Amsterdam
From Requiem Uk
VSS Approval:
Contents |
Basic Information
| Domain | Amsterdam-IRC |
| Venue | Vampire the Requiem |
| Venue Storyteller | Christopher Grice |
| Storyteller Contact | amsterdam.irc |
| Game Times | These are announced over the uk-General and uk_Announce email list and on the IRC channel. |
Styles of Play
Rate each of these categories 1-5, using the scale below:
| Style of Play | Description | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Combat and Challenges | 2 |
| Character Development | Personal dilemmas and choices | 4 |
| Darkness | PC death or corruption | 3 |
| Drama | Ceremony and grand story | 4 |
| Intrigue | Politics and negotiation | 4 |
| Manners | Social etiquette and peer pressure | 4 |
| Mystery | Enigmas and investigation | 3 |
| Pace | How fast do stories emerge, develop, and resolve? | 3 |
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Never present |
| 2 | Sometimes present |
| 3 | Often present |
| 4 | Usually present |
| 5 | Always present |
Description of Venue
Theme
The theme of the game is the struggle to stave off the bordom of an eternal unlife, while dealing with the horror of being a Kindred.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city, which had a population of around 1 million (with suburbs) on 1 January 2008, comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.
Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed.
The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, part of Euronext, is located in the city centre. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, its red-light district and its many cannabis coffee shops, draw 4.2 million tourists annually..
But in the darkness the Kindred of the city play their games. Fighting for power, using the Mortals as play things, conducting their nightly Rituals to god knows what.
Kindred History of the City
The first prince of Amsterdam was a Ventrue of the Invictus known as Gustav Bermen. Gustav ruled by fist and political manipulations. Under this mantle of Prince, Gustav held the city for the Unconquored in a tight grip.
Over time, the City has changed hands in bloody conflicts claiming the unlives of many of its citizens the most prominant Overthrow was in the 1805 By Five Invictus Ancillea who set up the Kerzian Council, yet six months later the five main perpitrators were either killed or ran out of the city by vengeful Unconquered with the aid of the Lancea Sanctum. *See Carthian book: De Graaf*
The City of Amsterdam overview.
In todays kindred society the city of Amsterdam is ruled by a Mayoral Bishop. His Alderman are taken from the other covenants.
Mayoral Bishop Gerhard Jordan Covenant: Lancea Sanctum Clan: Nosferatu Westminster Creed
Primogen/Alderman
Nathaniel Kohn Covenant: Ordo Dracul Clan: Mekhet Sworn of the Mysteries
Covenant: Invictus
Clan: Daeva
Guild: The Most Noble Fellowship of Artemis
Covenant: Crone
Clan: Gangrel
Religon: A water God/Goddess
Covenant: Carthian Clan: Ventrue Political stance: More of a socialist
Other court members at times:
Jensen Adelbert Ordo Dracul, Mekhet
Leon Gangrel Unaligned
Storytelling Mechanics
Character Record:
Because the Amsterdam is an online domain, who's members will likely never meet that often, VST email is considered sufficient for low approval and character downtimes. Included should be full character sheet, Creation and XP logs (with running XP total), and character background. It is advised that this information should be updated regularly (ie after major XP spends, quarterly for XP earning, etc).
All PCs, once given tentative approval by the VST, must be entered onto the database and accepted onto the appropriate VSS before they are considered officially approved. All approvals above low will be applied for and recorded within the database, and all low approvals will be logged in ST email (player shares responsibility of keeping track of their own approvals). Low Approval is still an approval, and players are reminded that all XP expenditure must be logged with, and approved by, the VST (or their assistant) before being official.
Proxy Rules:
The following applies to all proxies run in the Amsterdam game:
- "Proxy" refers to sending your character sheet to a Storyteller other than your own, to portray a character without your physical presence.
- 48 hours must be given to the Storyteller supervising the scene, unless they give an exception. A Low Storyteller email approving a proxy to commence is sufficient.
- To proxy a character the player must provide a character sheet, a brief description of intentions, motivations, personality and reactions to possible situations.
- When proxying, a player grants the Storyteller all rights to the character for the duration of the proxy.
- Storytellers may modify proxy rules further in their Venue Style Sheets.
- Storytellers must keep players informed of proxy progress, providing updates at least on a weekly basis, and must portray proxied characters to the best of their ability and in keeping with the player's proxy instructions.
NOTE: Attending an online game, and playing your own character at such is *NOT* considered a proxy, though certain minimum requirements must still be met. See below, to "Attending Online Games" for more information.
The following are additional proxy requirements for the Amsterdam Game:
RULE 1 - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SOFT PROXY.
Should you choose to send your PC to Amsterdam, you must acknowledge that they could come face to face with all or any of the plots active within the domain, any local PC or NPC, and any other visiting PCs. Even if you proxy in for a DT scene you plan to run in email or on IRC, there is still a chance your PC will encounter things you hadn't planned on. Sending your proxy is ackowledgement of this, and acceptance that things don't always go as you want. Note, the STs also aren't out to get you, but things do happen.
Proxies into Amsterdam should be sent to the VST at amsterdam.irc@googlemail.com *AND* your supervising ST at least *48 HOURS BEFORE* commencement of the proxy, with the following subject line:
Dates of Proxy (in and expected out) / Your Name / Your PC's Name / Your ST's Name / Your ST's Email / Reason for Proxy
In the body of your email, please provide the following information:
- why you are coming to Amsterdam, what you wish to achieve, who if anyone you are coming to visit.
- how you are travelling and arriving in Amsterdam. if not yourself, who is funding the journey. how you are dealing with customs and imigration.
- a list of any weapons or other contraband you are bringing into Asterdam, and how you are getting it through customs.
- where you are staying while here
- how are you feeding
- if you expect the ST to portray your character, or will the proxy be handled in email/irc/etc
- if you are attacked, how does your PC respond? Please give two or three examples of different scenarios (ie single attacker, groups,outnumbered, etc).
- a brief description of how your PC behaves, their habits (ie do they always go obfuscated in public), etc
- acknowledgement that should challenges be required while the ST is portraying your character, that the ST will roll for you
- any other information you feel the ST should know about your PC.
All proxies must include a full character sheet and XP log (inc Creation log), with appropirate approval numbers noted as required. Also, the details (name/email) of the Supervising ST for the character, and the details of the direct coordinator for the player should be included as a courtesy.
NOTE: if your PC belongs to a bloodline/legacy/entitlement/etc (custom or published), or has any devotions/disciplines/powers not in the core book for the venue, or has any custom item at all, you *MUST* provide this information with your proxy. The receiving ST cannot be expected to own every single published book. If this information is not provided, these disciplines/powers/etc will not be utilised during your proxy.
NOTE The ST's reserve the right to refuse any proxy into Asterdam (for game or otherwise) and reserves the right to ask you not to use powers that may be unbalancing to game play.
Attending Amsterdam Online Game:
To attend an Amsterdam game, in any venue, you should send your character sheet, together with answer to the below questions (an any other questions the VST requires as per game announcement), at least 48 hours prior to game, or as soon as possible with an explanation as to why you have not been able to keep to the 48 hour requirement. The VST reserves the right to refuse any late request.
Emails should be sent to the VST at amsterdam.irc@googlemail.com *AND* your supervising ST with the following subject line:
Game Date / Your Name / Your IODnum# / Your ST's Name / Your ST's Email / Your PC's Name / Your PC's Clan / Your PC's Covenant
and include the following information:
- why you are coming to Amsterdam, what you wish to achieve, who if anyone you are coming to visit.
- how you are travelling and arriving in Amsterdam. if not yourself, who is funding the journey. how you are dealing with customs and imigration.
- a list of any weapons or other contraband you are bringing into Athens, and how you are getting it through customs.
- where you are staying while here
- how are you feeding
Once your attendance at game has been confirmed by our VST, and your own (yes, it's possibly your local situation may prevent attendance, hence the double advisory of sending your request 48 hours ahead of time), you're clear to play.
For characters attached to the Amsterdam VSS that wish to attend an online game elsewhere, you must CC your VST when you send your sheet for the game, and allow sufficient time for a response (in case, once again, there is local plot preventing you from leaving Asterdam of which you are unaware). You must also comply with any requirements outlined by the accepting ST.
Travel risks:
On the one hand, the massive flow of tourists into and out of Asterdam offers a great deal of cover for visitors who aren't just in town for the gambling, sex and nightlife. On the other, tourism is the city's lifeblood, and as a result travellers receive a greater share of attention than they would in a typical town. Discretion is a must, especially for supernaturals, and the easiest way to get caught is to stand out in the crowd.
It should be remembered that Amsterdam is a *minimum* 1 hour from LHR (Heathrow), - by direct non-stop jet. If you don't own or have access to a private jet, remember commerical airline schedules rarely leave right when you want, and for some supernatural types (ie vampires) are a dangerous impossibility to begin with. Keep travel times realistic, and make sure to carefully specify requirement/habits catered for. For commercial flights, also remember international customs and immigration delays at both ends, which can add 1-2 hours to a journey in peak travel times.
Travel is best accomplished by careful preparation, the use of competent Allies and Retainers, and the application of a great degree of common sense. Specific threats will fluctuate depending upon a variety of factors, and while the VST will have final say on the degree of danger during any particular trip, it can nearly always be assumed that the risk will be significant.
A notable exception to the travel rules will be made for members who are physically traveling to Regional or National events. Under such circumstances, these members' characters will have reduced chances of hazards to reflect the fact that they can typically attend only one or two games per year in person. The Storyteller Staff does not want to impose a high risk of character death for an event that they may have spent a great deal of money to attend.
Channel Nicknames
If your character is playing in Amsterdam Requiem, the following things must be included in your nick if active/or applicable
Obfuscate 2 - [Obf2]
Blood Potency equal to or higher than 6 (if showing) - [HighBP] or [BPX] or similiar
Blush of Health - [BoH] (Please inform me HOW this is active)
Humanity equal to or lower than 3 - [Hum3] or [H3]
Humanity equal to or higher than 8 - [Hum8] or [H8]
We do not use Protean 1 [Pro1] or Visitor/Local indicators [V]/[L]
If you have anything that makes you appear strange or weird, or has some visual affect on other characters, please contact either the VST or an aVST
Feeding
As per the Addendum, the Storyteller of the Domain you are visiting determines your starting blood. As such Asterdam operates on the following rules.
Starting Blood
Characters with Blood Potency 1-6 start with half blood rounded up + Merits - Waking Blood and blood spent for rituals/devotions/disciplines.
Kindred with Blood Potency 7 upwards MUST include an email from their VST with their feeding details. Any BP7 upwards kindred who fail to include said email will be starting on half blood - Waking Blood and blood spent for rituals/devotions/disciplines. Exception to this rule is Kindred with Coils of the Blood 2. They can feed in the same way as BP1-6 Kindred.
Coils of the Blood 1: Kindred with this Coil add their Resolve to their half blood + merits
Should this be insufficiant for Kindred, or they wish to make a feeding roll afterwards, they then roll a hunting roll. Intelligence + Investigation
VSS Players
Players with their characters attached to the VSS that have Ghouls subtract 1 Blood Point for Every Ghoul at the first game of the month they attend.
Elysium
In Amsterdam, Elysiums are permitted to be owned or controlled by either PCs or NPCs. However if Elysium is declared at a PC owned building, it CANNOT be used as a personal Haven at any time.
Downtime Reports
All downtime reports for the Amsterdam Requiem Venue must be done using the Resolve rules. Each Downtime should include any spends, any earns for that month and any mid to long term goals.
Example of a mid term goal: I want to begin to search for a herd. Here is how I'm doing it. It is hoped in the end I shall eventually be able to buy Herd to level five.
Long Term goal: I wish to take over an International business. Here is how I'm doing it It is hoped that eventually I shall have at two thirds of the board as either retainers or Allies on my sheet.
Amsterdam game locations:
The De Klerk home is located alongside the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam. The House is named after the family De Klerk that lived in the house from the 19th century.
Several De Klerks held important positions as city-mayors. Others, such as Willem De Klerk, fulfilled decisive functions in the Dutch East-India Company.
Cronelius De Klerk was born at Zwanenburgwal 10 as the son of a diamond-cutter. In his youth, he worked in the diamond industry while studying art. He devoted himself fulltime to painting in 1814. His first exhibition was in 1826.
The house has been sort after by the *insert name of character family* for quite some time, and it is only during the reformation after De Graafs overthrow and susquent escape did manage to purchase this house. Since then many of the Amsterdam's courtly proceeding have taken place within.
The House for the game consists of:
Garden Terrace on very large games
The Entrance Hall
The Ballroom
The Dining room
The Drawing room known as the Green Room can be expanded upon for Private discussions.
Location two:
The Focking Coffee House (This really does exist). Carthian owned of course. :)
Rooms consist of:
The Tasting Room, which is basically a bar A few bar stools and seating
The Storeroom Considered to be a small concert room with a dancefloor
The High Tea room A resturant type feel, with tables and chairs for a more formal environment
The Coffee room Cosy, with settees and armchairs, with small cubby holes for what looks to be like private debates.
There are other locations that I'm seriously thinking of adding. These would be a variation on canal barges and boats around the city that can either be moored for private parties or can move about now and then touring the waterways and canals.
These boats will of course vary in size depending on how many people come to the games.
There will be a new VST addy for proxies to the city.
Requiem_Amsterdam-ST@googlemail.com
