SB Game Prelude
Montreal is a city of enigmas, an onion of almost infinite layers, if you will. Peel away one skin and several more await, seductive in what they hide. Montreal is called "The City of Black Miracles" because of the dark faith of its former nocturnal inhabitants. Those who live within its island confines, whether mortal or immortal, should be made to feel as if some terrible force looms just beyond the senses.
Montreal is also a city of contrasts, where modern skyscrapers tower over old churches and cathedrals. The New and the Old World clash, not only for mortals, but for the supernatural. Mention of the city conjures images of the crime-infested streets of New York, the despair-gripped populace of Detroit, the black heart of Mexico City and the moral debauchery of Amsterdam. The city of Montreal had long been out of reach, under the control of the Sabbat, a depraved doomsday vampire cult. In recent years though, the Sabbat seemed to have all but vanished, leaving the city ripe for the taking.
The Awakening is where it all began for us...some would say, it's where it all started going to shit. Many of us discovered our powers by accident, a few were raised into it, or even taught by mentors, exploiters or abusers, a few lucky ones simply met Konstantinos who, after courting us into joining him and his organization, used his powers to, in turn, awaken ours. Our ranks include mostly sorcerers, psions, and a few freaks here and there, but what we all have in common is that all of us are broken and lost, haunted by our powers, powers that many only dream about wielding... oh and we're all men... who are also into men... let's just say Konstantinos is a peculiar man. The beginning of our adventure is messy, intense, relentless. We are sent into base camps in the middle of nowhere, deserts, jungles, mountain peeks. Two years of gruelling shock training follows where Konstantinos' associates teach us combat, hone our already innate skills, mold us into something more. The only thing that keeps most of us going is the sense of purpose, but for others it's money, boredom, or even the lust for power.
Konstantinos is the man in charge, the catalyst, the glue that holds it all together. We don't know much about him, but what little we know is that he is a powerful Mage, and when I say powerful, I mean fucking powerful. The man has clearly vested interest in protecting humanity from the supernatural forces that would prey on it. Many would wonder why such a powerful being does not simply protect humanity himself, and he would answer; because his power comes with dire consequences. And well, the truth is, even though he is powerful, he is not omnipotent. So, Konstantinos scours the globe, looking for attractive men, men gifted with powers that do not bear the same heavy consequences that his power carries. He welcomes us into his organization, gives us a purpose, molds us into something more. After our training, we become part of what we call The Sacred Band, and are deployed to our new home base. Many would call it a cult, but the truth is, we are a brotherhood.
This is where your particular story begins. Each of you were contacted for a rare occasion; an emergency briefing with the man himself, Konstantinos. You were told that a new base of operation was being set up in Montreal, and you were all being assigned to the new post. The assignment is a dangerous one; The city had long been a cesspool of Sabbat activity, and with this volatile, insane vampire cult in charge, Konstantinos dared not establish a base of operation there. Things have changed in recent years, Konstantinos has noticed an exile of most Sabbat vampires to the middle east. The Sabbat abandoned Montreal, leaving a power vacuum in their place. Supernatural forces and creatures now battle for control of the city, resulting in an increase of already high numbers of violent and unexplained deaths and disappearances in the city. Using his powers, resources and connections, Konstantinos has set up a base for us in the Gay Village neighborhood. With nothing but a few connections to the local Police Forces, Konstantinos has tasked us with freeing the city's mortals from destructive supernatural forces, and to destroy the creatures that would prey on humanity... or if we're lucky, make them fall in line.
