Dear Players, we the NYBN Staff would like to state first and foremost that the World of Darkness setting in New York is not a perfect reflection of present-day New York. Locations and historical events have been altered to suit the ongoing storyline.
Perhaps the most important aspect of our game is that Fresh Kills, the Landfill on Staten Island, still exists. It was never gentrified, it never became the beautiful park that it is in real life. Instead, it only got larger and larger and now is the location of the only Sept in New York City.
Unlike the White-Wolf version of Fresh Kills, it is not a Hellhole, but a place where Trash Heap has flourished. A Recycling Plant has been built within the landfill and is a source of revenue for the city. The Sept of Cabrini Green is not and has never been a part of this setting.
New York City is a place of conflict and turmoil. The hold of the Garou Nation on the city is fragile at best. The presence of Hatt’eal is a constant, looming threat. With its massive size and with sheer numbers on its side any thought of attack is comparable to a Kobayashi Maru scenario. Players are strongly encouraged to avoid the area around the Hive; however, the foolish are not forbidden from doing so.
The Pentex Presence along with other World of Darkness equivalents to Big Business manifest themselves in many forms. Star Mart™ locations are dispersed throughout the area, as are O'Tolley's Fast Food Restaurants. In the areas of commerce, one might find stores stocked heavily with items from The Black Dog Game Factory, Avalon Incorporated, or Tellus Enterprises. Megadon Incorporated floods the medical industry with pharmaceuticals and supplies. Endron International controls the majority of the energy companies, public utilities, and nuclear plants. King's Brewery has a large distribution and manufacturing plant in the industrial sector of the city, with many smaller distilleries. Less darkly, Enchanted Star Realms Online is a popular gaming platform in the city, similar to World of Warcraft and similar real world games.
Rumors abound regarding the fall of the former Caern known in fated irony as The Sept of Enduring Might. Many are mere speculation but some facts seem unchanged throughout the re-tellings.
The Pack Bad Company (all Bonegnawers) under Momma Rat were sent on a routine scouting mission. When they returned to the former Sept (which was located near Hempstead Lake) an argument escalated between the Alpha of Bad Company (Tic Tac Toe) and Favored of Fenris (the former Sept Elder.)
It might have resulted in a challenge of leadership; however, a war had been declared. The edicts of the Litany were upheld.
Those who managed to escape the slaughter seem adamant that few survived and those survivors have been accounted for.
Conflicting reports have recently arisen of sightings of former Sept members including Favored of Fenris. Those that claim to have seen the Get of Fenris swear that he now has eyes that glow with an unholy light and that his ears and snout appear bat-like.
Kinfolk have once again started to flock to the area in numbers. Some have re-emerged from hiding. Most are new arrivals. In the Sept of a Fightin’ Chance, Fianna Kinfolk operates the bulldozers, dump trucks, and front loaders. Glasswalker Kinfolk man the recycling plant and the gas collection systems to ensure they are running efficiently. Children of Gaia Kinfolk are always on-site in mock protest of the landfill in order to keep outsiders at bay.
Bonegnawer kinfolk can be found throughout the streets and homeless shelters of the city or operating food carts at choice pre-determined locations. All manner of information can be found at one of these food carts if one has enough street-smarts to utilize them. (For non-Bonegnawer players Streetwise 2 or higher and a mandatory Storyline is required to tap into this network.)
It is of note that Bonegnawers seem to have claimed an area for themselves near Fresh Kills. A large trailer park community has emerged seemingly overnight bordering a recently opened Salvage Lot. It is a loud and raucous ‘bad’ area that many avoid if they can.
The Garou of New York are highly segregated. Distrust is rife among them. They are mostly newcomers to the city, and the bonds of friendship have yet to be forged. The Tribal Elders are making an effort to change this. They have formed a Pack among themselves in order to bridge the gaps between the tribes known as Rags to Riches.
Players should not be found in the Tribal Territories of any other than their own without finding their actions scrutinized. It is not forbidden to cross into the territory of another. However, ic actions can have very negative consequences that affect tribal relations.
Some areas of the city are currently contested locations between the Garou of New York City and other Supernaturals. This might well erupt into PvP Combat. Please, play responsibly and be sure to follow all crossover venue rules as laid out by the Staff.
The Kithain County of Islands exists within the City of New York as well as all of Long Island, half in the world of the Dreaming and half in the Autumn. Changelings move through the mortal crowds to tend affairs of their own. Their touch upon the Autumn World is light, like a whispered memory, and yet they remain unpredictable and powerful in their hidden places. To involve oneself in the affairs of the fae remains a dangerous business for mortal and supernatural alike. They have carved their own places of wonder in the sea of Banality and Nightmare. The Cort Theatre is thriving, though it tends towards the more fanciful in recent years. The Pond and Halett Nature Sanctuary is a little larger and far more full of life. Passerby occasional report voices or strange sights. While birdwatchers are welcome, they are kept on the trails by the 22nd (Central Park) Precinct which seems to keep a slightly closer watch on the area. Richmond Town remains a little bright spot in struggling Staten Island, though the quaint little attraction appeals mostly to tourists and seems to have little impact on the surrounding community.
While I would like to add more tidbits on the contention here, I think it more fun to find out in character, don’t you? Areas have been claimed by more than one sect. We the staff encourage you to familiarize yourself with the claimed territories of each faction.