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<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+4>So what is One World by Night?</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><IMG SRC="images/helena.JPG" HEIGHT=300 WIDTH=219></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+2>Written by Duncan Wyley</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+2>with assistance by Joyce Summers,
Matt Giezentaner, Ross Anderson and Lance Larsen.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+2>Originaly Published in Mind's
Eye Theater Journal #2 by White Wolf Publishing.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World by Night (OWbN) is
just that – One World.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World of volunteers that
form a grassroots not-for-profit organisation of loosely knit Chronicles
spanning the entire globe.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World of opportunities for
our members to play their home Chronicle characters at games just a few
hours away, in many of our neighbouring cities, or, for example, in far
flung exotic places like New Zealand or Brazil!</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World of emphasis on a story
that is meant for the enjoyment of the players, giving them whatever pleasures
it might.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Overall, One World by Night
is a not for profit organisation dedicated to creating links between White
Wolf's Mind's Eye Theatre LARP games around the world. By combining the
various stories of member Chronicles, OWbN hopes to enhance the enjoyment
of its members by expanding local plots to the world, truly creating a
World of Darkness.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Well, so much for the glib introduction
ripped straight from our website. Allow me now to sit back, sup at my glass
and tell you a little bit more about us than you might find on the Internet.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Firstly, allow me to introduce
myself. My given name is Duncan Wyley (although most of my friends call
me Dunx), and I’m the Head Coordinator of OWbN (strangely, often pronounced
“Obi-Wan” – just don’t tell Lucas). I’ll have been in this position for
about a year by the time you read this. Before that I spent about two and
a half years StoryTelling in my local Chronicle, during which time I discovered
the pack that I now lead. And before that was about 17 long years of gaming
that I won’t bore you with right now…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Over the course of the following
year or so I met, via the Internet, some of the sharpest minds and finest
gamers it has been my privilege to know. During my involvement in the scope
and development of an organisation of this scale, these people have taught
me many things. Primarily they have shown me that there are a large number
of enthusiastic people who believe in the development of our hobby on a
grand scale. No longer content to restrict themselves with a city, these
people wish to encompass the world in their passion.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We’re trying … no, we are fostering
and encouraging relationships between MET games internationally. We’re
working to encourage and develop the people involved in our hobby in the
skills of roleplaying and live theatre. And we’re having some fun along
the way!</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN would like to grow and
we are still accepting and processing membership applications at present.
Our website at www.owbn.com has more information for readers who might
be interested…c’mon… you know you want to…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Bwa-hah-haaa! Soon ve shall
rule za verlt!</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>No, seriously… We’re working
towards become an expansive community of camaraderie and roleplay. In some
small way, we are contributing to both ourselves, in terms of fostering
plots and friendships, and to the gaming community as a whole, in terms
of awareness and acceptance by a number of social groups. Many of our players
are involved in the business and social communities in our respective towns
and countries, and the friends we make in these organizations come to accept
that what we do is a harmless pastime. In both ways, our hobby is fostered.
This is, in my opinion, a</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Good Thing.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>To ensure our enjoyment, we’ve
constructed an organization that is easy to join and participate in, with
only a few restrictions to keep things comparatively sane.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World isn’t a domineering
hierarchy that costs our Chronicles anything to join or stay with. The
main thing we ask is that our Chronicles emphasize stories that are meant
for the enjoyment of our players and for any players that may travel from
around the world to be enraptured by and entrapped within the intricacies
of another shadowy corner of our One World. We’re not a small group of
individuals that change our Chronicles to suit their needs. OWbN’s founding
idea was that all games have a strong degree of autonomy– essentially ‘your
game is your game’. This philosophy has yielded a veritable melting pot
of styles and personalities. With no central over-riding theme, and no
dominant personality, other than that we try to be generally accepting
of all styles of games, we appeal&nbsp; to all types of gamers.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>When we encounter situations
that involve crossover interaction between the Chronicles, we encourage
the Storytellers of those Chronicles to communicate and elaborate the plots
for the enrichment of both (or all) the games involved.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We are not some industrial bureaucracy
that forges and legislates our Chronicles into carbon copies of one another.&nbsp;
Chronicle diversity is essential. We all build upon one another – good
ideas spread – bad experiences are shared in order to keep other Chronicles
from facing similar problems. Individuality is the heart of our organization.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World isn’t limited. The
only limitations are those that we place upon ourselves and those that
are required to administer the organization. With the addition of every
Chronicle we add to the experience, wisdom and creativity necessary to
expand and enhance the ever-unfolding story that is our One World by Night…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Hmm… Perhaps a little background
is in order.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One World by Night started in
Chicago, Illinois, USA in March of 1994, at a local role-playing convention
by the name of Concentric.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Hey… neat! We’re five years
old this year. Maybe we should throw a worldwide party or something…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Anyway, a game was held between
a local gaming group in Chicago and another group from Indianapolis, IN
known as The Beautiful and the Damned. After the convention – the game
never ended. The convention’s plots were incorporated into the new Chicago
game (started by Mario Bonassin) and the original story line for One World
by Night was born.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Chicago game’s size grew
quickly as they played within the Excalibur nightclub, the actual model
for the Succubus Club of White Wolf’s Chicago by Night fame. In addition
to Chicago players such as Dave Gill – other non-native Chicagoans joined
the game. John Flournoy was running the Lafayette game at Purdue University,
IN. and amongst his players were two students from the East Coast, Bill
Hyatt and Rich Devine, two of our earlier Head Coordinators. When some
of these players left for their respective home cities an idea of an intertwined
World of Darkness arose. The focus would be a shared story, not a shared
rule system.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>One night at a Chicago game
in the top floor of a bar called the Morseland, Dave Gill and Bill Hyatt
put forward their ideas for a shared game, but not like the Camarilla and
not the Shared Universe system. The focus would be a shared story, not
a shared rule system. Bill had the exact same idea and even had a name
for the concept. The first Mid-West shared game was created between Lafeyette,
IN and Chicago, IL.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>After 3-4 months Bill and Rich
went back to NVA and we thought it would end. On the contrary our little
experiment proved it was possible but that it needed work. It needed a
charter so that all ST's would know what they were getting into first.
One that clearly outlined that your game was your game, and even if you
wanted to go through the entire book and rewrite it (as we all did several
times over) no one would stop you. But also goofy-ray-gun-wielding-Mummies
were not any way to have a part in the shared story.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Bill named One World by Night
and became the Coordinator, creating a web site and being a contact for
other games.&nbsp; He talked to them about our project and marketed the
organisation’s focus, "your game is your game".</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We soon recruited Jake Holub
and San Francisco, who are with us still. We became national, spanning
coast to coast, in a matter of a few months.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Concentric 95 in March was the
first OWbN Conclave, where we found how different our rules really were
and polled the players to find if they wanted some universal rulings. It
was an overwhelming affirmative. Not only were they telling us they enjoyed
being a part of it, but that they were confident and comfortable with us
making these universal decisions. GenCon 95 was the organisation’s first
official sanctioned event (although unofficial to the Con) and the first
meeting of the Chronicle Representatives. This was the first occasion where
we firmly decided on some of the Articles that now comprise most of the
Charter rules. No Chronicle would be allowed act against or outside of</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>these rules, for it was our
common belief that we had the plan for creating a successful network of
LARP Chronicles.&nbsp; From that there was written hints and models on
how to start a successful Chronicle, optimum conditions and where to look
for renting sites. OWbN had created a kind of manual for running your own
game and keeping it afloat.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Since then OWbN has grown to
encompass over 60 Chronicles, mostly in the USA and Brazil. Other countries,
such as Spain, Brussels and New Zealand, also have member Chronicles. We
recently ran another convention LARP at GenCon 98, the world’s largest
gaming convention held annually in Milwaukee, WI. The attendance was phenomenal,
exceeding 240 players.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The latest event was the Mid-Atlantic
Conclave - held in Baltimore at the end of October. It included the cooperation
of three different games in the area, a monumental organisational feat
that was pulled off flawlessly. Characters and Storytellers from thirteen
different Chronicles from California to Chicago to New Zealand attended.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>That’s right – New Zealand.
Little agricultural country. That’s where I live. I had a great time.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>I digress…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN is administered primarily
through a series of Coordinators and Council Members drawn from the various
Chronicles.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Each Chronicle has a voice on
the Council through their Council Member, who is selected by the players
and STs in that Chronicle. The Council Member is responsible for representing
their Chronicle’s interests in OWBN, and for keeping the Council appraised
of any situations that may arise of regional or international significance,
as well as voting on any matters that may arise in Council, such as the
admission of new Chronicles to OWBN.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Council Members are also primary
contact points (alongside the STs) for other Chronicles wanting information
or updates on current plots in their local Chronicles. In a majority of
cases, Council Members are also StoryTellers (although this is not always
the case) and can give immediate answers – otherwise they direct the querent
to the appropriate person or ask them on the Council’s behalf.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>A set of Coordinators is elected
each November to hold positions of specific responsibility in OWbN.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Head Coordinator (HC - me)
oversees the entire operation of OWBN, and is assisted in the task by,
naturally, an Assistant HC. Alongside these two, an Admissions Coordinator
tracks new applications for OWbN and keeps tally of the membership. These
three people form the core of OWbN’s administrative team for out-of-character
issues.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The HC is primarily responsible
for overseeing the progress of OWBN as an organisation, for dealing with
matters arising in regard to the OWBN Charter, and for maintaining some
sort of order in amongst the chaos. The HC also assesses disciplinary situations
that may require OWbN’s attention, and dispenses advice to Chronicles as
requested.&nbsp; If he’s a good boy, he gets a pat on the back occasionally.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>He (or she – although we are
yet to see a woman be insane enough to stand for the position, I believe,
so please forgive the male pronoun) is also responsible for supervising
the other Coordinators as a group. He selects the Coordinators each year
(subject to a verifying vote of confidence for each by the Council) and
thus hopefully assembles a team that can work together for the betterment
of the games in general.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Assistant Head Coordinator
(Joyce Summers) is responsible for maintaining the sanity of the Head Coordinator
by dealing with the administrative minutiae of OWbN, such as voting procedures.
This year will see the further expansion of the scope of this position,
to encompass maintenance and regular contact of our more distant Chronicles,
and assisting in the redevelopment of a number of our organisational systems.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Matt Geizentaner, our Admissions
Coordinator, will continue to receive and assess the initial admissions
applications, along with myself, to assist new and existing Chronicles
in their applications for One World by Night. Matt is available for consultation
with anyone considering joining OWbN, and can answer most questions you
may have, or direct you to someone who can. His contact information can
be found at our website.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Speaking of which, OWbN is strongly
tied to the Internet as a primary mode of communication. There’s no way
I’d be running it if I had to pay all those toll calls to the States every
time I needed to see what was going on…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>So if you’re interested in joining
up, please bear in mind that you will need people in your group who have
regular access to the Internet - at the very least your Council Member
must be able to receive Council mail.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN has a number of e-mail
lists operational that allow for quick and easy communication between our
members, IC or OOC. This system provides another level of interaction,
a challenging and informative method for players to share in the loves
and lives of each online characters’ shadowy existence.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Many players are accessing them
daily, and there are some people we just can’t shake off the web…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We’ve found that this sort of
international interaction has really helped characters in their recognition
of each other, and encouraged cross-Chronicle interaction - even if it
is just travelling across the entire country to give a rowdy Ravnos a Puissance
wedgie.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>All Chronicles are also strongly
advised to have a website and to (try to) keep it updated with the latest
news and game information, so that others in the area can check out when
they can attend their neighbours’ games. Keep a copy of your House Rules
there as well, so potential visitors can read up on the local variances
to reduce interruption in the flow of the game.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Moving on…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>As OWBN has grown, the need
for specific Clan Coordinators has developed. At present OWBN has Coordinators
for the more specifically structured clans, Assamite, Giovanni and Tremere.
This concept may soon be expanded to encompass other clans. Additionally,
we have a Coordinator for Sabbat activities, and another for the Garou
players. As OWBN continues to grow, and other styles of Chronicle join
in, the structure of OWBN will adjust appropriately.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Additionally, to centralise
and control the flow of information and clan activities, we have Coordinators
for each of the seven NPC Justicars. These people act as clearinghouses
for the various and nefarious wheelings and dealings of these ancients,
and give many of OWbN’s players both a focus for their gameplay, and appropriate
fear to their characters. The “JustiCoords” maintain regular contact with
the STs of OWBN as required and assist in resolving plot issues involving
their Offices</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We generally keep actual Justicarial
appearances at games limited to Conclaves. Archons or Secretariats to the
Justicars are preferred forms of Camarilla enforcement if intervention
or contact is required. Recent events in the OWBN continuum have seen a
marked increase in the numbers and calibre of Archons appearing in Camarilla
Domains. The death of Xavier, until recently the Justicar for Clan Gangrel,
has obviously shaken the heretofore-impervious Justicarate, and there is
visible evidence of their unease…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Voting itself is a simple matter
– in most cases a proposal to the Council is presented and (hopefully)
seconded. A period of discussion is allowed and then a vote is called for.
Each Chronicle is allowed one vote, as are the HC and AHC. Generally, a
majority of the received votes will indicate success for the proposal.
The Council also votes on applications for Chronicle Membership, and the
Admissions Coordinator may cast a vote in the case of a tie in these situations.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>With the continued expansion
of OWbN, we are slowly refining our internal management processes. 1999
should see some very progressive steps in this direction. The improvement
of our operations should streamline a number of issues.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Therefore, OWbN has an infrastructure
that exists to support all those associated within. StoryTellers have access
to many other storytellers to inspire and be inspired by. Players have
access to thousands of other players to interact with, plot with and generally
breathe life into what we call our One World by Night…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Well, that’s pretty much how
we run the organisation, but you’d probably prefer to hear about the Chronicles.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN is dominated at present
by Camarilla-based Vampire games. There are exceptions to this – a few
games are primarily Sabbat or Garou in focus, a couple are Anarch in nature,
and some mix’n’match genres as they see fit.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The primary rulebooks we use
are The Masquerade Second Edition and Laws of the Night. Other books see
inclusion as the StoryTellers see fit, and as discussed by the Council
– for example, some aspects of Laws of Elysium have been generally considered
in OWbN to be restricted to NPCs rather than open to players. OWbN’s Vampire
games are primarily directed at the younger Kindred. There are restrictions
on the play of “true” Elders of OWbN, and on some of the types of Kindred
permissible in any Chronicle, ie. True Brujah or Salubri. Similar rules
will apply to other</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>supernaturals as they are developed
and enter OWbN.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Variants on the White Wolf MET
rulebooks are permitted within reason. We recommend that Chronicles stick
fairly closely to the WW products so that there is some internal consistency
in the way the game is played. It was very pleasant to find that most of
the rules I encountered in Chicago and Baltimore worked much the way they
work way over here in Hamilton. Variations in the interpretations of the
rules also opened my eyes to the possibilities of other interpretations
that I hadn’t considered. I never claimed to be a “rules lawyer,” but I
found some of the ways the systems were played was very educational.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Never discount a learning experience.
Most of our people are happy to share their ideas, and while we have our
fair share of squabbles over some things, any idea that might enrich your
game or your gameplay is important. Many of our Chronicles adopt systems
that they have heard of from others in OWbN.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We hope to expand our horizons
beyond Vampire. With the release in 1998 of a number of White Wolf’s MET
products, we now have a considerably greater scope in which to work and
play and flourish. This will involve some changes in our internal structure,
but we bid Flexible on that matter.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Our Garou Coordinator, Krissy
Ryan, is busily working on further integration of Garou Chronicles into
the fold. At the time that I’m writing this we recently welcomed another
Garou game. The Kenosha: Bad Moon Rising game had been played alongside
Kenosha: The Eternal Aria for some time, and was gladly given admittance,
as they had played by OWbN rules for some time, and had remained in regular
contact both in and out of character. This stood them in good stead when
their number came up.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>At present, Matt and myself
are discussing possibilities with a Changeling game. We’re not adverse
to a Wraith game joining in – but can see some difficulties arising interaction-wise
due to the Shroud. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>In numbers, our games range
wildly and widely, some Chronicles are less than a dozen people, others
number around a hundred regulars, including visitors from nearby games.
We don’t have an accurate count of our total membership, but estimates
place us at over 2000 players in over 50 games in 6 different countries.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>At present, OWbN is slightly
fractured due to language barriers between some of our Chronicles. With
the advent of translation sites on the Internet – my personal favourite
is babelfish.altavista.com - I hope to see much of that barrier crumble
over the next year, and this should encourage a wider scope of interaction
all around.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN tries to hold at least
one Conclave a year. In 1998 we held two fairly large Conclaves (Chicago
and Baltimore) as well as running a huge game at GenCon in August. These
games are organised by enthusiastic ST teams with too much time on their
hands and too much caffeine in their systems. More large gatherings of
this nature are on the cards for 1999, although details are still being
worked on. We’ll post all upcoming major events on our website.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>In between such events players
are often road-tripping to other cities for the hell of it. Travel the
world, see the sites, play a little vampire and make a lot of new friends.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>And you don’t have to travel
to other games to necessarily affect them – email communications and expenditure
of Influence or use of city contacts through the StoryTellers can have
as much of an impact as being there.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Travelling between OWbN cities
is an experience in itself – meeting new people both in and out of character
and experiencing the unique flavour of that game. Often this can prove
a refreshing and eye-opening experience.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>It has been my personal pleasure
to attend the two American Conclaves this year, and I am proud of the efforts
of all concerned in the organisation and execution of the events. I would
like at this time to formally thank all of you who invited me and forked
over for the plane tickets… twice…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>I’m still very humbled by that
experience.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Some of our Chronicles are also
in contact with various independent games in their area. While our “official”
stance is that these games don’t necessarily ”exist” in our continuity
(at least, until they join OWbN, he smiles) we in no way discourage our
people from talking with other games and other groups. After all, we don’t
have all the answers to all the questions – why limit our opportunities
to learn?</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN is developing a good relationship
with White Wolf, and we are pleased to have been of assistance in the past
in terms of playtesting and opinion. A few of their staff are present,
either as friends or accomplices and we acknowledge the help that they
have given us in the past. We hope to continue this productive and convivial
friendship in the future. I guess the opportunity given me to write this
article means we must have some degree of respect in</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>their eyes (heh).</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN is perhaps very reflective
of the World of Darkness as given us by White Wolf. We don’t slavishly
follow the books as written in terms of NPCs or source books (or our Milwaukee
and Chicago would be very different games…) but are instead working on
our own continuity, using much of the WW sources to fill in the gaps.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>As an example, we took the opportunity
in 1997 to echo the 13-year meeting of the Inner Circle to change several
of the Justicars. Clan Toreador kept Madame Guil from Diablerie: Britain
and Clan Malkavian kept Justicar Lucian from the card game. The Ventrue
opted to choose Tai Pan Robert Pedder as their next lawmaker. Other than
that the other Justicars (Masako - Clan Brujah, Kharel – Gangrel, Ctarinov
– Nosferatu, and Malaphar – Tremere) were created in OWBN to fill those
positions.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>New concepts presented by White
Wolf (such as the many alterations to the WoD as presented in Vampire Revised)
are discussed amongst the Council and the StoryTeller teams before anything
is introduced to the mainstream of the games. However, OWbN’s in-character
politics do have a natural progression that is shaping very similarly to
a number of things that White Wolf has presented.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>So what’s happening in One World
by Night as the Millennium approaches?</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Some Kindred truly believe the
Final Nights are drawing near as the numbers of the Caitiff grow and the
Clans of the Camarilla become more fractious each week. The Elders seem
aloof and uncaring, the Justicars play unknown games behind closed doors,
the Sabbat are around each corner – in many cases well rooted in place
amongst their unsuspecting opposites.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Meanwhile the Garou struggle
to preserve their heritage as their own enemies plant themselves more securely
than ever in the Vampire-dominated cities and drive them from their cairns.
Their war against the Wyrm continues unabated at this time.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Gangrel of America face
desperate times as their Elders are stripped from them slowly by negative
forces. The loss of many of their Elders in recent times has shaken their
dedication and loyalty to the Camarilla.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Brujah struggle to remain
a cohesive whole, torn between their loyalties to the Camarilla and their
Clansmen. Browbeaten by their Elders and tongue-lashed by their Anarch
brothers, their loyalty also sways.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Clan Tremere fights to maintain
a united front whilst dealing with public ridicule and suspicion. They
often find themselves leaned upon to provide solutions to matters of the
supernatural, and then discarded unceremoniously by the other Clans once
they are no longer useful.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>Clan Ventrue endeavours to stand
proud and aloof as certain elements undermine their efforts at dominance
- the prevalence of Ventrue Princes in the Old World is far from echoed
in the New, an embarrassment at best.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The Nosferatu… well, nobody
really knows what they are up to, but there is some evidence that they
may be closing ranks for some reason.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The decadence of these last
decades has distracted many of Clan Toreador. Has true Art died with the
rest of the world? Many of them ask that question in this twilight of the
Muses.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>And the Malkavians? What of
them? They’re changing…but from what and to what? Who can tell, anyway?</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>OWbN is set in the modern day,
very much so. Many of our Chronicles utilise the real world’s activities
as tie-ins for their plots. Our players are enthusiastic and energetic
and many small plots spill from city to city. Mix in a little StoryTeller
magic, and our World of Darkness slowly comes to life. Would that I could
tell you all of some of the awesome plots going on, but I think I’d get
lynched…</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>We have our own character “personalities”
developing – (in)famous names and coteries, such as the NWO in Baltimore,
the First Family in Chicago, the dubious House Malice, the dread Archon
Uma Nottingham, the Legion Sisters, Maddy Zurich, Dana Stone, Archbishop
Santiago, the irrepressible Malkiepoos ...</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>The list goes on, and I could
probably talk for hours, but I’m not quite up to writing the sourcebook
yet.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus"><FONT SIZE=+1>In closing, I would like to
thank Joyce Summers, Matt Giezentaner, Ross Anderson and Lance Larsen,
amongst others, for their contributions to this article. I’d also like
to thank One World by Night – while you motley lot may be a pain in the
neck at times, you’re all wonderful people this side of the Masquerade.</FONT></FONT></CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT FACE="Papyrus">&nbsp;</FONT></CENTER>

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