GAME
Gothic Milwaukee
A GAME
Welcome to my latest experiment, Gothic Champions. It is my attempt to fuse the World of Darkness setting, one of vampires, werewolves, and mages into a world where some humans are born with mutant abilities like so many comic books chronicle. How would the two interact as they became aware of each other? Would the Kindred fight over the new "resources?"
And so a world formed. Enter the city of Milwaukee, quiet midwestern city in the heartland of America. A great place on a great lake, or so the adds once read. Or is it? Ruling the city with an iron fist, Prince Hans Dolpschmitt, an old vampire from ancient Germany, has forged a shaky alliance between the clans. The werewolves, the dreaded Lupines, control the wilderness, even the suburbs of the city, trapping the Kindred in the urban areas. Secretly, the Mages of Milwaukee are plotting to rid the city of their foes, to make it safe for their mortal charges, while a few of the less morally strong ally themselves with the Tremere Clan to bring it to dominance in the city.
Adding to the mix is the constant battle between the forces of Light and the Forces of Darkness, the battle some call In-Nomine. The outright battle for the very soul of our world. Good vs Evil, Living vs Undead, Magical vs Mundane. All the excitement centers around the small sleepy college of magic known as Lakeshore College. The students at Lakeshore are young mages, seeking to be trained the Arts Magica. Based largely on Hogwart's of Harry Potter Fame, this college takes it one step higher, in that the students are adults now, and as a result are more in tune with their bodies and minds. Many of the forces of the city see Lakeshore as tools and weapons in the war raging around them. The battle for Milwaukee by was being fought by the supernatural forces hidden beneath the surface where normal people were blissfully unaware.
Please note: The similarities between any of my versions of the WoD Setting stop at some of the details of The Milwaukee By Night Supplement. I've barely played any of the games, and decided that the setting was interesting. Please note that I am NOT using any of White Wolf's rules to the letter, though I am using much of the background material that I have found on the web, and would like to thank all the web masters that maintain some of the great sites out there that help neonates like me in this genre. I also would like to thank some of my players, the ones, that have played the WW games that have helped me work on the feel and the flow of these games.
The Campaign is drawing a number of sources for inspiration: White Wolf Games "World of Darkness", Steve Jackson Games "In Nomine", The Harry Potter books of J. K. Rowling, the Alternity Dark Matter Campaign Setting (Wizards of the Coast), Marvel Super Hero comic books, and of course good ol' fashion D&D. It's an interesting genre to explore, but a hard one to mix together all the various elements into one. I'm always open to input, and even constructive criticism. Be Patient, as this site will grow as the campaign does.
Chronicles
of the Game
As the game progresses, I'll be posting the Chronicles. These Chronicles are the cleaned up versions of the logs from the chat room. They are redone in story format for ease and pleasure purposes. Eventually, when the adventure is complete, the story could be read as a mini-novel.
Chapter 1: Wen and Faisal Meet in the Museum
Important
NPCs
Like the Player Characters below, the world of Gothic Milwaukee is filled with prominant NPCs. These could be anything from a contact, to an adversary, to a significant other. It is my goal to provide a small blurb on each NPC along with a picture on a seperate page, linked from here.
Nyx, familiar of Audrey
Sean Winthrop, the Shade
Octavio de Faria, Smuggler Contact
Jose Morales, Lawyer in Milwaukee
Terrol Andrews, Tremere Clan
Hubert K Escator, Philanthropist
Tobias Escator, Hubert's father, noted Archeologist
Player Character Roster
Arella is an Aasimar, that is, a descendant of a Celestial being. Born with a small tattoo of a serpentine golden dragon in the Asian Style on her stomach, this tattoo has grown as she has, until it covers nearly her entire torso. It is the "Mark of the Dragon" she has been told, the sign that she is descended from Angels. Her place in the ranks of the Forces of Light has been reserved for her since her birth, now its just a question if the young teenaged woman will take her rightful place among the Faithful, or refuse it, and turn to a different path. She is an aspiring sorceress, having also gained magical ability with her other gifts.
Having grown up on the streets of Milwaukee, she's learned the tricks of the trade as a rogue and seductress. Her skills have proven invaluable to the team, as she doesn't have the compulsions and limitations of some of those who have learned their callings sooner. A sultry and sexy woman, she's quickly adapting to living in the fast lane with money, clothes, and a warm bed at night instead of the streets which she had called home for most of her life.
Faisal is an athletic young man with dark brown skin which is easily mistaken for Arabic descent. His speech is deep and powerful, with a slight accent that belies his Middle Eastern teachings, though with a slight English tinge as much of his learning was done in the UK.
When not "working" in the white robes of his profession, Faisal tends
to wear the same colors, whites, silvers, and gold in fashionable, yet tasteful
and conservative clothing.
Faisal Al Qadir started out as "Freddie Cashman" a young black man
from Carson City, Nevada. As a child, he was a gangster, being in and out of
foster homes and youth detention centers. He was a bad boy. One night, he was
shot and as he lay in the alley dying, a man came to him. It was like a dream
to Freddie. But it wasn't a dream, it was the touch of the Avatar of Osiris,
come to claim Freddie for his own. "Frederick, you're time as a criminal
is at an end, it is time you took your place in the greater picture. This foolishness
must end, and now is the time to finally reach to your true calling."From
that day on, Freddie Cashman "died", and Faisal Al Qadir was born.
Faisal has dedicated his life to stopping the spread of Evil, especially the
Undead, through the Modern World. Faisal sees the Modern World he once revered
as morally dead and needing to find the True Path. A religious zealot in his
mission to protect mankind from the Darkness he knows is out there. Having once
been the pawn of Evil, he knows the face of Evil, and will fight it tooth and
nail, lest he fall back into the Dark Pit from which Osiris rescued him.
Audrey was born to a life of privilege and wealth, yet that didn't stop her from losing her parents at a young age. She was raised by her grandmother, a wealthy widow who espoused the arts, reading, and theater. Audrey was a sponge as a child, soaking up every bit of learning she could get her hands on. Her mental abilities manifested themselves as she hit her mid-teens, and soon the PSI Cops were after her. She attempted to learn control, but before she could do much, she found herself on a new world, one very much like the fantasy novels she'd read as a child. A land of magic called Hellfire.
While there, she discovered the Academie Arcane, and began formal study in magic. Along the way, she met and befriended Nyx, a rogue Imp, who became her familiar. Nyx sought to lighten her up, trying to get her to loosen her strict moral code. Though she resisted his advice, she and the rascal imp became good friends. When the Jade Blades, a famous band of heroes from the land of Anor were trapped on Earth, she was the one chosen to retrieve them. Leading a spelljamming ship to Earth, she rescued them, before setting about to return back to Anor.
However, due to a strange magical storm, she was trapped in an alternate Earth, one still in the 17th century, where she settled in the Spanish held island of Hispanola. Resigning herself to her fate, she fell in love and got married. Two glorious years of a happy marriage and a child followed. Then tragedy struck her once more.
An evil sorcerer attacked her family, taking her husband and child captive, holding their lives in ransom for Audrey's compliance in his schemes. He sought the death of a man. To accomplish this task, she would have to become the man's mistress, a job she found distasteful. To this end, he saw to her training, and the ritualistic breaking of her moral fiber. Taking a sweet innocent young girl, he turned her into a near wanton harlot with the skills and passions/desires of a street walker.
Her loyal familiar Nyx rescued her, helping her turn the tables on her captor, and rescue her family. But she knew that the happiness and joy she had enjoyed were at an end, and she had to leave. So she found a way to leave, and was teleported back to Anor, where she returned to the past and met Enreis Beloras, a great hero in that world's history. They grew to be close, and when she returned to the future, she was able to spend time with him again, though now as a much older elf.
In time, the Head Masters at the Academie Arcane felt it was time for her to return to her "home." Though gone now for nearly six years, given up for dead by her grandmother, mourned by all, Audrey found herself back in Milwaukee. And predictably, back in the middle of another battle between Good and Evil. She's used her families resources to fund the group's work, and has almost become a leader among her peers, though many doubt her methods. Still trying to learn who she really is, she tries to find a way to be happy along the way.
Nick was always considered strange. Whether good or bad he was still strange.
His mother was a Jane Doe who died giving birth to him, his father, a fiendish
creature, though he doesn't know this. The result of his birth was Nick. Stronger
and tougher than most, he was born with a pair of tiny horns that protrude from
his forehead...just a little in front of each temple. Since he can remember,
Axle hasn't had much difficulty seeing in the dark, and sometimes... just sometimes
if he really tries, he knows he can make it darker, though he doesn't tell anybody
this.
Later in life, Nick was a little popular, he was very strong and tough, and
was on a Boxing team. He was pretty popular with the girls too. Throughout High
School and his measly two-year college, Nick played as a drummer for a band
known as 'Unleaded', although popular in clubs, the band didn't have the ambition
to go further than that and broke up after college. During his time in that
band, he was given the nickname Axle. He prefers this nickname and only uses
'Nick' whenever legally necessary. After college he found work as a Bouncer
at a few clubs, making money using his natural strength. Axle prefers the wild
side: Rock/Punk//Techno Music, Clubbing, Drinking, Women, Fighting, and Cars
and Motorcycles. He likes to have a good time.
Britt was born to an unusual duo of loving parents by the names of Mikal and
Kylie. Britt's parents unusualness was because her father is a tiefling and
her
mother an aasimar. But throughout her life she has never felt the slightest
tinge of being unusual. Her parents were the sort one reads about in books.
Her mother a famous singing sensation and her father a business tycoon who
unknowingly to Britt tended to deal with some of the more seedy sorts of the
city. Her parents love and loved each other and though they never married they
truly were in a marriage. Both parents showed
obvious respect to each other and home life was always pleasant. That is not
to
say there were not arguments but they tended to work themselves out. Her
parents live in a mansion of considerable comfort and spoiled their love child.
She was home schooled and slightly sheltered from the outside world. She was
schooled in not only academics but also horsemanship, theatrics, manners, and
languages. Britt's social life first was some of the neighboring children around
and then later her mother got her involved in some sports to help britt develop
some social skills. Britt's father protection grew as she got older. After a
business associate tried to have the young girl kidnapped Mikal had a bodyguard
stationed on her.
Trying to make it appear as "normal" as possible she was first introduced
to her
bodyguard as cousin stefan. Britt is very close to her parents. She has a life
few live and many girls dream about. She has some characteristics of a spoiled
child
but surprisingly few considering the life she has lead. She has somewhat a
lonely life because few boys have passed Dads tests and the few that have passed
tend to not stick around. She had an affair with her medical doctor and is one
of the only parts in her life that she thinks her father has no clue about.
Since becoming a member of the team, she's hooked up with a mysterious shadowy
figure
called Sean Winthrop, a being half man and half shadow.
For
More information on Milwaukee, as it appears in my games, click
here.
