New World Nights: 100 Ghouls For The American Camarilla
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America was the land of opportunity¸ if you listened to what the ad copy said. A place of milk and honey¸ never mind the fine print¸ and no refunds once your ship set sail. For most who made the trip¸ though¸ America turned out to be a place of toil¸ suffering and hardship¸ carrying the burdens of the privileged on their backs. Now it's a land of twilight¸ lit by cheap neon¸ with the broken dreams of generations glittering in the gutters like shards of glass beneath a sickly¸ smog-clouded moon.
Alleys run like blacktop veins through the cities¸ and those who follow them often stumble upon the dark¸ secret heart of these crumbling¸ concrete cathedrals; the existence of the kindred. Immortals who feed on the blood of the populace¸ many of these creatures predate the nation they now hold in their iron grip¸ sipping from its arteries even as they manipulate its people from the shadows.
While most mortals are little more than sustenance to these shadowy stewards¸ there are some who are lifted above their peers to serve the needs of the kindred more directly. Street soldiers¸ bodyguards¸ entertainers¸ assistants¸ pets and more¸ these individuals are blessed with the vitae that runs in the kindred's veins. It makes them stronger¸ faster¸ more durable¸ and allows them to ignore the passage of time the way their masters do... as long as they maintain a supply of the vital essence¸ that is.
The following ghouls¸ even those who maintain an independent status¸ all serve the interests of the Camarilla. Whether you use them as NPCs in your chronicle¸ as support staff for the PCs¸ or as inspiration for your players when making their characters (as loyal ghouls may often be given the double-edged gift of the kindred's embrace) is your prerogative!
This PDF supports Adobe layers and the page backgrounds and images can be disabled to make printing easier.
Here are some sample results:
Shepherd Wren: An outspoken journalist and protester¸ Shepherd documents and publicizes abuses of power all throughout the Midwest¸ focusing on Chicago¸ Illinois¸ and its surrounding areas. Often threatened by police¸ lawyers and other servants of the powers-that-be¸ they found an unexpected ally in the kindred Monica Dambrosio. She offered Shepherd the means to keep the fight going¸ providing them with a tip here¸ and some vitae there¸ in order to make sure the digital presses never stopped. Shepherd isn't stupid¸ though. They know there's no such thing as a free lunch¸ particularly where the kindred are concerned. That means Monica¸ or her allies¸ are benefiting from what Shepherd is doing. At the end of the day¸ though¸ they try to focus on one fight at a time. The real vampires will have to wait until the more immediate concerns are dealt with¸ and people can breathe a bit. Winston Gray: A portly man who wears immaculately tailored suits¸ Winston is the manager at the Grand Guignol in Las Vegas¸ Nevada. An oddly formal establishment for Sin City¸ membership is extremely exclusive¸ and tends to cater specifically to those with money¸ power or prestige. Even those who've been members for years are not allowed through the Red Door¸ though. Only kindred¸ and those bearing a blood bond to them¸ can pass through that door... and emerge through it again when the evening is over¸ at least. Charlene Ferris: An architect who rose to popularity for her brutalist buildings that somehow felt utterly organic¸ Charlene dropped off the scene for decades. Most assumed she'd been swallowed up by changing times¸ or devoured by the psychedelic scene that had taken so many other artists. Though she emerged again having weathered the years extremely well¸ she never talks about where she was or what (if anything) she was working on. Those few who have come across the structure called the Barren in northern California know the answer to that question¸ however. Created at the behest of Altan Demidov¸ the current name being used by the Red Hussar¸ the place is nearly impregnable... or so the kindred claims. Charles Woo: A first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Korea¸ Charlie knew first-hand how hard things could be if you weren't the round peg that society's opportunities were built around. One way to fit in¸ he figured¸ was to become an actor. Though he managed to get his share of roles¸ usually as a goon to be shot or as a face in the background no one really noticed¸ Hollywood never offered him much. It was a tirade of rapid-fire insults that got him thrown off of a set that drew the attention of Jiang Shin¸ though. Laughter was harder to find than blood¸ and Charlie had made the kindred laugh in a way he hadn't for decades. Offered a position as his personal fool¸ Charlie accepted... once he'd had a taste of what flowed through his master's veins. The bane of many guests¸ Charlie has kept his wits as sharp as his tongue for years now; because in a very real sense it's the only thing that keeps him alive. Amanda Hernandez: A New Mexico sculptor¸ Amanda's work has been described as disturbingly realistic by some critics¸ and merely as disturbing by others. Her art focuses on colonization¸ indoctrination¸ power imbalances and similar issues. One of her more famous works is Luxury¸ which is a pair of statues in suits lounging on chairs carved from bone¸ muscle and sinew. Organic is another piece that made waves¸ featuring two white marble women at brunch¸ eating severed pieces of children carved from dark stone. While she stirred a great deal of controversy¸ Amanda was eventually pushed out by the high-rolling galleries (whose primarily rich¸ white clientele was made very uncomfortable by the statements Amanda's work made). One connoisseur¸ though¸ wanted more of her work. Though she'd been called many things since the Spanish landed in the Americas¸ the Red Hand can stand and stare at Amanda's pieces for hours. This is why the kindred ensures her favorite sculptor has the materials¸ and the vitae¸ to keep her manifesting her unique vision.
One page is the front cover and three the front matter.
America was the land of opportunity¸ if you listened to what the ad copy said. A place of milk and honey¸ never mind the fine print¸ and no refunds once your ship set sail. For most who made the trip¸ though¸ America turned out to be a place of toil¸ suffering and hardship¸ carrying the burdens of the privileged on their backs. Now it's a land of twilight¸ lit by cheap neon¸ with the broken dreams of generations glittering in the gutters like shards of glass beneath a sickly¸ smog-clouded moon.
Alleys run like blacktop veins through the cities¸ and those who follow them often stumble upon the dark¸ secret heart of these crumbling¸ concrete cathedrals; the existence of the kindred. Immortals who feed on the blood of the populace¸ many of these creatures predate the nation they now hold in their iron grip¸ sipping from its arteries even as they manipulate its people from the shadows.
While most mortals are little more than sustenance to these shadowy stewards¸ there are some who are lifted above their peers to serve the needs of the kindred more directly. Street soldiers¸ bodyguards¸ entertainers¸ assistants¸ pets and more¸ these individuals are blessed with the vitae that runs in the kindred's veins. It makes them stronger¸ faster¸ more durable¸ and allows them to ignore the passage of time the way their masters do... as long as they maintain a supply of the vital essence¸ that is.
The following ghouls¸ even those who maintain an independent status¸ all serve the interests of the Camarilla. Whether you use them as NPCs in your chronicle¸ as support staff for the PCs¸ or as inspiration for your players when making their characters (as loyal ghouls may often be given the double-edged gift of the kindred's embrace) is your prerogative!
This PDF supports Adobe layers and the page backgrounds and images can be disabled to make printing easier.
Here are some sample results:
Shepherd Wren: An outspoken journalist and protester¸ Shepherd documents and publicizes abuses of power all throughout the Midwest¸ focusing on Chicago¸ Illinois¸ and its surrounding areas. Often threatened by police¸ lawyers and other servants of the powers-that-be¸ they found an unexpected ally in the kindred Monica Dambrosio. She offered Shepherd the means to keep the fight going¸ providing them with a tip here¸ and some vitae there¸ in order to make sure the digital presses never stopped. Shepherd isn't stupid¸ though. They know there's no such thing as a free lunch¸ particularly where the kindred are concerned. That means Monica¸ or her allies¸ are benefiting from what Shepherd is doing. At the end of the day¸ though¸ they try to focus on one fight at a time. The real vampires will have to wait until the more immediate concerns are dealt with¸ and people can breathe a bit. Winston Gray: A portly man who wears immaculately tailored suits¸ Winston is the manager at the Grand Guignol in Las Vegas¸ Nevada. An oddly formal establishment for Sin City¸ membership is extremely exclusive¸ and tends to cater specifically to those with money¸ power or prestige. Even those who've been members for years are not allowed through the Red Door¸ though. Only kindred¸ and those bearing a blood bond to them¸ can pass through that door... and emerge through it again when the evening is over¸ at least. Charlene Ferris: An architect who rose to popularity for her brutalist buildings that somehow felt utterly organic¸ Charlene dropped off the scene for decades. Most assumed she'd been swallowed up by changing times¸ or devoured by the psychedelic scene that had taken so many other artists. Though she emerged again having weathered the years extremely well¸ she never talks about where she was or what (if anything) she was working on. Those few who have come across the structure called the Barren in northern California know the answer to that question¸ however. Created at the behest of Altan Demidov¸ the current name being used by the Red Hussar¸ the place is nearly