Poland (cWOD)

Poland is a country in Central Europe, situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges (the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains) in the south.

Overview
This country is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north.

Poland is a surprising haven for many of the Awakened. Numerous Lupines live near the Carpathian Mountains in the south, and a Chantry of mages dwells in the coastal town of Frombork, seeking to find any lost works of Copernicus. The city of Krakow is ruled by Prince Razkoljna, and presents itself as a delightful mix of old-fashioned sites and the constructs of a newly modernizing nation. Whereas only a few cainites lived here before, many Toreador, Tzimisce and Brujah are now looking at the city with renewed interest.

The Oradea League is represented in these territories by Hedeon Yaroslavich. His chief haven, a castle in eastern Poland, is guarded by szlachta. These foul ghouls sport claws, have natural armor plating and possess superior physical traits. Workers in Hedeon's mines have likewise been altered to perform more effectively.

The villages near his castle are populated to capacity with ghouls who drink from vitae tainted wells, thereby becoming Blood bound to Yaroslavich. Other less fortunate villagers are taken to serve as guinea pigs in various vile experiments. Some now function as living traps in his dungeons or as living partitions in the rooms of his fortress.

Kindred who fall under his power are lucky if they are drained outright, as Hedeon lives up to his clan's infamous reputation for torture. Any survivors are Blood bound to him; along with his half-dozen childer, he uses these victims to further his schemes. One of Hedeon's more recent successes involved tricking the Sabbat into calling a Crusade against Camarilla forces in Szczecin; this action resulted in destruction for both sides. As a bonus, Hedeon's childe, Elica, became prince of the city during the confusion.