Mortals: the Living
Game: Original World of Darkness
by Charles Phipps
One person's view of mortal life in the World of Darkness.
Sitting here at my computer a few days ago my mind drifted to a concept that it had drifted to several times before in the past but had never really thought about in depth. The supernaturals of the World of Darkness had been described in pain staking detail from physical development to cultural taboos to even sexual habits but very little attention had really been given to the mortal inhabitants of the World of Darkness. The obvious answer why was that the World of Darkness was supposed to be our world with simply the added presence of the supernatural to make life more difficult for them until the PCs decided to help them out.
This didn't sit with me for some reason and upon examination I figured out the reason.
The WoD’s supplements have routinely shown that the supernatural inhabitants of the WoD are not merely content to dwell in their own circles of caerns, nodes, Elysiums, and haunts but repeatedly interact with the mortal world. Pentex it has been said is the largest corporation in the world and has the agenda of making life hell for all the planet’s inhabitants. As I thought about that it occurred to me just how much the world would change if just McDonald's would be deliberately trying to destroy the planet’s peoples (they’re doing a fine job unintentionally after all). Then I imagined what would happen if I added Nike, Nintendo, Phillip Morris, and most of the power companies. Following this train of thought we can add Camarilla Princes, the Sabbat, the Giovanni, and the Followers of Set in most of the major cities working with the powers of dominate, presence, and vast lifespans to ring humanity dry for their own power. Finally I thought about how a murder in a community affects it, how everyone is a bit less trusting because of it, and how it haunts they’re lives until the end of them. Then I thought about how many men, women, and children not only disappear or are found murdered in the World of Darkness but how so many of them are done with no chance of justice being served either so that no closure is given to victims.
In light of these facts it occurred to me that given the centuries of mistrust, suspicion, and horror that is inevitably passed down to the children of the WoD that the human race of this world was probably very different indeed than ourselves in what I term “The World of Light”. Now the human race is not radically different, that would defeat the purpose of playing on Earth completely but I think most games can radically benefit by adding a few points about how mortals have changed in the WoD in reaction to their “invisible inhabitants”. This work I hope will drive home just what the Transylvanian peasants were feeling when they shut the doors at night and just how divorced the players are now from their comfy and vibrant world.
Mortals: The Living, they are us but broken.
Overview
Humans in the World of Darkness are unquestionably the most important facet of the line, because without them to relate to our characters then much of the importance of the World of Darkness is lost as a setting. The inhabitants of the World of Darkness include darker versions of yourself, myself, and everyone likely that you know though it is a good idea to reflect that someone you know probably didn't make it to their present age because of events here or has suffered some tragedy. The humans in the WoD are not any more naturally corrupt, violent, or evil than the people of our world but they simply have to deal with violence, horror, and the madness of helplessness on a much more appalling scale than we do.... and that leads to the most common affliction of the people of the World of Darkness; fatigue.
Below I will examine areas of concern in the human world that I believe have been insufficiently covered in the World of Darkness today and give some ideas on how they are changed from our own world for the worse to help accentuate the mood of the WoD.
General Facts Police and Law Enforcement Media Government Military Universities and Education Corporate life Region Criminal Organizations
These have all been covered to some extent by various supplements by White Wolf but this attempts to focus on the day to day life not the supernatural underpinnings that overlay each. In effect it is people who feel the cold clammy presence of the undead all around it but choose to ignore it or haven't yet put two and two together.
General Facts
* The first fact that should be noted about the World of Darkness is population and the reduction in numbers that infection by the supernatural and the plagues it fosters has had upon it. The real world has six billion people currently on the planet but in the WoD the figure is closer to five billion and a half. Population growth is still occurring and many believe it to be out of control but for the most part it is strangled by the amount of drug use, disease, pollution, infanticide, and other epidemics that cause routine reductions.
* The average human man and woman in the World of Darkness lives roughly five years less than the average man and woman in the world of Light we inhabit. This is not just because of tainted Pentex products or wading Garou through innocent civilians but mostly due to the stress of the world where horror is a daily part of life. Smoking, Drinking, and other extremes in lifestyle are prevalent to a much higher extent in our world with most humans simply ignoring them out of hand.
* The quality of life in the World of Darkness is considerably less so with roughly every working man and woman making about 5,000 dollars less than they do in our own world. Those who are borderline poverty in our world are now definitely within it as homelessness, unemployment, and government slavery to relief is a daily fact of existence and one that is fostered. Repair and upkeep are among the first things to vanish in this world leaving it as a much more run down and disturbed place.
* Per average there are less towns and villages in the WoD and larger cities due to the promotion of urbanization by outside forces. The best term for the cities of the World of Darkness are urban sprawls, which contain up to twice their normal populations in the World of Light. This rapid growth is the result of a need for closeness among humanity that unfortunately merely aids in their decaying lifestyles.
Police and Law Enforcement
* Crime is roughly 300% greater in the World of Darkness among normal human beings on all levels from con games to rape and murder. The police are thus extremely overworked, fatigued, and constantly exposed to the worst levels of the human race more so than even the current police. Worse in this situation is the ever prevalence of it makes certain that on average less CRIME is reported than in our world on average though the numbers are still staggering.
* The Police for the most part are far less encumbered with red tape regarding killing others in the line of duty, brutality, and even corruption in the course of their duties... not because the internal affairs division cares less but because the situation is so bad that a great deal more falls through the cracks or is simply glossed over for deeper issues.
* The Police are for the most part better-armed and more prone to use violence than in the World of Light. Machine Guns, Explosive rounds, and even poisonous gas as opposed to mere tear gas are theoretically used. Enough precedents for extreme cases from burning houses around cornered killers to use of heavy weapons have allowed considerable more leeway for police to use extreme force in the line of duty. These actions are subject to heavy review but departments are unlikely in the WoD to instantly terminate or arrest a police officer that uses them as they would in the WoL. Special tactical teams are often on call for larger cities with specialized training to this regard, making the police much like a military force in some ways there.
* The Police in the World of Darkness work a much more rotating schedule in the World of Darkness with the night shift having as much, if not more, prominence than the day shift. Police officers can work from nine o'clock at night to five in the morning with no one blinking an eye at such work. The legal system is a bit slower to adopt such policies but "midnight courts" do exist and handle an important number of caseloads often labeled too bizarre or terrible to be viewed in broad daylight or even standard night court.
* The criminal justice system of the United States and most of the Civilized World supports the Death penalty in the WoD and, guilty or innocent, it is swift and efficient with appeals usually denied and the overworked system often letting requests for legal representation fall through the cracks. Those with powerful connections to organized crime, business, or politics usually are able to beat such destinies however and the system has been known to commute death sentences to time served with alarming ease nowadays.
Media
* The Media is considerably more lurid in this world though not because of deliberately cultivated sensationalism but because of the abundance of evil stories to tell. Because of the ease of which terrible tales are to come by, most media organizations pick and choose their stories to give spins that are easier to stomach and interesting to their audience. To that end many murders may be ignored for an expose on a specific serial killer or entire incidents as such suppressed in favor of football or sexual scandal in order for violent news to not become ‘stale’.
* Virtually every Television about ten more channels than are normally available in our world with roughly twice as many channels existing world wide than our world. The ratings standards for graphic violence, nudity, foul language, and other more controversial topics like abortion, incest, rape, torture, and slavery are more loose though not amazingly so. Simply put it takes a little more to shock the people of the World of Darkness.
* Newspapers in the World of Darkness prove a thriving business with a newspaper stand of fifteen papers possibly containing completely different front pages. Some newspapers in order to remain competitive have chosen to compromise their integrity by censoring themselves of anything violent and objectionable in order to sell more papers to those sick of such news. Curiously only about one in fifteen newspapers succeed in major cities with many being run out of business for not being able to find an appropriate market for their news or being branded "tabloid" (who are coincidentally about five times as numerous in the WoD though no more accurate pound for pound).
* Music in the World of Darkness as one might guess is considerably more dark because of the reflection of culture by it. Heavy metal is about as mainstream as Country with channels devoted to "black music" and current Latin and other revivals have been pushed aside for such darker trends as serious issues such as date rape, aids, and drug use infect all but the most mindless pop produced in an attempt to create "clean music".
* The Market for Romance, Fantasy, and of course Horror among books has not died out but attempts to capitalize on them is a fierce increase in the terrible nature of the genre and some of more jaded readers among us in our world would be shocked by what goes into mainstream works. Most bookstores have large "Occult" sections instead of New Age and magic/folklore/and modern mythology all prove large sellers. These are still looked down upon as an industry but sell reasonably well despite it.
Government
* The phrase "Special interest Group" already elicit shudders of
fear in Washington but the lobbyists present in Washington for the most part
are even more numerous and much more open and respectively operating for even
bizarre and patently offensive groups. The Ku Klux Klan and even Neo Nazis
operate in the marble halls next to those of Women's rights and Anti-Gun organizations.
Meetings with these organizations are a day to day part of life in Washington
and the public has long since ceased outcry for any of it's senators to have
such dealings for the most part. Strangely instead of crushing spirits,
the World of Darkness seems to encourage activism in many.
* The Internal Revenue Service oddly enough is considerably nastier in the
prosecution of alleged offenders as the organization has been routinely targeted
in the World of Darkness as a threat to under the table operations but it's
usefulness offensively have stayed larger hands from crushing it utterly.
The organization is for the most part overworked, consistently fed false records
and large gaps with current ones, and recognizes itself for the most part as
a economic tool of higher powers. Paranoia and conspiracy theory is pretty
rampant in the office.
* The Environmental Protection Agency while still having accomplished great
things in its’ time is well aware that it is failing in it's mission and that
big money has hidden gross offenders against the human species as a whole.
Not only has the EPA not been able to strike them but threats of violence, gross
slander, and even actual murder of members have left the organization with justified
anger and infiltration by dangerous forces. Ties between the organization and
environmental terrorists among the more fanatical are actually overlooked by
certain parties and the scandal if uncovered would probably destroy it.
* Government Reform is still being debated in legislative bodies but there is
simply no chance in the World of Darkness to sort out the tangled web of alliances
and deal making that is necessary for elections to be won. It is almost
part of the insurance of the leaders of the world to keep their countries settled
that every senator has knowingly or unknowingly some financial skeleton in their
closet and tracing it back will inevitably find many questionable backers.
Most politicians are resigned to this fact of being pawns of strong backers
but attempts to unravel their own elections or run themselves have resulted
in several suicides and even an assassination or two. These events usually
make the news for about a week before being shoved aside for other news.
Military
* The Military of the World of Darkness is not under funded as some might suggest
the military in the World of Light is but paranoia about their readiness infects
the World of Darkness doubly so and every nation campaigns loudly for less restrictions
on their movement and more economic backing. On average the soldiers of
the World of Darkness are better trained, better armed, and have likely seen
"peacekeeping" efforts with field experience as much as five times
than a normal soldier of the World of Light. This extends to the level of casualties
as well.
* The Military is for the most part considerably more lax about it's leadership
than the World of Light. Drinking problems, Sexual Deviancy, and
even serious mental instability have been overlooked before in promoting individuals
to high positions in the Armed forces in reaction to the frequent encounters
with dangerous antagonists and almost "Cold War alert" mentality that
infects the armed forces. While many champion against this, there is a
considerable feeling of "us against them" regarding the outside world
that is reluctant to surrender even an iota of influence that keeping recognizable
faces out of the spotlight would do.
* The Military in order to compensate for its’ losses tends to recruit much
more heavily from undereducated and delinquent groups than in the World of Light.
The reason for this is mostly due to the fact that such are so much more common
in the World of Darkness. Efforts are of course increased to even this
out by taking up the best and brightest as well but with the level of violence
the Military is often required to deal with there is an emphasis of quantity
over quality. The military for this is also thus more lax in investigating
abuses by their soldiers in hopes of keeping their numbers high in case of an
emergency.
* The Pentagon and other Military Heads are not idiots and recognize the frequent
stealing of equipment, misappropriation of military personnel for "private
missions", fraud and outright forgery of orders for the supernatural’s
needs are often originating from their very own building. The trail that might
lead them to the supernatural is blunted however by those who actually are working
for the supernatural and the fact that perfectly normal humans have made similar
abuses for their own reasons over the years. Still the feeling of helplessness
and conspiracy is occasionally awesome in the walls of command.
Universities and Education
* Education in the World of Darkness is one of the key reasons that the masses
have received reputations as brainwashed dull masses. Government contracts
for producing teacher’s manuals and lesson books have routinely been produced
by special interest group’s agendas rather than their educational value.
Teachers are often routinely "traded" with positions opening up and
being filled as the situation demands via economics and resignation.
* Most major universities in the World of Darkness are filled with what we
might term in the World of Light as complete weirdoes. Metaphysics departments,
Advanced Technologies, History of Witchcraft/Occult/Vampirism/Bizarre Crimes/Superstitions
and Folklore are offered beside Sociology and Psychology for availability as
humanities. While some universities have attempted to build reputations around
ignoring such "rubbish" others seem to indulge themselves in it with
entire regions of their libraries filled with the Occult and speculative Science.
* Fraud is a routine and daily part of university life with routine discoveries
of cybernetics, cloning, proof of psychics, werewolves, the existence of extraterrestials,
and the imminent destruction of the Earth part of one's existence. In truth
these are not usually the workings of the supernatural on campus but the simple
fact it has become fashionable to fake a discovery to get a recognizable name
and the stigma is all but elapsed if one can prove one had "good evidence".
* Fraternities are taken a tad more seriously in the World of Darkness with
a large number actually with strong agendas regarding the future of the World
and ties to the Campus to prevent anything from being prosecuted whether it
be rape, drugs, and even the occasionally accidental death. Parties are much
more likely in the WoD to spill over into orgies, hardcore drinking and drugs,
or other strangeness as a reaction to the oppression about.
Corporate Life
* In order to get the jump on competitors a good third of all corporate business
takes place at night and in the wee hours of the morning with some executive
operations never touching daytime. These "Night businesses"
work with markets overseas, trade foreign stocks, or deal operations that run
solely after regular hours. While generally not dealing with as much of the
public as daytime businesses are, they still are a thriving and productive part
of corporate society.
* Banking in the World of Darkness never went through reforms in Switzerland
or Brazil and the “don’t ask any questions” confidentiality of all transactions
extends to several institutions in the heart of Europe and North America as
well. Dummy corporations, Tax Evasion, Embezzlement, Fraudulent Bankruptcy
claims, Liquidation, and Money Laundering are ridiculously easy with these entrusting
groups though most corporations like to continue to believe in their own innate
decency. Routine destruction of papers as policy also helps with keeping such
business secure.
* Quality standards, the Better Business Bureau, Environmental Restrictions,
Audits, and Inspections are generally far less effective in the WoD because
of it's supernatural inhabitants and while most corporations do not pounce on
this opportunity to debase the World for their own selfish gain, the simple
temptation to always is there.
Religion
* Churches have actually benefited from the prevalence of the supernatural as
people seem to pray harder with the presence of Devil Tigers from the East on
one hand and the Damned suckers of blood on the other. Unfortunately while
there are many more churches, they have a tendency to fall into considerable
disrepair and the sheer volume of suffering that needs to be eased taxes the
resources of even the wealthiest. Many a priest has been forced to choose between
his place of worship and those he seeks to save.
* The Eschatology movement in the WoD is taken a bit more seriously by students
of religion than in our own. Large amounts of Church money go to predicting
the Apocalypse and the events therein. In preparation for such end times
there is still a powerful "Damnation is inevitable for the world"
undercurrent to both Catholic and Protestant doctrines in the West. In the East
the prevalence of preaching against evil spirits and pollution of the body resembles
the firebrand preachers of modern myth in all but form.
*As if the Evangelist Movement required any more corruption, the cult like followings
they have developed are trebled in power and size. In the so-called Bible Belt
these large groups contain many taking openly about their reactionary views
on the subjugation of women, murder of homosexuals, and other “Biblical issues”.
Fears the West might become home to it's own Taliban style uprising are ridiculous
to everyone save the sane.
* Religious cults are a daily part of the world's life and the reaction towards
these groups is generally to ignore them rather than outright attempts to debunk
or destroy them. The religious groups include everything from snake worship
to UFO transcendentalism to heresies long dead on our planet.
* The paganism revival in the world is far grander and three times it's size
presently with wide disparity beliefs. Worshipers include modern Norse, Greek,
Sumerian, and even those who believe in completely new deities. The idea
of actual Satan worship is mainly fictional in the World of Light but a growing
religion with animal sacrifices, black robes, pentagrams, and all the black
trappings of yore operates in the WoD in plain sight.
* Most ethnicities keep a thriving cultural record of their superstitions...
for obvious reasons despite their disbelief. Thus Irish may still yet leave
a bowl of milk out for the little people, crosses nailed up on windows, and
it’s just common sense in the world today to lock your doors at sunset and never
leave the house.
Criminal Organizations
* Crime in the World of Darkness it has already been stated is much greater
and that includes organized. Humans are much more willing to compromise
their ethics when they believe there is nothing to live for in the system but
oneself. The natural human instinct for cooperation has aided this selfish goal’s
growth as well. Organized crime is no more infiltrated by the supernatural
than any other organization but it is fed like a parasite from the despair it
fosters and materialism more than any other institution. Still, aside
from being more powerful, more numerous, and if possible, even more brutal there
is little difference between the average member of organized crime in the two
worlds.
* Supply lines for drugs, weapons, slaves, and other blatantly illegal commodities
have managed to be more formalized and protected in the World of Darkness with
regular and consistent dealings not a difficulty for even the most loosest of
smugglers for the most part. Thus even street gangs may have access to
military grade hardware and human beings taken in for export are not that difficult
to find whether one wants them for brothels, servants, or more demented appetites.
* Tastes to the jaded rich, debased, and insane in the WoD have come to include
some things that one might only hope were somehow copied from the supernatural
due to utter perversity of the ideas. Combat to the death in Roman Events
are actual spectator sports, torture sessions on film, necrophilia pornography,
and an honest illicit market in human organs to those requiring such for fun
or necessity.
