CH take 2

‘Callahan’s Keep’ itself is an Irish-style castle built in Escondido, California. To outsiders, it is a local landmark known to serve as a tavern, as well as an inn with an impressive capacity. It’s a place that everyone knows about, and most people go to once in a while, but it rarely makes the news. Casual patrons will recognize a lot of regulars, but rarely see them out in the streets.

 

As a channel, Callahan’s Keep is a World of Darkness roleplay channel. Humans continue to increase their population, advance their technology, and encroach into new places. The various supernaturals feel the pressure of this; Vampires find it harder to hide, Werewolves lose territory, Mages find it harder to pass magic as coincidence, and Changelings have their dreams slowly forgotten. In addition to this, each group, for their own reasons, finds it difficult to increase their numbers at a rate comparable to humanity; some, in fact, are losing numbers steadily. Those who dwell in the dark corners of Escondido are testing a way to bolster their numbers in a hurry – cooperation.

 

With Vampires, Werewolves, Changelings, and Mages all working together just a little bit, they become a single force with a much higher population. Each one can affect the world in different ways, and by lending these skills out to their neighbors, each can do more good than any could alone. This is not to say, of course, that all of them – or even any of them – like this arrangement. The alliance is very tense and delicate at the moment, and most supernaturals are still very shy of those outside their particular lineage of monster.

 

The alliance applies to vampires of the Camarilla only. Sabbat, Independents, and even Anarchs are fair game to the Garou. The local Camarilla is very welcoming to Antitribu converts, at least, so a bloodline is not a death sentence. As an exception, the Giovanni have bought their way into the alliance – they have the protection the other Kindred have, but not the clout.

 

Garou of the thirteen tribes are welcome, with the Stargazers being a tenuous addition. Beyond werewolves, all known Changing Breeds are welcome in the alliance. The shifters are attempting to set up their own version of the eastern Beast Courts, with modest success. Notably, the Coyotes have not agreed to the alliance, but they seem to follow it.

 

More information on Changelings to come once the book has been re-read.

 

More info in Mages to be written up as well – for now, Technocratic mages are not playable characters, and some unknown party keeps killing them in Escondido. Mages in general will be forced to adhere to the book rules and may have additional limitations on them – they are not all-powerful here.

 

Wraiths, Mummies, Exhalted, Demons, Angels, and Hunters are out for assorted reasons.

 

If you want to play a Ghoul or Kinfolk or some such, you may, but you’ll have limited character slots when we kick into gear.

 

In terms of the supernatural population of the city, there are far, far more residents than the player characters. The Camarilla’s court is full, the positions in the Caern are accounted for, etcetera. Assume there are plenty of your own kind running around with their own needs and plans.

 

The Keep itself is the center of the action. The second floor is a large tavern where mortals do not tread, and each supernatural is free to be what they are. Assume similar rules to a vampire’s Elysium.

 

So, what can you play today? Right now, until everything gets set up, we’re mostly doing free-form. Please remember that when it’s time to write up characters, you’ll have limited slots, and won’t be able to keep playing a character you don’t have space for. Also, remember that nothing we’re doing right now is guaranteed to be canon once we really get going. Please try to hold off on the really weird stuff for right now; save it for sheet time.

 

In general, your character should be a newcomer to the city, experiencing this way of life for the first time. Until things get set up, we’ll gloss over you having to meet with the Prince/Alpha/Fairy King/Magus Grande/whatever before you can run around the city. We’ll tighten down on that once the game starts in full.

 

One important note in the channel is a necessary theme of tolerance – whether happily or begrudgingly, people are trying to get along. Please do not attempt to play someone who has an unbridled hatred of any of the playable character types. It’s fine if your Garou hates vampires, but he’ll need to be someone who can bite his tongue and behave when he needs to.

 

Tal and Trish are the STs and can run NPCs; for rules and such, please refer to Trish. Pop in and talk to one of them to get the go-ahead to start playing, and have a good time while we build up the background.