The World of Darkness

The Shattered Veil ...

What would it take to expose the supernatural, and for Humankind to accept the fact that they were not alone in the dark?

Doom speakers, prepared for the worst based on the ancient calculation of the Mayans, while the rest of humanity tried to ignore them, they screamed, they yelled, preached that 2012 would mark the end of existence, the end of the world.

Except that didn’t exactly happen.

It was the end of the world as we knew it, but not with earth shattering destruction. Instead, as they waited, huddled in their homes expecting the worst, midnight global press conference revealed that Vampires were real.

How every news, radio and satellite signal suddenly blared the news confounded even the most well-connected Kindred. There was no warning, no time to quell the conference, and it left more than just the human population of the world reeling.

Most Vampires - Kindred, as they call themselves - blame the Common Wealth, a suddenly power and organized faction once known as the Carthian Movement. Were poised to step up immediately and take control in the chaos which followed the announcement, pissing off many Invictus Elders in the process, only lend credence to this theory. The consequences reverberated throughout the covenants - the Invictus scrambled to maintain control over their suddenly exposed resources; those of the Crone were presented with the opportunity to openly grow their cults; the Sanctified became so divided as to almost fracture at its core; and the ever-patient Ordo Dracul just sat back and watched the dragon scales fall.

The first few months where hardest. Many vampires where ashed by terrified humans and delighted Hunters who took the opportunity to stir shit up. Unfortunately it wasn’t just vampires that were destroyed, but human causalities rose as well: this was seen as the perfect opportunity for mortals to throw their enemies under the hysteria-bus with claims of vampirism where there were really none.

The Government quickly - almost suspiciously so - pushed through legislation to acknowledge, track, and naturalize Vampires as American citizens. To maintain order, and get the population to accept the legislation, the Government was also quick to install a new branch of Home Land Security. This branch was called The Division of Supernatural Affairs. Each Division was given a US Marshals who had military backgrounds to oversee the field offices under them. Their duty was to buffer the humans and vampires, see to the destruction of vampires who broke the law and keep the peace.

But what of the First Tradition? It’s still there, only altered. Vampires do not tolerate vampire knowledge getting out, clans and covenants are to remain unknown.

Elders are unhappy, living day to day terrified that this way would soon lead to the sun, and now are more reliant on the neonates for their own safe keeping than they are comfortable admitting. The great Danse continues, though the melody has changed and the steps have been altered in the name of continued survival in a world where most of the shadows have been banished.

Six months after Vampires revealed themselves, Werewolves were also exposed by footage on Youtube. They were not amused, but they had learned from watching the chaos of the 2012 Reveal by the Vampires; a Prominent owner of one of the cities Casinos came forward as a werewolf, and spoke on his brethren’s' behalf, pushing for equality, and should there even be a whiff of discrimination people would find themselves in court under a lawsuit.

Will the unveiled survive?

Watching the two be exposed, and eventually accepted many Changeling's started to advocate to come out. Which, naturally made those who wanted to hide very uneasy. The Changeling's are on the verge of a civil war that will direct wither or not a third group would become known.

And the Mages? The Mages are scrambling like angry hornets trying to pull the tattered veil back down and keep themselves hidden. Would the abyss grow stronger with the world exposed as it was? Or would its grasp weaken? Only time would tell and they were not taking chances.