The setting

Lausanne by Night

Switzerland, a nation which is world renowned for its neutrality and independence, lies nestled in the heart of Europe. For the people of Europe, Switzerland is one of the richest and most desirable places to live. It is a place where business thrives and every person has the freedom to choose how they live their lives. Opportunity can be found in almost all of its cities and foreigners may travel there to find a home safe from persecution or war. All this liberty and prosperity has been the result of a stalwart history of military strength and political neutrality. Thanks to the spirit of the great Swiss people, all this has been achieved. Yet, unknown to the people who inhabit this small country, there is a being who has secretly decided the fate of Switzerland for a millennium. Below the serene façade of Switzerland’s beautiful landscape, there are those who know that something other than the collective will of the Swiss people has guided their nation through history. Vampires.

For centuries, Prince Guillaume of Clan Brujah has ruled over Switzerland. He is a creature of unfathomable power and his will has influenced the Swiss people since he claimed rulership of his Domain. Historically, there have been very few vampires in Switzerland other than Guillaume and his childer. Guillaume’s distaste for the political machinations of kindred led him to expel or prevent most would-be newcomers. However, as the mortal population began to skyrocket in the 20th century, the business of managing Switzerland began to become more difficult for Guillaume and his children. First, a small group of Ventrue was allowed to enter Switzerland to help manage the financial systems of mortal society. Before long, there were kindred of all sorts seeking to follow the Ventrue into Switzerland, all hungry for a piece of the unutilized populace.

In 1998, Prince Guillaume declared the Canton of Vaud an independent Domain. He reserved the right to appoint an overseer to the area to make sure any immigrants didn’t cause problems, but otherwise has allowed foreign vampires to relocate to Vaud. Kindred from all over the world flocked to this new unclaimed territory in the heart of a continent which has been divided by only a handful of elders for millennia. This is the world into which you arrive.

With the newly come kindred, Vaud’s mortal population saw a steady increase in all the usual symptoms of a kindred population. Organized crime, murder, kidnappings, corruption and worse all began to rage, seemingly unchecked, through Vaud. In the span of less than a decade, the cities of Vaud became havens for corrupt politicians, dirty cops, drugs and all sorts of debased habits. This deteriorating situation has been one of the great successes of the new immortal inhabitants of Vaud. With the mortal population divided and disorganized, the kindred have been able to insert themselves as the true rulers of Vaud.

Lausanne has not been spared this decline into social disorder. Once night falls over the city, being robbed at gunpoint is the least of your worries. What little haven has been afforded to mortal and kindred alike can be bought with allegiance to the older and more powerful kindred who reside in Lausanne. Perhaps one night, you will be able to wrest one of these seats of power from your elders and rule Lausanne for an eternity.

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Early in 2004 the vampiric citizens of Lausanne began to notice a strange phenomenon after they fed. Blood would often fail to nourish them and in extreme cases, a vampire would uncontrollably vomit any blood consumed. This unexplainable affliction grew more and more intense with time until the horrific death of one of Lausanne's kindred. After this death, all the vampires residing in Lausanne were forced to submit themselves to a ritual performed by Hoca Demarcu. The ritual cured the afflicted, but did not prevent it from being reaquired. Most kindred submitted to the ritual and then left Lausanne. The population of Lausanne's kindred was devistated for years to follow.