Part of working on V20 is creating new material, since players have stated plainly that they want new supporting stuff. It’s a design challenge that has to be handled delicately, though. Too much new stuff creation, particularly in setting material, treads dangerously close to “metaplot,” which we don’t want. Remember, we’re steering away from what Rich and Eddy describe as the “publishing treadmill.” In the past, I’ve phrased it as a periodical model. We were more like a magazine than a book publisher, hitting our monthly releases that often included plot advances, so that players could feel like they were participating with the serial of the game even if they weren’t playing episodically on their own. We want to avoid that — we want people playing and using the material and telling their own stories because we’ve had our chance to tell our own tale.
With that in mind, I like the idea of sowing story seeds and offering new story hooks to both players and Storytellers. When we print individual ideas, those give players things to investigate and Storytellers new foundations upon which to create stories. It’s our place to create some amount of the world but not to advance it, because telling the stories behind those seeds is the privilege of the individual troupes.
I don’t just want to sketch cities, however. Over the years, troupes have demonstrated that the places within cities are more potent landmarks than simple geographical locations themselves. “Madrid” is cool as a WoD idea, but what about Madrid is most vampire resonant? Is it that Monçada’s lair is there? Is it that it’s a Lasombra motherland? What piece of Madrid, for example, make the location worth a visit? Where’s a place in Madrid that would make for a cool scene, story, or even chronicle?
With that in mind, I’m working on the World of Darkness locations and landmarks chapter for the V20 Companion. You guys have offered a lot of great feedback (keep it coming!) on things that have a good WoD “feel” to them, and I’m collecting those and fleshing them out or paring them down as we speak. I’m trying to cover lots of bases here, aiming to renew some interest in some of the long-tenured WoD places and sparking a few new ones. I’m trying not to advance any plots or issue any dogma while at the same time wanting to impart new information instead of rephrasing extant material. Here’s an example. Tell me what you think (and don’t be shy on suggesting others).
<3>Catedral da Sé (São Paulo, Brazil)
Path of Night all up in this.
<n>The Sabbat does much to earn its reputation as a bloodthirsty sect of fanatical vampire supremacists, but the actual philosophy of the sect is much more sophisticated than that. The sect has a long history of association with Catholic rite and culture, and one of the great philosophical centers of the Black Hand is São Paulo, in particular the São Paulo See Metropolitan Cathedral. The church itself is a symbol of the city, and few of the 40 million mortal inhabitants of the city realizes that such an important Cainite institution exists beneath their home. Second only to the seat of the Regent in Mexico City, São Paulo is considered by some the spiritual center of the sect.
An ecumenical council for the Black Hand meets annually in the crypts beneath the Catedral da Sé, where it observes and codifies all of the Sabbat’s auctoritas ritae. Archbishops, Bishops, Prisci, and other leaders of the sect attend this council by invitation only, and being asked to attend is both an enormous sect honor and a chance to shape the Black Hand’s religious policy. As well, the Archbishop of São Paulo hosts numerous deliberative diets, where Bishops and luminary Pack Priests can share and propose new ritae as well as study and debate matters directly related to Sabbat theology. These diets host no small amount of discussion regarding the Paths of Enlightenment in addition to codified sacrament.
The presence of such an important religious institution for the Sabbat rankles some of the Old World elders of the sect, who believe that the Black Hand’s religious center should remain closer to the Vatican, or at least in Europe as the historical stronghold of Catholicism. This “issue” has yet to truly form a divide among the spiritual leaders of the Black Hand, but as sect outlook grows more dire and the End Times loom, the potential for a full-fledged schism among the priests of the sect becomes an increasing possibility.
50 thoughts on “Locations and Landmarks”
This could also be the Pátio do Colégio, but the Catedral da Sé is newer, so I thought it better symbolized the “new” Sabbat stronghold in South America.
How about a mention of a location of European historical, cultural and religious importance. I am talking about Bruges and as a suggestion I have the Chapel of the Holy Blood, which holds a relic of the blood of Christ which was brought to the city after the sack of Constantinople during the fourth Crusade:
This might be too obvious a suggestion, but there has always been a bit of a lack of interest in the Low Countries in supplements I feel, in spite of their rich history.
São Paulo was also mentioned as “Sao Paolo” in V20. At least it was on the preview, since I didn’t got my copy yet. Unhappyly when I noticed it, the blog was down, but, I made a post on white wolf foruns, and I was convinced that is also correct, altough it’s weirdness. Anyway I’m happy they’re talking about São Paulo, instead of Rio or the rain forest. Post: http://bit.ly/qan6Py
1. Besides the obvious, like Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, there is a place called the Basilica Cisterns. They are literally an underground cistern from Roman times that was covered over and forgotten about and then rediscovered. It has a very Nosferatu feel to it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern
Another cool place is the Trianon Park. Located right by Paulista Avenue it’s a massive park filled with local Atlantic flora. The park is packed with tree and cut by thin pathways, that makes the park a dark place, where almost no sun hits the ground. There’re a ton of stories about rape and murder in the park, but even with it all the park remains open and somewhat beautiful in it’s wildness. At night a dangerous place, by day a refuge from the utter madness of the financial center of Latin America. I’ll see if I can find some good photos of there. 🙂
São Paulo is a Punk-Goth city by excellence – anyone that has ever ST’d a chronicle in the city gets that feeling. Brazil has a great presence of vampire players, specially considering the game is about to make 20 years of existence. I don’t know if I’m alone at that, but I feel that Brazil was always a little bit overlooked in the World of Darkness. I get that the Amazon forest is fascinating, but Brazil happens mostly in the southeast region, whose greatest cities are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte: all three big cities with a full setting for urban games like vampire.
I loved the idea ! As a brazillian citizen and mostly as a Sabbat and Black Hand player I wholeheartedly believe São Paulo is one of the big landmarks to be considered while drawing the map of the world of darkness anew. I just hope we can get there. 🙂
But, goin for the spirit: The Rua 25 de Março (March 25 Street) is one of my favorite places in São Paulo because I believe it holds a very important element in chronicles – Crowds. LaSombra Clanbook (2° Ed) starts with a LaSombra sire dragging her progenie through a hide-and-seek game in Marrakesh’s Night Market and all I could think of – even loving that scene – was that if you wanted a furious overclock mob of buyers and sellers of everything – legal or not – seasoned with confusion, haste and humananity drainage THAT was the place one could have looked for. It’s a very iconic element of the city, and a must-stop for all kinds of visitors, making it one of the most cosmopolitan streets of the city as well.
I’m happy Brazil now has the spiritual center of the Sabbath. However, even considering Latin America is mostly Sabbath’s domain, it should be stated somewhere that there are Camarilla enclaves. I’m not saying the book has to cover the whole country, but a single paragraph with a general description of Sabbath vs. Camarilla vs. Anarch territories could be interesting.
Undoubtedly, the Southeast is the economic heart of Brazil, and in my opinion is should be under the Black Hand. Maybe the Camarilla holds the South and the Anarchs the Northeast, considering the local history of revolts (not a single century without a revolt, since the late XVI).
Justin,
certainly the Catedral is a better option than the Pateo for that which you intended. The Pateo looks more like a “Jesuit stronghold” than a like of liturgy. I’ve been to the catacombs one time, and I really believe that some extra levels are quite credible. Nice photo of them:http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:SaoPauloCrypt.jpg .
Some extra info:
-> The Catedral is situated in one of the busiest hubs of the SP’s Metro/Subway. It’s the biggest station of the whole system, great possibilities of extra entrances underground to the Cathedral. It´s something akin to Grand Central Station of NY in movement, in my opinion, even with a radically different architecture
-> Also, the scenario of the city Centre, where the Catedral is situated during the night, is quite interesting for WoD. Literally full of people walking and working during the day, the place is a desert during the night: there are very few residendences in there. But, in fact, large crowds do live there: there are thousands of homeless people who live there. During the night, it is a quite dangerous place, due to the povertry. Even though in the real world there are many projects to revigorate the place, the WoD version undoubtelly would paint it in darker tones.
->The gigantic population of people who could “disappear” without being “missed” makes the place a great hunting ground. In Addition, there are many old building who could be of importance to the local kindred: one of the oldest law schools of the country (Faculdade de Direito Largo de São Francisco), where nine of the presidents of the country and many personalities studied; SP’s town hall, with a design resembling the design of the italian fascism from the beginning of the 1900’s; São Bento’s Monastery, place of silence located in the middle of the chaos of the city. Many options.
I was really happy to see SP, and Brazil, being more present in the WoD. As said many times, you can count on me for experiences and ideas for the place.
Another thing: now i´m really curious about the political status of the city. Is SP controlled by the sabbat? Poor Camarilla if it is …
Will also talk about the other ideas, outside Brazil in a later post. Again, good work!
I Liked your comments, but have differents visions:
Since most Latin America is Sabath’s domain, I’m more inclined to tell that Brazil is a case apart, at least I wish it could be more balanced. That fits in the fact that brazil it’s culturally a bit isolated from their neighbours (remembering we’re almost the only who don’t speak spanish and the only who speak portuguese). Actually, this can be made the way we want in our own games, but if there is interest in describe Brazil in more depth in future oficial suplements, I think it should be made in a way wich the main sects could be playable in the main cities. So if São Paulo is Sabath’s, and this is not my first option, Rio and Belo Horizonte should be Camarilla.
I would prefer if SP was Camarilla’s, because if I want Brazil to be different from Latin America, it very economical center should be a Ventrue bastion…
Justin, what’s the policy on places you’ve made for Requiem, but not Masquerade? Because if there isn’t a policy, a couple of places in New Orleans needs a looky here.
I wouldn’t preclude something just because it had been in Requiem. But remember, space constraints here would prohibit multiple sites from the same city, I think. 5000 words at 250 per location gives us about 20 to work with — worldwide!
Well I think if anything, we’re proving that this way of bringing books together is going to rock. I mean, running out of space AND marking up notes for new books because of it? Can’t bitch about that, can we?
I don’t think there is so much ire at metaplot in general (at least among those who want metaplot-there were those diehards who hated it on principle) so much as that there is a great deal of anger over where a great deal of the metaplot went in the last few years of the classic line – Ravnos’ death and the events surrounding it, as well as the repercussions for the rest of the clan being a banner example. I think most people would like to see much of the metaplot they feel “failed” or wasn’t as elegant be rewritten and have threads for V:tM society to continue in the wake of Gehenna. I think the best and simplest solution would be to put out a supplement with metaplot treatments and story seeds all by itself, similar to the Time of Judgement books that closed out the classic lines, so that those who want the metaplot and several ways to handle it in their stories can have it, and those who want to avoid metaplot like the plague simply don’t have to buy the book. Just my two vitae.
I believe that some icononical places in vampiric history could receive some attention. Places like the remmnats of Castel d’ombro in Sicily; Thorns, where the sects, and the assamite curse were born, and Ceoris, the old Tremere stronghold in the Carpathians. Locations from the clan novels (like Monçada’s Cathedral, in Madri) or even ones that weren´t developed in detail, although mentioned in the World of Darkness setting (like the court of François Villon in the Louvre Museum) would also be good choices.
Thorns is in there. (Well, the Abbey of the Sacred Crown is.) Also, I didn’t use Ceoris, but I used the Prime Chantry in Vienna and Castle Hunedoara in the Carpathians.
So far, all but one of the locations has come at the suggestion of the players. Which is awesome.
I loved the write-up for Sarrasine’s Sydney in World of Darkness 2nd ed. In terms of an emphasis on location in the V20 companion, it would be great to see further details of Sarrasine’s court – the centre of his corrupt web. Considering his Byzantine origins – I would imagine high intrigue – masks beneath masks, shadows within shadows – decadence, but also the sensual flourishes of his Setite lineage – red silks, exotic perfumes and flowers, elements that seduce and ensnare his subjects, making them all the more pliable and willing to do whatever debauched acts are set for the evening’s entertainment.
On Australian TV over the last few years has been a show called ‘Underbelly’ which is a great resource for how the criminal elements of Australia (mostly Sydney) operate. The Drug running, police corruption, strip clubs, violence, extortion, etc all backlit by the gaudy neon city lights and steamy hot days. They do a great job of showing what a Settite run domain could be like, imo. Well worth watching if you’re inclined/interested/have time. 🙂
Pike Place Market- Could have an underground black market for all things magical, strange, tabboo and profoundly illegal. The market could be open to all types of supernaturals and sport everything from auctions to fighting matches.
With the absence of the Kuei-Jin and the Kindred of the East setting from V20, will some of the most iconic Asian cities receive attention (i.e. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing)?
Perhaps a middle ground of sorts – between the Clans and the Kuei-Jin – would be the inclusion of a location in India, which never received considerable attention in former sourcebooks. It would certainly prove a great opportunity to explore the Ravnos clan in their ‘homeland’. It plays to the idea of the East as the repository of ancient lore and spiritual enlightenment (i.e. the Salubri third-eye origin story), but an Enlightenment twisted and warped by the tenets of the Path of Paradox. I’m thinking here of a chthonic temple devoted to Kali (Kalighat Kali temple, Calcutta?) housing vampiric yogis and sadhus who offer their wisdom through the rending of limbs and the desecration of flesh. The search for Enlightenment also nicely encapsulates the spiritual tone of Kindred of the East, but without overt reference, just something of a gentle nod.
It has always been one of my favorite ideas that Mexico is the stronghold of the Sabbat having the cradle of its power on Mexico City, right in the middle of the country where once the centralized government held power.
As with Mexican reality most of the northern-border cities are pretty much influenced by the US culture. It will be awesome if a territory under dispute between the Camarilla and the Sabbat could appear as an important destination.
My bet could be for none other than the city of Monterrey (in the state of Nuevo Leon), where war between the sects is hitting the streets and where Mexican traditions and US culture merges in its own society. Monterrey has always been the industrial capital of Mexico, known as the “Northern Sultan” the city and its metropolitan area has more than 3 million inhabitants and is only 3 hours away from the border. Nightlife and business tourism is common in the city as most of the Latin-American enterprises make business here. The city is actually under maintenance since hurricane Alex destroyed grand part of its streets and bridges.
It has a great landmark:
The Macroplaza at the heart of the city. Built during the 1980s, it is the second largest plaza in the world. It has some iconic monuments like the “Faro del Comercio” (Lighthouse of Commerce) which is a 70 meter tall modern lighthouse equipped with a green laser that shoots its light around the city at nights. Different authors have said that in some aspects the position of the Government Palace and the City Hall resemble the Aztec position of the Sun and Moon Pyramids. http://www.nl.gob.mx/pics/pages/turismo_mapas_base/mapa_mty_macroplaza.gif
The Macroplaza features the following monuments, buildings and pedestrian zones:
-“Palacio de Gobierno” (Government Palace) a neoclassical construction where the office of the governor is located. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_Gobierno_(Nuevo_Le%C3%B3n)
-“Faro del Comercio”, (Lighthouse of Commerce) a modern monument designed by architect Luis Barragán. At nights it shoots a green laser around the city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faro_del_comercio
-“Explanada de los Heroes” (Heroes Esplanade), a 19,400 square meters explanade located in front of the Palacio de Gobierno.
-“Jardín Hundido” (Sunken Garden), an almost hidden garden located in the heart of the Macroplaza featuring various monuments and a fountain. A Speakers’ Corner, similar to that located in London’s Hyde Park, is located in the Jardín Hundido.
-“Teatro de la Ciudad” (City’s Theatre)
-“Biblioteca Fray Servando Teresa de Mier” (Fray Servando Teresa de Mier Library), a public library.
-“Fuente de Neptuno” (Neptune’s Fountain), a bronce fountain representing the roman god Neptune.
-“Capilla de los Dulces Nombres” (Chapel of the Sweet Names), a 19th century roman catholic chapel.
-“Plaza Zaragoza”, the old city plaza located between the Cathedral and the original city hall building (Currently the Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey).
-“Monterrey City Hall”, the headquarters of the Mayor of Monterrey.
-“Homenaje al Sol” (Tribute to the Sun), a monument designed by Rufino Tamayo located at the southernmost point of the Macroplaza.
The Macroplaza is surrounded by many buildings such as the Cathedral of Monterrey, the Latino tower (“Edificio Latino”), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Monterrey (“MARCO”), the Acero tower (“Edificio Acero”), The Metropolitan Museum (“Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey”) and the Museum of Mexican History but none of them are part of the Macroplaza.
Other nearby attractions:
Other attractions within walking distance of the Macroplaza include the Morelos pedestrian street to the west, the Plaza de los 400 años, the Santa Lucia Riverwalk to the east as well as the Barrio Antiguo.
The Santa Lucia Riverwalk (“Paseo Santa Lucía”) is an artificial river. Construction of the river began in 1996, but for economic reasons was stopped for nine years. In 2005, construction continued and was finished in 2007. It was inaugurated by the Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, in celebration of the 197th anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence. It is one of the most important attractions in the city. It was also part of the 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures’ attractions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Lucia_Riverwalk
I like the description enough, but so far it’s very generic. The first paragraph is about Sao Paulo, the second and third could be applied to any cathedral anywhere.
And there aren’t any specific plot hooks. You could cut the third paragraph and replace it with a few specific names of NPCs; certainly not the globetrotting metaplot kind, but the name of an interesting bishop who was ousted from power after his pack was lost to wassail and now spends his nights as little more than a caretaker, lighting the candles and polishing the ornaments. But he quietly schemes to become a major player again. Put one or more NPCs in the description that would make a group of players say “I want my character to meet this person” or make an ST say “This person brings life and personality to this location.”
I really liked the inclusion of São Paulo as an important city for Sabbat spiritual leadership. Besides bringing Latin America into the limelight, it makes sense considering Brazil is a place Iberian Elders, especially Portuguese ones, would have come to during the Inquisition, and more importantly, during the early 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars, when Portuguese Court was transferred to Brazil. If I remember correctly, there were some Byzantine-derived heresies in Portugal, described in Europe by Night, which make sense to have inspired Sabbat spirituality and could very well have been the background for such an ecumenical meeting happening in São Paulo.
It would be a nice touch to speak about language problems as a catalyst for the alluded potential schism mentioned in the last paragraph – Brazil speaks Portuguese, but it’s Spanish that became the Sabbat lingua franca. I can see that becoming a problem.
Cairo was a greatly intriguing city! I really would like its inclusion with its history and the interesting mix of African and middle kindred eastern city. And old as the dickens! Not to mention yummy Setite potential.
First of all, i hope you can excuse my awkward English, I’ll try to do my best! My suggestion is simple: Rome. An attempt to sketch here a yet humble summary of the history of Rome is just impossible, but I want to put your attention on some basic point. Rome is a decadent city, with a strong melanchonic and wicked atmospheare, full of monuments, historical graveyard (like the Protestant Cemetery with the Shelley and Keats grave, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Cemetery,_Rome and this photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Cimitero_Acattolico_Roma.jpg ) and bloody affairs (for example, the terrorism in the ’70 with strange connections with the underworld and the Vatican). Also, aside some worldwide known monuments like Colosseum, the Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Imperial Forums, I want to signal other intriguing landmark. The Mausoleum of Hadrian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Sant%27Angelo )commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mauseloeum for himself and his family and transformed by the papacy in a fortress. The Square Colosseum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_della_Civilt%C3%A0_Italiana ), a modern reinterpration of classical, monumental style built during the 1942 (a very interesting building, despite the criminal ideology that built it). Church of Saint Yves at La Sapienza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant%27Ivo_alla_Sapienza) built by Borromini during the lecherous baroque era. I hope this advice will be useful. Greetings!
It’s a very old city for starters, with a lot of history. It’s a port town, which can play into all sorts of fun, has two colleges that can serve as both a hunting ground and recruitment locale.
There’s also a very large, very old cemetery. I’m sure all sorts of fun things can be done with that. Too, there’s a submarine base, a nuclear reactor and a Coast Guard academy.
All told, it’s a very solid blend of old history and modern technology, brought together in a rather fascinating whole.
If there was room, I’d like to see one name dropped kindred in each location. Not fully fleshed out, just a name + clan or generation that the ST can introduce or drop plot hooks from. But someone vested in the location.
Hm, I think Sao Paolo is better. This book will be in English after all. While we Brazilians do say like you were corrected by Livia, in English if you try to pronounce that way it’ll come out completely weird and the norm is Sao Paolo for pronounciation mainly, might be worth it to just make a parenthesis.
I liked the write-up, very much. I don’t remember any material stating Brazil’s sect “affiliations” though, except for maybe Rio being divided between Toreador and Lasombra and being the perfect place for “shady dealings with the enemy”, I don’t really remember anything about São Paulo in World of Darkness 2nd ed or any book after that, but it’s been a while.
“I would prefer if SP was Camarilla’s, because if I want Brazil to be different from Latin America, it very economical center should be a Ventrue bastion…”
Why can’t it be a Lasombra bastion of economical power? They’re not stupid savages just because humans are cattle you know. That said, São Paulo always evoked something more Camarilla-like for me. Rio is/was a free city dominated by Camarilla and Sabbat leaders so I think the Camarilla has little foothold and let’s be fair, interest over here.
@Lightmaguz: And São Paulo is mentioned in V20 as “Sao Paolo” right at the introduction. That being changed in the V20 Companion will definitely be a little bit odd. 🙂
How about a south european location to balance the european geographical distribution of those already presented in the development doc? One in Portugal?
A nice location would be the ruins of Carmo Convent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmo_Convent_(Lisbon)), a medieval building which was almost destroyed on the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The open space under the ruined main nave with its roofless arches crossing the clear night skies could be the meeting of those who serve and honor the innumerous elders (secretly or not) who got buried under the rubble and detritus caused by the revolving earth. The frantic and colourful procession of “masked devils” meets there once a year without interruption even though the ceremony dangerously attracts unneeded attention from puzzled passersby.
Why this Masquerade breaching tradition still carries on one the last great bastions of Camarilla presence in the Iberian Peninsula is a bit mysterious given the ascendency the Tremere have on the city’s fate after they allegedly mystically provoked the catastrophe to unseat the Toreador elders hold on local politics. Not that the folkclore design of the costumes are that up to the taste of the local Toreador, either.
Its seems as good thematic counterpart to the São Paulo’s Catedral da Sé as well, an ocean apart but linked by the same cultural background. 🙂
What about something that is a landmark or location that is not tied to a single physical place? I mean, there is precedent for this, with the Cathedral of Flesh leaving its location after the destruction of Yorak. I am NOT suggesting that the Cathedral of Flesh be in the V20, Comapanion, though.
I am more thinking about how the Book of Nod mentions the grotto of Shal-ka-mense and the pool of Veyd-sah-me as places where Caine met his bloodthirsty enemies (in the ‘Valediction against Diablerie’). What if these places really exist, but not so much as locations but rather as ideas that appear where they are needed? They are embodiments of vengeance, of the curse placed on all of Caine’s race to never be able to live with each other in peace, and thus they ‘exist’ where they need to exist, conferring whatever power and lore they must when and where they appear.
Something that I’ve loved about the new World of Darkness is the idea that locations, monsters, groups and what have you aren’t tied to single locations. I have no idea how such might work in, say, Vampire: the Masquerade, but I thought that it might be worth suggesting…
Since 1599 the monks use this as a burial ground for mummies. The catacombs serve to mummify the bodies. It’s in Italy. And called Capuchin catacombs. Something for the Giovanni, the Cappadocians. Maybe even the Capuchin from the Giovanni Chronicles.
Someone up above mentioned the KoE and detailing their home but in the spirit of Masquerade I think it would be really nice to see further developments in Chinatown, San Francisco. Really there are a number of places in S.F. that could work for further detailing. I could see the Fillmore with it’s rich history of modern music being a spotlight location or how about the Chronicle which is a widely circulated paper that has been responsible for breaking many important stories over the years.
Also, moving a slight bit south and in keeping with the chapter on technology you might want to look at spotlighting the Silicon Valley. It is, after all, where a vast chunk of those tech advancements were created and the largest tech firms founded and live. I could see how many Kindred to San Jose (the central city in the Silicon Valley) as a place to set up shop. Maybe Setites are responsible for the Rosicrucian Museum, or you could focus on San Jose’s Japantown which is one of only three remaining historical Japantowns in the United States. You could even look to History Park at Kelley Park which is a small town set up to look like and function as a town from 1900. I could see a stagnant Kindred having that built and keeping it as they remembered it from when they were embraced. I would have also suggest the Winchester Mystery House but it was already detailed in Havens of the Damned.
In Brazil things could be like:
Camarilla rule the north and south(!) regions, and Brasilia
Sabbath get Centro oeste (west central(?)) region (with some Camarilla fights), SP state (with anarch early 80s revolt quelled in the capital), the interior of northeast region, and MG state interior (MG capital should be Sabbath/anarch with an already much decadent Camarilla)
Anarchs get most of the northeast capitals (with some Sabbath fights) and Rio state.
The Giovanni should compete with the Sabbath in Brasilia, and (centro oeste) west central region; maybe even in MG and SP upcountry (yeah, this is what I meant by ‘interior’ on the post above).
I’ll keep thinking about other clans’ brazilian domains.
This could also be the Pátio do Colégio, but the Catedral da Sé is newer, so I thought it better symbolized the “new” Sabbat stronghold in South America.
How about a mention of a location of European historical, cultural and religious importance. I am talking about Bruges and as a suggestion I have the Chapel of the Holy Blood, which holds a relic of the blood of Christ which was brought to the city after the sack of Constantinople during the fourth Crusade:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/belgium/bruges-basilica-of-holy-blood
This might be too obvious a suggestion, but there has always been a bit of a lack of interest in the Low Countries in supplements I feel, in spite of their rich history.
It’s “Catedral da Sé”, not “Catedral de Sé”. And we say “São Paulo” not “Sao Paolo”.
But I loved it!
Fixed those already, thanks, here and in the draft. I don’t know what I was thinking 😉
São Paulo was also mentioned as “Sao Paolo” in V20. At least it was on the preview, since I didn’t got my copy yet. Unhappyly when I noticed it, the blog was down, but, I made a post on white wolf foruns, and I was convinced that is also correct, altough it’s weirdness. Anyway I’m happy they’re talking about São Paulo, instead of Rio or the rain forest. Post: http://bit.ly/qan6Py
Istanbul would also be fantastic as a place.
1. Besides the obvious, like Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, there is a place called the Basilica Cisterns. They are literally an underground cistern from Roman times that was covered over and forgotten about and then rediscovered. It has a very Nosferatu feel to it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern
2. There is also a Times Square analog called Istiklal Avenue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0stiklal_Avenue
3. Great East meets West themes and Old vs. New as well. It has been a crossroads of the world for centuries.
Troy, many things about Istanbul in Constantinople by Night, in case you missed it. I Agree that it would be nice to see how the city is nowadays!
Another cool place is the Trianon Park. Located right by Paulista Avenue it’s a massive park filled with local Atlantic flora. The park is packed with tree and cut by thin pathways, that makes the park a dark place, where almost no sun hits the ground. There’re a ton of stories about rape and murder in the park, but even with it all the park remains open and somewhat beautiful in it’s wildness. At night a dangerous place, by day a refuge from the utter madness of the financial center of Latin America. I’ll see if I can find some good photos of there. 🙂
São Paulo is a Punk-Goth city by excellence – anyone that has ever ST’d a chronicle in the city gets that feeling. Brazil has a great presence of vampire players, specially considering the game is about to make 20 years of existence. I don’t know if I’m alone at that, but I feel that Brazil was always a little bit overlooked in the World of Darkness. I get that the Amazon forest is fascinating, but Brazil happens mostly in the southeast region, whose greatest cities are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte: all three big cities with a full setting for urban games like vampire.
I loved the idea ! As a brazillian citizen and mostly as a Sabbat and Black Hand player I wholeheartedly believe São Paulo is one of the big landmarks to be considered while drawing the map of the world of darkness anew. I just hope we can get there. 🙂
Let’s cheer!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m2cPrnZNZ1w/TNbAElUOx-I/AAAAAAAACa8/dv3oN1qZn40/s1600/B5D2831155984B13AF34E6E900425B54.jpg
But, goin for the spirit: The Rua 25 de Março (March 25 Street) is one of my favorite places in São Paulo because I believe it holds a very important element in chronicles – Crowds. LaSombra Clanbook (2° Ed) starts with a LaSombra sire dragging her progenie through a hide-and-seek game in Marrakesh’s Night Market and all I could think of – even loving that scene – was that if you wanted a furious overclock mob of buyers and sellers of everything – legal or not – seasoned with confusion, haste and humananity drainage THAT was the place one could have looked for. It’s a very iconic element of the city, and a must-stop for all kinds of visitors, making it one of the most cosmopolitan streets of the city as well.
I’m happy Brazil now has the spiritual center of the Sabbath. However, even considering Latin America is mostly Sabbath’s domain, it should be stated somewhere that there are Camarilla enclaves. I’m not saying the book has to cover the whole country, but a single paragraph with a general description of Sabbath vs. Camarilla vs. Anarch territories could be interesting.
Undoubtedly, the Southeast is the economic heart of Brazil, and in my opinion is should be under the Black Hand. Maybe the Camarilla holds the South and the Anarchs the Northeast, considering the local history of revolts (not a single century without a revolt, since the late XVI).
Justin,
certainly the Catedral is a better option than the Pateo for that which you intended. The Pateo looks more like a “Jesuit stronghold” than a like of liturgy. I’ve been to the catacombs one time, and I really believe that some extra levels are quite credible. Nice photo of them:http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:SaoPauloCrypt.jpg .
Some extra info:
-> The Catedral is situated in one of the busiest hubs of the SP’s Metro/Subway. It’s the biggest station of the whole system, great possibilities of extra entrances underground to the Cathedral. It´s something akin to Grand Central Station of NY in movement, in my opinion, even with a radically different architecture
-> Also, the scenario of the city Centre, where the Catedral is situated during the night, is quite interesting for WoD. Literally full of people walking and working during the day, the place is a desert during the night: there are very few residendences in there. But, in fact, large crowds do live there: there are thousands of homeless people who live there. During the night, it is a quite dangerous place, due to the povertry. Even though in the real world there are many projects to revigorate the place, the WoD version undoubtelly would paint it in darker tones.
->The gigantic population of people who could “disappear” without being “missed” makes the place a great hunting ground. In Addition, there are many old building who could be of importance to the local kindred: one of the oldest law schools of the country (Faculdade de Direito Largo de São Francisco), where nine of the presidents of the country and many personalities studied; SP’s town hall, with a design resembling the design of the italian fascism from the beginning of the 1900’s; São Bento’s Monastery, place of silence located in the middle of the chaos of the city. Many options.
I was really happy to see SP, and Brazil, being more present in the WoD. As said many times, you can count on me for experiences and ideas for the place.
Another thing: now i´m really curious about the political status of the city. Is SP controlled by the sabbat? Poor Camarilla if it is …
Will also talk about the other ideas, outside Brazil in a later post. Again, good work!
Sorry for the mistakes commited in the use of english. Wrote the post in a hurry. Hope I was understood.
I Liked your comments, but have differents visions:
Since most Latin America is Sabath’s domain, I’m more inclined to tell that Brazil is a case apart, at least I wish it could be more balanced. That fits in the fact that brazil it’s culturally a bit isolated from their neighbours (remembering we’re almost the only who don’t speak spanish and the only who speak portuguese). Actually, this can be made the way we want in our own games, but if there is interest in describe Brazil in more depth in future oficial suplements, I think it should be made in a way wich the main sects could be playable in the main cities. So if São Paulo is Sabath’s, and this is not my first option, Rio and Belo Horizonte should be Camarilla.
I would prefer if SP was Camarilla’s, because if I want Brazil to be different from Latin America, it very economical center should be a Ventrue bastion…
Well, as I said, that’s just visions…
I would prefer if São Paulo is Camarilla too.
Justin, what’s the policy on places you’ve made for Requiem, but not Masquerade? Because if there isn’t a policy, a couple of places in New Orleans needs a looky here.
I wouldn’t preclude something just because it had been in Requiem. But remember, space constraints here would prohibit multiple sites from the same city, I think. 5000 words at 250 per location gives us about 20 to work with — worldwide!
Well I think if anything, we’re proving that this way of bringing books together is going to rock. I mean, running out of space AND marking up notes for new books because of it? Can’t bitch about that, can we?
I don’t think there is so much ire at metaplot in general (at least among those who want metaplot-there were those diehards who hated it on principle) so much as that there is a great deal of anger over where a great deal of the metaplot went in the last few years of the classic line – Ravnos’ death and the events surrounding it, as well as the repercussions for the rest of the clan being a banner example. I think most people would like to see much of the metaplot they feel “failed” or wasn’t as elegant be rewritten and have threads for V:tM society to continue in the wake of Gehenna. I think the best and simplest solution would be to put out a supplement with metaplot treatments and story seeds all by itself, similar to the Time of Judgement books that closed out the classic lines, so that those who want the metaplot and several ways to handle it in their stories can have it, and those who want to avoid metaplot like the plague simply don’t have to buy the book. Just my two vitae.
I believe that some icononical places in vampiric history could receive some attention. Places like the remmnats of Castel d’ombro in Sicily; Thorns, where the sects, and the assamite curse were born, and Ceoris, the old Tremere stronghold in the Carpathians. Locations from the clan novels (like Monçada’s Cathedral, in Madri) or even ones that weren´t developed in detail, although mentioned in the World of Darkness setting (like the court of François Villon in the Louvre Museum) would also be good choices.
Thorns is in there. (Well, the Abbey of the Sacred Crown is.) Also, I didn’t use Ceoris, but I used the Prime Chantry in Vienna and Castle Hunedoara in the Carpathians.
So far, all but one of the locations has come at the suggestion of the players. Which is awesome.
Indeed. That kicks all sorts of ass.
Really, really nice indeed 🙂
Almost any place in Budapest would work – the city has some an amazing history with so many different cultures that have influenced it.
I’d love some antipodean places shown – an update to Sydney and Sarrassine’s ‘Free City’ maybe?
I loved the write-up for Sarrasine’s Sydney in World of Darkness 2nd ed. In terms of an emphasis on location in the V20 companion, it would be great to see further details of Sarrasine’s court – the centre of his corrupt web. Considering his Byzantine origins – I would imagine high intrigue – masks beneath masks, shadows within shadows – decadence, but also the sensual flourishes of his Setite lineage – red silks, exotic perfumes and flowers, elements that seduce and ensnare his subjects, making them all the more pliable and willing to do whatever debauched acts are set for the evening’s entertainment.
Interesting to see Sydney getting so much love here and around the web. I’ll work on getting it into the locations chapter tomorrow or this weekend.
On Australian TV over the last few years has been a show called ‘Underbelly’ which is a great resource for how the criminal elements of Australia (mostly Sydney) operate. The Drug running, police corruption, strip clubs, violence, extortion, etc all backlit by the gaudy neon city lights and steamy hot days. They do a great job of showing what a Settite run domain could be like, imo. Well worth watching if you’re inclined/interested/have time. 🙂
I would love to see something from Seattle!
Pike Place Market- Could have an underground black market for all things magical, strange, tabboo and profoundly illegal. The market could be open to all types of supernaturals and sport everything from auctions to fighting matches.
With the absence of the Kuei-Jin and the Kindred of the East setting from V20, will some of the most iconic Asian cities receive attention (i.e. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing)?
Perhaps a middle ground of sorts – between the Clans and the Kuei-Jin – would be the inclusion of a location in India, which never received considerable attention in former sourcebooks. It would certainly prove a great opportunity to explore the Ravnos clan in their ‘homeland’. It plays to the idea of the East as the repository of ancient lore and spiritual enlightenment (i.e. the Salubri third-eye origin story), but an Enlightenment twisted and warped by the tenets of the Path of Paradox. I’m thinking here of a chthonic temple devoted to Kali (Kalighat Kali temple, Calcutta?) housing vampiric yogis and sadhus who offer their wisdom through the rending of limbs and the desecration of flesh. The search for Enlightenment also nicely encapsulates the spiritual tone of Kindred of the East, but without overt reference, just something of a gentle nod.
I also think that India is a good idea. Would be nice to see the tricksters in their homeland.
Another vote for India coverage! Poorly neglected previously, this is a good opportunity to add some information.
India. Great place.
It has always been one of my favorite ideas that Mexico is the stronghold of the Sabbat having the cradle of its power on Mexico City, right in the middle of the country where once the centralized government held power.
As with Mexican reality most of the northern-border cities are pretty much influenced by the US culture. It will be awesome if a territory under dispute between the Camarilla and the Sabbat could appear as an important destination.
My bet could be for none other than the city of Monterrey (in the state of Nuevo Leon), where war between the sects is hitting the streets and where Mexican traditions and US culture merges in its own society. Monterrey has always been the industrial capital of Mexico, known as the “Northern Sultan” the city and its metropolitan area has more than 3 million inhabitants and is only 3 hours away from the border. Nightlife and business tourism is common in the city as most of the Latin-American enterprises make business here. The city is actually under maintenance since hurricane Alex destroyed grand part of its streets and bridges.
It has a great landmark:
The Macroplaza at the heart of the city. Built during the 1980s, it is the second largest plaza in the world. It has some iconic monuments like the “Faro del Comercio” (Lighthouse of Commerce) which is a 70 meter tall modern lighthouse equipped with a green laser that shoots its light around the city at nights. Different authors have said that in some aspects the position of the Government Palace and the City Hall resemble the Aztec position of the Sun and Moon Pyramids.
http://www.nl.gob.mx/pics/pages/turismo_mapas_base/mapa_mty_macroplaza.gif
The Macroplaza features the following monuments, buildings and pedestrian zones:
-“Palacio de Gobierno” (Government Palace) a neoclassical construction where the office of the governor is located.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_Gobierno_(Nuevo_Le%C3%B3n)
-“Faro del Comercio”, (Lighthouse of Commerce) a modern monument designed by architect Luis Barragán. At nights it shoots a green laser around the city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faro_del_comercio
-“Explanada de los Heroes” (Heroes Esplanade), a 19,400 square meters explanade located in front of the Palacio de Gobierno.
-“Jardín Hundido” (Sunken Garden), an almost hidden garden located in the heart of the Macroplaza featuring various monuments and a fountain. A Speakers’ Corner, similar to that located in London’s Hyde Park, is located in the Jardín Hundido.
-“Teatro de la Ciudad” (City’s Theatre)
-“Biblioteca Fray Servando Teresa de Mier” (Fray Servando Teresa de Mier Library), a public library.
-“Fuente de Neptuno” (Neptune’s Fountain), a bronce fountain representing the roman god Neptune.
-“Capilla de los Dulces Nombres” (Chapel of the Sweet Names), a 19th century roman catholic chapel.
-“Plaza Zaragoza”, the old city plaza located between the Cathedral and the original city hall building (Currently the Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey).
-“Monterrey City Hall”, the headquarters of the Mayor of Monterrey.
-“Homenaje al Sol” (Tribute to the Sun), a monument designed by Rufino Tamayo located at the southernmost point of the Macroplaza.
The Macroplaza is surrounded by many buildings such as the Cathedral of Monterrey, the Latino tower (“Edificio Latino”), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Monterrey (“MARCO”), the Acero tower (“Edificio Acero”), The Metropolitan Museum (“Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey”) and the Museum of Mexican History but none of them are part of the Macroplaza.
Other nearby attractions:
Other attractions within walking distance of the Macroplaza include the Morelos pedestrian street to the west, the Plaza de los 400 años, the Santa Lucia Riverwalk to the east as well as the Barrio Antiguo.
The Santa Lucia Riverwalk (“Paseo Santa Lucía”) is an artificial river. Construction of the river began in 1996, but for economic reasons was stopped for nine years. In 2005, construction continued and was finished in 2007. It was inaugurated by the Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, in celebration of the 197th anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence. It is one of the most important attractions in the city. It was also part of the 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures’ attractions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Lucia_Riverwalk
I like the description enough, but so far it’s very generic. The first paragraph is about Sao Paulo, the second and third could be applied to any cathedral anywhere.
And there aren’t any specific plot hooks. You could cut the third paragraph and replace it with a few specific names of NPCs; certainly not the globetrotting metaplot kind, but the name of an interesting bishop who was ousted from power after his pack was lost to wassail and now spends his nights as little more than a caretaker, lighting the candles and polishing the ornaments. But he quietly schemes to become a major player again. Put one or more NPCs in the description that would make a group of players say “I want my character to meet this person” or make an ST say “This person brings life and personality to this location.”
I really liked the inclusion of São Paulo as an important city for Sabbat spiritual leadership. Besides bringing Latin America into the limelight, it makes sense considering Brazil is a place Iberian Elders, especially Portuguese ones, would have come to during the Inquisition, and more importantly, during the early 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars, when Portuguese Court was transferred to Brazil. If I remember correctly, there were some Byzantine-derived heresies in Portugal, described in Europe by Night, which make sense to have inspired Sabbat spirituality and could very well have been the background for such an ecumenical meeting happening in São Paulo.
It would be a nice touch to speak about language problems as a catalyst for the alluded potential schism mentioned in the last paragraph – Brazil speaks Portuguese, but it’s Spanish that became the Sabbat lingua franca. I can see that becoming a problem.
Cairo was a greatly intriguing city! I really would like its inclusion with its history and the interesting mix of African and middle kindred eastern city. And old as the dickens! Not to mention yummy Setite potential.
First of all, i hope you can excuse my awkward English, I’ll try to do my best! My suggestion is simple: Rome. An attempt to sketch here a yet humble summary of the history of Rome is just impossible, but I want to put your attention on some basic point. Rome is a decadent city, with a strong melanchonic and wicked atmospheare, full of monuments, historical graveyard (like the Protestant Cemetery with the Shelley and Keats grave, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Cemetery,_Rome and this photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Cimitero_Acattolico_Roma.jpg ) and bloody affairs (for example, the terrorism in the ’70 with strange connections with the underworld and the Vatican). Also, aside some worldwide known monuments like Colosseum, the Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Imperial Forums, I want to signal other intriguing landmark. The Mausoleum of Hadrian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Sant%27Angelo )commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mauseloeum for himself and his family and transformed by the papacy in a fortress. The Square Colosseum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_della_Civilt%C3%A0_Italiana ), a modern reinterpration of classical, monumental style built during the 1942 (a very interesting building, despite the criminal ideology that built it). Church of Saint Yves at La Sapienza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant%27Ivo_alla_Sapienza) built by Borromini during the lecherous baroque era. I hope this advice will be useful. Greetings!
I would love to see New London, Ct get some love.
It’s a very old city for starters, with a lot of history. It’s a port town, which can play into all sorts of fun, has two colleges that can serve as both a hunting ground and recruitment locale.
There’s also a very large, very old cemetery. I’m sure all sorts of fun things can be done with that. Too, there’s a submarine base, a nuclear reactor and a Coast Guard academy.
All told, it’s a very solid blend of old history and modern technology, brought together in a rather fascinating whole.
If there was room, I’d like to see one name dropped kindred in each location. Not fully fleshed out, just a name + clan or generation that the ST can introduce or drop plot hooks from. But someone vested in the location.
Hm, I think Sao Paolo is better. This book will be in English after all. While we Brazilians do say like you were corrected by Livia, in English if you try to pronounce that way it’ll come out completely weird and the norm is Sao Paolo for pronounciation mainly, might be worth it to just make a parenthesis.
I liked the write-up, very much. I don’t remember any material stating Brazil’s sect “affiliations” though, except for maybe Rio being divided between Toreador and Lasombra and being the perfect place for “shady dealings with the enemy”, I don’t really remember anything about São Paulo in World of Darkness 2nd ed or any book after that, but it’s been a while.
“I would prefer if SP was Camarilla’s, because if I want Brazil to be different from Latin America, it very economical center should be a Ventrue bastion…”
Why can’t it be a Lasombra bastion of economical power? They’re not stupid savages just because humans are cattle you know. That said, São Paulo always evoked something more Camarilla-like for me. Rio is/was a free city dominated by Camarilla and Sabbat leaders so I think the Camarilla has little foothold and let’s be fair, interest over here.
@Lightmaguz: And São Paulo is mentioned in V20 as “Sao Paolo” right at the introduction. That being changed in the V20 Companion will definitely be a little bit odd. 🙂
Should you need any info on a Dutch city please let me know. There is actually more to our country then the coffeeshops in Amsterdam 😉
Of course there is. They’re called hookers.
How about a south european location to balance the european geographical distribution of those already presented in the development doc? One in Portugal?
A nice location would be the ruins of Carmo Convent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmo_Convent_(Lisbon)), a medieval building which was almost destroyed on the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The open space under the ruined main nave with its roofless arches crossing the clear night skies could be the meeting of those who serve and honor the innumerous elders (secretly or not) who got buried under the rubble and detritus caused by the revolving earth. The frantic and colourful procession of “masked devils” meets there once a year without interruption even though the ceremony dangerously attracts unneeded attention from puzzled passersby.
Here’s a possible depiction of the procession by the Portuguese painter Lima de Freitas: http://bp2.blogger.com/_Pgb9_GVYb9c/Rwti5IKpzHI/AAAAAAAABaU/yNkhC9f4aj4/s1600-h/Cegada+nas+ruinas+do+Carmo+-+Lima+Freitas.jpg
Why this Masquerade breaching tradition still carries on one the last great bastions of Camarilla presence in the Iberian Peninsula is a bit mysterious given the ascendency the Tremere have on the city’s fate after they allegedly mystically provoked the catastrophe to unseat the Toreador elders hold on local politics. Not that the folkclore design of the costumes are that up to the taste of the local Toreador, either.
Its seems as good thematic counterpart to the São Paulo’s Catedral da Sé as well, an ocean apart but linked by the same cultural background. 🙂
What about something that is a landmark or location that is not tied to a single physical place? I mean, there is precedent for this, with the Cathedral of Flesh leaving its location after the destruction of Yorak. I am NOT suggesting that the Cathedral of Flesh be in the V20, Comapanion, though.
I am more thinking about how the Book of Nod mentions the grotto of Shal-ka-mense and the pool of Veyd-sah-me as places where Caine met his bloodthirsty enemies (in the ‘Valediction against Diablerie’). What if these places really exist, but not so much as locations but rather as ideas that appear where they are needed? They are embodiments of vengeance, of the curse placed on all of Caine’s race to never be able to live with each other in peace, and thus they ‘exist’ where they need to exist, conferring whatever power and lore they must when and where they appear.
Something that I’ve loved about the new World of Darkness is the idea that locations, monsters, groups and what have you aren’t tied to single locations. I have no idea how such might work in, say, Vampire: the Masquerade, but I thought that it might be worth suggesting…
Have you seen this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_catacombs_of_Palermo
Since 1599 the monks use this as a burial ground for mummies. The catacombs serve to mummify the bodies. It’s in Italy. And called Capuchin catacombs. Something for the Giovanni, the Cappadocians. Maybe even the Capuchin from the Giovanni Chronicles.
Someone up above mentioned the KoE and detailing their home but in the spirit of Masquerade I think it would be really nice to see further developments in Chinatown, San Francisco. Really there are a number of places in S.F. that could work for further detailing. I could see the Fillmore with it’s rich history of modern music being a spotlight location or how about the Chronicle which is a widely circulated paper that has been responsible for breaking many important stories over the years.
Also, moving a slight bit south and in keeping with the chapter on technology you might want to look at spotlighting the Silicon Valley. It is, after all, where a vast chunk of those tech advancements were created and the largest tech firms founded and live. I could see how many Kindred to San Jose (the central city in the Silicon Valley) as a place to set up shop. Maybe Setites are responsible for the Rosicrucian Museum, or you could focus on San Jose’s Japantown which is one of only three remaining historical Japantowns in the United States. You could even look to History Park at Kelley Park which is a small town set up to look like and function as a town from 1900. I could see a stagnant Kindred having that built and keeping it as they remembered it from when they were embraced. I would have also suggest the Winchester Mystery House but it was already detailed in Havens of the Damned.
In Brazil things could be like:
Camarilla rule the north and south(!) regions, and Brasilia
Sabbath get Centro oeste (west central(?)) region (with some Camarilla fights), SP state (with anarch early 80s revolt quelled in the capital), the interior of northeast region, and MG state interior (MG capital should be Sabbath/anarch with an already much decadent Camarilla)
Anarchs get most of the northeast capitals (with some Sabbath fights) and Rio state.
Better yet:
The Giovanni should compete with the Sabbath in Brasilia, and (centro oeste) west central region; maybe even in MG and SP upcountry (yeah, this is what I meant by ‘interior’ on the post above).
I’ll keep thinking about other clans’ brazilian domains.