Hong Kong (WOD)

Hong Kong (Xiānggǎng in pinyin) is a special administrative region of China. Originally ceded to the British Empire in the 19th century, the city became an important free port for trade with oriental wares. In 1997, the leasing contract between Britain and China ended, returning the city to chinese control. The maoistic regime of China has granted Hong Kong several special rights, including their free-trade market. In the Gothic-Punk World of Darkness, much of the modernization of the city came to a halt, resulting in numerous gloomy shanytowns around the districts of high finance and business.

The city of Hong Kong proper consists of Kowloon peninsula and about 263 islands, the largest being Hong Kong Island. The region has a strong presence of dragon lines that coalesce around and within the city, making the use of precise feng shui to construct buildings more important. This high saturation with magical energies draws the attention of numerous supernaturals of both east and west, leading to a unique melting pot between both groups.

Vampire: The Masquerade
For decades, Hong Kong had been one of the few cities in the Middle Kingdom with a stable population of Kindred. Since Robert Pedder’s coup against the prince of Macau in the aftermaths of the First Opium War had failed, he retreated to the rocky island that would later be given to the British authorities. Pedder profited immensely from the chaos that wrecked the mainland during the Taiping Rebellion and subsequent weakening of the native Kuei-jin. When Hong Kong became a trading exclave of the British Empire, Pedder crowned himself the „Tai-pan“ (Prince) of the city and ruthlessly drove out any other Kindred that challenged his claim to domain. Those that accepted him were granted territorial rights, the first among them the Tremere, who built a chantry in what would become Hollywood Road. Most other Camarilla Clans also found representation.

Pedder later expanded his domain into Kowloon and the „New Territories“ of 1898. Yet he knew that the threat of the Kuei-jin remained and that they would surely come and try to retake Hong Kong from him when the leasing contract expired in 1997. Claiming the Central District as his private domain, Pedder invested heavily into business, filling his pockets during the boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Pedder used a specially trained squad of ghouls (the „Ghoul Squad“) to strike against Kindred that had taken up residence in Hong Kong without his permit. His Primogen assembled at the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, which was the preeminent of the cities six Elysia. Anarchs were relegated to Wanchai, most of whom fled from Blood Hunts into the East where they hoped to be safe. The Elders of Hong Kong tolerated them as a buffer between themselves and the Kuei-jin, although conflicts between the three groups often erupted. Caitiff were outlawed and for anyone to kill or feed from.

As the date grew closer, more and more Kindred, among them the Tai-pan, prepared to flee the city. Pedder himself was assassinated before he could leave the city. As a result, the city currently has no prince and no one has stepped forward to claim that title. The remaining Kindred are an disorganized lot, staying for multiple personal reasons. The only bastion of stability appeared to be the Tremere, until Regent Thrace betrayed his Clan after the Week of Nightmares and fled to Beijing.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Hong Kong is a melting pot between the Garou Nation and the Beast Courts of the Middle Kingdom. The Glass Walkers have a prominent branch-tribe there, the Boli Zouhisze, native Garou that allied with the British authorities against the growing threat of bakemono and similar corrupt entities that threatened them. The gros of the group retreated to Hong Kong, relocated to the Mother of Peach Tree Caern near the zoo. The Sept of Universal Trade was established in 1898 to mediate tensions between the Boli Zouhisze and the Glass Walkers from abroad, as well as between Asian and Western Kinfolk and promote ecological technology. The remaining Glass Walkers founded the Iron Brotherhood, which defended the main Caern in Hong Kong from outsiders. When the ownership of Hong Kong switched, the Boli Zouhisze found themselves under attack from the government against many of their institutions among the Triads. Mortal greed leads to the dumping of waste near the zoo, befouling the spiritual equivalent and giving rise to Banes that attack the Caern. With the death of one of their few Elders, the Mother of Peach Tree Caern, was threatened to be exposed. Some even argued to close the Caern altogether and recreate it elsewhere. With the departure of the Stargazers from the Nation, Hong Kong was a popular immigration point into the Middle Kingdom, with numerous Stargazers first traveling to Hong Kong before reaching the mainland. In 2002, a massive upsurge in First Changes across the city put the followers of Cockroach under additional stress, trying to incorporate these new Garou into their structures.

The Fera also have a presence here, although there is no official Beast Court with a Regent found within the city. The Khan have three members, including the free agent Gao Kui, the Interpol agent Ling Chu and a newly arrived supporter of Communism, who both clash with each other, but are careful to not violate anothers territory. Zhong Lung dwell among the boat people that live on the multiple islands that surround Hong Kong and who work as water taxis. Nezumi prosper beneath the city, flourishing and working to meet the Apocalypse on their own terms. The forces of the Wyrm are also active, but do not pose a united front. Pentex works to use the atmosphere of free trade to their advantage and insert their subsidiaries. A kumo by the name of Qian Shi has influence in multiple areas, including the triads, the police and the media, as well as the local Kin-jin and akuma, working to further his own agenda. The Black Spiral Dancers profit from ecological disasters and work to enter the city. A Black Spiral Dancer by the name of Marc Spencer has taken up residence in Macau to search for the Caern of the Boli Zouhisze.

Mage: The Ascension
The Awakened find themselves attracted to Hong Kong for its geomantic design, which generates powerful amounts of chi, as well as its business culture. Chief among them is the Technocracy, who has one Construct, Pearl Paradigms, within the city that is supervised by the Syndicate and whose goal is the control over Hong Kong’s financial market. Their allies among the Dalou’laoshi are the Taiping Tianguo, who hide within the Syndicate and work against the communistic regime of mainland China.

The Traditions, on their part, are not idle. Numerous Akashic Brothers fled to Hong Kong after the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery, forming the Golden Dragon Society. This group, consisting of the Shi-Ren and Vajrapani sects within the Tradition, gained a significant foothold in the movie industry and organized crime of Hong Kong. The Virtual Adepts have come en masse to Hong Kong, mostly to purchase gear that couldn’t be bought elsewhere. The Order of Hermes has a presence in small local clubs that are used to meet with other members of their Tradition. The most prestigious of these, named the House of Crimson Thunder, has adopted much of the Chinese ritual systems into their own magic and invited numerous Wu Lung into their ranks, forming minor House Hong Lei. A mixed cabal by the name “Tong of the Sixth Dragon” lives in Kowloon, in a banking complex known as the Feng Tak Commerce Bank.

Smaller crafts also maintain a presence. The Wu-Keng have one of their main centres in Hong Kong, with several a-jis tutoring new members of their Craft. During the Cultural Revolution, numerous Wu Lung fled to Hong Kong and built hidden exclaves. Some of these allied with the Akashic Brotherhood, others chose to remain independent. A single Nephandus, Ru Mang, is known to operate in the city. A mysterious Awakened mage by the name of Chang cares for a place referred to as the “Orchard of Heaven” south of the city. All who approach him with malicious intentions do not return.

Wraith: The Oblivion
Hong Kong is part of the Yellow Springs. Despite this, the Necropolis of Hong Kong has a strong presence of Stygian Wraiths, whose souls were ceded to Stygia in an agreement between Yu Huang and Charon. With the end of the leasing agreement among mortals, the situation in the shadowlands is complicated. Wraith presence is mostly centred around the Central District, with convergence of yin-aspected dragonlines found in the basement of the Bank of China Tower. Kun Su, the governor of Yu Huang, uses Hong Kong as administrative centre for the Dark Kingdom’s finance in Canton. The wraiths of the city usually reap Pathos through ancestor worship and festivals held for the dead. A Stygian outpost consisting of all Legions sits in Aberdeen, with stygian agents spread throughout the city to reach western wraiths before the Emperor’s censors can get a hold on them.

Changeling: The Dreaming
The main faerie population consists of the native Hsien. Hong Kong is part of the Hunan province and falls under the jurisdiction of the Red Mandarin, who resides in the city. Few Hsien live within the city, most preferring the outskirts. The most prominent organization are the Xian Mun, dedicated the mortal society, and the secretive Shu Shen. There are also numerous catlike entities that feed on sexual energies, reminiscent of the Nyan. The Red Mandarin works closely together with the native Kuei-jin against the strong presence of Daitya and Kura Sau within the city. Especially the Kura Sau seem to flourish among the various triads.

Kithain rarely arrive within the city. There are rumors of a group of Unseelie that fled to the city to continue playing malicious pranks on unsuspecting mortals.

Kindred of the East
Hong Kong was, for a long period of time, the territory of the Kuei-jin Flame Court. In the chaos of the First Opium War, however, the Court splintered into a thousand factions of warring wus all across Canton. Only worsened was this by the ruling Ancestor, a Wise Centipede by the name of Five Earthly Seasons, who fanned discontent and strife among the local Kuei-jin in a directed attempt to destroy the Flame Court, an act that would leave with no fetters and allowing him to become a bodhisattva. The brutal chaos and infighting between various groups allowed the kin-jin to claim their domain in Hong Kong without much challenge. The remaining Kuei-jin lived organized in separated wu, that all had their own ways to cope with the situation of British rule. Diplomats from the Song of the Shadow worked intensly to keep aggressions at a manageable level and avoid open conflict at all costs, lest hunters from all across Asia would be drawn to them. One of the more powerful groups were the Righteous Devils of Kowloon, headed by the Devil-Tiger Ancestor Ghost-Killer. Ghost-Killer made a non-aggression pact with tai-pan Pedder for mutual benefit. Ghost-Killer also consorted with the Yama Kings, a fact that was discovered by his apprentice Angúo Cho. Cho betrayed his mentor to a group of akuma, assuming control over the Righteous Devils.

When the city switched hands in 1997, the Quincunx reacted by sending a war wu to root out any foreign supernaturals, the Victorious Whirlwind. The Victorious Whirlwind was part of the offensive of the Great Leap Outward, seeking to bring all Chinese territories again under Kuei-jin control. Many natives were resentful that the Quincunx had decided to act with reactionary violence instead of trying to use the networks that were already present. The Righteous Devils became the speakgroup for much of these disenfranchised Kuei-jin who hoped to honor their agreements with other supernaturals. Both sides declared a Shadow War against each other and by 1999, Hong Kong was still a battlefield between the Victorious Whirlwind and the Righteous Devils. Both sides speak of the restored Flame Court as a fait accompli, as if they had already won, not accepting their contender. The Quincunx focused on the battles abroad, leaving the two factions for themselves. The defection of Thrace gave the moderates of the Great Leap Outward enough prestige to dominate the militants, further diminishing the support for the Victorious Whirlwind. Supporters of the Whirlwind hope that the Bestowed Ancestor simply declares the Righteous Devils akuma to incite the other wu against them. Factions like the Boneweb wu work to keep both sides at each other’s throats, while others, like the Sublime Caretakers, profit by offering shelter to Kuei-jin that seek to escape the conflict. Several of these wu prepare to take the various dragon nests of the island under their control to gain an advantage. Shen politics during British rule made the possibility of direct attacks dicey, with the return of Hong Kong to British rule, several tradition-bound wu are gearing up for full frontal assaults on the contested sites. The Clans of the Sun have send their emissaries to act within the financial and business sphere, despite hostilities from the natives. Bamboo Princes used to have a strong presence in Hong Kong, but have come recently under attack from a mysterious source. Most Bamboo Princes blame the Quincunx, but nothing can be proven.

Hunter: The Reckoning
A small cell of local hunters, called the Scarlet Shih to honor the Shih of the Chou-dynasty (being ignorant that these warriors still exist) has their base in Hong Kong and works to hunt “demons”. Most of them dabble in occultism, but are unaware of the greater supernatural world. Imbued have appeared, but not yet formed a cohesive organization.

One Shih master is rumoured to have a permanent residence in Hong Kong and use the city and its varied supernaturals as testing ground for new disciples. The Arcanum has one of the oldest chapterhouses in Asia in Hong Kong.

Mummy: The Resurrection
Hong Kong houses a small population of the Reborn. The most prominent is Nian Shun, a Wu T’ian who claims domain on the island of Lantau near the city, where he watches over a small Confucian monastery. The Shemsu-Heru had an agent, the Vizier Merit-Neferu, within the city to learn more about the Elixir of Eternal Life, but what happened to them after the creation of the Amenti is unknown.