The biblical first murderer, made into the first vampire by God’s curse. Long since lost to legend.

Generation: The number of “steps” between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the first vampire a given vampire is.

Antediluvian: A member of the dreaded Third Generation, one of the eldest Kindred in existence.

Gehenna: The mythical Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of Kindred and the world.

The Book of Nod: A loose collection of Kindred legendary and history. The Book of Nod chronicles the origin of the Kindred, though it has never been published in its entirety. Fragments of the document and its many partial transcriptions circulate among certain strata of Kindred society.

The Vampiric Condition

The Embrace: The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire. The Embrace requires the vampire to drain her victim and then replace that victim’s blood with a bit of her own.

Childe: A vampire created through the Embrace – the childe is the progeny of her sire. This term is often used derogatorily, indicating inexperience. Plural childer.

Sire: A vampire’s “parent”; the Kindred who created her.

Lineage: A vampire’s bloodline; the Kindred’s sire, sire’s sire, etc.

Clan: A group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on by the Blood. There are 13 known clans, all of which were reputedly founded by members of the Third Generation.

The Beast: The inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, ravening monster.

Blood: A vampire’s heritage; that which makes a vampire a vampire.

Blood Bond: A mystical power over another individual engendered by partaking of a particular vampire’s blood thrice; accepting blood from a vampire is an acknowledgment of her mastery.

Diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred’s blood, to the point of the victim’s Final Death. Vampires of high generation may lower their generation through this practice, and thus increase their power; particularly ancient Kindred are rumoured tp have such rarefied tastes that mortal blood no longer sustains them, and they must consume vampire blood. Among the Camarilla, there is no greater crime, and anyone convicted of it can expect swift death.

Ghoul: A minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without draining her of blood first (which would create a vampire instead).

Golconda: A fabled state of vampiric transcendence; the true mastery of the Beast and balance of opposing urges and principles. Rumored to be similar to mortal Nirvana, Golconda is greatly touted but rarely achieved

Humanitas: The extent to which a Kindred still maintains her humanity.

The Hunger: The urge to feed, as with any living creature. For vampires, however, the Hunger replaces all other drives with its own powerful call.

The Kiss: To drink blood, especially from a mortal. The Kiss causes feelings of ecstasy in those who receive it.

Progeny: All of a given vampire’s childer, collectively. Less formal, and less flattering, is Get.

Regnant: A Kindred who holds a blood bond over another.

Retainer: A human who serves a vampiric master. This term is almost archaic, referring to a time when vampires kept vast entourages of mortal servants as part of their estates.

Domitor: A ghoul’s master; one who feeds her blood and issues her commands.

Age and Social Standing

Fledgling: A newly created vampire, often still under her sire’s protection, generally someone who has been a vampire for less than 2 years.

Neonate: A young Kindred, recently Embraced, between 2 and 25 years old.

Ancilla: A “proven” vampire, between the elders and the neonates. Generally between 25 and 300 years old. The majority of active vampires fall somewhere into this age range.

Elder: A vampire who has experienced three or more centuries of unlife. Elders are the most active participants in the Jyhad, and tend to be the rulers of any given city.

Methuselah: A vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer exists among the greater whole of Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the Fourth and Fifth Generations.

Society

Sect: A group of Kindred arguably united under a common philosophy. The three most widely known sects currently populating the night are the Camarilla, the Inconnu and the Sabbat.

The Camarilla: A sect of vampires governed by a set of Traditions designed to secure the security and longevity of the vampire race, particularly that of the Masquerade.

The Sabbat: A sect of vampires that rejects humanity, embracing their monstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestial and violent, preferring to lord over mortals rather than hide from them.

Inconnu: A sect of vampires who have removed themselves from Kindred concerns and, largely, the J yhad. Many Methuselahs are rumored to exist among the Inconnu.

Anarch: A Kindred rebel who opposes the tyranny of elders. Anarchs wish to redistribute the wealth and resources of a city equitably among the vampires therein. Naturally, the elders oppose this, having cultivated their influence for centuries.

Autarkis: A Kindred who remains outside the larger vampire society of a given city and often refuses to acknowledge the claim of a prince.

Caitiff: A vampire of unknown clan, or of no clan at all. Caitiff are typically of high generation, where Caine’s blood dilutes too greatly to pass any consistent characteristics.

Coterie: A small group or “pack” of Kindred, united by the need for support and sometimes common interests.

Haven: A vampire’s “home”; where she finds sanctuary from the sun.

The Jyhad: The secret, self-destructive war waged between vampires. Elder vampires manipulate their lessers, using them as pawns in a terrible game whose rules defy comprehension.

Kindred: The race of vampires as a whole, or a single vampire. According to rumor, this term came about in the 15th or 16th century, after the Great Anarch Revolt. Sabbat vampires scorn the term.

Cainite: A vampire; a member of the race of Caine. The prefered term among the Sabbat.

Canaille: The bovine masses of humanity, especially the uncultured and unsavory. The Canaille are viewed primarily as a source of sustenance.

Kine: A term for mortals, largely contemptuous. The phrase Kindred and kine refers to the world at large; everything.

Lextalionis: The code of the Kindred and the system for punishing transgression. It suggests Hammurabian or Biblical justice – an eye for an eye, and punishment in keeping with the grievance.

The Camarilla

Elysium: A place where vampires may gather and discourse without fear of harm. Elysium is commonly established in opera houses, theaters, museums and other locations of culture.

Domain: An area of a particular vampire’s influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.

Masquerade, The: The habit (or Tradition) of hiding the existence of vampires from humanity. Designed to protect the Kindred fromdestruction at the hands of mankind, the Masquerade was adopted after the Inquisition claimed many Kindred unlives.

Primogen: The leaders in a given Camarilla-run city; a body of elders, who serve as advisors to the prince, typically, but by no means always, composed of one member from each clan present in a city.

Prince: A vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as her own, particularly a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term can refer to a Kindred of either sex.

Praxis: The right of princes to govern; the prince’s claim to domain. This term also refers to the prince’s matters of policy and individual edicts and motions.

The Traditions: The laws by which the Camarilla is governed.  See The Tradtions.

Inner Circle: The council of elders that controls the Camarilla and its politics. No one knows how many Kindred sit on the Inner Circle, let alone their names and Clans.

Justicar: A roving representative of the Inner Circle charged with upholding the Traditions and laws. There is one Justicar for each clan, elected to a 13-year term by the Inner Circle and subject to replacement (in theory – very often, the same Justicar is re-elected) at the end of the term. Justicars have sweeping powers, including the right of destruction, to enforce the laws and traditions.

Archon: A vampire in the retinue of a justicar. Archons are generally nomadic in nature, frequently pursuing Kindred who have fled to avoid persecution at the hands of the Camarilla.

The Sabbat

Auctoritas Ritae: A collection of 13 rituals practiced by all vampires of the Sabbat, upheld in a manner similar to the Biblical Ten Commandments.

Pack: A group of Sabbat who have sworn the Vaulderie to one another. A Sabbat may belong to only one pack at a time -usually the one that enacted her Creation Rites – though she may have ties of blood to other packs from her past.

Priest: The leader of Sabbat rites in a given pack. The spiritual leader of a pack, the priest is (theoretically) below the ductus in “rank,” though this is not true of every pack.

Ductus: The leader of a Sabbat pack. This title is a highly subjective one, sometimes held by the meanest thug in a pack while acquired through genuine merit or ritual combat at other times. The ductus decides the logistical affairs of her pack, though the wise ductus gives careful ear to her packmates’ voices.

Bishop: A vampire who serves or advises an archbishop, or a vampire who maintains Sabbat influence in a city with the aid of others of equal status. (Those who are in the know liken bishops to the primogen of the Camarilla.)

Archbishop: A vampire who serves as the leader of a city under the Sabbat’s influence. Not every Sabbat-held city claims an archbishop; some have councils of bishops.

Paladin: A Sabbat vampire who serves another important vampire as an assassin or bodyguard. Also known as templars, paladins are greatly feared for their disciplined martial prowess.

Cardinal: A Sabbat vampire who oversees the influential affairs of a large territory. Each cardinal is attended by a group of archbishops, who govern affairs on local city levels.

Regent: The “leader” of the Sabbat, insofar as the sect recognizes one. Only one regent exists at a time.

Code of Milan: An oft-referenced but rarely seen document developed as a code of conduct for Sabbat vampires. Some Sabbat scoff at it, claiming that codifying the sect’s behavior runs counter to everything the Sabbat stands for.  See The Code of Milan.

Creation Rites: The special ritual marking a Sabbat vampire as becoming a true member of the sect. The Creation Rites differ from the Embrace in that anyone can be Embraced, but until he receives the Creation Rites, the recruit is not a member of the Sabbat (and thus, not considered a vampire.. .).

Vaulderie: A mingling of the blood of all vampires in a pack, which is then consecrated by the pack priest and consumed by all members of the pack.

Vinculum: A “blood tie” that creates an artificial loyalty to another member of one’s pack, like a minor blood bond. Vinculi result from partaking in the Vaulderie.