Lay of the Land in the City of Wind

[Hieronymous Banks-Walker]

Chicago is a city at odds with itself. It is a city that has gone through hell and back. The city has survived but the landscape has changed. What was is not what is any longer. New faces are cropping up and old ones have changed. Here is the scoop on where the land lies.

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The Kiss is in the midst of an upheaval. There is a Puppet Master sitting upon the throne as Master of the City. His power owed to several masters around the world and within the Council. The coffers of the Kiss lie depleted due to the shadow wars waged between the previous Master, the Master of Detroit and the Council. What wasn’t used hidden away for Andrius’s planned return? The already tenuous grip of the Kiss exacerbated due to the efforts of a group of Alphas who have decided to stand up to any and all that would take their beleaguer city and plunder it with no intentions of building. This includes the Kiss as their hands have dipped into nearly every vice one could name in addition to many that should never be spoken. Even wounded the Kiss is the face of the Preternatural world in Chicago. They are the first place that RPIT stops into to check on the preternaturals living in the city, They nor the public at large know just how worse for wear the cities Kiss is. The cities Kiss uses a controlled media presence to groom their image of strength and solidarity. The hammer of their strength could be summed up in the armed might of the Powhaton. It is the center of their power and the most heavily guarded place in the city. It features floors of uv protected suites for the Kiss members to stay in style. It also houses the largest gateway into the cities underbelly. The land beneath the Powhaton is festooned with catacombs dating back to the 1800’s. With the right foreknowledge of the cities maze of underground tunnels one could navigate nearly anywhere within the city of Chicago from there. It is the greatest secret of the Kiss besides their near pauper hood.

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The Pride, Nest and Pard are the point of the spear of the assaults on the Kiss as well as others who choose to prey on the city’s population. They have hunted harmed and harassed any and all that have less than noble intentions.

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The Pard is a more recent re-addition to the city but they in a short time have carved out several choice areas around the city even partnering with the Pride in several ventures. They are a group on the move building and trying to help move the City out of its own dark age. they were once the lycanthrope communities ambassadors to the city giving introductions and direction to new lycanthropes in the city. Their ownership of the Fireside worked as a gateway to the city. Many older lycanthropes still hold this as true and the new Nimir seems to return the Pard to its once lauded role.

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The Nest is a smaller clan size wise yet most of its members are very strong lycanthropes. Chicago boasts the largest Nest outside of the Caribbean and one of the most secretive. Their alliance with the Pride and Pard is a thing of legend considering the scarcity of this type of Lycanthrope. Their controlled properties are varied and all the more surprising as they hide their ownership behind several shell corporations and false fronts.

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The Pride is one of the oldest lasting clans of Chicago. They have taken ownership of several properties and proudly manage them. They don’t take pains to out themselves but merely accept what come their way. As one of the oldest remaining clans it is no wonder that they have gone through many changes for the good and ill. They are a martially bent clan favoring strength and the will to do over merely allowing fate to have its way with them. Their alliance with the Pard and Nest is bolstered by an unshakable loyalty that drives all of their business.

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The Jamboree is the newest clan of lycanthropes to the city. They as of yet are a mystery shrouded in an enigma. They hold no official alliance with any group nor call any group friends. As such they are watched with a wariness that has other clans on edge. Especially given the open secret of their King.

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The Streak was once a proud clan of bullies, mad persons, and thugs. They were aided by their ties to the previous masters of the City. Sadly those ties came with the barest of protections. When the steak chose to make war on the lions due to a misunderstanding the Lions through the aid of the Nest destroyed the Streaks Alpha’s making them leaderless. They now call the ride Master taking protection and safety form the Pride. Their businesses have been subsumed into the multinational conglomeration run by the Pride’s Rex.

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The Skulk of Chicago are a clan of assassins, sneak thieves and an organized criminal empire of death merchants. From guns to poisons they sell the tools as well as the know how to kill almost any living thing. As proud as they were in their abilities they were laid waste by the Kashyapa of the Nest and the Rex of the Pride in a combined effort with the Skulks own inner turmoil. The Fox King having been assassinated by one of his Heirs created a vacuum of power that nearly destroyed the clan as a whole. They instead of settling their differences attempted to prey on the Rex’s lover causing a war to take place that resulted in the clan shuttering the doors of their clan house here in Chicago.

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The Lukoi of Chicago is a haunted clan. They initially were preyed upon by a hunter of wolves. He targeted the clan and systematically killed them one by one. The deaths of their members did nothing to solidify a true Ulfric wolf. Each claimant either was killed by the huntsman or left due to the pressure of not being able to protect the pack as a whole. The Huntsman was finally believed dead at the hands of a rogue wolf who’d come into town hounded by his own demons. A new Ulfric claimed praxis only to disappear under suspicious means. She disappeared after entrusting Chairmanship of the Packs school to the former Regina of the Pride her once lover. It is officially an alternative school but it houses facilities and hidden areas to help young or newly turned lycanthropes come to terms with their newfound status.

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The Sleuth is a neutral party and houses the only respected and trusted hospital for lycanthropes in the city. They on occasion use the services of the local nest as their Kashyapa is one of the leading experts in regards to Lycanthrope physiology. They hold no alliances with any clan and for a time kept watch over the other clans of the cities actions choosing whom to serve whom to turn away. With the loss of their Ursa due to the actions of a serial killer they have changed their policies using their medical facilities as leverage to prevent predation.

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The Arcadians their secret machinations is anyone’s guess most of the power of both courts vanished with the same mystery of their arrival. What is known is the danger that they sought to avoid destroying the city was in fact averted.

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The Bravotierlmo's a resurgent arm of the Outfit. they have modernized their operations and are increasing their presence on the streets. A growing force to be reckoned with as many of their cell leaders now carry Silver ammo and are trained in siege tactics and guerilla warfare.

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RPIT a beleaguered force of officers that fell victim to restructuring and reassignment. The fate of RPIT is up in the air with the addition of the SRS. Its once massive budget has mostly dwindled to nil due to the supposed quiet within the supernatural community.

[Hieronymous Banks-Walker]

Chicago is still a city at odds with itself and the world at large. It is a city that has lived in hell. The city has survived but the landscape has and ever changes. What was, is not and never be any longer. New faces arriving along with returning old ones that have changed...

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The Kiss Oce beset from all sides ahds experienced a resurgence the new Master hopefully the last Aeolas has set about enriching the environment by strengthening ties with the lycanthrope community. He has aided in saving and protecting their interests undoing the enmity that carried on for over a decade. His plans for the city seeking to usher in a new golden age.

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The Pride, Nest and Pard formerly the point of the spear of the assaults on the Kiss now allies indebted for several a reasons act as shock troops deterring those who would Prey on Chicago as a whole. They continue hunting, harming and harassing any and all that have less than noble intentions.

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The Pard is so much more than they have once been partenering with newly resurging pack of the city to educate and train a new crop of newly infected as well as rebuild what the decades predations have cost them. They are a group on the move building and trying to help move the City out of its own dark age. As they were once the lycanthrope communities ambassadors to the world the new Nimir seeks to reclaim their acclaim while bringing a newness to them.

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The Nest is the smallest clan in the city and the least consistent. Their Kashayapa is dead the new Queen of the Snakes unsure of their place in the city let alone the world. Change is the word of the day for the Nest in Chicago.

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The Pride having suffered through many upheavals including but not limited to the near death of their Rex the clan is rebuilding while attempting to maintain their position respect and alliances. The Chicago Pride being the center of the lion Universes takes all comers. Their alliance with the Pard, Lukoi, and Nest is bolstered by an unshakable loyalty that drives all of their business.

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The Jamboree Almost nonexistent. One lone Jamboree member exists within the city. Their last recognized member a victim the of the most recent violence it is a clan not only in decline but all but dead.

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The Streak much like the Jamboree is a clan in decline their Khan one of the most notable victims of the recent spate of violence has left the clan while still lead by the Chang weaker than it once was. Their position within the cities power structure unsure and undecided.

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The Skulk there ar rumors than the Skulk have begun encroaching on the edges of the city. But these incursions are not the once nearly all powerful Princes and Kings of old. They are something wholly different and far more subtle.

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The Lukoi of Chicago were a haunted clan. They are in the midst of a population growth and potential resurgence. In each of the long battles fought they have as of yet been meat for the grist. The new leadership have other plans…

~

The Sleuth is a neutral party and houses the only respected and trusted hospital for lycanthropes in the city. They on occasion use the services of the local nest as their Kashyapa is one of the leading experts in regards to Lycanthrope physiology. They hold no alliances with any clan and for a time kept watch over the other clans of the cities actions choosing whom to serve whom to turn away. With the loss of their Ursa due to the actions of a serial killer they have changed their policies using their medical facilities as leverage to prevent predation.

~

The Arcadians their secret machinations is anyone’s guess most of the power of both courts vanished with the same mystery of their arrival. What is known is the danger that they sought to avoid destroying the city was in fact averted.

~

The Bravotierlmo's a resurgent arm of the Outfit. they have modernized their operations and are increasing their presence on the streets. A growing force to be reckoned with as many of their cell leaders now carry Silver ammo and are trained in siege tactics and guerilla warfare.

~

RPIT Is in a very bad way. In the last year they have bobbled the investigation into the death of not one but three federal officers disappearances. Baad and worse things are coming…

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The Chicago Band Those in the know have heard whispers of a strange coming on the wind. Could it be that the absence of active Arcaians that the long believed dragons might come in fact home to roost…