Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Update, Feb. 2012
I just wanted to let everyone know that this site is not dead. I plan to get back into researching the area as it relates to SBBN and have significant new material by spring. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
HISTORY & UPDATES, NOVEMBER 2011
South Bend by Night was/is the South Bend, Indiana (USA) chapter of White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade live-action-role-playing game (LARP). It was most active in the mid-late 90s and was played chiefly under Second Edition guidelines. South Bend by Night (SBBN), in its peak, was played by approximately 30-50 players simultaneously during the first couple chronicles and met at various locations throughout the Michiana area including Mishawaka, Granger, and Niles, and of course the city that the chapter is named for. Meetings were typically bi-weekly. Please note that the “facts” presented in this writing may be incomplete in nature as gaps in time and lapses in chronicles may have occurred. This page aims to be the current definitive authority on the subject matter. Any information found to be lacking in accuracy will be corrected in subsequent updates. The following information is not freshly created or "new." It is an amalgamation of historical occurrences and data compiled from multiple sources, going back over 15 years! Assumptions given within this writing that refer to present kindred conditions in the city and surrounding areas are based on the dissection of known information which has been reasonably verified. I think you will find that this is the most accurate, thorough (and probably only) summary of the history of the kindred kind in this area.
As time has since passed, I cannot confirm whether the “original” prince of South Bend is still living or not. He may have been put to final death or into torpor in the late 90s but this is something which needs clarification from reliable sources. South Bend by Night in those times was (and still is, as far as I'm aware) in a significantly pre-Gehenna state. There was a very significant Sabbat presence in the city before and leading up to the year 2000. However, the absence of the Crone awakening, (and certainly Antediluvian awakenings) along with lack of radical Sabbat-driven cult mentality may signify that the prophecy of Gehenna has not materialized in any significant way (and might not for up to a hundred years or more, possibly even several hundred, if at all). It should be noted, although probably not-relevant at this time, that one Antediluvian may have been somehow briefly awoken in the 90s but was put back into torpor (The reliability of this information is considered relatively high and the event most likely took place somewhere in Europe. It almost definitely was not a Gehenna-related incident however, or at least did not lead to further cultist beliefs.).
Underscoring the notions laid out above are also the absences of The Time of Thin Blood and the fact that the Red Star never appeared (It actually may have appeared to some kindred but that event's lack of notoriety may suggest an illusion, false sighting, or that it occurred under the hopes and direction of a small number of radical Sabbat). A significant decline in kindred population from the year 2001 and on, and assumed relative lessening of regional Sabbat influence, further reinforces the belief that the city is in a pre-Gehenna era. In an out-of-character context, South Bend by Night has not been played, or never has been played significantly, from the year 2004 and on, further reinforcing the belief that the city is in a pre-Gehenna era (as defined by former chronicles and by the Second Edition backdrop which differs greatly from the events laid out in the leading up to and release of Vampire: Requiem by White Wolf). Therefore, as far as this writer is aware, South Bend and the surrounding areas are far from the end of the world, however may still lie under some Sabbat influence (although you should read further for clarification).
The region is likely considered a contested area and some relevant actions were undertaken by the Camerilla in the early-mid 2000s. The tide may have shifted somewhat since then but the concept of a Camerilla-dominated Michiana is probably unlikely at the moment. As they had some years before, the Camerilla wanted to use South Bend as a barrier to the midwest after the Sabbat (again?) took strongholds on the eastern seaboard and were advancing as far as Detroit. The deduction I can make, based on known facts and also postulation, about what happened here after 2002 is that the Camerilla fought the Sabbat for the local area with reinforcements from Chicago. The Sabbat retreated some members back towards Detroit, and possibly some southward and eastward when their intelligence seemed to indicate that the Camerilla also had a strong front near St. Louis. With the Sabbat retreat, some numbers of Camerilla moved into the Michiana area (for an unknown amount of time) but it was not officially re-occupied for reasons of wanting to keep Chicago and larger cities to the west fortified. After this time, somewhat of a stalemate evolved between the sects with each holding their ground. More on this later.
Politics within the sects and the quest for dominance could likely be relevant factors in the city of South Bend at this time if not for the dwindled kindred population. There has never been a notable influx of Garou to suggest that the tenets of vampiric society in the area are not at least fairly stable, nor have there existed major implications of the manifestation of ancient prophesies. It is assumed by analysis of known facts and data that the kindred population is certainly considerably lower than circa year 2000 so that the political strengths, ties to other cities, and influence of elders may be much less than in the past. Based on the information presented here, it would be reasonable to assume that there may be more Anarchs in the area due to less restrictive control on the part of well-established institutions of the kindred. The area may even have been somewhat forgotten by the prince and primogen of Chicago as focuses of the opposing sects turned inward towards themselves for a time. It is likely that the decline in kindred activity and population in the local area has resulted in Michiana being somewhat rogue and devoid of a definitive political influence, which of course paves a quite broad path for the future.
This writing attempts to give some historical perspective on the South Bend by Night (SBBN) chronicles and chapter of White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade. As previously stated, some facts or attributes herein may be disputed or unverifiable at this time of writing in November of 2011. There is some slight kindred activity in the city at this time which has shown up on this writer's radar although it is very far from being noticed by many. This site's purpose is to take the place of previous SBBN sites which have since disappeared from the Internet, to provide information to new and old players as to known circumstances, and provide a venue that you can return to for updates concerning these matters. Thanks for stopping by.
**UPDATE**
The following information was found to be reported in 2002 by a faction of SBBN calling themselves "South Bend By Night - the real chapter" [and has been used to edit, clarify, and enhance the previous texts]. I find it quite stunning how well this fits with the information I provided originally. However, it should be noted with most importance that the info I will paste below is from 2002 and is just one reference. It does reinforce what I basically thought, that the local areas are contested grounds. I stand by my ascertation above that the city is now sparsely populated (by kindred) and more or less a neutral political zone. If I had to guess, the closer one gets to Chicago, the more Camerilla one might find, and it is possible that some of those inhabitants could come to South Bend, or are already here. Here is the quoted text I found:
*** *** *** ***
September 2002
The war between the Camarilla and the Sabbat has escalated as the Final Nights approach. After a terrible and stunning victory, the Sabbat now controls the majority of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, with the exception of the now Camarilla controlled New York.
In order to protect its presence in Chicago and surrounding cities, the Camarilla has chose South Bend, Indiana as the first line of defense from Sabbat packs from Detroit and the east. After dispatching small Sabbat resistance, the Camarilla has moved into the city in full force.
Whether attracted to the city by duty, opportunity, insanity or some other reason, the influx of new Kindred has begun to build a solid domain out of the ashes.
Will the Camarilla survive or prosper, or will the fanatical Sabbat, irrate werewolves or some
other mysterious force prove its ruin? Only time will tell...
*** *** *** ***
I would surmise that the outcome of this confrontation was not definite in nature as kindred residents moved to other areas, possibly to areas more saturated with those of their mindset, again leaving Michiana mostly empty, thus why some Anarchs are undoubtedly inhabiting the area. Off the bat, that would perhaps suggest pockets of Brujah but I think small groups of Nosferatu are likely, particularly considering their presence in the area previously. This may also support the seeming non-presence of many kindred although I still think the population must be much lower than before. On that particular note, South Bend, last time I checked, did have a significant decrease in violent crime after the 90s so this may suggest less activity on the part of the undead. Given the circumstances listed above, it's probably not unlikely that some Garou are hiding about as well, but maybe in the more rural areas outside the city, given the forested nature of much of the land.
The quoted text does seem to indicate, as it definitely was in the 90s and early 2000s, that there is a strong Camerilla presence in Chicago. I find that unlikely to be challenged very greatly as it seems it's been a stronghold for quite some time, assuming that it still is, of course. I will continue to compile and gather all of the most fitting and relevant puzzle pieces of research I can put together to help all who are interested to have greater understanding of the kindred history and current circumstances in the local vicinity. "Follow" this blog (top right of the page) and/or bookmark this blog to be in the know of future updates!
As time has since passed, I cannot confirm whether the “original” prince of South Bend is still living or not. He may have been put to final death or into torpor in the late 90s but this is something which needs clarification from reliable sources. South Bend by Night in those times was (and still is, as far as I'm aware) in a significantly pre-Gehenna state. There was a very significant Sabbat presence in the city before and leading up to the year 2000. However, the absence of the Crone awakening, (and certainly Antediluvian awakenings) along with lack of radical Sabbat-driven cult mentality may signify that the prophecy of Gehenna has not materialized in any significant way (and might not for up to a hundred years or more, possibly even several hundred, if at all). It should be noted, although probably not-relevant at this time, that one Antediluvian may have been somehow briefly awoken in the 90s but was put back into torpor (The reliability of this information is considered relatively high and the event most likely took place somewhere in Europe. It almost definitely was not a Gehenna-related incident however, or at least did not lead to further cultist beliefs.).
Underscoring the notions laid out above are also the absences of The Time of Thin Blood and the fact that the Red Star never appeared (It actually may have appeared to some kindred but that event's lack of notoriety may suggest an illusion, false sighting, or that it occurred under the hopes and direction of a small number of radical Sabbat). A significant decline in kindred population from the year 2001 and on, and assumed relative lessening of regional Sabbat influence, further reinforces the belief that the city is in a pre-Gehenna era. In an out-of-character context, South Bend by Night has not been played, or never has been played significantly, from the year 2004 and on, further reinforcing the belief that the city is in a pre-Gehenna era (as defined by former chronicles and by the Second Edition backdrop which differs greatly from the events laid out in the leading up to and release of Vampire: Requiem by White Wolf). Therefore, as far as this writer is aware, South Bend and the surrounding areas are far from the end of the world, however may still lie under some Sabbat influence (although you should read further for clarification).
The region is likely considered a contested area and some relevant actions were undertaken by the Camerilla in the early-mid 2000s. The tide may have shifted somewhat since then but the concept of a Camerilla-dominated Michiana is probably unlikely at the moment. As they had some years before, the Camerilla wanted to use South Bend as a barrier to the midwest after the Sabbat (again?) took strongholds on the eastern seaboard and were advancing as far as Detroit. The deduction I can make, based on known facts and also postulation, about what happened here after 2002 is that the Camerilla fought the Sabbat for the local area with reinforcements from Chicago. The Sabbat retreated some members back towards Detroit, and possibly some southward and eastward when their intelligence seemed to indicate that the Camerilla also had a strong front near St. Louis. With the Sabbat retreat, some numbers of Camerilla moved into the Michiana area (for an unknown amount of time) but it was not officially re-occupied for reasons of wanting to keep Chicago and larger cities to the west fortified. After this time, somewhat of a stalemate evolved between the sects with each holding their ground. More on this later.
Politics within the sects and the quest for dominance could likely be relevant factors in the city of South Bend at this time if not for the dwindled kindred population. There has never been a notable influx of Garou to suggest that the tenets of vampiric society in the area are not at least fairly stable, nor have there existed major implications of the manifestation of ancient prophesies. It is assumed by analysis of known facts and data that the kindred population is certainly considerably lower than circa year 2000 so that the political strengths, ties to other cities, and influence of elders may be much less than in the past. Based on the information presented here, it would be reasonable to assume that there may be more Anarchs in the area due to less restrictive control on the part of well-established institutions of the kindred. The area may even have been somewhat forgotten by the prince and primogen of Chicago as focuses of the opposing sects turned inward towards themselves for a time. It is likely that the decline in kindred activity and population in the local area has resulted in Michiana being somewhat rogue and devoid of a definitive political influence, which of course paves a quite broad path for the future.
This writing attempts to give some historical perspective on the South Bend by Night (SBBN) chronicles and chapter of White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade. As previously stated, some facts or attributes herein may be disputed or unverifiable at this time of writing in November of 2011. There is some slight kindred activity in the city at this time which has shown up on this writer's radar although it is very far from being noticed by many. This site's purpose is to take the place of previous SBBN sites which have since disappeared from the Internet, to provide information to new and old players as to known circumstances, and provide a venue that you can return to for updates concerning these matters. Thanks for stopping by.
**UPDATE**
The following information was found to be reported in 2002 by a faction of SBBN calling themselves "South Bend By Night - the real chapter" [and has been used to edit, clarify, and enhance the previous texts]. I find it quite stunning how well this fits with the information I provided originally. However, it should be noted with most importance that the info I will paste below is from 2002 and is just one reference. It does reinforce what I basically thought, that the local areas are contested grounds. I stand by my ascertation above that the city is now sparsely populated (by kindred) and more or less a neutral political zone. If I had to guess, the closer one gets to Chicago, the more Camerilla one might find, and it is possible that some of those inhabitants could come to South Bend, or are already here. Here is the quoted text I found:
*** *** *** ***
September 2002
The war between the Camarilla and the Sabbat has escalated as the Final Nights approach. After a terrible and stunning victory, the Sabbat now controls the majority of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, with the exception of the now Camarilla controlled New York.
In order to protect its presence in Chicago and surrounding cities, the Camarilla has chose South Bend, Indiana as the first line of defense from Sabbat packs from Detroit and the east. After dispatching small Sabbat resistance, the Camarilla has moved into the city in full force.
Whether attracted to the city by duty, opportunity, insanity or some other reason, the influx of new Kindred has begun to build a solid domain out of the ashes.
Will the Camarilla survive or prosper, or will the fanatical Sabbat, irrate werewolves or some
other mysterious force prove its ruin? Only time will tell...
*** *** *** ***
I would surmise that the outcome of this confrontation was not definite in nature as kindred residents moved to other areas, possibly to areas more saturated with those of their mindset, again leaving Michiana mostly empty, thus why some Anarchs are undoubtedly inhabiting the area. Off the bat, that would perhaps suggest pockets of Brujah but I think small groups of Nosferatu are likely, particularly considering their presence in the area previously. This may also support the seeming non-presence of many kindred although I still think the population must be much lower than before. On that particular note, South Bend, last time I checked, did have a significant decrease in violent crime after the 90s so this may suggest less activity on the part of the undead. Given the circumstances listed above, it's probably not unlikely that some Garou are hiding about as well, but maybe in the more rural areas outside the city, given the forested nature of much of the land.
The quoted text does seem to indicate, as it definitely was in the 90s and early 2000s, that there is a strong Camerilla presence in Chicago. I find that unlikely to be challenged very greatly as it seems it's been a stronghold for quite some time, assuming that it still is, of course. I will continue to compile and gather all of the most fitting and relevant puzzle pieces of research I can put together to help all who are interested to have greater understanding of the kindred history and current circumstances in the local vicinity. "Follow" this blog (top right of the page) and/or bookmark this blog to be in the know of future updates!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)