Premise

I saw that damn thing in my dreams last night. Huge, angry, bloodthirsty. I saw it marching to defeat when blue body paint was all the armour a man needed. I saw it raging in its prison. And then - then I saw the future. I saw it break free, I saw it destroy every pack that stood against it, one by one. I saw it drag the world to hell. And I saw them working with it - the Asah Gadar, the bastard children of Thurifuge. When the world died, I saw that we had stood against them too late. In Luna's name, I won't see us fail again.

Feels-No-Pain
Cahalith of Gjallarhorn

Not content simply with the regular problems of the Forsaken - hosts, Pure, bale hounds, the hisil, each other - the People of Essex have attracted the attention of something best left alone. What it is remains unclear. Likewise, how it came to be. All they know is that it wants to kill everything, starting with them. But it has been beaten before. So now they call on their allies, inside or outside the White Hunt, and any other Forsaken that will stand with them, to destroy this thing of hate and violence once and for all.

And, no doubt, there will be time for all the usual feuding and bickering when werewolf packs gather.

1. = Never Present
2. = Sometimes Present
3. = Often Present
4. = Usually Present
5. = Always Present

Ooh...the numbers game. Does anyone even read this? Disclaimer: At best, these numbers are rough guidelines; at worst, a waste of time that just obscures the fact that you only get out of a game what you put in.

So - on to the arbitrary numbers.

Ratings Breakdown

Action: 4

It's a werewolf game; and furthermore, the whole point is to beat a big beastie back into submission. But action isn't inevitable for everyone or all-pervasive.

Character Development: 2

Although not the main focus of the premise, the opportunity to explore what being uratha means to characters from an unusual perspective will be there.

Darkness: 4

Character death is a distinct possibility; corruption is less likely, but there's always a chance to sell your soul when you can talk to gods.

Drama: 4

Rituals, rituals, rituals. And the chance to die gloriously against an ancient, unknowable evil. Good times!

Intrigue: 3

Keeping so many packs from each others' throats often needs a silver tongue; and there are other things in the world that can't be defeated simply with fang and claw.

Manners: 3

By and large, this is player-led. But by meeting in the workshop of a powerful ithaeur, some of the rules might be different.

Mystery: 3

Although the focus is on heroic deeds and powerful magics, hidden secrets and forgotten lore are never far from the dedicated Forsaken.

Pace: 4

Pace is Usually Present.

Alternatively, the time for planning is mostly over, the time for deeds is now.

Theme

Without wanting to give too much away, the main theme of the event is the conflict between animal and human that every werewolf faces. Are the Forsaken people or beasts? What about the other things in their world? Does their struggle with Harmony make them more or less than those things without it?

Mood

Trepidation. Those packs that will stand with the packs of Essex know that they will soon be faced with an enemy that they know nothing about, that may kill them all. Even those that attend and choose not to fight will find out that their world contains stranger things than they had believed, and that sometimes the People don't know any more than they did before they changed.

Setting

The Institute of Ithaeur, workshop and classroom of David "Harangued-By-Spirits" of the Roots of Ancient Wisdom. Isolated and hidden, this old farm enables the People to gather and carry out their rituals and experiments safe in the knowledge that no humans will ever come close.

Storytelling Mechanics

Pre-Game

Characters will start with Essence equal to either their Harmony or +3 to their finishing pool from their last game. They may additionally add the rating of any Loci which have been bought as a Pack Merit (from Territories). Any additional Essence may be gained by speaking with members of the ST staff before entering game play, or with the agreement of a PCs own VST (through downtime or in-game actions). Please note additional Essence must be "signed off" by an ST if arranged before the game - an email, note or verbal agreement from the ST (if available) is sufficient. Please note further that Essex is a bad place to be scavenging for Essence, and this will almost certainly result in combat.

Any characters attempting to get to the game either using public transport or through the hisil will need to contact the lead Storyteller in writing before September 28th.

Approvals and Similar

As ever, if you have something on your sheet that needs an approval, you'd best have the approval code for it, and the rules handy. If you have something on your sheet that would make Baby Jesus or the lead Storyteller cry, you should probably email said ST by September 28th or face a concrete donkey. You know who you are.

Proxies

Due to the nature of the event and the ST intensive nature of the game proxies will not be accepted to the event itself. If you wish to proxy a character to follow up the after effects then a full hard proxy must submitted to the lead Storyteller by 28th September 2008 and acknowledged and accepted in writing.

Experience Award Guidelines

Attendance and Downtimes - As per the Camarilla Addendum.
Roleplaying a Flaw - As per the Camarilla Addendum.
Roleplaying a Derangement - As per the Camarilla Addendum