What is the World of Darkness?

The World of Darkness in which the game takes place is one just a few layers away from the real world–while world history appears the same on the surface, the secret of the World of Darkness is that the supernatural exists, and is very, very active. It’s a setting with strong influences ranging from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, from Batman to Sandman, from H.P. Lovecraft to E. E. Smith.

Think of a world, not unlike our own. With all of our cultures, people, history, and technology. Now, this world can be as ‘normal’ as our own. Or it could be as dark and Gothic as say the world seen in the movies The Crow, first and second. The choice is up to you. Has the world slipped down into a dark cesspool of gothic horror? Or is it very much like our own, where the supernatural creatures hide themselves very well? Here on Cajun Nights, we like to portray a world somewhere in between.

Who are these supernatural beings you ask? Why do they hide from the rest of mortal society? Well, that is the World of Darkness. Creatures such as Vampires who fight one another for control of their own empires which may include politicians, the media, the government, or business. Or they which to control society and mold it into their image, and guide it under some convoluted benevolent scheme to give mankind what they think is best for them.

Werewolves who fight a great evil known as the Wyrm that wish to destroy all of creation, or some more evil and twisted purpose. Who fight the good fight, but have lost their own way sometimes, and battle and bicker amongst themselves to lead this war using their own philosophies and strategies.

Or there are Magi, men and women of magick, who alter, shape and change reality to their own concepts and paradigms. They too battle secret other worldly creatures and beings who not only wish to invade our reality, but also to alter if not destroy it.

Then there are the lowly, few secret societies of humans who know about the existence of Vampires, Werewolves and Magick, and either wish to understand it, control it, or destroy it.

Whoever, whatever you are. Whatever group you belong to. Most, if not all have one common characteristic. They keep their existence, motives, and dealings outside and secret from the world of the normal, mundane mortals. If there existence were ever to be exposed, what repercussion would it have on the world? Would mortal society lash back in fear and hatred, like they did during their many Crusades and Inquisitions, the most famous being the Spanish Inquisition where many supernatural beings were hunted down and killed in record numbers? Would those who have been exposed lash out in fear and uncertainty? Who knows?

Be it, you are a special being who fights your other supernatural enemies, your own personal demons. Or you are some secret puppet master pulling strings and making moves in a great political Machiavellian game of chess. Or you are a simple every day person, who slips into the world of the supernatural by accident and are swept away by eddies and swirls of intrigue, mysteries, secrets and politics. The World of Darkness is a fascinating and complex place. We invite you to come be a part of it.

In the games sold by White-Wolf, players typically play characters from the supernatural races, but on Cajun Nights, pure, ‘harmless’ mortals have their own agendas, often building entire empires before even being noticed by, or learning of, the supernatural.

Standard characters (depending on availability) are vampires, lycanthropes (everything from the Garou–werewolves with a ritualistic culture and worship Gaia, to the Ananasi–werespiders who drink human blood), mages, humans with ‘something extra,’ be it psychic powers, small magics, or a variety of others, and, of course, unenhanced–but not powerless–mortals. Players are encouraged to make their characters whatever best suits them, whether a pure archetype, or someone with so many background twists that it’s doubtful their entire story will ever come up during play. Heroes, villains, bystanders–there’s a place for pretty much everything, and if there isn’t, one can be created.