Elysia of Chicago
A Safe Haven
In some cities, Elysia are chosen to preserve cultrual relics, history and works of art. In others, underhanded politics guarantee that Elysia are placed in order to ensure that the most influential Kindred get access to peacful, well-protected territories. In Chicago, wherever Elysia have been declared, the number one concern is creating meeeting halls for the Kindred. Certainly, Prince Farragut valued the city's museums, art and cultural heritage, but preferred to deal with threats to these in a much more direct manner.
The fact that most of Chicago's Elysia are outdoors seems to run counter to the idea of privacy and secrecy for the Kindred. However, outdoor locations are far harder to place bugs in, and leave far more open ground with which to spot potential eavesdroppers. The fact that Prince Farragut is of the Mekhet and thus has the powers of Auspex and Obfuscate at his disposal played no small part in his decisions, surely.
Laws of the Elysia
Kindred shall not do each other harm within Elysium
Prince Farragut has always emphasized nonviolence in his edicts. He especially elevates the Third Tradition, claiming that not even he shall have the right to destroy another Kindred; whether he follows this rule himself is a matter of debate. Regardless, in keeping with this stance, violent acts inside the city's Elysia have always been met with swift and severe justice. In fact, Chicago's attitude in this matter is known to be so strong that even visiting Kindred find it very diffcult to even contemplate violence on such neutral ground (See the house rules for the game mechanics of Elysium])
One seemingly incongrous Chicago tradition is that the carrying of weapons within Elysium is fully allowed, though not encouraged. For over a century, this was not the case, until a young upstart Ventrue named Jobe Webster pointed out an inherent injustice in the prohibition. Webster argued that if blades and other weapons were disallowed from the Elysia, it should only be fair to likewise disallow Gangrel, for they have an inborn gift to be armed wherever they go. Clans Nosferatu and Mekhet both possess advantages that would allow them to sneak weapons into Elysia completely unhindered; the Mekhet have the advantage of also being the only clan who can easily break through this obfuscation. This in mind, Jobe argued, clans Ventrue and Daeva would be at a significant disadvantage if some miscreant of the other clans were to enter Elysium with the intent to do violence. Though relatively unknown at the time, Webster's words rang true and convinced the Regents to reverse this long-standing tradition (the fact that the three of the five Regents belonged to clans Ventrue and Daeva couldn't have hurt, either). The ideological scuffle also elevated Webster in the eyes of many Chicago Kindred.
Will shall not be bent nor broken, nor the sanctity of the mind violated by blood nor sorcery
Short of violence, even direct use of Kindred disciplines or sorcery upon another inside Elysium is traditionally forbidden; in the past, the precedent had ruled in favor of the use of passive abilities, such as the aura reading and extended perceptions of Auspex, Obfuscation, animal communication, and so on, but direct attacks on others' will, forcible mind-reading and displays of Nightmare impact negatively on one's reputation at the very least.
As far as game mechanics are concerned, note that while inciting violence in Elysium requires that the attacker spend a Willpower point, using disciplines offensively doesn't incur the same cost. Both are equally looked down upon by society, however.
No Kindred shall be denied Elysium unless they have directly violated its tenets
Another key difference between Chicago and other domains is its openness to new and strange Kindred. While Elysium is nearly always considered a neutral ground that accepts all, it is rarely officially extended to Kindred who have been expelled from the city or had the Lex Talonis placed upon their heads (fortunately, no Kindred has ever tested that latter theory). such Kindred, however, are generally considered exempt from the following tradition.
Elysium's purpose is to be a neutral and safe haven. Those travelling to and issuing from Elysium are under its protection even if they are not within its walls
Kindred who consider themselves clever may see Elysium as a golden opportunity to find Kindred who expect a peaceful evening and to lure them away into a fight. After one or two such incidents in the early 20th century, Prince Farragut decided it was necessary to include this as a provision. Exactly how far away one can be from Elysium and still fall under its aegis is a matter of debate; Some want to establish a firm boundary or radius, while others would like to see this tradition done away with entirely, with the world outside Elysium considered a no-man's land.
Also, regarding game mechanics, only combat within the walls of Elysium requires the expenditure of Willpower mentioned in the house rules. Like the use of disciplines, however, combat on the way to or from Elysium is still punished the same as within its boundaries.
In the interest of Masquerade, no Kindred shall hunt on the grounds of Elysium
This is bog-standard from city to city, but always merits mention, as it is commonly forgotten about.
Elysium Locations
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.