Nightborn News

[h2]The Bloodhound: A Detective & Bounty Hunter[/h2][p]
Nightborn society necessitates talented members with specialized skills to handle the various needs, eccentricities, and quirks of Supernatural existence. Vampires require secrecy, order & discipline among their kind, access to sources of feeding, protection from other Supernatural Creatures & Hunters, and many more services beyond the needs of the mortal humans. [/p][p][/p][p]Over time, this has born several vocations within Nightborn culture, such as the enigmatic Seers, stalwart Praetorians, or the esteemed Proctors. One skillset many Nightborn Courts greatly value is that of the Bloodhound, something of a Detective and Bounty Hunter trained to track Supernatural quarry, Vampiric in nature or otherwise. [/p][p][/p][p]When someone under a Nightborn's thrall goes missing, there is a mysterious destruction of a Vampire, or the is suspected interference from another Supernatural force, a Bloodhound is often called in. A Bloodhound is not a political position, they are often expected to take cases from Establishment, Libertine, Orthodox, or unaffiliated Nightborn alike. Bloodhounds have even rarely been known to take cases from other Supernatural creatures if the details involve Nightborn society. [/p][p][/p][p]Traditionally, a Nightborn choses which cases they accept, yet there are certain obligations they must meet at the discretion of the local Vampire Court and to potentially stay in good standing with the ruling political faction. Being an apolitical role, Bloodhound may opt to be in poor standing with the ruling faction, though that has its own consequences. [/p][p][/p][h2]Tools of the Trade[/h2][p][/p][p]Bloodhounds have a particular set of skill they need to master before other consider them a legit Bloodhound. One such skill is the ability to sample the blood of Nightborn without losing themselves to madness or sample the blood of other supernatural creatures minimizing their various debilitating effects. Though not entirely immune from these side-effects, Bloodhounds train in blood rituals to be able to track Supernatural creatures, learn about their surroundings, circumstances, motivations, and secrets.

A Bloodhound may be expected to find something or someone, though a dead or alive bounty may not be off the table, especially if their quarry is a criminal Nightborn or a non-Nightborn who has interfered with Nightborn business.

The player character in Nightborn will be trained as a Bloodhound. As such, they will maintain a bestiary of enemies, Supernatural or Mortal Monster Hunters. Through the Bloodhound skill, the player may learn their quarry's motivation, tactics, and weaknesses. This will help them in their quests, whether they wish to handle things diplomatically, stealthily, or via combat. [/p]

[h2]Dreams & Dread[/h2][p][/p][p]Fairy Tales are simply stories to entertain or to have a moral, right? Right?!? Not in the Twisted Gothic setting of Nightborn; many of these tales have roots in real historic events, experiences, and cryptic warnings. Many of the details are muddled in the published versions you may purchase at a local bookstore or watch in an animated movie, but Fae may be lurking around, through, or over any corner.

What are the Fae? They are Nightmares, Fears, and Wishes, given form. Though if you ask them, they will claim the lands of Dream existed far before our mundane world. Their homes and worlds have slowly yet steadily crumbled over the past few centuries, forcing them into refugee status on Earth.

The calamities which befell the Dream Realms coincided with technology booms on Earth. Is this coincidence, a cause, or a planned plot? Many Fae and folklorists have their own theories.

Fae kingdoms and nations of origin existed between space, parallax to our world, as far away as Myth yet as close as a Dream. Now they exist at the thresholds and spaces near the border betwixt things.

Despite their precarious position, Fae have been known to possess near god-like powers limited only by their own convoluted rules and logic which only makes sense to the dream folk. Apparently, saving their realms was beyond the capacities of any of them.

One aspect of their powers which does track, is that Fae must be true to their word. A promise made is a promise kept. Once a pact with a Fae is made, it might as well be a law of nature as much as gravity (unless a mischievous Fae reverses gravity, in which case that is a bad example). This is why tales warn weary mortals of loopholes in agreements, but don't think you can easily outwit a being whose existence depends on their word, at least not on your first try.
[/p][h2]The Courts [/h2][p][/p][p]Not a Fae are the same. Actually, you will be hard pressed to see commonality between any two Fae, even Fae in the same family can demonstrate entirely unique traits. That is not to say they don't have common goals and aspirations. In fact, Fae often pledge themselves to one of two courts: the Seelie or the Unseelie Courts.

The Seelie Court is not to be confused with the 'Good Guys', though they may appear so at first, especially compared to the Unseelie Court. Many in the Seelie Court have more pleasant or jovial appearances: Elves, Fauns, Gnomes, Clockwork Toys, or Wondrous Beasts, for example. Seelie Fae believe in Order and Rules, which included enforcing said rules without room for exception. Working with Seelie Fae may seem like a Dream, until you color outside the lines, even a little bit.

The Unseelie Court may not be strictly the 'Bad Guys', but they are not to be trifled with. Many appear to be gloomy or possess a severe countenance: Goblins, Orcs, Dark Beauties, or the Monster-Under-Your-Bed. Unseelie Fae revel in mischief and mayhem. Like the Seelie, they strictly follow rules as is Fae nature, but with the aim of subverting them and targeting loopholes. This contrarian view often puts Unseelie at odds with the Seelie. The two group are usually at an uneasy peace, yet conflicts have been known to result in all-out war in the past.
[/p][h2]Immortal Memories[/h2][p][/p][p]Fae do not seem to age from time passing, nor do they die of what those of this world would consider "natural causes". This, effectively, makes Fae immortal. Nightborn also do not suffer from death by old age and some have known certain Fae for millennia. This has resulted in many types of relationships between Faeries and Vampires, including on-again-off-again allies/enemies, competition, lovers, or even Shadow Wars between factions.

One thing immortality assures both kinds, is that they end up learning many secrets about each other. This results in Fae and Nightborn being greatly suspicious of the other, especially if they don't know them. Both creatures value their secrets highly enough to kill or die for them. They are also quite weary of each other's powers and their limitations, as they are little understood and neither side wants to find themselves outmatch.

There is also the matter of territory. Nightborn feed from blood, yet Fae seem to have some sort of relationship with mundane humans as well. Some Nightborn who study the Fae believe that they feed off of mortal dreams, though others think it is their hopes and fears which sustain them. The Fae don't wish to reveal this information to anyone, making some suspect it is actually souls which they consume. Stories are full of tales of abductions after all.

[/p][h2]The Goblin Market[/h2][p][/p][p]Fae are a type of Supernatural existing on the fringes of the Underworld. Without a true home, they find the in-between spaces to make their living. Fae are known for their dealmaking and trading of magical wares. Their clients are not often mundane mortals, that would likely result in a mess. Other Supernatural creatures though, they are fair game.

New Orleans is chock-full of Fae, yet you would be hard pressed to spot one, that is unless you find the enchanted entrance to The Goblin Market. The Goblin Market is neutral ground between Seelie and Unseelie Fae, and by extension, yet not explicitly, neutral ground between Fae and other Supernatural beings.

Nightborn are rarely welcome at The Goblin Market, yet not specifically banned. Witches, Werefolk, and Djinn are frequent customers, along with well-mannered Demons and desperate Monster Hunters. Dark Secrets, True Names, and Magical Artifacts are all trafficked in this bizarre bazaar. Usually, a trade is made for something of equal value, but giving a part of one's self (e.g. a voice or face) or a pledge of an unconditional favor are also used as currency. [/p][p][/p][h2]External Relations[/h2][p][/p][p]Nightborn and Fae tend to keep their distance due to past relations. Vampires lose control when drinking Faerie blood, a vintage which they quickly become addicted to. In turn, Nightborn who trespass on Fae realms have been known to disappear. To avoid this result, Nightborn generally go out of their way to seek permission to enter the home of a Fae. [/p][p][/p][p]Nightborn scholars have noticed some similarity between the powers and limitations of Cryptids and the Fae, a comparison both Courts vociferously deny and reject. If the are protesting too much to cover a common origin or if this reaction is from an ancient enmity is something not yet confirmed. Nightborn have observed that Fae make themselves scarce when the presence of a Cryptid is reported.

There are rumors that the Djinn and the Fae share some strong bonds and mutual pacts. This would explain why they are often seen together making deals and engaging in commerce. These agreements don't seem to extend as far a military alliances, as the two Supernaturals have rarely fought on the same side, and yet both groups do seem to back each other up when Nightborn encroach on their holdings.



What do you think of the Fae of Nightborn? How would you like to see the Fae represented in the game? [/p]

[p]Bloodlines 2, developed by The Chinese Room and published by Paradox Interactive, was released this past week. I would like to personal congratulate on the launch. The title Bloodlines 2 has been passed from one studio to another, the development journey of this game has been tumultuous and honestly, pretty wild.

There was a time I wanted nothing more than to be on the team making Bloodlines 2. Unfortunately, the production was kept secret, so no amount of networking got me any closer to the project. It is a good thing I was not invited or Nightborn would probably not be in the world.

Bloodlines 2 and Nightborn have a couple things in common. There is a the superficial, that they are modern gothic games where you play a vampire, but that is likely because they both take inspiration from the first Bloodlines.

I applaud Bloodlines 2 for their innovative traversal system, their story-forward approach, and their layered combat systems.

Nightborn goes in a completely different direction when it comes to design philosophy. Nightborn is an RPG-first, with character customization, inventories, diversity of play styles, optional combat, lockpicking, hacking, hub-based travel, and a stat-based character sheet.

It is quite interesting how to different developers can take inspiration from the same source and go into completely different directions. I love that The World of Darkness continues with an ever expanding narrative through many games and products.

Nightborn is as grateful for the World of Darkness just as much as Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, DON'T NOD's Vampyr, or Rebel Wolves upcoming The Blood of the Dawnwalker. Not to mention the hundreds of Vampire movies and series I've enjoyed over my life. The Vampire Community is a welcoming and wondrous place.

I can hardly wait to contribute my original take on the Vampire Myth, and I hope you enjoy it.

I've been working hard on the Nightborn Demo.

Please follow Nightborn here on Steam and follow Nightborn's Kickstarter campaign.

Are you playing Bloodlines 2? What do you think about it?

What would you like to see in Nightborn? [/p]

[p][/p][p]Nightborn is set in a Dark Gothic Reflection of Modern New Orleans. [/p][p]The Nightborn Demo is meant to give players a little taste of what that may be like in the full game.[/p][p]The following is a bit of a preview of the locations and levels in the Nightborn Demo.[/p][p][/p][h2]Main Hub - Arts/Warehouse District[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Arts District, also known as the Warehouse District is the Main Hub of the first act of Nightborn. The full game will have a much more fleshed out Arts/Warehouse District. The Hub in the Demo consists of a connecting alley, Club Ambrosia, Redstone Apartments, and a Trolley which takes your Vampire to other Hubs and Levels.[/p][p][/p][h3]Hub Location - Club Ambrosia[/h3][p]
Club Ambrosia is a known hangout of various types of supernatural creatures. Nightborn Vampires generally don't frequent the establishment, as the regulars find blood drinking distasteful, yet Nightborn may enter if they have a reason, such as if they seek information. [/p][h3]
Hub Location - Redstone Apartments [/h3][p]
Redstone Apartments is an old business building poorly converted into apartments for low rent. The rooms are dark and dingy, and make for an adequate sanctuary for Creatures of the Night.[/p][p][/p][h2]Story Level - Hunter Base[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]A group of Monster Hunters have made themselves a makeshift base in some Warehouses on the Mississippi River Waterfront. It is not yet known how much they know about the Supernatural world or if they have discovered the Nightborn.[/p][p][/p][h2]Story Level- Haunted Cemetery [/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]Something Wicked has occurred in this New Orleans Cemetery and the Dead are restless. What sorcery could have caused such blatant profanity? [/p]

[p][/p][p]Character Creation is a hallmark and time-honored tradition with Roleplaying Games. A Character Creator give the player the agency to craft the character they want to play.

Some character creators are simple, so you may quickly get into the game. Others are complex, affording in-depth customization and options. Some players will even spend more time in a good character creator than they do otherwise playing a game.

Nightborn is designed to strike a balance to honor RPG tabletop roots while at the same time being functional and streamlined to assume the story and gameplay.

The Nightborn Demo Character Creator is nearly complete, so the following will describe what has been accomplished.

First, let's talk about what the Nightborn Demo is and is not. The Nightborn Demo is not the final gameplay nor does it depict the final story of Nightborn. The Nightborn Demo is designed to give the general feel of the game and can be considered a preview of developing gameplay and systems and somewhat of a prelude to the world of Nightborn's Gothic New Orleans. The Nightborn Demo will get updates to accommodate player feedback and developer progress.

The Nightborn Demo is not the Beta test. The Nightborn Beta build access will be linked to Kickstarter and Patreon support at certain tiers and pledges. The Beta will start some time after the Demo is released and will have final story and gameplay elements.

The Character Creator is a lightweight version of the vision for the full version of Nightborn's Character Creator. There are three major choice categories: Appearance, Style, Lineage, and Inheritance. Options not yet in the Demo are Greyed out, while currently valid options are Red.

The Appearance section has a choice of a Man or Woman gendered appearance. Future versions of the Character Creator is planned to have more detailed Appearance customization, with different bodies, skin color, faces, hair styles, etc.

The Style section covers how your Nightborn dresses. Style has a gameplay component, where NPCs will react differently to you depending on how they present themselves. Different styles of clothing can be purchased from Vendor NPCs and changed into at areas with Wardrobes, such as at the Vendor's store or your Sanctuary Apartments.

Lineage denotes the Nightborn bloodline you descend from. Your Vampire Maker is of this Lineage and they passed the blood onto you. This choice will affect how Nightborn of the same Lineage treat you, as Lineage is a bond. Blood in thicker than water after all. Nightborn Lineage also dictates which Powers come with your Lineage's Inheritance.

Inheritance is the term for a Lineage's Entitlements, which is what Nightborn call Vampire Powers. Every Lineage has a different combination of Entitlements they Inherit. The only Entitlement in the Demo is the Powers of the Carnal: Brutality, Glamour, and Blood Rituals. For this reason, only Lineages with a Carnal Inheritance will be accessible in the Demo.

You may also notice a section in the lower left (see image below), where you can find a description of what character selection is being scrolled over with the mouse or is currently selected. This will provide more information about what the option does and how it helps you or changes the character. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]What do you think of the progress so far? Which style are you most excited to see? Which powers are you excited to wield? [/p]