Epulae Consilium

New York. The Big Apple. Easily one of the largest cities on Earth, and one of the oldest in the United States.

New York has always had more than its fair share of secrets and shadowy business. It also has an impressive occult history. Both of these things mean that the Awakened can be found in New York in abundance, and with good reasons. Found in abundance, that is, until Midsummer of 2005.

Something strange happened. No one really knows what. Research indicates that a couple of strange things happened that evening, but weird things happen all the time in that city. A shooting star appeared overhead bright enough to be seen even through the city-glare of New York. A number of water mains broke all over the city, flooding the streets of parts of Manhattan. There were also a higher-than-average number of the usual murders and suicides that evening.

But the true mystery is not in any official documents or reports anywhere. The entire Awakened population of Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx simple disappeared. Without a trace. Residents and visitors alike. Those who came afterwards to investigate and try and find contacts and friends suddenly gone silent were mystified. Sanctums, libraries and Hallows lay open, unlocked and unprotected, their artifacts, tools and magical contents bare for the taking.

In the time since, almost none of the Awakened have come to New York, out of fear of what caused this appearance. In time, however, they have come, for one reason or another: to find loved ones gone missing, to investigate the reasons behind the disappearance, to raid the Hallows and magical items left ownerless. Many have come, taken what they could (whether out of greed or a desire to preserve), and fled.

But now, there is a vacuum of power in New York, and the Awakened are being drawn toward it, rushing into fill it. Young mages, hungry for the opportunity New York offers, have arrived. Independents, outcasts, young Turks of every stripe, they are here to set up a new Consilium, though none of them can agree how this should be done.

But still the event haunts them, and a term to refer to the sudden disappearance of the Awakened has entered the common terminology for the event: Epulae Consilium. The Feast of Wisdom. No one really knows who coined the phrase, or why they did so, but the term has stuck.

Now, you have come to New York. For some of you, it is a chance for a new life; for others of you, it is to settle old scores. Opportunity lies ahead of you, but so does danger. You have the chance to make your mark on the developing culture of the Awakened in New York, or you can be swept aside and forgotten as others lay claim to the glory here – the choice is yours.

Player Characters

• Marbas, played by Rufuscub
• Kore, played by Maiannos
• Storm, played by Leanne
• Promachus, played by Cyphersmith
• Daimona, played by Tabrumj

New York City

• Bronx
• Staten Island

Brooklyn

• Marco Campanelli's House: Home of major Mafia don Marco Campanelli and his family.

Manhattan

• Ironrose Hall: The New York Athenaeum
• Villa of the Wandering Star: Sanctum of the Cabal of the Wandering Star
• Good Tidings Manor: Meeting place for the Consilium of the Phoenix
• Grant House: Home of Danielle Grant and Kore
• Valdus' Townhouse: Home of Valdus and Liz Edwards

Queens

• Five Lands Covenstead: Former covenstead of the Coven of Five Lands, now home to Boudicca, Storm and Kelly Tucker.
• Circle of Hekate Covenstead: Former covenstead of the vampiric cult called the Coven of Hekate.

Awakened of New York

The following are the current cabals in New York City.

• Cabal Et Astrum: The Hierarch's cabal, Cabal Et Astrum is known to have actually been put together by no less than three Hierarchs of different cities, with the express purpose of moving into New York and setting up their power base their. It is generally believed that Cabal Et Astrum maintains its links to these Hierarchs, and may very well continue to take orders from them. Cabal Et Astrum has suffered some infighting of late.
• The Evangelists: Originally from the Buffalo/Rochester Consilium, the Evangelists are strong magicians, with a particularly martial aptitude. They gained a reputation for confronting Seers of the Throne in Rochester/Buffalo, and have carried that reputation over into fighting vampires locally.
• Krewe of Pan: A group of mages from New Orleans, the Krewe of Pan have recently claimed a Hallow and territory in Harlem. They have offered their services to Taboo, though she has hesitations: research reveals that the Krewe of Pan were real trouble-makers in New Orleans, and likely responsible for a lot of violence and mob wars there.
• Midnight Cantata: An up-and-coming goth band from California, Midnight Cantata has become quite well-known among the Awakened; not entirely surprising, considering the fact that they are Awakened themselves. A trio made up of Free Council mages, Midnight Cantata’s first album is entitled “Watchtower,” and contains ten songs, one for each of the Arcana. Though some elements of the Orders who know about them claim that they endanger the Awakened with such antics, Midnight Cantata is quick to point out that they actually use symbolism that is meaningful in a variety of occult contexts, not simply that of the Atlantean Orders. Midnight Cantata recently moved their operations to New York.
• New York Reclamation Project: The New York Reclamation Project is a cabal made up of a group of fiery young idealist magi, formed in response to the news that Hierarchs from a variety of cities had put together a “perfect cabal” with the intention of continuing Consilium rule in New York City. Unlike the Cabal Et Astrum, however, the New York Reclamation Project (or Project: Golden Apple, as Phinia and Heliophilus enjoy referring to the cabal) isn’t made up of young magi chosen by authority figures: each of them were among a number of Free Council volunteers who wanted to take action against the perceived authoritarian formation of the Cabal Et Astrum. The NYRP declined to join the Consilium of the Phoenix, instead choosing to pull its people out of Manhattan and begin entrenching themselves in Brooklyn.
• Summer Lotus Court: The Summer Lotus Court is the household of Sifu Xia He (Summer Lotus), a Perfected Adept sifu and powerful Obrimos mage from mainland China. The woman she considered a sister was once part of the New York Consilium before the Epulae Consilium, and she has come to investigate and find out what has happened to her. Her household is made up of Xia He's apprentices, Chan Juan (Graceful Moon) and Shu Fang (Gentle Kindness), as well as Lung Sying (Star Dragon), her son, a revered geomancer and Taoist sorcerer, plus Zhi (Orchid), the young Crippled Lotus witch whom the cabal rescued from slavery to vampires in Hong Kong. The Summer Lotus Court intends to act as the wardens of Chinatown here, helping to keep its cultural occult traditions alive and prospering in New York.
• Temple of Stone: The Temple of Stone is a daughter cabal to the Ebon Noose. Made up of a variety of witches and warlocks trained in the Ebon Noose, the Temple of Stone practices the unique brand of New England witchery taught to them by the cabal of the Nemean, the Hierarch of Boston/Salem. This style epitomizes American witchcraft from the Puritan era, as combined with the practices of the Silver Ladder. They believe in the use of fear as an instrument of rule, and do not hesitate to threaten and even curse those who oppose them. Of course, they are more than capable of backing up their intentions with strong magic or diplomacy, and they know that they can call upon the Nemean and the Ebon Noose for aid as well.
• Independent Magi: These are the individual magicians in New York, who do not belong to any cabals at the current time.