Hierarchies in the Darkness

8/9/2019 Hierarchies in the Darkness

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Supernatural Priorities

These are sweeping generalities of global average trends, and barely represent a majority. This

is more useful along the lines of “a story which uses these trends needs no justification to do so;

those that deviate are opportunities for elaboration and stories as to why”. and my personal

bias ! interpretation is abundant."

# note on the Status $uo% the &orld of 'ar(ness, as a setting, assumes a status )uo of uninvestigated disappearances, supernatural denial, callousness and vicious selfishness from

others, and institutionali*ed oppression + and many forces across the various games maintain

this status )uo Seers of the Throne, vampires, mummies, the od -achine". ere, / ma(e the

assumption that all of these powers have the same goals, in terms of (eeping the world dar(.

&ith no formal alliance or communication, their agendas are mutually beneficial, and they

mostly differ in station and types of power enough that they can, in theory, all operate as they

desire in the same city without conflict. owever, their resources and methods often overlap,

and outside attempts to change their foundations of power without seeing the rival0s overall goal

is 1 upsetting; there are fre)uent but brief instances of conflict, but not large or ongoing enough

that the factions become enemies. #fter a few rounds of a rival power succeeding, and finding

the results amiable, these factions fall into an ever suspicious but tolerant truce. The costs of fullconflict are too high, and the others0 success is usually a benefit in the long run.

Seers of the Throne and vampire elders aim for lu2ury and power, and are most

successful in doing so, thus are found wherever the wealthiest and most influential are.

3ampires get these positions most importantly due to centuries of maneuvering, securing

political contacts, and careful discipline use. /mmortality alone can let a patient vampire secure

influence over generations. Seers of the Throne not only use their magic for material power

4which is potent enough5, but also serve the gods of oppression, which hand down their boons

from the supernal; as literal agents of domination, greed, and the status )uo of the world of

dar(ness, the highest in the -inistries occupy 4or manipulate5 the highest forces thereof.

bastards in bastard clothing"A Consilium 4pentacle mages5 is generally a gathering of mages across the city. 6eing

what they are, mages are very libertine + they disli(e anyone interfering with their personal

goals, and so end up as a loose affiliation of occult researchers with no real leadership, and only

personal holdings across the city, with a simple location for community matters. uardians pri*e

access to anything that helps them cover up the supernatural; #rrows need barrac(s and

armories; otherwise there are only speciali*ed interests between cabals 4places li(e sanctums

and perhaps loci5. outdated" http %!! theony2path .com !a +well +armed +society !

Werewolves divide cities into pac( territories + physically bounded places where they

hunt and control loci. 7i(ewise, they claim (in which they protect and breed with. 'esirable

resources, problems that span borders, and feuds spar( conflict between pac(s. 7odges andTribes can networ( interests, but have no guarantee of being able to act throughout a city.

note: about 8!9 of werewolves are Pure, and 9!: of those are ire Touched"

Spirits see( to reinforce their influence, and so can be found meddling literally

everywhere. The strongest and most tempting targets are anywhere that concentrates

resonance + strong emotion is easiest in cities; those without an abstract influence are at a bit of

a disadvantage. Their pawns and ridden can be found organi*ing and safeguarding bursts of

essence, which tends to happen on the common rungs of society% hobbyist meetups, nature

http://theonyxpath.com/a-well-armed-society/




















groups, urban developers, and craftsman + almost always among the hands+on participants;

spirits rarely comprehend the abstract human hierarchies. They do notice where interference

comes from, though, and )uic(ly try to get leverage on those sources.

The business of the Hosts ta(es them everywhere in a city, but most especially along

utility lines and construction projects. Their nests are in basements and access tunnels, in the

grime and the dar(, and among the wor(ers that service the city from these places.

Vampires also divide cities into bounded territories which reflect the feudal hierarchy;

they can be more piecemeal, though. #ll of the most pri*ed spots might be claimed by the most

influential, despite geographical location. Territories are rented out and resources borrowed, but

everywhere they hunt, sleep, and manipulate falls into the hierarchy + based on who has the

power and influence to control what.

Changelings are all over the place in terms of power distribution and where you can find

them. reeholds are geographical territories + usually one per city, or 4more rarely5 span of

countryside, but this is farther from universal than most supernaturals0 conventions. Their issues

with <larity mean that most of the reehold is connected to the fringes of society% minority andimmigrant boroughs, among the insane, rebel teenagers, and eccentric artists + these are where

they blend in easiest. reeholds and courts e2ist to provide stability and security% they are

heavily invested in low+income housing, the homeless, and 4when they can5 psychiatric

services; community colleges and vocational schools are also favored resources as they can

help changelings integrate bac( into human society. Spring pri*es art, dance, and hobbyist

venues + places which foster desires and distraction; Summer has a lot of blac( mar(et and

craftsman resources, as well as the need for barrac(s and armories; &inter can be found 4or

rather not found5 everywhere in the lower and middle class, but value access to bolt holes,

escape routes, and surveillance; and all changelings congregate anywhere strong emotions are

concentrated. note: etches do not organi*e, and are e2tremely difficult to notice, but are very

abundant. Together, changelings and fetches ma(e the most numerous of the supernaturals."

Sin-Eaters are li(ewise all over the place. =rewes tend to focus on specific social

communities, certain types of ghost, and!or geographical territories + what is important varies

from =rewe to =rewe, so they cross paths and get into fights often; that being said, Sin+>aters

often have wide+reaching, informal friendships and alliances. There aren0t many of them, and

there are endless numbers of ghosts, which leads to =rewes either spreading as far as possible

geographically or narrowing in on as specific a role as they can + or both. -ost Sin+>aters are

from the poorer classes, and even the 6onepic(ers don0t rise too high + having the (ind of

ambitions of people who don0t (now what the penthouse floors mean; their strongest ties are in

low+income neighborhoods and immigrant communities, especially ones with close face+to+face

cultures, and anywhere where life is sweet, beautiful, and e2citing, if only for a night + they didn0tcome bac( to die more slowly after all. The ghosts they aide are found anywhere there are

people, and their desires lead to the same places, but when they compete for physical areas it0s

haunts and gates + places with strong death resonance.

#ngels of the God Mahine, and the human cults which serve it, are thic(est in the

service sectors of the city. 3arious allies and pawns e2ist literally everywhere and at all levels

which can organi*e, permit, enact, and fund projects, but the -atrices themselves are built in



places where they can hide in plain sight% construction and repair jobs all might be setting up

new infrastructure, while older pieces are in rarely+accessed portions of potentially anywhere.

>2periments are uni)ue and bi*arre, but the - nearly constantly constructs resources +

harvesting angel components, designing cover, securing resources, developing occult tools, and

storing them for later or shipping them to a project. /t could also be behind the creation of many

uni)ue monsters that populate the world of dar(ness. The od -achine operates on the basisof only using the 4e2pected5 minimum necessary to accomplish a goal; much of its activity is

carried out by humans, hired with cash anonymously online, told nothing, to do simple projects

that build up its capabilities and maintain the everyday dar(ness that people and institutions

inflict on each other. -atrices to summon angels and build magic items are done through cults.

#ngels are only employed for the most powerful and important tas(s, and similarly are only

given the tools and (nowledge they need for the tas( at hand. Since the od -achine wor(s

with whatever materials are on hand, humans, spirits, and ghosts fre)uently get used as pawns

or sacrificed for raw material, which can draw the ire of most other beings in the city. note: :

types of angel + -essenger, -over, 'estroyer, uardian. ephemeral beings. See “/nstitutional

'emons” + Mortal Remains ?8:."

!nhained, the fallen servants of the od -achine, are intimately tied to cities. /tswhere they stay anonymous and (eep an eye on the -achine0s wor(ings, scavenging for

resources and hoping to throw in an occasional wrench. Their covers can range the gamut of

human society, but always started as something useful to the -0s projects. 7ogistical

infrastructures can be the easiest things to watch for, so they value eyes on the planning,

finance and technical levels of the city. They can innately see through supernatural protections

which veil the long+standing facilities, and sense when occult matrices are triggered, and so

watch all the major+scale projects cautiously, while scavenging their waste products for their

aetheric fuel and reality+hac(ing gadgets.

Cr"ptids and Stigmatis can be found 4with variable fre)uency5 on the periphery of the

od -achine0s most supernatural projects. <ryptids are animals warped into monsters which

consume aether 4and so hang around the od -achines facilities5. Stigmatics are humanstouched by the -achine somehow; they often gain minor 4often faulty5 insight into its designs

and develop minor supernatural abilities. Such people and creatures can be complications and

resources, both for the od -achine and for the @nchained, and are li(ely to draw attention

from a number of other beings + mages and hunters most prominently.

#rometheans are wanderers, and are the rarest type of being. They have no long+

lasting resources, as anywhere they stay turns blighted and hostile. They move through the

dregs and fringes of society where they0ll be least noticed, preferably near electric cables which

can refuel them. Aet they see( out situations that can help them understand humanity, which

ta(es them sometimes to the masses. #ny overloo(ed, temporary shelter is of potential value to

Prometheans, and so they0re most connected to the homeless. Some people are sympathetic tothe @nfinished + or wanderers in general + and run business that cater to those passing through.

note: there is constantly about ?BB prometheans worldwide."

Thaumaturges as ritualists and occult researchers are generally tied to a particular

philosophy 4and thus a particular community5; immigrant boroughs have these (ind of occultists

in their midst, in unmentioned mystic corners where the bi*arre is accepted. They also have

strong ties to universities and Cew #ge communities, where they can perform research and



gather materials. Their talents can ta(e them anywhere they find interesting, but most Paths

have philosophically encouraged lifestyles.

Hunters, specifically cell+level and the @nion 4which represent the bul( populations5

need resources for weaponry, surveillance, remaining hidden, access to crime scenes and

victims, and occasionally plan ways to obscure their activities. This puts them in many of thesame circles with a plethora of supernatural beings &inter <ourt, #rrows, uardians, /ron

-asters, Sin+>aters and 'emons all come to mind". They occupy bi(er bars and support circles

+ places where shell+shoc(ed veterans can networ( and recruit without drawing too much

attention + and they move freely and randomly across cities in a pretty large, cooperative

community, contracting in wherever the supernatural becomes obvious. <ompacts and

<onspiracies, by and large, have resources personal to their interests, and are more regional in

nature 4they0ll have a single hub which e2tends their presence to several cities5. unters are an

e2traordinarily dynamic group; every encounter with the supernatural can inspire more people to

ta(e up the 3igil, and so they tend to be a pervasive element in cities, with new “lone wolves”

appearing regularly. ow many gather into cells and compacts depends heavily on awareness

and communication. Those that don0t find others devolve )uic(ly or don0t survive, and evenamong those that join a larger group, most leave the 3igil, nastily, within two years.

Mummies and their cults are difficult to ta(e notice of; they have the appearance of

centuries old secret societies which guard a single tomb, and are invested in a legitimate 4or

slightly shady5 mortal organi*ation which can be used to aide the mummy0s goals, but tend to

develop their own additional mortal interests + which are )uite successful, as they can

occasionally draw on the god+li(e power of their patron for their own temporal purposes. Dne

major goal of these cults is to find and secure Eobjects of power0 + most of which are anti)ue

relics, and all of which have a touch of supernatural energy. The organi*ations develop some

capacity and many contacts in the see(ing, identifying 4a mystical tas( of some (ind5,

transporting, and securing these relics within the tomb. # second major goal is influence overhuman civili*ation, ensuring that it continues to echo the ancient themes the mummies

remember, both in organi*ation of cities and in cultural patterns 4which range from icons and

movie plot lines to the causes of conflict5; to do so, their cults secure influence, or a position, or

at least e2ploitable information in a range of things, from city+planning to art to finance +

although a single mummy0s cult will probably pursue one type of goal to this effect, relating to

the mummy0s own time+shrouded caste. /nternal maintenance is, of course, another common

goal, though a less noticeable one. Fecruitment and initiation, ensuring that there is benefit to

loyalty, and occasionally moving the tomb are such things; the latter of which can be the most

revealing and vulnerable act of a cult. The mummies themselves come into the world for brief,

specific reasons; while they try not to draw attention to themselves, they0re rather direct

creatures, and they wield tremendous amounts of power. The nature of their cults and activitiescan draw them into conflict with Seers, vampires, and the od -achine + however the cults can

also offer opportunities for these powers to also manipulate them, with the right information and

a careful touch. iven the e2traordinary amount of power and how brief their periods of activity

are 4a few wee(s to several years5, conflict with these rivals tends to be brief and ends with

negotiation, and the other side wor(ing around the mummy0s plans to benefit themselves in the

aftermath. They also are li(ely to draw the ire of hunters 4especially #egis =ai 'oru5 and,



because of their power over ghosts, can develop gang+li(e feuds with local Sin+>aters. note:

there are about ?BBB -ummies worldwide, but they sleep the vast majority to the time."



uman ierarchies 4resources5

filigree" 6an( owners, mayors, e2ecutives, law firm partners

Rewards% The highest elite decide the direction for the city and its people. The largest

portion gets pushed up to them, and they have the first and final say on every initiative across

the city; but this is done in broad stro(es with a distanced touch. &hile they need to (eep up todate and their decisions shape the political landscape, (nowing the gritty details is too much li(e

stepping in the mud + and besides, there are far too many to (eep in mind; that0s what assistants

are for. #nything can be done from these halls, often without recompense. The elites control the

flow of capital, and so can decide what succeeds and fails in all the competition beneath them,

and so they control the course of the city.

Risks% Thousands of layers of security e2ist between the elite and the street% guards and

cameras which spot who doesn0t belong and (eep them out; private elevators; customs and

references and the right airs are needed to get close. &hen someone doesn0t belong, they are

converged on, bagged, wor(ed over, and tossed in the gutter, sooner or later.

Valued by % -ore often than not, the Seers of the Throne and the vampire elders either

own or occupy these tiers of society; while many would value it, they are the ones who mostregularly have the resources to access the elites + and they don0t give up their hold. Dften, these

factions form a friendly truce and share power, reinforcing each others0 goals without upsetting

them. -ost others can0t present themselves perfectly long enough to gain access; and those

that can are usually simply too late.

filigree" '#, city commissioners, PF representatives, celebrities

Rewards% These, again, are the elites which decide each initiative in society, and give

their orders down across the entire city. The golden crust behind closed doors decide the

philosophies and broad directions; these elites decide the what projects to underta(e. &hether

legal, business, government, social, or otherwise, this level represents the top tier which hands

orders down in a specific sphere; influence over these leaders means being able to order, orcover up, anything in the city.

Risks% #ccess is one of the (ey ris(s. &hile many of these elites have public offices,

emails, and appearances, they have walls of secretaries and bodyguards to ensure only the

right people bother them. etting an private appointment is usually a matter of the right title 4or

name5 and the right presentation, or a significant amount of greasing the gate(eepers.

Valued by % &hen mummies act to ensure city design, they usually go for the most direct,

impactful route + this tier of society. Dccasionally, often with help from cults, they0ll recogni*e the

masters of the tier above as more meaningful, but their sights often set first on these directors.

cogs" Secretaries, lawyers, journalists, detectives

Rewards% Specialists of information. They have access, in one form or another, to mostof the elites in the city% (eeping their schedules, their contracts, following their movements.

#ccessing these bro(ers is, as a rule, a lot easier than access the elites themselves% if its not

their job to handle anyone see(ing their client, then they0re happy to see a prospective new

story. They shadow the city0s elites, ma(ing trouble, guarding secrets, watching gears turn.

Risks% 'iscretion is (ey to most of their jobs; even journalists have informants to protect,

and their access comes with e2pectations. -oreover, they are usually seen as disposable to the

elites they shadow% once they notice something wrong or suspect a secret has been



compromised, the guilty confidant is fired, often shamed out of gaining such a position again,

and sometimes “cleaned up” in dar(er ways. They (now this. These people are very aware of

the boundaries in their profession and the conse)uences of brea(ing them, which can ma(e it

very difficult to gain their assistance + and even when somebody can, it0s usually not for long.

Valued by %

cogs" <ity Planners, design engineers, accountants, services administrators, script writers

Rewards% #ll of the city0s boo((eepers are among these ran(s. They are the white collar

infrastructure that plans out every detail in every project everywhere. These project managers

can decide how 4though usually not what 5 the city does 4and (now everything that0s happening

as a conse)uence5, and in theory, the puppetmasters which influence them can manipulate the

city. The tric( is that each one has very narrow responsibilities, and usually have supervisors,

budgets, and other concerns than can disrupt attempts to manipulate them. Still, many of them

will, with proper incentive, ta(e suggestions.

Risks% &hile the business offices have security systems, cameras, and nightguards,

slipping past them is rarely a problem; they aren0t of the highest )uality, and its easy to blend in.

/nstead, the primary difficulty in manipulating these groups is information% finding the rightperson for the tas( and where they are. These are the white collar wor(ers of the city% there are

thousands of them. >ach has their own small sphere of influence, buried within a by*antine

hierarchy of contract companies and departments. &hich company was contracted to repair that

bridge; which engineer is ma(ing the designsG /n the multitude, it0s hard to pic( out which one

you need. #ccessing these resources, therefore, heavily favors the patient investigator which

can navigate the bureaucracy.

Valued by % most vampires, the Spring <ourt, most mages 4especially uardians of the

3eil and ree <ouncil5, werewolves 4though /ron -asters and /vory <laws are most successful5,

@nchained 4many <overs come from here, and its a great place to watch for infrastructure5.

<lever spirits may reali*e these employees0 roles in events than generate essence.

cogs" 'octors, manufacturers, police chiefs,

Rewards%

Risks% <ompetition is perhaps the most challenging part of securing and using these

resources. They can be difficult to access, and generally one has to develop a rapport with

them; they have a lot to lose by doing unsanctioned favors 4the useful ones5 and so emphasi*e

that nothing can get bac( to them, and they li(e to be appreciated when they do ta(e ris(s. Still,

the driving difficulty is that there are a limited number of such people in a city. Some will happily

accept any shady business that offers incentive. Some are nervous about doing favors too

often, or for too many people. Some already have clients which don0t li(e to share them. inding

pliable specialists and securing their business isn0t easy + they are few, and in high demand.

Valued by %

cogs" Service industry, transportation, security, escorts

Rewards% ired services have a lot of value beyond what they sell% they0re accepted just

about everywhere, they0re nearly invisible, and all (inds of people rely on them. They set up

private parties, (eep clandestine bun(ers clean, guard innocuous projects, and deliver drugs,

paperwor(, businessmen, and ritual components. They tend to be discreet employees, by



inclination, bribe, or force, but they can be convinced to do small favors and reveal what little

they0ve glimpsed if you ma(e it worth their while.

Risks%

Valued by %

cogs" irst responders, patrol offices, charities, family ! community servicesRewards% &hat characteri*es this group within the city is that they are on the front lines.

Police and >-Ts are due to arrive minutes after something goes wrong; various services and

charities are always on the street, wor(ing with their communities of choice. They see the daily,

personal conse)uences of change throughout the city, they witness the aftermath of monsters,

they (now the needs and concerns of the people everyone else forgets about. -any of them are

inspired to become unters + or (now someone who was. Dthers go mad or callous wor(ing to

improve an endless problem. These are the people who react to the city, and watch it. &hether

covering up an incident, trac(ing down a street savant, or learning how to influence a

community, these groups have the information + and they have plenty of problems to trade it for.

Risks%

Valued by %

cogs" -aintenance, utilities engineers, construction, waste disposal, death inc

Rewards%

Risks% #ccessing these sectors of the city isn0t so much difficult as it is noticeable.

@tilities plants, train yards, construction sites, sewers + these are out of the way places, with

loc(s and fences and light security. People are sparse enough that visitors are soon noticed and

)uestioned + and these service members are a tight enough crowd to be suspicious of anyone

that doesn0t loo( li(e them 4their orders come from phones and emails5; yet, there0s usually

enough people that it ta(es convincing a crowd. -any useful places have light enough security

to brea( into + if you (now how to use the machinery. -any of the wor(ers, though, are

suspicious, resistant to meddling, and have the rest of their wor( crew watching any attempts tobribe or manipulate, mitigating the effort.

Valued by %

herds" @niversity, artisan community, historical district

Rewards%

Risks%

Valued by %

herds" 6usinesses, restaurants, entertainment, nightclubs

Rewards%

Risks%Valued by %

herds" <ommunity centers, church groups

Rewards%

Risks%

Valued by %



herds" /mmigrant ! cultural communities

Rewards%

Risks%

Valued by %

herds" the Projects, low income housing, corner storesRewards%

Risks%

Valued by %

herds" omeless, mentally ill, street gangs

Rewards%

Risks%

Valued by %

Hierarchies in the Darkness

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