Blood in the Bayou — A Chronicle of Secrets

Creating your character

We build your character together, starting with the person behind the vampire: their work, relationships, ambitions and the parts of their old life they still care about. A musician with a club to save, a dock worker with useful connections or a journalist who knows too much can all belong in this city. Your history and loyalties are yours to choose. Bring a rough concept using Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. We will work through your clan, sire, abilities and connections, then agree on how you enter the ongoing chronicle and become part of the coterie. You do not need a finished sheet or an encyclopedic knowledge of the setting; I will guide you through the rules and the relevant history. Think about what your character wants from New Orleans, who might share that ambition and what relationship they would hate to lose. Those ties give influence, loyalty and betrayal their personal weight. Your future remains open, shaped by the choices you make in play.

Preparing for the session

You will receive access to the chronicle space in Quest Portal, with the setting information, rumours and contacts available to your character. We use Discord for voice. Please have a computer, headphones, a working microphone and a stable internet connection. Bring a rough Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition character concept. We will develop it together and discuss your place in the ongoing story before you enter play. No prior knowledge of New Orleans or the chronicle is required; I will help you get your bearings. Before play, complete the private Lines & Veils form so we can establish boundaries for the personal horror and crime drama. Come ready to listen, share the spotlight and give the other characters room to matter.

What Dunchan Hunter brings to the table

I bring a living New Orleans shaped by history, folklore, belief and the competing interests of the people who call it home. Distinct NPC voices, scene visuals and carefully chosen music give the city texture, from a crowded club to a conversation behind a restaurant's locked door. The chronicle has the intimacy and pressure of a mafia drama. A conversation about territory may turn on a family obligation; an apparent insult may conceal an offer. NPCs have private lives, attachments and ambitions. They can enjoy your company, owe you a debt and still disagree with what you want. Warmth, sharp humour and moments of affection make those relationships worth investing in. Your choices shape the balance of power. Favours, businesses, alliances and secrets create opportunities, while rivals and allies act between sessions. Expect room for negotiation and investigation, with violence that has consequences beyond the immediate confrontation. Success can bring real influence and security; betrayal, exposure and character death remain possible. I provide guided character creation, an introduction to the ongoing chronicle and support with the rules. We use Quest Portal for the chronicle space and Discord for voice. Your character's ambitions and decisions remain yours, and the city remembers what follows.

How Dunchan Hunter creates a safe table

Before play, you receive a private Lines & Veils form to identify what should never appear and what should remain off-screen. Your responses are seen only by me, and your boundaries are respected. This chronicle explores personal horror through a supernatural crime drama: hunger, loyalty, coercion, corruption, violence and the consequences of power. We discuss the tone and boundaries together. Intimate content follows the limits agreed at the table. During play, we use X, N and O: stop, shift or soften, and continue. No explanation is required to signal a boundary. We take breaks and check in regularly, especially after intense scenes, with time at the end to step out of character and decompress. We explore difficult choices in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. Everyone has room to speak, and the story changes when it crosses an agreed boundary.