Everything looks normal on the surface in Gloaming. People go to work, children play in the streets, and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But after dark, people are more cautious than on Earth. They tend to stay indoors and travel outside at night only in groups (except, of course, for the young and foolish). If asked, most people won’t be able to put their finger on exactly why, other than to express a sentiment similar to, “A person’s got to be careful, doesn’t he?” But the reason people in Gloaming are afraid of the dark is because some part of them knows that it’s only prudent to possess that fear. Otherwise, creatures of the night might get them.
In Gloaming, vampires and werewolves are real. They live in the shadows, preying on humanity, keeping their existence secret to society at large.
Gloaming was created through fictional leakage.
As might be expected, the vampires and werewolves of Gloaming each have many varied clans and ancient associations. That said, the two groups are not split down “racial” lines when it comes to enmity (though there have been feuds both within and between clans). No, the most significant division between the creatures of the night (and a few human mages that stand among them) is a pledge to Law or a pledge to Chaos.
Creatures of the night pledged to the Code see themselves as forthright, honest, and capable of completely controlling the base creature instincts that flow from their heritage. Sometimes their adherence to the Code is so overwhelming that discretion is lost, but that’s a sacrifice those pledged to Law are willing to make. (The Conclave of Chaos holds that the Code has blinded itself by adopting an unchangeable dogma—a policy set in stone without recourse for self-correction or external balance, which means that creatures of the Code step across the line and become threats as large or larger than what they claim to oppose, and should be abolished.) The Code is currently led by a vampire named Eletta Salt. She oversees disputes, sets policy, deals with setbacks, and plans for the future almost like the CEO of a large company.
Indeed, the Code is set up very much like such an organization. In her role, Salt is imperious and cold, and she wears spiked heels that raise her already impressive height to well over 6 feet (2 m).
Eletta Salt: level 7; bites for 5 points of damage; regenerates health equal to half the amount of damage she inflicts with her bite; psychic powers that seduce and charm foes
Creatures of the night pledged to Chaos think that artificial boundaries are for those who can’t control themselves any other way. Sometimes their idealization of Chaos leads to regrettable outcomes, but what’s life without taking risks? A werewolf named Isabel Schiaparelli currently leads the Conclave of Chaos. Her official title is the Anarch, which is how she is referred to by everyone except when in her presence, when she insists on being called “Issy.” As the Anarch, Issy has a semblance of the position held by her counterpart, but the truth is, she’s far more interested in partying and practical jokes. That said, she has ideas on how to really shake things up in Gloaming.
The Code has decreed that the Conclave of Chaos is a celebration of the basest instincts of human, werewolf, and vampire alike, and their beliefs provide cover for heinous acts that no right-minded person could ever excuse. They believe those of the Chaos should be abolished.
Isabel Schiaparelli: level 6, fights as level 8 while in wereform; regenerates 2 points of health per round while in wereform
A recursor who translates into Gloaming can choose to be a vampire or werewolf. The recursor has the same abilities as a human, except in a few particulars.
A vampire gains a bite attack she’s practiced in that deals damage as a medium weapon. The vampire restores points equal to half the amount of damage inflicted on a foe (after Armor is accounted for, round down for the total). The difficulty of all tasks related to persuasion is decreased by one step for a vampire. A vampire is burned by sunlight and any source of strong UV light. While in sunlight, a vampire descends one step on the damage track and takes 5 points of damage per round that ignores Armor (unless that Armor completely encapsulates the vampire). Other vampire options may be available if the GM desires; a more robust suite of vampire abilities could be a focus offered by Gloaming.
A werewolf gains the ability to transform into a werewolf for a number of minutes each night equal to its level. While in wereform, the werewolf has a bite attack he’s practiced in that deals damage as a heavy weapon, and he regenerates 1 point of damage each round (except for any damage inflicted by a silver weapon). A werewolf damaged by silver—a silvered blade, liquefied or gasified silver, silver fulminate explosives, and so on—takes an extra 2 points of damage from each application and loses his ability to remain in wereform (and thus his ability to regenerate). v
Eletta Salt wishes to cull her rivals by taking out several of the leading members of the Conclave of Chaos. Thanks to the Gloaming Pact, no one from the Code can act directly against the Conclave, and vice versa. Thus, she seeks outsiders who can get the job done while creating plausible deniability.
Isabel Schiaparelli wants to wake the populace of Gloaming to true consciousness—to give them all the spark! Doing so would vastly increase the size of Gloaming, something that she sees as a good thing. The only method she’s come up with for giving the spark to shadows is to scare the living daylights out of them so thoroughly that they have to examine everything they know, and if they survive, perhaps they will find the spark of something more. From the outside, however, it seems as if the Conclave of Chaos has embarked on a campaign of mindless terror.
Below the city is a condemned subway tunnel that has been boarded up for as long as anyone can remember. The tunnel appears on no city blueprints. Those who find the tunnel hear horrible groans and howls echoing from the dark. The sounds are becoming louder of late, and many worry that something even more sinister than vampires and werewolves is imprisoned the rein.