Setting
Improvisational theatre in Ostend
'Ostend by Night' is the name of our improvisational theatre group, situated in Ostend, which gathers once a month. We practice a very specific kind of theatre, namely roleplay. Our game is set in Ostend, the same Ostend we live in, only we play it as it would have been in 'the World of Darkness'. The world of darkness is a place similar to our world, the same people are up for elections, the same music is popular and so on. The difference is that in the world of darkness, everything is darker and glomier. You could say that the whole world suffers from some kind of depression. During daytime, the world of darkness seems like a normal place, but it is said that at night, strange creatures roam the streets. Creatures who's existence has yet to be proven...
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampires are one of these creatures. We play Vampires as they are described by White Wolf Publishing in their Vampire series books. According to them, Vampires have been around for as long as the world has existed. In the ancient times, vampires ruled the humans in public, but, close to the end of the Dark Ages, humans began to grow stronger by using and developing their technology.
It is there and then, that several vampire clans decided to retreat from public and govern the world from behind the curtains instead. They called themselves the Camarilla and formulated laws, which would make sure that the humans would forget that vampires actually exist. Anyone who does not respect this Masquerade, is quickly dealt with.
Some clans did not agree to these measures and formed their own group, the Sabbat. They are the complete opposite of the Camarilla.
The other clans, who did not want to or could not pick a side, remained neutral. Respecting the Camarilla rules, but being no part of that group whatsoever, they are the Anarchs.
Game Setting
In the world of darkness, Ostend is a Camarilla city, as is most of Europe. The Sabbat hasn't been here for such a long time, that the past presence and even existence of the Sabbat has been classified by many as a fairy tale. Recently, visitors from the new continent bring back stories about Camarilla-Sabbat wars over the water and it seems the Sabbat is drawing closer and closer to our shores. However, Ostend remains the calm and peaceful city it has always been, or has it...
Roleplay
Roleplay is very similar to theatre on stage, with the exception of having an audience present. When we play our 'plays', we aim to enjoy ourselves and the other players, not an audience. In roleplay there is no set scenario, only guidelines and a present storyletter to guide things in the right direction. Roleplay sessions are therefor often held in 'private', meaning without an audience watching, because it would be very hard for this audience to grasp what is going on. Many people interact with eachother at the same time, many stories unfold at the same time, too much is happening to be able to follow it from outside.
The purpose of roleplaying is to be someone else for a night, just like you are when you are an actor in a play. But instead of giving the same show each month, our characters and setting evolve. The character you play will grow the longer you play it. It is a very fun but challenging experience. It's not easy to pretend to be someone else and actually think and act like that someone else, but that's the challenge of roleplay
For any questions or requests to join please mail the storyteller
