With some exceptions, at the beginning of the game the setting will mostly mirror the Vampire: The Masquerade world created by White Wolf.
However, as one of our key themes is Divergence, we intend our world to become something different from the canon world that many of you will know, based on the actions of player characters and NPCs, and the plots written for the game.
We have specifically chosen points in history where key decisions will be made which will shape the world. The make-up of the clans and any sects that might come to exist, as well as the key events that may occur, are now in your characters’ hands.
Historical Canon
As well as driving Divergence in the development of our world, we have also been looking back, and so there are some historical elements in the canon that we have adjusted. Some of these will be broadly known by most vampires, and the list of these changes can be found here. This should mean that our players all have an easy reference to understand what in this world is different and anyone joining the game later on can easily pick up on the key differences.
However, there will also be changes which will not be so visible. As an ST team we have reviewed and made decisions about key facts which needed defining in the world; these are not facts that we intend to share openly but can be learnt through the game. A rough list of things not to assume remain the same as White Wolf canon include:
That a canon character exists;
That the gender, background, or motives of a canon character are the same;
That specific events took place, happened as you might expect, or resulted in the same outcomes;
The existence, make-up, nature, or traits of any other supernatural groups/entities.
If you are uncertain, then ask an ST for clarification about our world’s lore and what your character knows of it. We do not wish to stop people from engaging in meaningful RP and debate, using the history of the world to do so, but we would advise players to avoid using canon or history too aggressively or ‘lore-checking’ one another.
New Canon
As the game develops and the world diverts further from the existing canon it is going to become increasingly important to write and maintain how things have changed. In the background the ST Team will have a tool which will allow us to pool our information and share it so that we can maintain our understanding of the changes of the world: this will not be available to the players.
However, there will be a section on the website for players which provides the relevant deviations from canon which all characters could pick up without having to be specifically told or put effort into seeking out. While this will represent common Kindred knowledge, players who wish to play their character as less well informed are free to decide their character does not know all of this. We will aim to keep this section as up to date as possible, but please be aware that just because your character is aware of a potential divergence from canon which does not appear here does not mean it has not happened—it may be that it is not public knowledge.