MAGE: THE AWAKENING IN CANADA
VENUE STYLE SHEET 2008 - 2009
PART 1: BASIC INFORMATION
Affiliate Nation: Canada
Location Code: CA-001-N
Venue: Mage: the Awakening
Lead Storyteller: Stephen Near, CA200308002
Storyteller Contact: ccfc.anst.awakening@gmail.com
PART 2: PLAY STYLE
Action (Combat and challenges): 1
Character Development (Personal dilemmas and choices) 4
Darkness (PC death or corruption) 3
Drama (Ceremony and grand story) 4
Intrigue (Politics and negotiation) 5
Manners (Social etiquette and peer pressure) 4
Mystery (Enigmas and investigation) 4
Rating Description
1 Never present
2 Sometimes present
3 Often present
4 Usually present
5 Always present
PART 3: DESCRIPTION OF VENUE
Theme: In the here and now, lie the ruins of a forgotten past and the seeds of an uncertain future.
Canada, a land of secrets and the seat of Dominion - a once powerful Awakened governing body - is a country at a crossroads. A powerful Lie now blankets the land in the wake of an Abyssal storm that felled the majority of Canada's Awakened and destroyed Dominion more than thirty years ago. Awakened across the land now know little, or nothing, of the shared occult heritage they allegedly share. Indeed, contemporary Consilii are now firmly ruled by rival mages and opposing Orders who vie for power, prestige, and sovereignty. Alliances are rare as mages hoard secrets and plot against their neighbors. All the while, though the rise of Seer conspiracies, plagues of Banisher cults, and Abyssal intrusions clearly pose a threat that must be opposed they are more often than not successful in weakening the Pentacle in the here and now. Can a country ruled by factions and rivalries overcome division towards the common goal of an Awakened nation? Or is the Dominion of old truly dead?
Mood: Suspicion and Desperation
The Awakened of Canada are slow to trust any save those with whom they share a close bond or debt of favour and fidelity. Cabals and local Order caucuses often demarcate where loyalties end while city-level Ruling Councils and Hierarchs concern themselves only with organizing said groups towards the protection and growth of the local domain. Mages in one city balk at the prospect of seeking outside alliances except under the most dire of circumstances. And, yet, such circumstances do occur. Even as factionalism grows, and Order mages spy on one another, allied sorcerers huddle in their own cabals for some measure of hope and comfort. And, indeed, there is desperate need for such hope. Infernal pacts, devilish deals, and complex oaths bind and entrap mages to servitude. Be it to one another or to other unseen forces, mages go to desperate measures to secure Hallows, rare Artifacts, political prestige, or the secrets of the ages buried in the dark roots of the country's past. But desperate measures always a carry a price that, oftentimes, is much too high.
Settings:
The First Nation Foundation: Canada's most sacred and respected traditions stem from the wisdom and lore of the land's aboriginal 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 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 the Pentacle all exert subtle yet potent influence. All such groups work to influence the destiny of the nation and, through their machinations, so do the Awakened Orders.
Awakened Rivals: The Awakened of Canada, be they affiliated with an Order or apostasy, largely agree in the 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 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, obsolesce and eliminate the Pentacle. If there is a secret tradition of tenets and beliefs guiding the Seers it 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.
Groups:
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 ley line 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, 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 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.
The Black Warren: An occult underground thrives in the cities and towns of the 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 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 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 for themselves in preparation for the hunt against others of their kind.
Storytelling:
Narration and negotiation: LARP is a form of improvisational storytelling that depends upon consensus between the storytellers and the players. Players and VSTs should always keep this in mind when participating in the National venue. Negotiation and discussion of any ideas for plots or NPCs are welcome and will always be considered by the ANST: Awakening although not everything suggested or pitched will be approved of or incorporated into the National game.
Players as Protagonists: The player cast of the Awakened venue are the main characters of the story. All PCs attached to this National VSS or any other sanctioned VSS in Canada will receive priority on involvement in National-level Plot kits. What PCs do, or don't do, will largely determine the direction of the National venue. Dark Point Consiliums and antagonists exist off-stage and will largely go about their own business without the interference of PCs. However, should PCs wish to exert their own influence to affect the Dark Points they will see results of some sort. In this sense, Dark Point NPCs exist as background roles for setting coloration, mentoring, and the dealing of favors from the shadows.
Secrets and Rumors: PCs in the National game will regularly receive secrets and rumors from Dark Point NPCs to give them a hint of the larger Canadian mystic landscape. These same NPCs will often communicate and correspond with the PCs in the form of emails distributed by the National office. Be it to spread news of political activities or to warn of dire mystic events, correspondence between PCs and NPCs is the primary way in which the National game will influence the smaller, local domain cast members as PCs are expected to bring the information they learn into their local game.
Canon Archetypes: For the most part, the NPCs of the Awakened Canada are drawn very heavily from the archetypes presented in the canon material. Rivalries and stereotypes presented as typical in the books are especially true in the DpotM areas of the country and will present PCs with more liberal tendencies or open beliefs with diplomatic problems.
Proxy Rules: As per the Camarilla Addendum. Characters from the US and other Affiliate Nations are requested to contact the ANST: Awakening when Proxying to Canada and must give at least a week's notice, as well as a copy of your character sheet in Excel format, with any appropriate approval numbers, so we can verify everything before you come> As well, we require a complete and thorough description of the PC's actions within the National venue as well as possible reactions to various situations. Classification of the Proxy as either Hard or Soft is by ANST discretion and will be told to all relevant PCs before any Proxy takes place. If players within the National Venue wish to participate in or establish a Proxy to a DPotM in Canada they must observe the following two rules:
1. They must gather with them at least two (2) additional PCs for a total number of Proxy participants of three (3) or more.
2. They must bring plot elements and storylines pertaining to the Proxy (either before or after the event itself) into their domain-level LARP or IRC game so that other players have a chance to learn of and/or participate in the storyline.
PART 4: STORYTELLING MECHANICS
Living Document: This is considered a "Living Document" meaning that it will change over time, as White Wolf Publishing releases new information, and new settings documents are written and discussed by Global staff and storytellers.
Sanctioned Local Venue Styles: These rules do not supersede any rules established within a sanctioned VSS. Local domains may have their own house rules so long as the VSS has been Approved by the ANST: Awakened. No sanctioned VSS may, however, drastically contradict the rules outlined in this National VSS and any such conflicts should be discussed with the ANST: Awakening.
Rulebooks and Addendum: Canada uses the MET: Awakening rules, up-to-date Camarilla Addenda (as modified by the Canadian National Addendum), and the books from the Awakening line.
Travel Risks: Low to Mid - unless players are bringing contraband through an airport, they will probably be OK. Mages finding themselves in a foreign Consilium without an ally or the middle of the wilderness without potent Arcana will, however, be in trouble.
Paradox and other Penalties: Paradox effects (Havocs, Bedlams, Anomalies, Branding, Manifestations), Wisdom loss, and Hubris are essential themes of the Awakening Venue. Therefore, players should be warned that if they face conflict or adversity either in a Dark Point Consilium or in the wilderness and use their magic they would likely receive one of the aforementioned penalties.
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